Details Make All the Difference: Lillie Hutchins, Westford, Mass., Circa 1893

I was elated when I saw the detailed information on this typical 1890s cabinet card.  Written on the back: "Youngest child of Mr & Mrs. Stephen Hutchins, Lillie Hutchins.  Sister of Abbie Smith.  About 20 years old.  She died at age of 26 years old.  Buried in West Lawn Cemetary, Westford, Mass."

I found Lillie in the 1880 Federal Census with her parents Stephen and Lucy Hutchins¹.  She was seven years old, and two other children were living at home in Westford, Mass. at the time:  Florence (b. 1860) and Ella (b. 1868).  I didn't see Abbie there, so I went to the earlier 1865 Massachusetts State Census, and there was two-year-old Abby².

The notation on the card mentions Lillie's passing at age 26, and this, too, was quite easy to find in the Massachusetts Death Index on familysearch.org.  The exact date of death was February 10, 1899³.  The cause of death was "Neurasthenia," which is a medical diagnosis not used any more.  Symptoms were  extreme fatigue, depression, and anxiety, and nervous system issues.  Lillie's mother's maiden name was Culver.

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1 "United States Census, 1880," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MH6T-4VB : accessed 29 Aug 2012), Lillie E. A. Hutchins in household of Stephen E. Hutchins, Westford, Middlesex, Massachusetts; citing sheet 9A, family 4, NARA microfilm publication T9-0539.^↩
2 "Massachusetts, State Census, 1865," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MQCL-1XX : accessed 29 Aug 2012), Abbie J Hutchins in household of Stephen E Hutchins, Westford, Middlesex, Massachusetts.^↩
3 "Massachusetts, Deaths, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NWQD-NHL : accessed 29 Aug 2012), Lillie E. A. Hutchins, 1899.^↩

A Handtouched Portrait: Stephen Smith Buffum, Yates City, Illinois, Circa 1860s

This portrait of Stephen Smith Buffum of Yates City, Illinois was found in a lot of ephemera I purchased on eBay a while back.  On the reverse the following information is written in pen:  "S. S. Buffum, Yates City, Ill.,"  and "Stephen Smith Buffum, George M. Buffum's father." 

It's difficult to say when this image was created, but it has been drawn over, likely in an attempt to make it appear more like a piece of drawn artwork.  The original photograph was probably taken in the 1860s.  I was lucky enough to locate information about Mr. Stephen Smith Buffum in an old history book called, Portrait and Biographical Album of Johnson and Pawnee Counties, Nebraska, Containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches.  The reason S.S. Buffum appears in a Nebraska history book, not having lived there, is that his son, Joseph, became a prominent citizen, farmer and county judge in Johnson County, Nebraska.  The biography focuses on Joseph, but includes information about his mother and father, and even on his grandfather, Stephen Buffum, Sr.

Stephen Smith Buffum was born on the 22nd of October in Addison, Vermont, son of Stephen Buffum.  He moved west and settled in Ashtabula County, Ohio, where he married Esther Mann.  Four children were born to the couple there:  Rufus (1829), Matthew (1831), Joseph (1834) and George (1836),  and in 1836 the family left Ohio to settle in Knox County, Illinois.  Four more children were born:  Austin (1839), Amanda (1841), Olive (1844) and Silas (1846).

In 1860 Stephen Smith Buffum sold the farm in Knox County and moved his family to Yates City, where he  had a number of business interests, including a general store. 

He died in February of 1871 at the age of 69 years and his grave can be found here: Stephen S Buffum (1802 - 1871) - Find A Grave Photos. 

September 3, 2012 UPDATE:  This portrait is on its way to Illinois to be reunited with a relative of Stephen Smith Buffum's.  

Who is Nine-month-old Lottie Brown [Cilley?], Daughter of Olive, Probably From Maine?

This little cutie has given me a very hard time.  I can't seem to figure out who she is. This baby portrait was found with another baby photo from around the same time period with the same notation on the front of the card that reads, "Merl Cilley." 

There isn't a photographer's imprint on the front of the card, but on the reverse we are given several clues.
First, the child is identified:
"Lottie Brown, Age 9 months 2 weeks.  Died Dec. 26, 1915"
 "Aunt Olive's Children also other picture."

And finally there is, what I believe to be a photographer's rubber stamp on the back.  It simply says, "True, Clinton, ME.

I located Samuel M. True, a photographer, who worked out of Clinton from 1900 to at least 1912.  He could have been in business earlier than 1900, but I was unable to find him in the 1880 census, nor is he in the 1920 Census in Kennebec County.  However, I did locate his wife Carrie and their children in the 1920 census and she is listed as a widow.

As for Lottie Brown, we know that her mother's first name is Olive.  I could not find any Lottie or Charlotte Browns in the censuses with a mother named Olive.  I went further afield, and found several possibilities, none seemingly more likely than any other.

The one clue that could help us pinpoint which Lottie Brown is correct is, of course, the death date provided on the back of the image.  If we can locate a death record for Lottie Brown who died 26 Dec. 1915, her parentage and/or birth date may be noted as well.  Unfortunately, the image of the other child has no inscription other than the same photographer's stamp.  Merl Cilley, the name that appears on both photos may be the recipient and is likely related.  One could have a look at his ancestry, but that's a rather time-consuming approach.

How would you proceed?  

The Stodders, Morden, Manitoba, Circa 1895

 

There's a lot going on in the photograph.  Taken at T.C. Birnie & Co., in either Morden or Manitou, Manitoba, this cabinet card features, presumably, a husband & wife and a portrait of a young girl.  Perhaps the young girl is a deceased daughter. The table placed between the couple is holding several books.  I tried to read the titles on the spines of the volumes, but the print wasn't clear enough.

On the reverse of the card mount, someone has written three names:

"Mrs. Alex Murdock" at the top of the card. (The recipient?)

 Then, "James Stodders, Alice M. Stodders"  in the centre of the card. 

I am operating on the assumption that we are looking at James and Alice Stodders.  James Stodders and Alice Mary Wyatt were married on the 2nd of March 1892 in Winnipeg¹.  James Stodders appears in the 1900-1901 Directory for Manitoba and the Northwest Territories, which shows his occupation as "grain merchant," and his residence as Morden, Manitoba².

The Western Canada Photographer's List, 1860-1925 by Glen C. Phillips shows T.C. (Thomas C.) Bernie operated his studio in Morden between the years 1892-1904.  The photographer's imprint mentions a Manitou location as well, which was in business for only 2 years, 1894 and 1895. Can we safely say that the image dates from that time?  

Who is the girl in the portrait? 

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1 “Manitoba, Marriage Index, 1879-1931,” database, entry for James Stodders and Alice Mary Wyatt, 2 Mar 1892, reg #1892-002246 Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 1 July 2012), citing Manitoba Consumer and Corporate Affairs. http://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.php: accessed 2 April 2012.^↩
2 Lovell's Directory of Manitoba and Northwest Territories for 1900-1901: Province of Manitoba Directory. Including A Complete Classified Business Directory and Farmers Directory of Manitoba, John Lovell & Son, Winnipeg, MB, 1900, p. 628.^↩

Memories by Norma Lovering Hardison, Three Rivers, California (1906-2004)

Normally, I don't feature books here on Family Photo Reunion, but this one does have quite a lot of genealogical value, and contains images, and family tree information that certainly would be of interest to a relative.  This 290-page coil-bound memoir probably didn't have a large run and so I include it here as one of my Vancouver Island antique sale finds.  It's simply called "Memories" and contains no other publication information.  It is signed, "To Dottie, From Norma Hardison, With all my love.  February 1990."


According to the book, Norma Lovering (b. 30 June 1906) was the daughter of Bob and Nell (Weaver) Lovering.  The family lived on Lemon Street in Anaheim, Orange County, California.  They later moved to a cattle ranch in Three Rivers, California.  Norma married Arthur Hardison, Jr. in 1926.

Cover of "Memories" by Norma L. Hardison

Don't you just love the photo she selected for the cover?  

Norma has included family tree charts, maps, portraits, poems written by family, and excerpts from other history books. Other family names include:  McKee, Robello, Baker, Birtch, Weaver, Brooking, Erwin, Cleary, Pike, Abbott, Chadbourn, Hearl.

Norma passed away on the 23rd of April, 2004 at Three Rivers, California (source:  SSDI).

A Gem Portrait of Miss Gertrude Womersley, Bradford, Yorkshire, England, Circa 1882

This little image is called a "gem" tintype.  The tintype itself measures 1/2" X 1" and is mounted on a carte de visite-sized card.  These tiny pictures were produced from the 1860s right through to about 1890.  They were popular choices for mounting on jewellery due to their small size. 

This girl of about 8 to 10 years old is identified on the reverse of the card as "Gertrude Womersley."  The photographer's imprint on the reverse reads, "From T. Taylor's American Gem Studio, 72, Market Street, Bradford.  Opposite Town Hall."  Tintypes were far more common in America than overseas, and so there were a number of studios in England advertising "American Gems," including Taylor's.  Bradford is located in Yorkshire, England. 

While investigating T. (Thomas) Taylor's studio, I learned that he had a chain of American Gem Studios in various locations from about 1863 to 1890.  I couldn't find specific dates for the Bradford studio, but I do know that he was operating there 1881-1882 because I found another image from this studio, dated 1881.  I also found an advertisement from 1882, with the 72 Market Street address, in a photographic journal.   The image and mount from the 1881 picture are quite similar to this one. 

The England Censuses provided a number of Gertrude Womersleys.  One caught my eye, however.  Gertrude Maria Louisa Womersley, born 1872 in Scarborough, Yorkshire, daughter of Zillah Womersley seems to be a most likely candidate¹.  Nine years old in 1881, and living in Bradford, she is the closest in age to the girl in the photograph if (and this is a big if) the image was taken around 1881-1882.

If this is, indeed, the young girl in the photograph, there is much that can be found about her in later censuses and records.  What do you think? 

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1 "England and Wales Census, 1881," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XQJV-NRZ : accessed 19 Aug 2012), Gertrude Maria Louisa Womersley in household of Zillah Womersley, Bradford, Yorkshire (West Riding), England; citing PRO RG 11/4446 / 132 folio, p. 35, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 1342063.^↩

Another Photo from Mary Harrison's Album: Maggie & Hannah Hinchcliffe, ca. 1877-1884

This tintype is labelled "Maggie & Hannah Hinchcliffe."  It does not carry a photographer's name or location on it.  It's from the Mary Harrison album I have previously blogged about.  Mary lived in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia; Lawrence, Massachusetts and and Portsmouth, New Hampshire and most of the photos in the album originate from one of those three places.

I had no luck with finding two sisters named Maggie & Hannah Hinchcliffe in the censuses for the above three locations.  I found a few sister combinations with these names, but the photograph doesn't specifically say that the girls are sisters.  They could be cousins.  I'm afraid I'd only be guessing if I tried to connect these girls with any of the individuals I found.

Dating this image may help us narrow things down, though.  The girls are both wearing dresses that are trimmed with bands of plaid.  The girl on the left is wearing striped stockings which were popular for young girls at the end of the 1870s.  The long, fitted tunic on the standing girl's dress is similar to the fitted jacket bodice that was also popular at the end of that decade.    She is also wearing a fairly wide crocheted collar, which was a style for children at the end of the 1870s, well into the 1880s.  I would date this image to somewhere between 1877 to 1884.

If you have any ideas that might help limit our search, I'd be very happy to hear from you.

Names or Places? Untangling Miss Isobel, Elgin, NB, ca. 1900

The photograph reminds me of a grammar example one might use to illustrate the importance of commas:
Let's eat, Grandma!
or
Let's eat Grandma!

Same words, very different meaning.  On the reverse of this photo found in a Vancouver Antique Shop, the following words have been written:

Isobel Duncan
     Marchfield
      Dumbreck.

The photo was taken at the Blizzard Studio in Elgin, N.B.  So my question is this to you.  Does this mean "Isobel Duncan of Marchfield, Dumbreck" or "Isobel Duncan Marchfield of Dumbreck," or "Isobel Duncan Marchfield Dumbreck of Somewhere Else"?

The problem with Dumbreck is that it is both a place and surname.  Same goes for Marchfield.  And just down the road from me is a place called Duncan.  Though, I think we can be fairly certain that at least Duncan is a surname.

My assumption is that, given the way the words are arranged, I'm looking at a photo of Isobel Duncan from Marchfield, Dumbreck.  Dumbreck is located in Lanarkshire, Scotland.  And, according to the 1905 Scottish Postal Directory for Glasgow there is a place within Dumbreck called Marchfield.

I'm going with that theory for the time-being, anyway, but after a few searches I'm really not turning up any Duncans in Dumbreck.  So, I focus on Elgin, N.B.

Did you know there is an Elgin, New Brunswick (Canada)  AND an Elgin, Scotland (or North Britain as it sometimes appeared)?  So we have another issue.  Which Elgin is it?

I tried researching the photographer, Robert Stewart, who had his studio on High Street in Elgin.  I was able to locate a thread on a genealogy board with this very topic.  Where was Robt. Stewart, photographer on High Street, N.B. from: Scotland or Canada?  The discussion concluded with the agreement that Robert Stewart, the bookseller and photographer, was from from Elgin, Moray, Scotland.  He apparently operated there from 1860 to at least 1881, where he is listed in the Scotland Census at 131 High Street, Elgin. The 1891 and 1901 censuses list him as a "retired photographer" living at another address.

The image looks "newer" than 1881 to me.  I would date it to the 1890s or early 1900s.  Perhaps Mr. Stewart continued to take portraits into his retirement, using up his stockpile of cards.
You have any leads on Isobel, I'd love to hear from you!

From the Mary Harrison Photo Album: Sarah McCallin, Nova Scotia or New Hampshire, 1870s

This tintype image comes from the Mary Harrison Photo Album (see earlier blog post) I purchased last December at a Vancouver Island antique shop.  Mary grew up in Maccan, Cumberland, Nova Scotia and later lived in Lawrence, Mass.  This image, labelled "Sarah McCallin" on the album page as well as on the back of the tintype, was found with three other McCallin photos in the same album.  The first two are carte de visite photos of labelled "Mr. McCallin" and "Mrs. McCallin" respectively; both are elderly.  The third is labelled, "Eunice McCallin," and is also a tintype.

I located a Sarah McCallin, who had a sister named Eunice in the 1871 Canada Census.  The census taker recorded the surname as "McCallim."  The family lived in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, quite near to where Mary Harrison grew up, which might explain how Mary knew the McCallins.  Sarah was the third daughter of John and Mary McCallin.  John was born in New Brunswick and was of Irish descent; Mary was born in Nova Scotia, of German descent.  The other children in the household were Eunice, 21; Clara, 16; William, 12; Elvira, 10; Kate, 7; and Maretta, 5.  Sarah was fourteen years old¹.  All of the children were born in Nova Scotia.

At only 28 years of age, Sarah McCallin died on the 20th November 1885 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire².

It's possible that the older couple in the two other photographs, which I would date to somewhere around 1875-1880, are Sarah's parents, but perhaps more likely, her grandparents.  Eunice McCallin is Sarah's sister.  I also suspect that another picture in the album, marked, "Mrs. Charles Haley" is another of Sarah's sisters, Elvira McCallin³, and that the "Mrs. Tozer," also featured in the album, is Sarah's youngest sister, Maretta⁴.  While I didn't locate Elvira and Maretta's marriage records, I did locate their children's marriage records in the New Hampshire Marriage database, which shows their mother's maiden names, in addition to the names of their fathers.

So when was this image taken?  Tintypes throw me off just a little bit because we can't assess the physical aspects of the photograph like we would a carte de visite, nor do we have a photographer's imprint to work from.  The tintype does give us one slight clue.  Those produced before 1870 generally had black backs, those after, were mostly brown.  This one is brown.

For other clues, we have to look at the image itself.  While we can't see Sarah's skirt, we can see that the waist is pulled in quite tightly.  This, along with her collar, accompanied by a white silk bow, and slightly dropped shoulder, seem to fit into the mid-1870s.  I'm inclined to guess a slighter earlier date of 1873-75, though, because of the hairstyle, which is similar to a style popular with younger girls in the late 1860s up until about 1873, where long hair is pulled back from the front with a hair comb and is left to fall into loose ringlets at the back.  This loose hairstyle could be an indication of Sarah's age at the time the photo was taken.  Victorian women generally did not wear their hair down in public, but a younger, unmarried girl would.

If you have an insights to add, please leave a comment.

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1 1871 census of Canada, River Philip, Cumberland, Nova Scotia, population schedule, District: 198 Cumberland, subdistrict G, River Philip, Family #68, p.23 (penned), John McCallim [McCallin] family, digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed July 1, 2012), citing LAC microfilm Roll: C-10556^↩
2 "New Hampshire, Death Records, 1654-1947," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FS2L-M6T : accessed 07 Aug 2012), Sarah M Mccallin, 20 Nov 1885.^↩
3 "New Hampshire, Marriage Records, 1637-1947," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FLH9-J76 : accessed 07 Aug 2012), Elvira Mccallin in entry for Wilbur James Haley and Annie May Pearson and null, 1906.^↩
4 "New Hampshire, Marriage Records, 1637-1947," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FLZ2-1PJ : accessed 07 Aug 2012), Maretta Mccallin in entry for Granville Tozer and Annie M. Wiggin and null, 1909.^↩

Happy With His Little Lamb: Theodore Maynard Moilliet, June 1886

How cute is this little fellow?

According to the inscription on the back of this carte de visite that I found in Victoria, BC, Theodore Maynard Moilliet is 2 years and 9 months old in this picture.  He was born on the 15th of September, 1883 in Hawkhurst, Kent, England, son of Francis Albert Moilliet, a Gentleman, and Dora Louisa Maynard¹.  This means the photograph dates to approximately June of 1886.

Theodore had three other siblings:  Louisa J., (b. 1881), Francis K., (b.1884), and Erskine L (b.1890).  I also found a photograph of Theodore's brother, Francis Keir Moilliet, taken at 11 months of age, in the same shop.   In 1891, the family lived in Eastbourne, Sussex in the home of Francis Albert Moilliet's mother, Louisa Moilliett².  Frances Albert does not appear in the census for this year, but shows up in later censuses. The Moilliets seem to have been fairly well-to-do. Not only does her son Francis's family live with her, her other son, Charles Moilliet is also living there.  The family employs six servants.

In 1911,  Theodore is living with his parents and siblings at Puxtye House, Sandhurst, Kent.  Theodore is 27 years old, single and employed as a "Canadian stationary Engineer."  His younger brother, Erskine, is a "student, surveyor and going to Canada³."

Theodore also leaves for Canada, and in Cloverdale, BC in 1926 marries Margaret Reade, from Moosomin, Saskatchewan⁴.  I was pleased to find the following biography about Theodore and his brother Erskine Lind Moilliet which provides details about the brothers' World War I experience and their life on Vancouver Island.  As it turns out, Theodore lived only 10 miles from here, and later moved to Victoria, where I found the images.

http://www.moilliet.ws/Island_Moilliets.html

Be sure to browse the entire website  ( http://www.moilliet.ws )  if you have Moilliet connections.  There are family trees, stories and images (including pictures of the Moilliet manors in England).  It's a fabulous resource for Moilliet researchers.

Theodore Maynard Moilliet passed away on July 19, 1968 in Victoria, BC⁵.

August 12, 2012 Update:  I just realized where I have seen the surname Moilliet before.  As I was driving through Parksville, BC last night, I turned onto Moilliet Street.  Of course the street was named for someone in the Moilliet family.  Was it named after Theodore?  Francis?  The Moilliet family in general?  I will have to do some inquiring.  Will keep you posted.

August 11, 2016 Update: I donated the Moilliet photographs mentioned in the post above to the Parkville Museum & Archives.

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1 Baptismal Record for Theodore Maynard Moilliet, Saint Mark's United Reformed Church, Greenwich South Street, Greenwich, Register of baptisms; Reference Code: LMA/4393/B/010. London, England, Non-conformist Registers, 1694-1921, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 July 2012). ^↩
2 "England and Wales Census, 1891," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/4Z13-RZM : accessed 06 Aug 2012), Theodor M Moilliet, England; citing (http://Findmypast.co.uk : 2010); PRO RG 12, Sussex county, Eastbourne registration district, Eastbourne subdistrict, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.^↩
3 "England and Wales Census, 1911," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XWDY-F14 : accessed 06 Aug 2012), Theodora Maynard Moilliet, Sandhurst, , Kent, England; citing (http://Findmypast.co.uk : 2011); PRO RG 14, Kent county, Cranbrook registration district, Hawkhurst subdistrict, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.^↩
4 "British Columbia Marriage Registrations, 1859-1932," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JD82-HGB : accessed 06 Aug 2012), Theodore Maynard Moilliet and Margaret Reade, 10 May 1926.^↩
5 "British Columbia Death Registrations, 1872-1986," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FLB8-WMP : accessed 06 Aug 2012), Theodore Maynard Moilliet, 19 Jul 1968.^↩

Odourless and Preserved: John L. Kerr, Toronto Ontario, Circa 1885-1895

Sharing this image with you has been pure sacrifice.  I purchased this photograph in a lot of images, none seemingly connected to another.  It was enclosed by itself, double-bagged  in heavy-duty ziploc.  I knew it had been stored somewhere it shouldn't have been because it had a musty damp odour emanating from it, but I really had no idea how bad it was. When I got it home and opened the bag I was immediately assailed by the worst smell of mold and mildew.  I quickly scanned the cabinet card, both sides, zipped it back up and banished the vile thing to the garage.  Normally, I wouldn't store photographs in the garage. And, I even considered destroying it, now that a scan has been made.  I can't see anyone wanting to keep this in a collection, even if it is Great Grand-Dad.

However, I am happy to introduce you to Mr. John L. Kerr: odourless, and much more pleasant to be with. I'm not 100 percent on the last name, but I'm fairly confident that is what it is.

The photographer, J.F. Bryce worked out of Toronto from 1884 to 1895.

Unfortunately, the name John Kerr is very common in Ontario at this time.  While we do know that the photo was taken in Toronto, we don't know if John L. Kerr lived in Toronto.  While we could narrow it down to a group of likely candidates, I don't think we can come close to any certainty on this one.

If you have a John L. Kerr in your tree, and have a photo we can compare this one with, I'd love to hear from you.

The Herger Family from Montreal As They Were in 1891

These are the children of Max and Margaret Herger of Montreal, Quebec. I used the birth dates from the censuses I have found for this family to estimate that this photograph was taken around 1891.  The photographer was G.C. Arless of Montreal.

Lucky for us the following information was written on the back of the photo:

Herger family in Montreal:

George Frederick

Mathilda Ernestine Sk[???]y

Bonita (Bunny)

Clara

William Eustin

Max and Margaret Herger were both German-born; Max, a book agent, came to the country in 1873 and Margaret in 1861¹.  The census of 1901 provides the birth dates of the children and parents:

Max Herger, born 31 May 1859 Germany
Margaret Herger, born 25 May 1859, Germany
Matilda, born 15 Dec 1878, Ontario
Eustin, born 3 Dec 1881, Ontario
Clara, born 26 Feb 1883, Ontario
George, born 5 Jan 1886, Quebec
Bonita, born 25 Aug 1889, Quebec

The children you see above are living in Montreal, St. Laurent Ward, around the time the photo was taken².

The youngest children, Bonita, died in  Montreal in 1908, of heart failure at age 20³.

George Frederick Herger served in WW1⁴.  At the time of his recruitment in 1918, he and his mother Maggie lived at 213 Waverly Street in Ottawa.  His father, Max, was deceased by this time.  George married Vera Eleanor Peters in Peterborough, Ontario in 1919⁵.

William Eustin Herger made his way out to BC.  He married Harriet Gertrude Lester in Vancouver on the 3rd of January 1912⁶.  He passed away on the 16 March 1956, also in Vancouver⁷. 

If you know what happened to the other children, you are most welcome to post your comments.  Thanks for reading!

UPDATE: August 11, 2018
This photograph has been reunited with a direct descendant of George Herger, the second youngest child in the photo.

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1 1901 census of Canada, St. Laurent Ward, Montreal, Quebec, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 177, Sub-District A-36 p.1 (penned), dwelling 9, family 9, Max Herger family; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 1 July 2012); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm T-6428 through T-6556.^↩
2 1891 census of Canada, St. Laurent Ward, Montreal, Quebec, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 172, subdistrict St. Laurent, p.26 (penned), dwelling 51, family 51, Max Herger family; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 1 July 2012); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm T-6290 to T-6427.^↩
3 Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967, burial record for Bonita Wilhelmina Herger, Lutheran Saint John Germain, Montreal, Quebec, 1908, digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 1 July 2012); citing original data: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut Généalogique Drouin.^↩
4 Canada, Soldiers of the First World War, 1914-1918, entry for George Frederick Herger, Regimental Number 2688306, digital image,Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 1 July 2012); citing "Soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918)." Record Group 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 4930 - 35. Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa.^↩
5 "Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1801-1928," online database, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca), George Frederick Herzer and Vera Eleanora Peters, Registration No.021786, Peterborough, Ontario, 30 Sep 1919; citing original data at Archives of Ontario; citing microfilm MS932, reel 502.^↩
6 "British Columbia Marriage Registrations, 1859-1932," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JD8Z-79B : accessed 04 Aug 2012), Wlliam Eustus Herger and Harriet Gertrude Moore, 03 Jan 1912.^↩
7 William Eustin Herger, Death Registration No. 1956-09-003521 (16 Mar 1956); “British Columbia, Canada, Death Index, 1872-1990,” digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 1 July 2012), citing original data: British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency. British Columbia, Canada.^↩

The Anderson Children from Holdrege, Nebraska, Circa 1896-1897

From the back of the photo:  "Arvid Anderson, standing.  L to R:  Laura Anderson, Oscar Anderson, Myrtle Anderson 1896 (crossed out) 1894"

I think I'm going to disagree with the person who wrote the identification on the back of this cabinet card.  I think they got it right with their first guess of 1896.  Aren't the children charming in their white lace collars?

I found the Anderson family in the 1900 census, living in Holdrege, Nebraska.  The family was headed by Louis Anderson (b. 1848, Sweden) and Ida C. Anderson (b. 1855, Sweden).  Their children are listed as:  Arvid F. Anderson (b. Mar. 1890), Mathilda/Myrtle (b. May 1892), Laura (b. Nov. 1894) and Oscar (b. Aug. 1895)¹. 

Oscar, being the youngest, is the key to dating this image.  His WW1 US Draft Registration Card gives his birth date as 22 Aug 1895².  In the image above he looks to be about one year old, give or take a few months.

The Anderson family moved to Riverside, California sometime between 1900 and 1910, where Louis worked on an orange farm³.  In 1920, Louis (Lewis), Ida and Arvid are living with  Laura and her husband, Wm K. Cornelius in West Riverside⁴.

I'm tempted to research each and every one of the children, but that would be a bit time-consuming and quite a lengthy blog post.  There's a lot of information on this family out there, and it looks like there are a few branches stemming from these children.  I think the chances are good a descendant will be able to find this post.  I hope so.

For information about Holdrege, Phelps County, Nebraska you may wish to check out the following book, A History Of Phelps County, Nebraska 1873-1980. 

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1 "United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M3BT-P87 : accessed 30 July 2012), Louis Anderson, ED 151 Holdrege Township Holdrege city Ward 1-2, Phelps, Nebraska, United States.^↩
2 World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005, entry for Oscar Walter Anderson, citing original record Registration Location: Millard County, Utah; Roll: 1983885; Draft Board: 0.^↩
3 "United States Census, 1910," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MVL2-TCV : accessed 30 July 2012), Lewis Anderson, Riverside Ward 4, Riverside, California.^↩
4 "United States Census, 1920," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MHWM-65T : accessed 31 July 2012), Wm K Cornelius, West Riverside Township Unincorporated, Riverside, California.^↩

Somewhat a Shame Wednesday: Geo McDonald, Glasgow, Scotland and Vancouver, BC, 1890s

This chromotype carte de visite features an older man with an amazing white beard, taken at the J. Whyte Studio in Glasgow, Scotland.  On the reverse we have an handwritten inscription:

The problem here is the "Mrs." in front of Geo McDonald.  Clearly the subject is not a Mrs, so we aren't sure if Mrs. Geo McDonald is the man's wife, a recipient of the photo or if, perhaps, a mistake was made with the Mrs. part.  The reason I include the latter possibility is because I have a photograph taken at the same studio, probably at the same time, of an older woman.  These photos were found together and this photo of the woman has a similar inscription in the same hand on the back:

Notice that this one doesn't have the Mrs. part.  Could the inscriber have mixed up the labelling on these?
This second back also provides an additional clue. There is a studio stamp on the back "The Convex Art & Novelty [Company]."  On David Mattison's Camera Workers site, he shows that this studio was owned by T. Elf, a photographer who operated out of 3 - 319 W. Pender St., Vancouver, BC in 1911.  The address, "265 Victoria Drive" is also a Vancouver address.  I could only find one match for a George McDonald at this address in the year 1911 (Henderson's Greater Vancouver Directory):

George McDonald, emp. P. Burns & Co. Ltd.  h.265 Victoria Dr. 

The images look to be of mid-1890s vintage, and J. Whyte was in business at 75 Jamaica Street from 1893 to 1897.

So, are the images of a Mr & Mrs. George McDonald?  Are they the recipients?  Is G. McDonald simply making copies of the original J. Whyte cdvs at the Convex Art & Novelty Company? I suspect (but have no proof) that George MacDonald may be a son or son-in-law to the man in the photo.  If George McDonald  is employed in 1911, then George is not the man in the photo.  If the original image was taken in 1895, and we guess the man's age to be 75 at the time the photo was taken, the gentleman would be 91 years old in 1911.

What are your thoughts?