Solving Mysteries From Other People's Trees.

My maternal grandmother Sarah Myrtle King, was pretty good at writing names and dates on her photos. But there was one, I assumed a wedding photo, of a couple that intrigued me and she had written only a date, 1914. I checked and double checked, none of her siblings and none of my grandfather's siblings married in 1914. No one that I could find connected to that family married in 1914. It has remained a mystery to me for over 30 years...

... until now!

Giving a little background, my 2x great grandparents, George and Elizabeth (Nichols) King immigrated to Montreal from Devon, England c1857. They had five sons, one being my great grandfather Clement King. They also had one daughter Sarah Ann King, who I could not trace past the 1881 census. There were just too many Sarah Kings in the 1800s, and none of the ones in Ancestry results fit. Often what I do when I can't find  a person, is in Ancestry I do a search for that name in members' Family Trees. I had checked for her many times over the years, because we know things always change, and new people start searching on Ancestry. 

I am writing a book about my King family, so I decided to give it one last-ditch effort before putting that chapter to bed. Yes, there was a new one!! Sarah Ann King, the age was about right, living in Montreal, and married to John McTeer.  The person had no parents names for Sarah King, no records attached to the names, just a noted date of marriage, 1881 in Montreal. So I did my own search (which I ALWAYS do anyways) and there it was! 

John McTeer, [locomotove] fireman, son of the late Archibald McTeer of Chaudiere Station and Elizabeth Sutherland his wife, married Sarah Annie King, daughter of the late George King and Elizabeth Nichols his wife.  The witnesses were George King, brother of the bride, and his wife Mary McMillan.

The names had been transcribed as Sarah Annie Rina and John McYeer. Next I went back to the other persons tree to see what else I could learn, and they had one son for this couple, Archibald James (Archie) McTeer, married to Eva Peddle in June 1914. 
Wait!! 1914?

Again they had no records attached, and just that they were married 1914 in Verdun. I clicked on their gallery for Archie and Eva, and.... lo and behold!  There was the same wedding picture my grandmother had in her album! Archie and Eva McTeer! 

I can hear my grandmother saying the name Archie. But I had no idea who he was. I went to the Genealogie Quebec website, tried the Verdun United Church (the one my King family attended), looked at the index of marriages for 1914, and there is was. Leaf twenty-six. 

Archibald James McTeer, brakeman, son of John McTeer and his wife Sarah Ann King and Eva Peddle married June 1914.  Witnesses: Nicholas Peddle, Sarah Myrtle King (my grandmother!!) and Clifford Samuel King (Granny's cousin)

Going year by year through the records at the same church where Archie was baptized I found more children for Sarah Ann King and John McTeer.

Now I have not only solved the mystery of the 1914 photograph, I have added a whole new family to my tree! 

Plus I gave that researcher a Devon family going back almost 300 years. 

Focus on Photography

Some professional and amateur photographers would rather still use film and develop their photographs themselves. Our high school had a dark room where the camera club developed their photos. I couldn't understand why they didn't just get their film developed at the drug store like everyone else!  Now I know, it's a thing.

Portable darkroom in 19th century Ireland

Newspapers often noted which members attended meetings of the local camera club...

Northern Tasmanian Camera Club

There were published  photographic magazines and periodicals. Some held lists of Photographic Societies and some were written and published by Camera Clubs.

Before 1901 when the Kodak Brownie was introduced photography was pretty much a specialized field. But that didn't stop some enthusiasts from starting a Camera Club or Photographic Society in many cities around the world. If you search "camera club history" you will see that some were established in the early days of photography.
Check the local library or historical society for info on a camera club in your area.



Relevant Links


Timeline of Photography Technology

Famous Photographers

Toronto Camera Club Exhibit, 1904

Portrait - Photography Magazine

Anthony's photographic bulletin

The American annual of photography

The Focus

Camera craft:  Photographers' Association of California

The Photographic News; various 1858-1869

West Kent Natural History Microscopical and Photographic Society

Portland Camera Club exhibition:  Portland Maine, 1892

Los Angeles Camera Club, exhibit May 1902

Brush and Pencil

The Photographic Times

Wilson's Photographic Magazine

Camera Notes: Camera Club of New York

Catalogue of apparatus and materials used n the art of photography, sold by Harvey and Reynolds, Leeds UK 1855 

1907 Price list of materials for orthochromatic and colour photography, UK

Photographer's pocket reference book and dictionary, USA 1873

List of Photographic Societies in the UK and in the Colonies (also in almanacs below)

The British Journal Photographic Almanac

Soldiers of the Queen

Today I came across this website - Soldiers of the Queen - a virtual museum of British Military photographs and research.

Interesting site of British soldiers wherever they served, India, Canada, Africa, Egypt, Australia and New Zealand, West Indies, etc, and of course at home.

I like the site design, and it is easy to navigate.

Some of the photos are unidentified... perhaps you will find your ancestor here?  Go on over and take the tour - admission is free to this museum!   

Relevant Links

Soldiers of the Queen

Our Soldiers; Gallant Deeds of the British Army During the Reign of Queen Victoria



The Photographic Album

My Dad, Thomas Ray Edward Seale, was a Lieutenant in the Canadian Artillery during WWII. We have a book titled "History of the Fifteenth Canadian Field Regiment; Royal Canadian Artillery 1941-1945" in which they not only mention his name several times, but there is a photo of him in Holland (this book not yet digitized). There are also photos of other soldiers throughout the book. It is one of many books about WWII available in libraries and the archives. My grandfather is also mentioned in a book about his WWI battalion, but there are no pictures.

So I wondered if there were other books or albums with photos on the internet and I came across a photograph album made for Frances Pleasants, who taught wounded soldiers at the Army Hospital in Germantown, PA during the Civil War. It contains photos of her and some of her soldier patients.

I found a few albums of war time, and some of prominent people, and I also noted a couple of specialty albums. You can find many albums of photographs of towns or specific events, but I focused on albums that contained photos of various people, and families.

My parents were antique dealers for several years and at times they bought all the contents of a house that was going to be sold. Often there were old photo albums.  They were a very popular item in the 70's and I wonder what happened to the photos that were in them. You can find photo albums in flea markets, antique shops and on ebay.

At Internet Archive you can search using keywords: album, photograph, photographic (add record), photographer, pictorial, etc. If you use keywords "family photo", "family album" and variations you will get many results. Another good keyword is "souvenir" with the name of the town or event. Also many albums on Trove.


Relevant Links:


Photograph album of Frances Pleasants - Civil War photos of her and soldier patients.

Photographic Record and Souvenir of the Canadian Grenadier Guards Overseas Battalion "Eighty Seventh" 1916

Grönbecks Album from Stockholm Sweden - some date stamped late 1800's

Czech Album of Politicians - Ceské album Poitikove

First portrait albums owned by Walter Deane, chiefly contains portraits of botanists and other naturalists.

Second portrait album owned by Walter Deane

Photograph album; Geikie family (Archibald Geikie, Scottish geologist 1882

Album "Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and their Mothers" - 1915

Photographs of Indians Selected from the Collection in the Possession of the US Geological Survey of the Territories - 1876 (read description at bottom)

Photo Album and Family Bible of the William Janney and Sarah B Wilson family of Fulton County, Illinois and Phelps County, Nebraska

A James Baker Williams family album - 1949 Connecticut

The Cantrell family: a biographical album and history of the descendants of Zebulon Cantrell : covering the period from 1700 to 1898 (Illinois)

Ellington 1918 - Flight Training Texas

Compilation of portraits of distinguished men and women of the time, etched by Adolphe Lalauze, with their words of praise for the tonic Vin Mariani

Michigan Volunteers of "98: a Complete Photographic Record - 1898

A photographic record of the 101st US Field Artillery, 1917 : Col John H Sherburne commanding officer 1918

Photographic reproductions of the men from Granville County, NC - WWI 1920

History of the Great Northwest and its men of progress: w/portraits - 1901

Royal photograph gallery : placing on home exhibition, photographs of the majestic and imposing in nature ... to which is added portraits of the world's most famous people.

The History of Worcester and its People - 1919

Portraits and autographs, an album for the people - UK 1891

History of Dunklin County, MO 1845-1895 ; with an album of its people and homes

Souvenir Autograph album; Chicago Grand Opera Co

Illustrated souvenir of the Winnipeg Theater, season 1906-1907

Souvenir Portrait album of member, Ancient and honorable artillery -  Mass 1903

Souvenir of the Canadian discharge depot; a memento of the last rest camp England 1918

Souvenir Program book Silver Anniversary Jubilee 1913-1938 - Avenel Fire Co - NJ

Souvenir pictorial history of Local Union no 104 - San Francisco 1910

Nobel men of the West, including members of the US Supreme Court, prominent lawyers and business men in the Western states.

Preston Industrial Co-op; Memento of the Guild Merchant - 1902

Order of Woodmen of the World Convention: Souvenir of Niagara Falls 1916

The evolution of photography: with a chronological record of discoveries, inventions, etc.. contributions to photographic literature, and personal reminiscences extending over forty years. 1890

Family Albums (AU)

Kosmopolitan Klub Album (AU)

Glass Plate Negative

I have this glass plate negative of my grandfather and his mother. Although I also have the photo, I decided to see if I can get a photo from this.

I first scanned it with my Epson printer/scanner, then opened it in my really old Adobe Photoshop Elements program.

There I selected the photo and went to Image adjustments - invert, and got this...

 

 

 

It is actually a little more blue looking.  I then went to Enhance Colour and removed all colour. Then I played with the colour variations and brightness levels until I got a sepia look to the photo.

 

 

 

 

Not knowing anything technical about photography (I'm a point and shoot photographer) I wasn't expecting very much, so I am very pleased with the result.

 

I am intrigued that the photo must have been taken through some sort of frame?



Memento Mori

I will always remember the first funeral I attended.  My favourite great-aunt had died in 1976 and we went to the funeral home to say our goodbyes. I looked in the coffin and I was aghast! This was not my dear aunt! She looked like a made-up movie character, or someone from Mme Tussaud's Wax Museum. Nothing like the warm, loving woman I knew It took many years to get that look out of her out of my mind and never did I ever look in the coffin of a loved one after that.

 In the mid 1800's with new developments (pun) in photography, it became popular to take photos of the deceased to honour and remember them. Especially children. Having a photo taken was not cheap, especially for poorer families, and often a death photo (or Memento Mori, latin for "remember that you will die") was the only photo they had or would have of their loved one. The photos were taken soon after death, and sometimes the deceased was propped up to look as if he was still alive.  Do you think one of your family photos may be a memento mori?

A custom that became popular in the mid-1800's was to make coffin plates.  These were made from metal and attached on the coffin, or propped in the casket.  The loved ones would take them before burial to keep as a memento.  There are some on ebay, and examples on various web sites. Do you have a coffin plate among your family treasures?

Another custom is hiring a professional sober, or mourner.  Popular in Asia, thiscustom spread to the UK and is still a thriving business today.  Another custom still practiced today is to make funeral cards, with a photo of the deceased, if there was one, and a prayer. Very popular in Quebec. There are Death Cards in the Drouin Collection at their website.  All peoples have their own customs surrounding death and funerals.  What are some of the customs of your ancestors?

Did you know that on the 1871 Canada Census there was the usual Nominal Return of the Living (the one most people check for their ancestors), but also a Nominal Return of Deaths that list people that died within the last 12 months.  They are not indexed but you will find them at the end of each sub-district record set. So, the one which has your living ancestors listed, go to the end of that set.


   

Relevant Links:

Death Photos – Flikr

Death photos – Strange and Unusual Blog

Death Photos – Buzzfeed Rewind

Professional Mourners

Mourners Wanted 

The House of Mourning : The Victoriana Magazine

eBay Vintage Death Cards








 
   

A picture is worth a thousand words!

You've gone around to the grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins gathering photos of family members and ancestors.  But what about the town where your ancestors lived? The roads where they walked to go to church. The store lined Main Street where they may have bought clothing or supplies.  The factories where people worked.  The streetcars they may have rode on.  What kind of entertainment did the town offer, was there a theater? Outside a city there may be a town mill, the school house, the local pub perhaps.  When I looked up some old photographs of Loddiswell, Devon, it was not at all how I had pictured it in my mind.  

Gail Dever at Genealogy à la Carte often posts interesting photos she finds that were taken in and around Montreal, as she searches for photographs of the buildings where her ancestors had businesses. Gail also gets notifications from eBay of new lots of vintage photos, in case one comes up for sale. (Check Gail's blog regularly for more sources for finding them). This reminded me to look for photos of where MY ancestors lived and worked. Many city websites have a database of vintage photographs and postcards of their area.  Also check for photographs of events that occurred at the time your ancestor lived there.

King Street, Kingston, ON

Photographs date from about the mid to most probably the late 1800’s, so what about the years previous to that? There are a few things you can look for that will describe the area where your ancestor lived.  One option is drawings and paintings. There may be some in books about local history.  Also in some of the old directories, they gave a pretty good description of each village or town.

Relevant Links:

Search the Notman Collection of Photographs

Library and Archive Canada Photographs

Streets of Montreal 

Historic Photographs of Glasgow

Historic Photographs of UK

Historic Photographs of Australia 

British Rule in India Photographs

Internet Archive Images on Flickr