Tag Archive for Photography

Whirlwind . . . Week

June 21, 2010 Craig Family History, Genealogy

This post was originally commenced last Tuesday evening and was entitled Whilrwind Wednesday, and intended for publication on Wednesday, June 16.  But it turned out to be a much more hectic week than I ever could have imagined and I couldn’t get back to this until just now!

And by now, everybody with a computer has written about the SoCal Genealogy Society’s 41st Annual Jamboree which I attended in Burbank.  It was, as we used to say at Albuquerque’s Van Buren Junior High School, a blast!   The following folks made it a special treat for me: (in random order)

Ruth Himan, Thomas MacEntee, Miriam Midkiff, Kathryn Doyle, Lisa Louise Cooke, the footnoteMaven, Becky Wiseman, Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, Elyse Doerflinger, Denise Levenick, Schelly Talalay Dardashti, Maureen Taylor, Steve Danko, Randy Seaver, Amy Coffin, Gini Webb, Cheryl Palmer, Susan Kitchens, Ron Arons, George Morgan, Drew Smith, Janet Hovorka, Susi Pentico, A.C. Ivory, [and deepest apologies to anyone I saw there and left out here!].

Here’s some of what went on  there:

  • Becky Wiseman performed a great Act of Genealogical Kindness by taking me to  Rose Hill Cemetery in Whittier, California, to visit my grandmother’s grave. [See Nana's 100th Anniversary for the back story].  We spent considerable time out there (with Becky doing most of the legwork up and down the hills!)  but were unable to locate the grave precisely.  We began to suspect that there was no headstone, which was later confirmed by the person at the information booth at the gate.  Now this is a true mystery to me.  Family members recall that a headstone was ordered and some even claim to have seen it on a subsequent visit. So I don;t know what happened, But be assured you’ll be informed whne we get the full story!
  • Maureen Taylor gave a very informative presentation on what she calls “the Revolutionary War Generation.”  She previewed her new book, The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation (with David Allen Lambert; Kent State University Press, 2010) [available for pre-order now on Amazon.com; release date July 1, 2010].  Did you realize that there were people participated in the Revolutionary War who lived long enough to have their photographs taken?  Well, there were, and of course Maureen has tracked down many of their pictures!  Maureen and one of her children hung out in the GeneaBloggers Lounge for awhile on the last day of Jamboree and she was kind enough to spend a few minutes looking at on of my ancient photos.
  • Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak gave the Saturday banquet address about tracing Michelle Obama’s ancestry.   Completely fascinating and it gave me a few ideas about both process and sources.
  • Lisa Louise Cooke was on the Bloggers Summit panel with me, Thomas MacEntee,  Schelly Talalay Dardashti, and Kathryn Doyle. She did a live version of her podcast alter on featuring Muareen Taylor, Suzanne Russo Adams of Ancestry.com who worked on Who Do You Think You Are? and Friday night keynoter actor and historian Chris Haley (yes, nephew of . . . ). Chris is quite the character and he rose to the occasions both at Friday dinner and on Lisa’s show!  Later, Lisa interviewed me for a podcast sometime this summer.
  • Denise Levenick and Amy Coffin, in addition to being their wonderfully personable selves, took a major role in welcoming bloggers and putting together the welcome “kit.”
  • Ron Arons was selling his new book, Wanted! U.S. Criminal Records.  Coincidentally, I had used the book just days before Jamboree and as a result had found and ordered two sets of records.

And there were many other highlights!  Spending time with people I don’t see in  person very often and meeting others . . . a great weekend!


!

4 comments , , , , ,

Shades Web Magazine Debuts Today

November 6, 2009 Craig Uncategorized

For sometime now, footnoteMaven has been tantalizing her readers at Shades of the Departed with intrigue of “something” about to happen.  This morning, it happened.   Shades of the Departed magazine took its bow on the blogsphere stage.   It is a magnificent achievement and display all of fM’s creativity and tenacity.  It’s her greatest gift to the community ever.

I’m pleased to have been part of the supporting cast of great co-conspirators over the last several months.  When offered the opportunity last summer to participate, I said an immediate “Yes!”  I knew that fM’s colorful mind and outstanding work ethic would make this a success.

Don’t miss out on the fun!  Go right now to  http://www.shadesofthedeparted.com/2009/11/shades-of-departed-magazine.html !

One comment ,

A Shades Weekend

September 28, 2009 Craig Uncategorized

If you missed the weekend columns over at Shades of the Departed, you missed some great stuff!

On Saturday, Donna Pointkouski struggled with the issue of not finding any photographs of her great-grandparents and flirted with some ideas about how she might get some–all, of course in Donna’s trademark style, helping us see The Humor of It.

My column on Sunday, Appealing Subjects, considered the not-so-hypothetical situation of getting some old photos from a grandparent only to find that another relation–Uncle Sam–might want them kept secret!   What to do?

These columns are part the Weekend with Shades series that has featured such writers as Jasia, Denise Olson, George Geder, Denise Levenick, Terry Thornton, Rebecca Fenning, and Sheri Fenley.  (Hope I didn’t miss anybody!)

Spend a weekend with Shades!

No comments , ,

Coming This Sunday: Appealing Subjects

November 20, 2008 Craig Uncategorized

This Sunday at Shades of the Departed, a new weekend column called Appealing Subjects debuts.  And it’s written by me!

I’m honored to be one of the four Weekend with Shades columnists.  The others are Terry Thornton, George Geder, and Jasia.

In Appealing Subjects, we’ll explore the strange and wonderful relationship between photography and law. We’ll consider issues such as Photography and the Constitution, Crime by Camera, Photos as Punishment, and Photography Goes to War. Naturally, we’ll also stay updated on copyright, privacy, the right of publicity, and the status of orphan works. We’ll discuss whether photography is art or journalism and why it matters.

And we’ll dress it all up with appropriate photographs, vintage and modern.

I hope you’ll join at Appealing Subjects, coming this Sunday, November 23!

4 comments , , ,

Crowning Glory Indeed!

September 10, 2008 Craig Uncategorized

Eighth Grade Graduating Class, St Rita’s Academy, 1934, St Louis, Missouri

Front Row left: Edna Mary Micheau

Submitted for Smile for the Camera, 5th Edition, at Shades of the Departed

Photography by Ladd’s Studio, 5972 Easton Avenue, St Louis, Missouri

Original Privately Held by Craig Manson, Carmichael, California

2 comments , , , , ,

Carnival Carousel: Harvesting & Sharing the Bounty

August 2, 2008 Craig Uncategorized

Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, I’ve been blessed with a bounteous trove of genealogical riches, nearly more than one person can handle. We’ve been slowly and carefully going through boxes of documents and photographs (and at the rate we’re going, we’re likely to spend the next 15 years at this!

For this Carnival, I thought I would give you a glimpse of some of the stuff. You’ll see the challenges and the joys ahead. You can enlarge any image by clicking on it.

First, there is this curious picture below, which I call “Children in Wagon.” I think that there are actually two, maybe even three adults in the picture. I have no idea when or where the photo was taken. I do suspect that it was taken in either Illinois or Missouri. On the back of the original is the handwritten notation “For Francis.” That could refer to a number of family members, none of whom seem to be in the picture. Or it may refer to someone other than a family member. The problem is that the people most likely to know have all passed away.

“Children (?) In Wagon” (Photographer unknown; original in possession of Craig Manson, Carmichael, California)

The photograph on the right I labelled “Young Woman.” Again, we have no idea of the woman’s identity or when the photo was taken. We do have several clues, however. On part of the original which I have covered with the frame here, there is the embossed name and address “Maxwell, 2607 Lawton Ave, St Louis, Mo”. This apparently refers to photographer William C. Maxwell, who had a studio in St Louis from at least 1910 until at least 1915. See Early St. Louis Photographers. I haven’t found any evidence that the business still exists.

The other potential clues about “Young Woman” are that this was actually a post card. I’ve come across several post cards with identifiable family members in them, leading me to believe that this was a popular way in which to send pictures in the early part of the twentieth century. Below is the “Young Woman” post card. You can see what kind of shape the photograph is in by looking at the post card back.


There is an address on the post card. To me, it appears to be:

“Miss B. Mc. Quin
2828 Morgan
St Louis
Mo”

And I’m not sure that it isn’t “McQuin.” There were families named Quin and McQuin in St Louis in the period that Maxwell could have made the portrait. But beyond that, nothing else is known to me about the photo.


The next photograph I call “Surly Woman, Distracted Man.” I have no idea who these people are or when or where the photograph was made. I presume that their clothes are a clue. Notice how the man has his right hand tucked inside his coat. And what does the sign behind the man’s head say? Another challenge for you photo-sleuths!

Finally, I’ve come to realize that a lot of the material may be valuable to researchers looking at other families. So from time to time, I’ll share some things that may be of broad interest. Today, somewhat apropos of a Carnival, here’s a list of couples who were feted on their 50th (or greater!) wedding anniversary in the Archdiocese of St Louis in 2001. See if one of your surnames is there! [Click on pages to enlarge].

8 comments , , , , , , ,

Old Photo Solves Mystery Drowning After 15 Years

February 8, 2008 Craig New York

A treasured old photograph, a police investigator’s long-shot appeal to the public and a retiree’s sharp memory have combined to solve a 15-year-old drowning mystery.

State police in Somers, N.Y., tried for years to identify a body found in the Titicus Reservoir on June 13, 1993, carrying 38 pounds of rocks in a backpack. The man left no clues to his name and matched no local missing-persons reports.

The only lead was a black-and-white snapshot found on the body that showed a grandfatherly man holding a small boy in the crook of his arm, both wearing attire from the 1950s or early 1960s.

Read the rest of the Associated Press story here.

2 comments , , ,

Access to Rare Photos Wanted: 18th, 62nd & 65th U.S. Colored Troops

November 4, 2007 Craig Uncategorized

Among the stories I’m seeking to tell is that of Zeke Johnson (1847-1933), my great-great-grandfather. Grandpa Zeke “left” his master, one Wilhite, in Clay County, Missouri, in 1864 and enlisted in the 18th Regiment, U.S. Colored Infantry. He served until 1866. I’m looking for access of any sort (loan, copy, purchase, or view) of the 18th Regiment. I don’t know if any exist, but I’m looking everywhere I can.

The 62nd and 65th Regiments, USCT, are also near and dear to me, since they founded Lincoln Institute, now Lincoln University, in Jefferson City, Missouri, after the war. My parents met while in college there, and I was born in Jefferson City. I’m also seeking access to any photos of those regiments.

Anyone who has any information may contact me at craig at geneablogie dot com.

No comments , , ,

A Kansas City Follies Girl, c. 1920

August 6, 2007 Craig Uncategorized

She later was known as Florida C. Gines, my grandmother.

Coming Up: Research Trips–The “Don’t-Overs”

2 comments , , ,

History Detectives on PBS

July 8, 2007 Craig Uncategorized

If you’ve not seen History Detectives on PBS, you’ve been depriving yourself of a real treat. For five seasons now, the show has explored historical mysteries, explaing, confirming, discovering and debunking. About 75% of the matters investigated are things submitted by viewers.

This Monday, July 9, 2007, the show tracks down the identity of a man in a photograph of the Grand Army of the Republic from the late 1800s. He turns out to be the great-grandfather of genealogist-photographer-GeneaBlogie- reader George Geder. See the story in The [Santa Fe] New Mexican.

George is a recent and welcome correspondent here, but he’s been long active in genealogy. His genealogy website is found at http://geder.wordpress.com/. He’s got a photographic restoration business called Indigital Photographic Services. Both are worth a visit!

History Detectives airs Monday, July 9 at 9:00 pm local most places, but check your local listings.

One comment , , ,