What a Shame Wednesday: To Katie from Alfred, Kopke Studio, Brooklyn, NY, 1888

 

This is a classic, late 1880s cabinet card photograph.  The dark hazel cardstock was favoured at this time, as were dark burgundies, and deep forest greens.  The photographer's information is printed with gold ink, "Kopke, 405 to 409 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, N.Y."

On the reverse we find an inscription, "Katie from Alfred, July 1888"  A negative number is given, #22686, which probably won't help us much since an archive of Kopke's images doesn't seem to exist.

It would have been so easy for Alfred to include last names, but perhaps he was trying for a more familiar tone with his inscription for Katie. Whatever the reason, this decision means that we will likely never know his identity.  That is truly a shame.

Mrs. Daniel Phelan, Mother of Ida Frazer, Brooklyn, NY, 1880s

This fading portrait features "Mrs Daniel Phelan, mother of Ida Frazer, grandmother of Sarah Bennett."  I believe this Mrs. Phelan to be "Sarah Ann Phelan." This was an Internet purchase that consisted of a large number of Bennett photographs.

The photograph appears to be taken in the 1880s.  The photographer, Robinson & Roe, who also had a studio in Chicago, were located at 227 Fulton, Brooklyn in 1883.  They later moved to 298 Fulton, and then finally to W. 14th. in New York.  Unfortunately, I don't have access to the necessary Brooklyn directories to nail down the dates when the 227 Fulton Street studio was in operation.  We can look at the card itself to try and figure out a time frame.  The card is a dark maroon colour, which came into vogue around 1885 and remained stylish until the early 1890s, and along with the type of brooch and earrings, I'd guess this image was taken somewhere around 1885-1888.

I began the search with the 1880 U.S. Federal Census (Brooklyn, Kings, New York, ED 191, Dwelling 98, Family 215, Daniel Phelan household)  where I found Daniel Phelan and his wife, Sarah Ann Phelan, living in Brooklyn, New York with their unmarried daughters, Ida, 21, and Nellie, 18.  Daniel, born 1820, was a retail coal dealer.  Sarah was four years his younger. Also in the same household was Mary E. Tice, a daughter of Daniel & Sarah's, and her husband John H. Tice.  Mary and John had two sons, George, 6, and Charles, 3.  Another of Sarah and Daniel's married daughters was also living there:  Emma Kollmeyer and husband, James, with their child Ada.  Rounding out the family unit was their son, George Phelan, and his wife, Ella.

I worked my way back to 1850 through the censuses to get a better look at the whole family.  Sarah and Daniel appear to have had at least four children in addition to the children mentioned above:  Sarah Amelia, b. abt. 1842; Daniel, b. abt. 1848, Charles b. 1850, and Fran, b. abt. 1859.

In the 1892 New York State Census (Brooklyn, Kings, New York, ED 129, p. 5, James Kollmeyer household) Sarah A. Phelan is living with her daughter and son-in-law, along with "Ida Frazer" who I am assuming is Sarah's daughter, Ida.  Of course, this would have to be verified with a marriage record, death or other document that lists both her maiden and married names.  Ida Frazer's children, Sarah M. Frazer, age 9, and Howard S. Frazer, age 5, are also living in the household.

Is Sarah M. Frazer the granddaughter "Sarah Bennett" mentioned on the back of the photograph?  We would have to locate a marriage between Sarah M. Frazer and a Mr. Bennett, but I believe it is quite likely one exists.  I could not locate such a document online, but a search of the local New York records could be undertaken to confirm this.

Happy New Year to the Streib Family, North Dakota, 1907

This card was mailed from Brooklyn, NY and postmarked  December 20, 1907.  It is addressed to "Mr. William Streib & Family, New Salem, North Dakota" and signed "from your Sister & Family, E. Behlert"

The Streib Family was a straightforward search.  They appear in the 1910 Census, living in New Salem, North Dakota. The family consists of:

William, head of household, b. 1863, Germany
Mary, wife, b. abt. 1864, Austria
Anna, daughter, b. abt. 1892, Illinois
Elmer, son, b. abt. 1894, Illinois
Martha, daughter, b. abt. 1896, Illinois
Esther, daughter, b. abt. 1899, Illinois

William came to the US from Germany in 1881. I found his passenger record:  March 21, 1881 on the ship P. Caland, from Rotterdam to New York.  He was 17 years old and seems to have been travelling alone.

Esther's birth record, dated Nov 28, 1898 from Chicago, IL lists Mary's maiden name as Mueller. 

I haven't figured out whose sister "E. Behlert" is yet.  I found an Elizabeth Behlert on the 1911 US Federal Census in Brooklyn, with husband, Charles Behlert.  I haven't found a document listing Elizabeth's maiden name.  I will follow that possibility some more, and if I find anything new, will post an update here.

Don't you just love the artwork on this postcard?  It was made in Germany.

Happy New Year, Everyone! 

Update January 3, 2012:  This postcard, along with a second one, addressed to Esther Streib, have been reunited with William Streib's great grand-daughter.  As well, a third postcard was found in February, addressed to William Streib.  In total, 3 postcards reunited.