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ColumnsPenelope Dreadful pg. 6A Dreadful Scheme
In2Genealogy pg. 26Discovering A Wildcatter
Appealing Subjects pg. 40The Many Migrant Mothers
The Year Was . . . pg. 54The Year Was 1919
Saving Face pg. 62A Rare Book Is Not A Manuscript
The Future of Memories pg.. 66Grandpa’s Letters
FeaturesLet’s Use Our Family Photographs pg. 12Project Ideas
Smile For The Camera pg. 65The Ties That Bind
In Every Issue
From My Keyboard pg. 3 Letter from the editor
The Exchange pg. 4Your comments
The Last Picture Show Back CoverThe graphic image on the back of a carte-de-visite or cabinet card
Download The Magazine
c o n
t e n
t s
Cover:
Mother & ChildrenCabinet Card
from my keyboardfOOTNOTEMAVEN
This month, Shades explores the use of family photographs, post cards, and manuscripts. There are so
many creative uses for those old family photographs besides writing your family history.
With the May issue Shades presents the Appealing Subjects of The Many Migrant Mothers, authored
by Craig Manson. Sheri Fenley leads us through 1919. Caroline Pointer’s finds a story in a Texas post
card, Denise Olson saves our emails, and Rebecca Fenning teaches us the lingo. And as always,
Penelope is Dreadful!
I would like to personally thank everyone for their patience while I have been ill. I’m working very
had to bring Shades up to speed. We hope to return to schedule with the June issue.
Join us as we explore mothers and projects from the month of May.
Family Photographs
f M
^ 3 *
DENISE OLSON
Denise is the author of The Future of Memories Column. She also writes the blog Family Matters and experiments with her iPad
SHERI FENLEY
Sheri writes The Year Was . . . Column. She also authors the blog The Educated Genealogist and has a wicked sense of humor.
CAROLINE POINTER
Caroline is the new In2Genealogy Columnist. She is also the author of the Family Stories blog. Oh, and she’s a poet.
PENELOPE DREADFUL
Penelope Dreadful is the alter ego of Denise Levenick. Denise authors the blog, The Family Curator and gives us something “Dreadful” every month.
VICKIE EVERHART
Vicki is the author of Creative Moments. She also authors the blog BeNotForgot. Vickie is on hiatus.
GEORGE GEDER
George is the author of The Healing Brush Column. He also authors the George Geder blog. George is on hiatus.
REBECCA FENNING
Rebecca authors the Saving Face column. She also writes the blog A Sense of Face and is one of the most interesting people on the planet.
CRAIG MANSON
Craig authors the Appealing Subjects column. He also writes the blog Geneablogie and knows everything.
contributors
^ 4 *
T H E E X C H A N G E
LEAVE A MESSAGE WITH THE EXCHANGE
Via TwitterFrom:
The Smithsonian Institution's Civil War Studies
Wonderful! RT @smv1827: Shades of the Departed - beautiful online journal by @footnotemaven. Help w/ dating photos: http://bit.ly/biVvOc
@footnoteMaven: You are most welcome. Really, it's beautifully done.
Southwest Arkie said...
The "Date with a Civil War Photograph" article just answered some questions for me! Thank you so much for this wonderful publication. Glad you are feeling better!
George Geder said...fM,
This issue was the GREATEST! (I may be biased, lol).
I raved about it to everyone!
Sheri said...
It will be hard to top this issue. You have knocked this one clear out of the ball park!
^ 5 *
About The April Issue:
PENELOPE DREADFUL
a dreadful schemeTHEY’RE ALL TOPSY-TURVY
BY PENELOPE DREADFUL
The three children were an unusual sight on the town sidewalk this warm spring Saturday
morning. It wasn’t often that 12‐year old John willingly wore a starched collar and ribbon
tie, but here he was pushing baby Charlie in the carriage and urging Sarabeth to hurry
along.
“Come on, Sarabeth,” he urged. “You will make us late with your dawdling.”
“Don’t care,” insisted the little blonde sprite, “Don’t want my old picture snapped anyway.”
Charlie gurgled and smiled, but John’s deep sigh showed his frustration with his young
sister.
“Oh, it will be fun, Sarabeth. You will get to sit on a pretty velvet chair and maybe Mr.
Anderson will have his dog in the studio.”
Sarabeth was an ardent animal lover, but John was running out of enticements. Already
Sarabeth’s stubbornness had cost him a silver dime to get her to wear her best frock, and
another nickel to guarantee her silence in their escapade. Thank goodness little Charlie
wasn’t old enough to talk!
It was still early morning, but the studio door opened wide and the children were greeted
by a tall smiling young man as they approached the storefront.
^ 7 *
“Gooood Morning, John,” his voice boomed, much deeper than expected from his youth.
“And, hello Miss Sarabeth, and little Charlie. I’m glad you managed to slip away so early.”
“Oh, it was nothing,” relied John, ducking his head. Sarabeth shot him a surprised look and
loudly disagreed.
“Was too something,” she said. “Old John made us get up before anyone else and get dressed
all quiet. Mother is visiting Grandmother, and Father will leave for the ofPice thinking we are
still asleep. Ha, won’t old Janey be surprised when she sees we are gone!”
“Oh dear,” answered the young man. “We may have created a problem with our little
scheme, John.”
“No, Mr. Anderson. It will be just Pine. I told Janey what we were doing and she knows all
about it. She said she was doing her marketing early too, so she is probably at the store
already.”
Anderson still looked worried, but glancing down the street he glimpsed a familiar blue
dress observing the three children talking to him. The family’s maid must have followed the
trio to his shop. Anderson offered a wave behind young John’s back and ushered the
children into the studio.
“Let’s get right to it then,” Anderson said. “John, you are such an able apprentice that I am
certain you can assemble your sister and brother for the portrait.”
John blushed with pride as he lifted the baby from the carriage and carried him over to a
velvet settee. He added a thick cushion to lift the little boy and a smaller one for his young
sister.
Anderson busied himself at the camera, preparing the plate and checking the little group.
Only Sarabeth stood quietly, arms folded tightly across her little lace‐covered chest. She
watched the preparations with great interest and obvious skepticism. Finally, as her brother
^ 8 *
motioned for her to take her place on the couch, Sarabeth erupted. “No. Don’t want to,” she
said Pirmly, hugging herself tighter and tossing her golden curls.
“Look, Sarabeth,” her brother pleaded, “we’ve been through this before. Just because old
Grandmother Stevenson won’t have her photograph made doesn’t make it a bad thing. She’s
cranky and just doesn’t want people to see how old she is.”
“Still don’t want to.”
“Please!” Her brother was begging now. “Mother will be ever so pleased. Won’t you do it for
her?”
For a second, it looked like the little girl would agree, but then she clenched her teeth and
shook her head once more.
No newcomer to reluctant clients, the photographer silently observed the two siblings. He
was impressed with young John’s kindness and patience, and pleased that he was able to
help the boy with his plan.
“That is just Pine, Sarabeth,” offered Anderson with a wink to John who was giving him a
painful look of dismay. “Let’s just snap the two brothers, shall we.”
John’s face showed his confusion; Sarabeth’s stubborn foolishness was going to ruin
everything. If only she would cooperate.
^ 9 *
Mr. Anderson crossed the room and artfully posed
the two boys. Then, stepping back to his tripod,
Anderson popped his head briePly beneath the
camera’s drape. Emerging to face the little girl, he
offered a suggestion, “Say, Sarabeth, would you
like to be the photographer here?”
Blue eyes wide, Sarabeth replied with a Pirm nod.
She quickly climbed atop a stool set in front of the
tripod and placed her head inside the drape.
“O‐o‐o‐o‐h” she cried, “They’re all topsy‐turvy.”
“That’s right,” Anderson reassured, “but they are
inside the frame, and that is what matters. Here, Sarabeth, click the shutter.”
With the photo snapped and her head back in the studio light, Sarabeth wasted no time
getting to the point.
“Well, Mr. Anderson,” insisted the little girl. “What are you waiting for? We need a new plate
for a photograph of me AND my brothers. It’s a special present for Mother, you know.”
Anderson and John exchanged a smile over the little girl’s head, and John made room for
Sarabeth on the settee as the photographer moved to obey her commands.
Copyright 2010 Denise May Levenick
^ 10 *
Way
ne P
. Elli
s Col
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of K
odak
iana
, 188
6-19
89 a
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ndat
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Uni
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^ 11 *
Let’sUse
Our Family Photos
^ 12 *
A family member asked me to create a
calendar that didn't hang on the wall.
She wanted a desktop calendar.
So I looked around for inspiration and
a method that would be plausible for a
one time printing. I found a desktop
calendar in a gift shop by a Seattle
artist I liked. She created a calendar of
her artwork that was printed on a 5 X
7 card and placed in an acrylic frame
that sat on the desk. One card for each
month.
I loved the idea! First I created a 5 X 7
template in Photoshop (any similar
program would work ‐ there is some
trial and error but the results are
worth the work). I used the twelve
months of 2010, but as each month is
a separate page you could include
from now until the end of 2011 along
with 2010. I also added a page that
listed all the family birthdays. This
page can be turned around to face out
from the back of the frame. I then
created a cover.
Our ancestors wore beautiful photo jewelry and painted miniatures to commemorate their family history. Let’s put our old family photographs to good use by incorporating them into great gifts!
CALENDARS DESKTOP
Once you've created the template you
can experiment with different type
styles and colors. One style for all
twelve months, or twelve different
styles. The choice is yours and you are
only limited by your own creativity.
^ 13 *
By footnoteMaven
^ 14 *
As each month is 5 X 7, I am able to
print them at home on my inkjet
printer using 5 X 7 photo paper. If I
want to do more than one set and
would like to save my printer ink, I can
go to Costco's Photo Department for
$0.39 each. They are a photograph
after all.
I bought the acrylic frame pictured at
Aaron Brothers (there are numerous
online retailers that sell the same
frame). The frame normally sells for
$1.99.
I also purchased a clear glass block 5 X
7 picture frame to see how it would
work with the calendar. The glass
block is very elegant. If you're giving
the calendar as a gift, the glass block is
a very nice presentation. The glass
block sells for $14.99, however, it's the
1 Cent Sale at Aaron Brothers, so I
bought the glass block and got the
acrylic frame for 1 cent. The total
calendar cost about $20 (using the
glass block), about $7 (using the
acrylic frame); and you have a unique
and personalized gift.
HOW ‐ TO
Photoshop or Photoshop Elements Files
15 ‐ 5X7 ‐ Transparent ‐ 300 DPI1 ‐ Cover1 ‐ Page Birthday List1 ‐ 12 Months One Page12 ‐ Individual Months
You may also Pill the entire area with a
photograph if you wish and place the
calendar on top of the photograph.
A solid background is used in the
demonstration months. It would be Layer 2
and turned off if the photograph was to Pill
the page.
^ 15 *
CALENDARS CD CASE
In a recent trip to Barnes and Noble I
found some interesting calendars.
They were CD case calendars. The case
opened making its own easel stand
and could sit on a desk or shelf.
Clear Empty CD Case
Making one of my own didn't look too
difPicult so I did some research and
tinkered. Cases speciPically for this
purpose (calendar) can be found for
sale online. Here is one site where the
cases are sold.
You can also use an empty jewel case,
the same kind you purchase at your
ofPice supply or computer store.
Gently remove the door of the jewel
case (careful because the little spines
break), turn the bottom of the case
face side down (the part that holds the
CD is facing down). Turn the cover of
the case around and attach it to the
bottom of the case. You now have an
easel like that pictured above. (I found
the slim line CD cases worked equally
well. I like the cases where the bottom
is a color or black.)
Pre‐made calendar templates abound
on the internet. Both the simple and
free; and the fancy that cost. Cottage
Arts has several CD case templates that
you can purchase. The prices range
from $3.99 to $8.99 and can be
downloaded.
You have several printing options. Using
your home printer you can print two
months on an 8 x 10 photo paper
specifically manufactured for your
printer. You can also take your 12
templates (2 to a page) to Kinkos, Costco
or Wall-Mart.
For presentation, consider designing a
cover for the project.
^ 16 *
I created my own template in Photoshop.
Here is the finished calendar in the CD Calendar Case.
^ 17 *
BOOKMARK
When you’ve written your family history and give the book as a gift, include a piece of your
family history as a bookmark.
This shows the front of the bookmark
which includes the photograph of my
ancestor, her name, and her birth and
death date.
On the reverse I've included the name, the
relationship, and an historical quote about Mary.
A mini family history factoid. On others I've used
the person's favorite saying. My father - "There'll
Be No Hell For Dogs."
I designed my own template in Photoshop, but it
can also be done in Microsoft Word using
columns. My bookmarks measure 8.5 X 2 for use
on 8.5 X 11 stock. I print them at Kinkos or a
place similar. I am experimenting with different
card stocks and laminating the bookmark. A hole
can be punched in the top of the bookmark and a
tassel added. Four bookmarks can be printed to
the page and I have used four different ancestors.
PHOTO MAGNETS
Another template was created in Photoshop measuring 2.25 in. X 3.25 in. The selected
photograph was placed in the template and a section of the bottom of the
photograph Pilled with color for the addition of type. Sayings were added to
each of the magnets. You could use some of those family sayings or amusing
sayings that Pit the photograph. You could also attach the name with birth
and death date of the person in the photograph. Rather than attaching the
photographs to a magnet why not purchase a magnet frame. This allows
you to give several photos along with the frame that can be easily
exchanged depending on the recipient's mood.
^ 19 *
PROMOTION
Let’s discuss using photographs for promotion ~ promotion of our virtual presence, our
family research, an event, a reunion, a lecture, or anything else that needs a dose of
creativity.
The place to go for creativity with photographs is Moo. Moo is a London based printing
company and home of the Moo Mini. Within the last year Moo has established a printing
facility in Rhode Island.
Of its business Moo writes:
“There's virtual communication like email, instant message or video. People belong to
virtual communities like social networks, image sharing or interest groups. And in these
communities they use virtual identities to share virtual content: writing, photography,
design, music, video... Sometimes, we think life is just a little too virtual.”
I agree! When I teach a class on blogging I like to hand the participants something really
creative that represents my virtual presence. Something tangible. When I go to a research
library I'd like to leave the Librarian with something she will instantly remember. When I
discuss my book with a publisher I want them to see my vision. You get the picture!
And if you’re a little short on inspiration, Moo has an answer for that as well, The Moo Ideas
Book. [Link]
Ideas
Let's look at how the Mini could be used to promote. Here are a few of the images that
represent Shades and that I've used as Moo Minis.
Now turn the Mini over. Moo allows six
lines of printing and a choice of fonts
and colors to be placed on the back.
Below is the written information for
Shades.
^ 21 *
I am also using the Mini for my family history research. Below are my grandparents with a
childhood photo of my father in the center.
On the back I wrote my email address and listed the surnames I'm researching. A Chicago
based children's photographer, Dawn Mikulich, has created four Photoshop templates for
Moo Minis. My family, above, uses one of the templates. They can be found here on Dawn's
blog, "fresh!"
And for those of you who thought Wordle was all play, think again. (See Let Me Get A Wordle
In Edgewise on footnoteMaven.) It makes a fantastic representation of what you're all about
‐ blog, website, family reunion, lecture, occupation, etc. Use it on a Moo Mini.
^ 22 *
Minis come in packages of 100. The best feature of the Moo Mini is that you can use up to
100 full color photos or designs on your mini calling‐cards. So, I can use 100 of the images
from my collection (or fewer and have multiples) plus my Wordle.
The Mini is an odd size (28mm X 70mm), but I think that's one of the reasons people will
remember you. Moo also sells a low cost ($4.99) Mini Card Holder for your cards.
The cost for the 100 images is $19.99 plus approximately $6.99 for shipping.
If you don't like the Mini's size, Moo now makes a regular business card size. Choose up to
50 different images to display on your Business Cards. (Same cost and shipping as the
Mini.)
Visit Moo! They have some tremendous ideas and many more products. The
possibilities are endless.
^ 23 *
WRITING SETHere MOO will be used to create a boxed writing set.
A MOO greeting card was designed using a family photograph to simulate a cabinet card.
You open the card and write the message inside. (You could also use Victorian frames
around a family photograph.) To accomplish this download the template from the MOO
format guide. Here is an example of the card created to look like a cabinet card using a
family photograph:
To accompany the card and add to the
writing set an address label was
created using the MOO sticker
template. Here is the address label
with the family photograph in the
background.
Now there is a greeting card and an address label.
What better addition to the writing set than a postage
stamp with an image of one of the family photographs
used to create the greeting card. Go to Stamps.com
where they have a program called PhotoStamps for
Mac. PhotoStamps is a FREE download that makes it
incredibly easy to turn digital images into
PhotoStamps, right from your Mac! PC users can
create photo stamps directly on the Stamps.com site.
^ 24 *
Way
ne P
. Elli
s Col
lect
ion
of K
odak
iana
, 188
6-19
89 a
nd u
ndat
ed D
uke
Uni
vers
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^ 25 *
IN2GENEALOGY
discovering a wildcatter!
ALL THIS FROM A SIMPLE POSTCARD
BY CAROLINE POINTER
No, this isn't a how‐to article on wild game hunting. I'm referring to the oil industry's
speculators – the ones who drill for oil in areas that are not known to produce oil in the
hopes their gamble pays off and they strike it rich. It's a risky business that's alive and well
even today. So, what does this have to do with genealogy? I think sometimes genealogy feels
like wildcatting. Don't we look for our ancestors anywhere and everywhere we can in the
hopes of Pinding just a shred of their very existence? Even if we have no clue whether or not
we're going to Pind them. Sometimes even if we're looking in a location that we know they
were not located. Sometimes we get lucky and we strike it rich. We Pind them in that one
place we really didn't think we'd Pind them, or Pind someone we weren't expecting to Pind.
It's happened to me in my research more than once. I take a clue and start “drilling” for
answers. How do I do this? Well, I thought that I'd take a postcard that I'd never read before
from my collection of used ephemera (i.e., written on and sent) and try to Pind some
information on the people that either sent the postcard or received the postcard. I chose
one that sounded kind of interesting because it talked about the sender's occupation a bit.
^ 26 *
Let me just stop and give you a brief description of my collection. When mining for
postcards, I usually look for older ones, usually early 20th century, from Texas and any
country outside of the United States, especially Mexico. Now I do make exceptions if it's
unusually pretty or from a particular town in the United States that my ancestors are from.
Basically I love postcards, and it takes me a while to get out of an antique store.
Now getting back to the postcard I picked to study. This postcard isn't very pretty. While it
has the Alamo pictured on the front, it's not in that great of condition. Also, it was
postmarked 1926 – not as old as I'd like it to be. However, I'm pretty sure the price tag that
read $1 probably persuaded me to buy it. After all I Pigured I could Pix it up in Photoshop
and use it in my blog. My purchasing it had absolutely nothing to do with who sent it, who
received it, or what was written on it. In fact, if I remember correctly I think it kind of
annoyed me there was so much writing on it in purple ink (probably once black) and that it
was so small.
^ 27 *
DRILLING FOR CLUES
Let's take a closer look at the back of the postcard where the writing is located. The Pirst
thing I did was list what I thought were identifying clues. Here they are:
● Postmarked 26 Mar 1926, Aransas Pass, Texas● Canceled 2 cent stamp of George Washington● Addressed to Mr. L. B. Lamaster, Liberal Kansas, Bx 432● A bunch of hard‐to‐read “annoying” handwriting in purple ink that was probably onceblack.● Signed John Sigmund, Pres.
The next thing I did was try to decipher Mr. Sigmund's handwriting.
^ 28 *
Here's my attempt:
Aransas Pass Tex 3/26/26
Dear Friend: Driller is in a hard sand last night and will take care today. Passing up nothing.First good sand he struck around 2725. Last 10 days been wet and delayed drilling. Muddyaround the well and had to convert our water line into a fuel oil line. Bought 1000 ft. of a stem and large pump in Houston. (?) interested big Gas Co. at Houston to Invest as soon as their Geologist reads report. Smith Brooks made test on No.7 & his report very high. He will invest also. We are offering 50% Interest near well. Take one to help Zinish. Maybe your lastchance.
With Best Wishes John Sigmund, Pres.
SOME THOUGHTS ON THE CLUES
I don't know about you, but I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to Pigure out that our Mr.
John Sigmund, Pres. was involved in the oil business in some capacity in Aransas Pass,
Texas. Additionally, I wondered how big and what kind of a company it was that the
president of the company was describing the drilling operation and soliciting investments
on the back of a postcard. Of course, he addressed him as “Dear Friend” so maybe he knew
him well.
However, even if I received a postcard from a close relative that indicated that they'd like
me to invest some of my hard‐earned money into a speculative venture, I don't know if I'd
be sold.
On the other hand, we're talking about drilling oil wells, muddy ones at that according to
Mr. John Sigmund, Pres, so maybe he was too busy “roughnecking” it with the day‐to‐day
operations to do anything more formal. Who knows?
I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS
● Who exactly was Mr. John Sigmund, Pres? Where did he come from? Who was hisfamily? Did he ever strike it rich?
● Who was Mr. L.B. Lamaster from Liberal, Kansas? Where was he from? Did he investin Mr. Sigmund's oil venture?
^ 29 *
● Oh, and who was Smith Brooks, the man who thought highly of the the report on “No.7” and had said he would invest in it?
It Makes Sense To Start With the Census
1930
Since the postcard was written and postmarked in 1926 in Aransas Pass, Texas I decided to
look in the 1930 census on Ancestry.com for a John Sigmund with an occupation having
something to do with the oil industry. [Heritage Quest could have been used as well and is
free]. He wasn't there, but I did Pind one in Dallas, Texas and his occupation was listed as
“promoter” of “oil wells.” For convenience, here is the household information in table
format:
1920
I went on back to 1920 and was able to Pind him quite easily in Aransas Pass, San Patricio
County, Texas. However, his wife's information is completely different. Her name is
Elizabeth – not too strange because his wife listed in 1930 is Lillian E., but the rest of her
information is completely different, which leads me to believe this is a different wife. Also,
there are two children living in this household. Following is the information:
1910
According to the census information, this John Sigmund was born in Pennsylvania and his
wife and children were born in Illinois, I concluded they might not have been living in Texas
^ 30 *
in 1910. So, I broadened my search for this family to include other states. I found them in
Naperville, DuPage Co, Illinois. John's occupation at the time is listed as “commercial
merchant” on “own account”. Here's a summation of the household's information:
1900
Following is the household's information for this family for the 1900 census in Jefferson
Township, Cook Co, Illinois. John's occupation is listed as “commission,” which I have no
idea what that means, but I assume it has something to do with business in some capacity.
What's interesting about this one is that John and Elizabeth have a niece living with them,
which may prove to help further identify John, Elizabeth and/or their siblings. Because this
niece's mother is listed as being from England and Elizabeth's parents were born in
England, it's quite possible that the niece is the daughter of an older sister of Elizabeth's
that was born in England.
1880
In looking for a family for John Sigmund in 1880, I searched for a John Sigmund born
around 1873 in Pennsylvania, and was very fortunate to Pind one living in Chicago, Cook Co,
Illinois with his family. The head of the household is a Louis Sigmund and his occupation is
listed as a “cheese manufacturer.” Am I positively absolutely sure this is him? No, but I
^ 31 *
wasn't able to Pind any others that were born in about 1873 in Pennsylvania with a father
born in Württemberg, Germany and a mother born in Posen, Germany. Additionally, since
John's wife was born in Illinois and the their family lives in Illinois for a while before
moving to Texas, John probably had to have been living in Illinois to meet and marry
Elizabeth. Probably. Here is the information I found on this household:
Now this is my kind of family. They may have moved a lot, but they managed to have their
children in different states along the way, leaving a breadcrumb trail. At this point, I did not
take Louis' family any further back in the census. I was more interested in Pinding some
corroborating evidence that this was the John Sigmund I was looking for who wrote on that
postcard in Aransas Pass, Texas.
IN LIFE AND DEATH
Since John Sigmund was in Dallas, Texas in 1930 working in the oil industry, I wondered if
he remained there until his death. Texas Death CertiPicates are located online for free for
the years 1890‐1976 on FamilySearch.org's Record Search Pilot. A quick search of this
database yielded a death certiPicate for a John Sigmund who passed away 10 Feb 1951 and
whose wife was a Lillian E. Sigmund (the same name of his wife listed in the 1930 census).
His other pertinent information matched up: birthplace Philadelphia, PA; born 20 Jun 1873;
and his father's name was Louis Sigmund who was born in Germany. His occupation is
listed as “agent retired” in “Real Est. & Oil.” This death certiPicate pretty much linked
together the census information with a John Sigmund who had lived in Texas and worked in
^ 32 *
the oil industry. It also linked him to his father, Louis Sigmund, the cheese manufacturer I
had found in the 1880 census.
I next looked for his second wife's death certiPicate in the same Texas Death CertiPicate
collection. I found one for a Lillian Elizabeth (Thorne) Sigmund who passed away 21 Sep
1967 in Dallas, Texas. This Lillian E. was born 14 Feb 1885 in Texas, which corroborates the
information found on the 1930 census. Additionally, her parent's names are listed, but not
their places of birth. The cemetery where she was buried, the name of the funeral home,
and her address where she'd been living at her death are listed here as well. Excellent clues
for further research on her.
As for who I believe is John Sigmund's Pirst wife, Elizabeth Ann (Bissell) Sigmund, I found a
death certiPicate for her as well. According to it, Elizabeth was born 12 Aug 1877 in Chicago,
Illinois, which matches the birth year listed on the census that I found Elizabeth living with
John and their children. Like Lillian's death certiPicate, Elizabeth Ann's death certiPicate lists
her parent's names, but not their places of birth. Her address at the time of death, the
funeral home used, and the cemetery where she is buried is listed as well. Again, all
excellent clues to Pinding more about her and her family.
MY THOUGHTS ON THESE TWO WIVES
Though I wasn't able to Pind marriage records or a divorce record online for John and these
two women, the details indicate that quite possibly John married Elizabeth Ann Bissell in
Illinois about 1896, had 3 children (two that survived to adulthood), and if they divorced,
they divorced between 1920 and 1930. Then he married Lillian Elizabeth Thorne between
the divorce and the 1930 census where he's listed as being her husband. A more thorough
search would probably yield a more dePinitive answer.
ON A ROLL
I felt like I was on a roll with my preliminary search, and I wanted to know more about John
^ 33 *
Sigmund and his life in Texas. So I decided to dig a little deeper online. Did he ever Pind his
“Black Gold”? Was he successful with “No. 7” and what is a “No. 7” exactly? Who were the
other two men mentioned on the postcard?
A TIME OF WAR
In looking at the timeline of John's life, I realized it might behoove me to look for a World
War I draft registration card for him as well as his son Charles. I found both on
Ancestry.com. They were both living in Aransas Pass, Texas, and John's son, Charles Louis
Sigmund (age 18) was working for him. Not only did this reveal Charles' middle name, but it
yielded a complete birth date for Charles, 26 Mar 1900 and conPirmed the birth date listed
for John on his death certiPicate, 20 Jun 1873. This also listed John's wife's name as being
Elizabeth Ann Sigmund, which corroborated the middle name on her death certiPicate.
SEE Y’ALL IN THE FUNNY PAPERS
I don't know if John Sigmund ever made the funny papers, but he dePinitely made the
newspapers. Ever since oil was found at Spindletop in 1901, anything having to do with the
oil industry has always been newsworthy in Texas. Therefore, I thought it might be
benePicial to look in Ancestry.com's “Historical Newspaper Collection” for John Sigmund in
Aransas Pass, Texas or Dallas, Texas. Let me just say, having done it, I'm glad I did. I found
numerous articles for Mr. John Sigmund, and he was indeed drilling for oil in Aransas Pass,
Texas in 1926. He ended up having a total of 10 wells dug on his land, which is where I
learned what “No.7” meant. It's the number of the oil well. So, when he wrote about it, he
was talking about his 7th oil well that he was digging in Aransas Pass, Texas. Additionally,
each step of his digging process for each well is chronicled in the oil section of both of the
San Antonio, Texas newspapers throughout the 1920's. Amazing. This Pind also yielded the
name of his company, “Aransas Live Oak Ridge Oil Company.” According to several articles,
he had stockholders in Louisville, Kentucky and Chicago, Illinois. The ones in Chicago quite
possibly had been contacts he had already made when living there and working as a
commercial merchant.
^ 34 *
The newspaper Pinds also yielded some social information for he and his wife such as when
they went to the Kentucky Derby in 1924, while visiting stockholders of his company. I was
also able to Pind a short write‐up in the Abilene Reporter News of his death in 1951 that
indicated his oil interests were not only in Aransas Pass, Texas, but in Corpus Christi and
the Panhandle as well.
SOMEONE PLANTED A TREE
I next looked at Ancestry.com's family trees that members had created in hopes of Pinding a
match. I found one that looked to be created by one of Charles' descendants, and another
looked to be created by a descendant of one of John's siblings. Neither one seems to have
much information about John, much less his two wives, beyond his name and birth date. It
did reveal Charles' wife's name, Minnie, and that they were both buried in Tampa, Florida.
With this additional information on Charles, I quickly found him in the 1930 census living
in Hillsborough Co, Florida with his wife Minnie.
LOST AND FINDAGRAVE.COM
I next looked at Findagrave.com to see if possibly any of John's family had been
memorialized there. This was dePinitely a good idea. John's second wife, Lillian Elizabeth
(Thorne) Sigmund was not only memorialized there but a transcription of her obituary was
there as well providing information on her and her Thorne family that corroborated the
information I had found on her already. Likewise, John's son, Charles and his wife Minnie
were also memorialized on there showing the cemetery where they are both buried in
Tampa, Florida. I also found the memorial for John's father Louis Frederick Sigmund and his
mother Emilie Ernestine (Sauer) Sigmund as well as a memorial for one of his daughters,
Emilie (Sigmund) Schnibben. Louis' memorial gives a brief summary on his life and a
complete transcription of his obituary from the Naperville Clarion dated 21 Apr 1909,
naming his wife and all of his children. The most wonderful clue in there? That he was
“connected with the German Cheese Company.” At this point, I'm really liking cheese.
THINGS ARE BEGINNING YO LOOK A LITTLE CHEESY
I decided to dig a little deeper on John's father, Louis Sigmund, on Ancestry.com. Since Louis
^ 35 *
was listed as being born in Württemberg, Germany numerous times, I performed a search
in the immigration and naturalization database looking for him on a passenger list. The Pirst
record on the list was a U.S. Passport
application for a Louis Sigmund that
indicated that he was born 10 Sep 1840
in SindelPingen, Württemberg, Germany;
that he emigrated to the U.S on the ship
Harmonia from Hamburg around 5 May
1869 and arrived in New York; and that
he lived for 33 years from 1885 to 1902
in Naperville, Illinois. It also listed his
naturalization information as well as his
occupation as a “manager of a cheese
factory.” I then found the New York Passenger List for the Harmonia that listed a Ludwig
Sigmund that arrived in 1869 in New York from Hamburg at the age of 28 years. Because
this information matched up with what I'd found already online about Louis, I felt fairly
conPident this was the same man. It must have been the cheesy clues.
DID MR. LAMASTER TAKE JOHN UP ON HIS OFFER?
The man that John had been writing to on the postcard, L.B. Lamaster, was not hard to Pind
either. According to the census, Luther B. Lamaster was born in Missouri. He lived in Texas,
Oklahoma, and then Pinally settled in Liberal, Kansas. For the majority of his life, he worked
on the railroad as an engineer. How did John know him? I don't know for sure, but it looks
like they lived in Texas at the same time for a while. So quite possibly their tracks crossed
there.
THE VENTURE CAPITALIST
I was also able to locate who I think is Mr. Smith Brooks in the census, but only once. In the
1920 census he was living in Wichita Falls, Texas and was a “roomer”. His listed occupation
was “oil prospector” in the “oil Pields,” which makes sense in the context of John's postcard
when he mentions that Mr. Brooks had a favorable opinion of the geologist's report of
^ 36 *
“No.&7,” and that Smith Brooks would invest in it. I wasn't able to Pind anything else for him
anywhere online. More substantial research is needed both online and ofPline to try to
discern who he was, if his investments ever paid off, and what became of him. The key to
Pinding him probably lies in a thorough of historical Texas newspapers due to his
occupation. That is, if he was ever successful at it.
“It's a Gusher!”
Let's face it. I was extremely lucky in what I was able to Pind concerning Mr. John Sigmund,
Pres. I had one main clue – a ragged postcard with a picture of the Alamo on the front and a
lot of “annoying” writing on
the back. The “annoying”
writing that illustrates a
man's hopes and desires to
strike it rich. A man who
believed in what he was
doing so much that he risked
asking someone he knew to
invest in his dreams. A
pos tcard that shows a
g l imp s e o f Te x a s a n d
American history as well as
several family's histories. I
took a chance and drilled for
more information on these families in hopes of striking it rich, like John. And I found what is
often called in Texas, “Texas Tea.” “Black Gold.” Oil. Like John.
Though I did Pind quite a bit online in a half‐day's worth of research, there is no doubt more
to be found both online and ofPline about these families, but it does give a good example of
why it's so important to take a look at what our ancestors wrote about in their letters, their
postcards, and their notes they left behind. Their writings are like the oil that seeps through
and puddles on the ground. At Pirst glance, one might think it's ugly and undesirable as did
^ 37 *
early Texas settlers who wanted and needed water to seep through the ground for their
crops and cattle until one day someone realized what that thick, sticky black stuff was and
what it could be used for. And that recognition changed many families forever causing
fortunes to be won and lost many times over.
Therefore, take your ancestor's writings and go “wildcatting.” You might be pleasantly
surprised at what you Pind. Like John Sigmund, President of the Aransas Live Oak Ridge Oil
Company. I mean, who knew an old postcard of the Alamo would lead to cheese and oil?
Note: The owners of the family trees that pertain to the families in this article will be contacted through Ancestry.com and Findagrave.com in hopes of being able to reunite this family with their ancestor's postcard as well as gifting them with the preliminary research that I completed.
Sources and Credits
Sigmund, John (Aransas Pass, Texas) to “Dear Friend” [L.B. Lamaster]. Postcard. 26 Mar 1926. Privately held by C.M. Pointer, Texas. 2009.Texas. Dallas County. 1930 U.S. Census, population schedule. Digital images. Ancestry.com.http://www.ancestry.com : 2010.Texas. San Patricio County. 1920 U.S. Census, population schedule. Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com : 2010.Illinois. DuPage County. 1910 U.S. Census, population schedule. Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com : 2010.Illinois. Cook County. 1900 U.S. Census, population schedule. Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com : 2010.Illinois. Cook County. 1880 U.S. Census, population schedule. Digital images. Ancestry.com.http://www.ancestry.com : 2010.Texas. Dallas County. Death CertiPicates, 1890‐1976. Digital images. FamilySearch.org, Record Search Pilot. http://familysearch.org/ : 2010.Texas. Bexar County. Death CertiPicates, 1890‐1976. Digital images. FamilySearch.org, Record Search Pilot. http://familysearch.org/ : 2010.Ancestry.com. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 19171918 [online database]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Inc., 2005. Original data: United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 19171918. Washington, D.C.National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microPilm.Stevenson, B.D., “John Sigmund Well Down 3.850 Feet,” San Antonio Express, 22 Jun 1926, p.3,col.4, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com: 31 Mar 2010), Historical Newspaper Collection.Stevenson, B.D., “John Sigmund To Drill Mile Deep,” San Antonio Express, 3 Nov 1926, p.22,col.4, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com: 31 Mar 2010), Historical Newspaper Collection.“Words of Truth,” San Antonio Express, 2 May 1920, p.21,cols.1‐2, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com: 31 Mar 2010), Historical Newspaper Collection.“Sigmund To Start Aransas Test Soon,” San Antonio Express, 9 Jun 1924, p.3,col.6, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com: 31 Mar 2010), Historical Newspaper Collection.“Aransas Pass Oil Seekers ConPident,” San Antonio Express, 28 May 1924, p.11,col.6, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com: 31 Mar 2010), Historical Newspaper Collection.
^ 38 *
“Rancher‐Oilman, 77, Dies at Dallas Home,” Abilene Reporter News, 3 Feb 1951, p.2,col.5, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com: 31 Mar 2010), Historical Newspaper Collection.Ancestry.com. “Williams Family Tree, Public Family Trees” [online database]. Provo, UT, USA:Ancestry.com, Inc. [http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/11103689/person/87270002?ssrc= : 31 Mar2010]. This tree's facts are supported by census and WWI draft registration card sources.Ancestry.com. “Updates – Emigrants from SindelPingen, Wuertemberg, Public Family Trees”[online database]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Inc. [ : 31 Mar 2010]. This tree's facts aresupported with just John Sigmund's U.S. Passport Application.Find A Grave, Inc., Findagrave.com, Database (http://www.Pindagrave.com/ : accessed 31Mar 2010); Record, Lillian Elizabeth (Thorne) Sigmund (1885‐1967), Memorial No. 39554509,Records of the Sparkman Hillcrest Memorial Park, Dallas, Texas. Record copyright Ron Manley.Find A Grave, Inc., Findagrave.com, Database (http://www.Pindagrave.com/ : accessed 31Mar 2010); Record, Charles L. Sigmund (1900‐1969), Memorial No. 47917696, Records ofthe Myrtle Hill Memorial Park, Tampa, Florida. Record copyright Noreta.Find A Grave, Inc., Findagrave.com, Database (http://www.Pindagrave.com/ : accessed 31Mar 2010); Record, Minnie C. Sigmund (1904‐1960), Memorial No. 47917698, Records of the Myrtle Hill Memorial Park, Tampa, Florida. Record copyright Noreta.Find A Grave, Inc., Findagrave.com, Database (http://www.Pindagrave.com/ : accessed 31Mar 2010); Record, Louis Frederick Sigmund (1840‐1909), Memorial No. 37685998, Records of the Naperville Cemetery, Naperville, Illinois. Record copyright Timothy Ory.Find A Grave, Inc., Findagrave.com, Database (http://www.Pindagrave.com/ : accessed 31 Mar 2010); Record, Emilie Ernstine Sauer Sigmund (1854‐1938), Memorial No. 37686034,Records of the Naperville Cemetery, Naperville, Illinois. Record copyright Timothy Ory. Find A Grave, Inc., Findagrave.com, Database (http://www.Pindagrave.com/ : accessed 31Mar 2010); Record, Emilie M. Sigmund Schnibben (1877‐1956), Memorial No. 37686587, Records of the Naperville Cemetery, Naperville, Illinois. Record copyright Timothy Ory.Ancestry.com. U.S. Passport Applications, 17951925 [database on‐line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007. Original data: Passport Applications, 17951905; (National Archives MicroZilm Publication M1372, 694 rolls); General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59; National Archives, Washington, D.C.[http://search.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=View&r=an&dbid=1174&iid=USM1372_599‐0258&fn=Louis&ln=Sigmund&st=r&ssrc=&pid=1510274 : accessed 31 Mar 2010].Ancestry.com. New York Passenger Lists, 18201957 [database on‐line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006. Original data: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 18201897; (National Archives MicroZilm Publication M237, 675 rolls); Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36; National Archives, Washington, D.C.[http://search.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7488&iid=NYM237_311‐0042&fn=Ludwig&ln=Sigmund&st=r&ssrc=&pid=7166249 : accessed 31 Mar 2010].Kansas. Seward County. 1930 U.S. Census, population schedule, Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com/.Kansas. Seward County. 1925 state census, population schedule, Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com/.Texas. Dallam County. 1920 U.S. Census, population schedule, Digital images. Ancestry.com.http://www.ancestry.com/.Kansas. Seward County. 1915 state census, population schedule, Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com/.Missouri. Nodaway County. 1900 U.S. Census, population schedule, Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com/.Texas. Wichita County. 1920 U.S. Census, population schedule, Digital images. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com/.
©2010 Caroline Martin Pointer.
^ 39 *
One of the most iconic photographs in human history is of3icially known as "Destitute pea pickers in California. Mother of seven children. Age thirtytwo. Nipomo, California." There are hundreds more like it.
APPEALING SUBJECTS
the many migrant mothers of dorothea lange
THERE WASN’T JUST ONE “MIGRANT MOTHER” WITH CAPITAL M’S . . .
CRAIG MANSON
A tribute to some of the strongest women of the 20th century‐‐and the two migrant
mothers who made us care.
Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn and Florence Owens Thompson were two young mothers
whose lives intersected on California's central coast on one cold day in February, 1936.
They were both migrants; one from the northeast, the other from Oklahoma. They met at a
migrant pea‐picking camp near Nipomo, California. The bitter winds of the Depression had
swept them away from home, like thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of other
migrant mothers all over the country.
Florence Owens, the Oklahoman, had wandered the length of California, through the valley
and the coast, with her family looking for work. Dorothea Nutzhorn, the Northeasterner,
had been all over the the United States, from north to south and east to west, also looking
for work; or perhaps more accurately, looking for people looking for work.
But their encounter on that February gay in California well may have had the most
profound consequences for the legions of other migrant mothers in similar camps around
^ 41 *
America. One would become the anonymous face of despair and desperation, whose visage
jolted urban America to action on behalf of the rural poor. The other became the celebrated
chronicler of American life: the good, the bad and the ugly.
The story was originally told in Migrant Mother's Soul Stolen in the column Appealing
Subjects at Shades of the Departed, 22 February 2009 [LINK]. Here's a portion of what we
said then:
Desperate times had descended upon America and the rest of the world. By 1936, Oklahomaborn Florence Owens had been in California for more than a decade as she and her husband, Leroy Cleo Owens struggled to keep their family subsisting. They had traveled the length of the great Central Valley, enduring misfortune after misfortune. A sawmill in the town of Shafter burned down while Cleo was employed there. Later, he lost his job at a sawmill in Merced County. Then while doing agricultural work in Butte County, Cleo Owens became ill and died. Florence was expecting her sixth child at the time. She remained in Butte County with the rest of her husband's siblings.
Florence Owens in another pose for her picture in February
1936, She was waiting for her son
and her male cmpanion to return
from their car repaired. The
photographs were taken at a migrant camp near Nipomo,
California.
^ 42 *
But when she became pregnant again the year after her husband's death, Florence Owens Zled with her children back to her family's home in Oklahoma. Eventually, circumstances drew her to California again and she left her youngest child with her mother, driving the other six back to Merced County.
Florence and her children became migrants, following work throughout the Valley and along the coast. On the aforementioned February day, she was headed to Nipomo on the coast with the children and a man named Jim Hill to a peapicking camp. Hill, as Florence's grandson would describe it decades later, "had joined the family a year before, and acted as husband and father to Florence and her children." (See Roger Sprague's website, Migrant Grandson).
Mechanical trouble with her Hudson forced Florence to end the journey at a camp on Highway 101. Hill and Florence's son Troy went to Zind parts so they could Zix the car. As Florence waited in a leanto tent for the pair to return, a woman with a camera approached. The woman told Florence that her picture would help others. Florence would later recall that the woman also said that it would never be published.
The woman took six photographs of Florence and some of her children and then left without even having asked Florence for her name.
One of six photographs of Florence Owens taken in February 1936
^ 43 *
Notwithstanding whatever may have been said about publication, one of the photographs was published just days later. The photograph provoked an outpouring of sympathy and spurred action by the federal government. Tens of thousands of pounds of food soon arrived at the Nipomo camps. But Florence and her family had already moved on.
The photograph became one of the most iconic photographs ever taken. It was used to portray the desperation of families trapped in poverty during the Great Depression. It was reproduced numerous times and was made into a U.S. postage stamp in 1998.
The photographer who made the Migrant Mother pictures was another, but very different,
migrant mother, Dorothea Lange, nee Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn. born in New Jersey,
she adopted her mother's maiden name, reportedly after her father abandoned her family.
after training with well‐known photographers in New York City, Lange migrated to
California, where she married and had children. She also opened a successful photography
studio.
Dorothea Lange working in 1936, the year she
photographed Florence Owens.
^ 44 *
At the time that she met Florence Owens, Lange worked for the federal agency known as the
Resettlement Administration (later called the Farm Services Administration [FSA]).
One of the New Deal's most progressive‐and controversial‐agencies, the Farm Security Administration (FSA) advocated government planning and economic intervention to improve living conditions in rural America. Conservative critics attacked the FSA and its predecessor, the Resettlement Administration (RA) as "socialistic."
To defend and promote the Resettlement Administration director Rexford Tugwell created a publicity department to document rural poverty and government efforts to alleviate it. It included a photographic unit with an odd name‐the "Historical Section"
In 1937. the RA and its Historical Section were merged into the newly created FSA. Tugwell chose Roy Stryker, a college economics instructor, to run the Historical Section.
Though not a photographer, Stryker successfully directed an extraordinary group of men and women who today comprise a virtual "Who's Who" of twentieth century documentary photography. Many later forged careers that helped dePine photojournalism at magazines like Life and Look.
The FSA photographic unit was not a "jobs program" like the New Deal's Federal Arts Project. Photographers were hired solely for their skills. Most were in their twenties or thirties. They traveled the nation on assignments that could last for months.
Dorothea Lange was one of these extraordinary peripatetic photographers. The work took
her to every corner of the USA. In 1936 in California, her job was to document the
phenomenon of migration for economic reasons for a government report being prepared by
economist Paul Taylor (who had become Lange's second husband).
The FSA's Historical Section was later merged into the OfPice of War Information, but the
organizational change did not affect the quality or quantity of work done by the Historical
Section. In total, FSA‐OWI photographers produced hundreds of thousands of images of
American life. These include 164,000 black‐and‐white negatives, 107,000 black‐and‐white
prints, and over 1600 color transparencies. This effort is said to have been the most
^ 45 *
extensive photographic documentation of a people in history.
Lange contributed more than 4000 of the images in the FSA‐OWI portfolio. Many of her
works are of women and families.
CONTROVERSY
Many of Lange's photographs ended up in government reports at the outset, and most of
the subjects remain anonymous. But the photograph of Florence Owens Thompson was
published in a newspaper, despite Lange's promises to the contrary. And to use a modern
media metaphor, it went "viral," in a 1936 sense.
Dubbed "Migrant Mother" at some point, the photograph has generated millions of dollars
for various individuals and enterprises. A print with Lange's handwritten notes sold for
$244,500 in 1998. (Lange had died in 1965). Lange's personal print sold for $141,500 in
2002. In 2005, the original, along with thirty‐one other vintage Lange photos, sold for
$296,000.
The Library of Congress sells prints of Migrant Mother for $28 each. For $85.00, one may
purchase a framed print with a plate containing a quotation from the photographer. And a
framed display of all six of the Migrant Mother pictures may be had from the Library for
$150.00.
Florence Owens Thompson never saw a penny of the money made by her likeness in
Migrant Mother. Nor have any of her children or other descendants proPited from the
transcendent recognition of the photograph. Indeed, Thompson's identity was unknown to
the public for more than forty years after the pictures were taken.
Thompson was fairly bitter about the photograph. She told The Modesto Bee in 1978:
^ 46 *
"I wish she hadn't taken my picture. I can't get a penny out of it. She didn't ask my name. She said she wouldn't sell the pictures. She said she'd send me a copy. She never did."
Thompson's daughter, Katherine McIntosh, now 79 years old, told CNN in 2008:
"The picture came out in the paper to show the people what hard times was. People was starving in that camp. There was no food," she says. "We were ashamed of it. We didn't want no one to know who we were."
Because the photographs were works for hire by the federal government, Lange received no
royalties and the work is not subject to copyright. It is clear, however, that the pictures gave
a tremendous lift to Lange's career. She was awarded a Guggenhiem Fellowship in 1941 for
excellence in photography. she gave up the fellowship a year later in order to photograph
the internment of Japanese‐Americans. But in 1945, she was invited onto the faculty of the
California School of Fine Arts by photography department head Ansel Adams.
Young family, penniless, hitchhiking on U.S. Highway 99 in California. The father, twenty‐four, and the mother, seventeen, came from Winston‐Salem, North Carolina.
Early in 1935, their baby was born in the Imperial Valley, California, where they were working as Pield
laborers.
^ 47 *
The FSA‐OWI collections are now at the Library of Congress [LINK] and the National
Archives. Captions in bold on pictures reproduced here are the original government
archival captions.
Oklahoma mother of Zive children, now picking cotton in California, near Fresno.
There can be little doubt that we owe a debt of gratitude to Dorothea Lange and Florence
Owens Thompson, and all the migrant mothers photographed for giving us a priceless
portrait of American life in the 1930s and 40s.
^ 48 *
A GALLERY OF MIGRANT MOTHERS Photographed by Dorothea Lange
A mother in California who with her husband and her two children will be returned to Oklahoma by the Relief Administration. This family had lost a two‐year‐old baby during the winter as a result of exposure.
^ 49 *
Tulare County, California. In Farm Security Administration (FSA) camp. Mother from Oklahoma tends baby with dysentery and awaits arrival of FSA camp resident nurse.
^ 50 *
Mother of family camped near a creek bed, panning for gold. "Slept in a bed all my life long till now--
sleeping on the ground." Near Redding, California
^ 51 *
Mother and baby of family on the road. Tulelake, Siskiyou County, California.
Farm Security Administration (FSA) migrant camp. Westley,
California. This migrant mother lives in a contractor's camp
because of contractor's control of jobs. She comes to the Farm
Security Administration camp with sick baby and agricultural workers
medical association card
^ 52 *
Arkansas mother come to California for a new start, with
husband and eleven children. Now a rural rehabilitation client. Tulare
County, California
Sharecropper wife and mother of seven children. Near Chesnee, South Carolina
Type to enter text
Photo credits : Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection
^ 53 *
THE YEAR WAS . . .
the year was 1919"BEER AND MOLASSES”
BY SHERI FENLEY
A two‐story‐tall wave containing 2.3 million gallons of molasses Plooded Boston
Massachusetts on January 15, 1919. Twenty one people drowned when a Pive‐story‐tall
cylindrical metal tank, 90 feet in diameter had burst.
Phot
o –
The
Bosto
n D
aily
Glo
be
^ 54 *
On January 16, 1919, Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, dies in
his sleep at the age of 60. Roosevelt became president at the age of 42 when President
McKinley was assassinated in
1901. Theodore Roosevelt is
well remembered for his
regiment the “Rough Riders”
in the Spanish‐American War,
his campaign slogan “Speak
softly and carry a big stick”,
his remarkable achievement
of the Panama Canal and
becoming the Pirst American
to win the Nobel Peace Prize
f o r h i s p a r t i n t h e
negotiations ending the
Russo‐Japanese War.
Libr
ary
of C
ongr
ess -
Prin
ts
New
Yor
k Ti
mes
^ 55 *
The 18th amendment (Volstead Act followed in 1920) to the Constitution is ratiPied on
January 16, 1919. This amendment “prohibits the manufacture, sale, or transportation of
intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the
United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is
hereby prohibited.” Photo – Chicago Tribune
Smith
soni
an
Libr
ary
of C
ongr
ess
“Barney Google” appears for the Pirst time
on June 17, 1919 in U.S. newspapers.
Chicago artist Billy DeBeck created the
comic strip about “the cigar‐smoking,
sports‐loving, poker‐playing, girl‐chasing
ne'er‐do‐well” Barney Google.
A couple of months later, on August 23,
1919, Frank King’s “Gasoline Alley” made
its premier in the Chicago Tribune.
“Gasoline Alley” was the Pirst comic strip
to depict its characters aging through
generations as the decades progressed.
Photo from
– www.telltalegam
es.com
Photo from www.newscritics.com
^ 57 *
June 28 – The Treaty of Versailles is signed in France by the “Council of Four” , formally
ending World War I.
Photo – Britain’s Prime Minister Lloyd George, Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Emanuele
Orlando, Georges Clemenceau of France and President Woodrow Wilson. From Wikimedia
Commons Photo of Treaty of Peace – Wikimedia Commons
^ 58 *
Albert Einstein's 1905 theory of relativity receives conPirmation May 29, 1919 when the
Royal Astronomical Society sees the predicted effect during a solar eclipse. Einstein’s theory
is embodied in his famous equation E=mc².
Photo – Library of Congress
^ 59 *
The Black Sox Scandal took place in October 1919 during the World Series game between
the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. Eight players from the White Sox were
accused of throwing the game. Despite being acquitted of criminal charges, the players
were banned from professional baseball for life. The eight men included the great
"Shoeless" Joe Jackson; pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude "Lefty" Williams; inPielders Buck
Weaver, Arnold "Chick" Gandil, Fred McMullin, and Charles "Swede" Risberg; and outPielder
Oscar "Happy" Felsch.
Photo – The Chicago Historical Society
May 2nd ‐ First US air passenger service starts.
Songs published in 1919:
I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate Look for the Silver Lining
Photo : Mississippi State University
^ 60 *
February 25th ‐ Oregon is Pirst state to tax gasoline (1 cent per gallon).Photo – Library of Congress
February 26th ‐ Congress forms Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.
Photo – Courtesy of Becky Wiseman
^ 61 *
a rare book is not a manuscriptLEARNING THE JARGON
REBECCA FENNING
SAVING FACE
Working in a special collections library, I have almost ceased to be surprised when a
researcher or a student uses the word “manuscript” to refer to what is very clearly a
printed book. Recently, though, I got an email at work from a worker at another library,
who was contacting me about an old book because (as the email said) she saw that my title
was “Manuscript and Archives Librarian.” Seeing as she worked in a library similar to mine,
with departments called “Manuscripts” and “Rare Books” was actually almost depressing, in
addition to being quite shocking. And it made me and my coworkers realize that the
conference session we joke about presenting, entitled “A Rare Book is not a Manuscript,”
might not be such a bad idea after all.
Now, in the everyday world beyond the walls of the library, rare books and manuscripts
don’t really come up that often. And so, while it’s always a little surprising to have young
researchers and students confuse the two, I always understand it’s simply a matter of
underexposure. However, knowing the difference and knowing the correct terminology can
go far in making even the most beginning‐level researcher look a little more professional
and a little more serious about their work. Rare book vs. manuscript is only an example of
this, but one that I encounter more than any other special collections misconception.
There are probably a bunch of reasons why rare book and manuscript get confused as
terms. Firstly, maybe manuscript sounds like it should refer to something older and
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antiquated, which is maybe why people at
my library like to use it when referring to
17th century printed books. I can
understand that. And maybe, rare book
doesn’t sound technical enough or special
enough, but believe me – it is. It isn’t just a
random conjunction of a noun and a
descriptor – it really refers to something
very speciPic (namely, a published book
that is old and/or valuable because of its
age, scarcity or associations). Manuscript, I
agree, does sound a little
more jargony, and I think that
maybe novice researchers (we
get a lot of dissertation
writers, young in their Pields,
who are trying to impress)
think that throwing it around
makes them sound cooler. But
really, it doesn’t.
I mean, think about the word
manuscript. From the Latin manu scriptus,
meaning “written by hand,” the “script” in
there is a pretty good reminder that what
we’re talking about here is something that
is written, by hand, in script. Now, in this
day and age, when not everything is
actually written by hand, in script, the
word manuscript actually does mean more
than handwritten material. For example, a
type written (or typescript) letter or even a
typed draft of a novel counts as a
manuscript, simply because it is not a
published, printed item like a completed
book is. By dePinition, a manuscript is a
unique item (though things like typed
carbon copies stretches this notion a tad),
unlike a book, which is printed on a
machine in runs of multiple copies. That’s
why one of my coworkers is so annoyed
when the phrase “rare manuscript” pops
out of someone’s mouth.
Saying that is redundant,
because a manuscript is
automatically rare by virtue of
its uniqueness.
Whether or not rare books
a n d m a n u s c r i p t s a r e
something you work with or
something you think about,
hopefully this essay is a
reminder about the importance of learning
the jargon for the professional Pields and
speciPic materials you may come across in
work and in life. It doesn’t take a lot of
work or research – just a dictionary –
because, let’s be honest, no one ever wants
to be the person using words incorrectly,
no matter the context.
T h e w o r d manusc r i p t , from the Latin manu scriptus, m e a n i n g “wr i t t en by hand.”
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The word prompt for the 21st
Edition of Smile For The Camera was
"Give Their Face A Place." The
unknown, known and unsung
w om e n w h o a r e o f t e n t h e
foundation of our family history.
Give their face a place . The
interpretation is yours. Admission is
free with every photograph!
It's always a difPicult task to choose
just one woman to honor during
"Women's History Month". Instead of
tossing a coin this year, I decided to
do someth ing d i f f e ren t . My
submission is a slide show I created
honoring my female ancestors.
These are my ancestors, they would
be the mothers who would nurture
the generations that followed them. I
give them my praise, my respect and
my adoration.
Hope you enjoy it!
Terri J. Kallio
Author ‐ The Ties That Bind
Enjoy this short slide show on "The
Ties That Bind" or by going to Vimeo.
About herself, Terri Kallio says, "I've always
had a passion for
family history and
the mystery that
s u r r o u n d s
searching for the
elusive ancestor
and how their life
was impacted by the
history of the time they lived. I recall as a
young girl listening to my mother and her
sisters laughing and reminiscing about life
growing up on a farm in rural Nebraska.
Those stories sparked something inside me,
making me want to know more about the life
and times of my ancestors and to record
them before they were lost forever.
The Ties That Bind presents a brilliant family
history video at Smile For The Camera
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THE FUTURE OF MEMORIES
grandapa’s lettersWHAT IF THEY WERE EMAIL
BY DENISE BARRETT OLSON
I have a collection of letters my grandfather wrote my grandmother before they were
married. These letters span a 5‐year period between 1908 and 1913 and chronicle not only
their courtship but also what life was like in rural north Georgia during that time. I never
knew my grandfather – he died in 1922 – so these letters are truly a precious treasure.
At the beginning of the Iraq war, we were fortunate to be included in a mailing list from one
of my husband’s Army friends who was then serving in Iraq. On a semi‐regular basis he
sent reports about his experiences in and around Baghdad. Through him we toured
Babylon, investigated a chemical lab, mourned lost comrades and celebrated small
victories. These, too, are precious treasures and it’s important to insure they have a future
as precious treasures for generations to come.
Email isn’t as elegant as an old letter, but the content still has great value. And, each email
automatically includes the name of the sender and the recipient (or recipients) as well as a
date stamp ‐ even more precious information.
I have created folders in my email client to save these special email messages. When I
receive a "keeper", I move it into a special folder within my mail client. I also backup my
email regularly as part of my system‐wide backup plan. That protects my data from
catastrophic disaster but doesn’t necessarily make them available for future generations.
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Here are some ways you can make sure your email messages of today will provide
memories for tomorrow.
The concern with email is that as email clients and webmail platforms keep up with new
technology, today’s message data will no longer be readable in future applications or
systems. The best way to insure a message has a future is to save it in plain text format.
Look for your application’s command to save a message and choose the plain text format
option. This is your best protection for the future. (See Fig. 1)
^ 67 *
But, what about messages created with stationery or full of photos? One option is to export
that message to PDF (portable document format). Mac users have that capability built into
Fig. 1
^ 68 *
the operating system. Windows users can install PDF creation software like the free PDF
Creator [Link] application. It installs as a printer so all you do is print your email with the
PDF Creator “printer” to create your archived message. It will have the same look the
original message has on your screen.
Messages with attachments present challenges of their own. In addition to photos, a
message could contain video or audio Piles, word processing or PDF documents, slideshows
and even spreadsheets. You’ll want to develop a system to save the message with its
attachments ‐ possibly in a folder for each message.
My grandmother treasured her letters enough to keep them protected and with her for 50
years. She took the time to keep them tucked safely away in a clean, dry environment as she
moved from place to place. If your messages are as precious to you as hers were, you’ll have
no problem making time to insure your treasured email is protected now and into the
future. Your grandchild will be delighted you did ‐ I guarantee!
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Way
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Shades & Brides In The
Month Of June
Past Issues
November
December
January
February
March
T H E L A S T P I C T U R E S H O W
The Imprint Or Logo - Georg’s Crystal Palace Photographic Studio, 189 N. Clark St. COR Huron. Chicago. The studio was referred to as a faux-Paxtonian shop run by Victor and Adolph Georg, Hungarian brothers. The brothers appear to have only been in business for eight years.
This is one of my favorite i m p r i n t s t o c o l l e c t , architectural, those that depict the photographer’s studio. See inset for detail.
George, Victor, & Co. Georg’s Crystal Palace Photographic Studio.
1886-87 - 189 N. Clark
1888 - 189 N. Clark (George)
1889-93 - 189 N. Clark
1894 Not Listed