unidentified – Opening Doors in Brick Walls

Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #88 An Unidentified Couple

Unidentified Couple, ca. 1870s
Photo type: Tintype
Tintype size: 1/6 plate; 2 5/8″ x 3 1/4″
Border style: N/A
Sleeve: none
Front imprint: none
Back imprint: none
Photographer: none
Labeling: none

While comparing this tintype to the rest in this collection I noticed a similarity.

Several of the persons were posed sitting on or standing next to a familiar looking chair with fringe. At first I thought they had all been taken at the same studio as it looked like the same chair.

The fringe chair got it’s name from the fringe along the side arm, back, and bottom skirt of the chair. Designed for photography studios and patented in 1864, it was used into the 1870s. The back and the side arm could be raised and lowered allowing the photographer to pose his subjects in different positions. On PhotoTree.com I found this statement:

It became ‘old fashion’ in the late 1870s and is seldom seen after that.

This statement makes me wonder if the tintype on the far right has been identified correctly. In Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #20 Alnie W. ROYALTY it was dated at about 1893 as it was labeled Alnie Royalty.

Once I began searching for more photographs with similar fringe chairs, I found an entire Pinterest board dedicated to The Fringe Chair: Antiques Photographs.

Using the photography prop as a guide I estimated the featured photo of this post to have been taken in the late 1860s or in the 1870s. The back of the fringe chair can be seen behind the woman, the fringe peeking out under the arm she slipped into the crook of her husband’s arm and behind the elbow of her other arm.

The woman’s dress appears to be a two-piece with a long jacket-like bodice buttoned up the front, a skirt which looks fuller at the hem, and a lacy scarf tied loosely at her neck. The dress has the small-waisted look of the 1860s but the sleeves do not seem to have the fuller shape of the period. Since she is sitting you can’t tell if she has a large or small bustle.

The man’s jacket has the closer fit look of the 1870s as opposed to the oversized look of the 1860s. His vest and watch chain are visible. The striped cuffs of his shirt are eye-catching. He posed with one hand holding his jacket lapel, the other on his lap, and his feet crossed.

His hair and mustache look very similar to Charles W. ROYALTY (1861-1922) seen in this tintype (left). It makes me wonder if the couple might be Charles’ older brother Chester Ashley ROYALTY (1856-1917) and his wife Julia Hannah HODGE (1858-1924) who married on 27 April 1880.

I’m guessing this stunning couple may have posed for the tintype in the mid- to late-1870s, maybe even 1880. Could it be a wedding portrait?

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

Please contact me!
Are you related to a person mentioned in this post? Send an email to
openingdoorsinbrickwalls @ pt.lu or message me on my Facebook page
Opening Doors in Brick Walls.

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Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #79 The Unusual Hairdo (Identified)

I’ve been working on the Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can series for a little over a year and a half. In the beginning, they weren’t posted on a regular basis. Since October 2015, I’ve been doing them once a week on Thursdays.

Last week, as usual, I posted the link for the Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #79 An Unusual Hairdo post to my Facebook page and shared on my timeline. Less than two hours later the unidentified young lady with the hairdo that has fascinated me since I first saw the photograph had a possible identification.

Julie, who has been a Facebook friend for only three months, wrote,

Cathy, this picture looks so familiar. She looks very much like the pictures I have seen of my Father’s Mother, Neele Owens Lillie. What do you think Scot (her son) and Jeanne (her sister)?

I wrote about Neele in April 2015 in a post on her husband, Neele, and their daughter Roberta. Up until Julie’s son Scot got in touch with me last August, all my research pointed to their having only two daughters. When Scot got in touch, I learned they also had a son, Robert Walton LILLIE. This son, Robert, was Julie and Jeanne’s father. (Scot is my 5th cousin and Julie and Jeanne are my 4th cousins once removed.)

Cathy: Julie, this is the only photo I have of Neele. Taken from the side, it is hard to tell. Would love input from others.

Jeanne: I’m almost certain that is Nelle

Cathy: Jeanne, do you mean at the top with the strange hairdo or the one I posted as the only photo I have of Neele?

Jeanne: the top one. I have the other one but I have seen that one too. My Dad must of had it because that’s the only place I could have seen it. I’m pretty sure.

Julie’s daughter then posted this photo for comparison:

Neele Audrey Owens LILLIE (1898-1942)
Robert Walton Lillie’s mother, grandmother of Julie (written on back)
Photo courtesy of the family

Jeanne: I went home to look at a picture of my grandmother and no wonder I recognized it. I have it in a frame!!!

Julie (posted the photo below to my timeline): Cathy, it is 100%. My sister found the picture in her dresser. This just gives me chills.

Neele Audrey Owens LILLIE (1898-1942)
Photo courtesy of the family

The lady with the unusual hairdo has been identified thanks to her granddaughters and great-granddaughter. This is what sharing genealogy is all about. Who says collateral lines are not important to our family history?

Happy Thanksgiving!

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

Please contact me!
Are you related to a person mentioned in this post? Send an email to
openingdoorsinbrickwalls @ pt.lu or message me on my Facebook page
Opening Doors in Brick Walls.

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Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #79 An Unusual Hairdo

UPDATE: Identified as Neele (Owens) LILLIE (1898-1942)

The unidentified young lady’s hairdo has fascinated me since I first saw this photograph. At first glance, I thought she was wearing some kind of hat sassily pulled down over her brow. At second glance, I saw her hair styled in a French roll or twist bun coiffed on the top of her head and stretched down over her forehead.

She is wearing a white blouse with sleeves attached to armholes that extend below the natural shoulder line. Tiny buttons along the collar and down the front are buttoned through rouleau button loops. The collar appears to be convertible. When worn open as in the picture, lapels are formed with the buttons and button loops extending along the edge. In the open neckline, she is wearing a fine chain necklace with a pendant.

There is no writing on the back or front of the photograph. Nothing to identify the lady or the photographer.

Any takers on dating the photograph of this unidentified young lady with the strange hairdo?

UPDATE (17 Nov 2016): My 4th cousins once removed, Julie and Jeanne, granddaughters of Robert Wiley LILLIE and Neele OWENS have identified her as their grandmother Neele. I’ve removed the photo of Carrie Enoch that I included for comparison.

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

Please contact me!
Are you related to a person mentioned in this post? Send an email to
openingdoorsinbrickwalls @ pt.lu or message me on my Facebook page
Opening Doors in Brick Walls.

Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #52 A Collection of Tintypes

Some of the older photographs saved from the trash can were tintypes. Seven of these have been featured in previous posts and two of them remain unidentified.

From left to right, top row: Otterbein E. PADDACK (ca. 1878), unidentified man, Alnie W. ROYALTY (ca. 1888). Second row: Florence ROYALTY (ca. 1874), Alnie W. ROYALTY (ca. 1893), Albert Spencer LILLIE (ca. 1872). Bottom row: Green B. GLASS (bef. 1897), unidentified couple, Charles W. ROYALTY (ca. 1885). A tenth tinplate, not included in this scan, was of Mary E. PADDOCK (bef. 1855).

The backsides of the tintypes have some information which helped in the identification. The two unidentified pictures will be featured in the coming weeks. The man in the middle of the top row seems familiar – enough for me to do a new round of comparisons.

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

Please contact me!
Are you related to a person mentioned in this post? Send an email to
openingdoorsinbrickwalls @ pt.lu or message me on my Facebook page
Opening Doors in Brick Walls.

Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #51 An Unidentified Family Portrait

This unidentified family of three had their portrait taken by Henry Herman Brodeck, or his associate M. Wagner, on Main Street in Walla Walla in the Washington Territory.

What Are They Wearing?

From left to right are a little girl with a couple who could be her father and mother. The girl’s hair is done up in ringlets without a fringe or bangs. She is wearing a necklace or lacy embellishment just below the higher neckline of her dress of tartan patterned material. A light colored trim and ruffles in the same plaid material runs down the front and under pockets on each side giving the appearance of an extra layer (polonaise-style). The hem of the dress is extended a bit to below her knees by the lace of her petticoat. Her tiny button down (side) boots appear to be an everyday pair or well used. She looks to be about 40-44 inches tall considering she reaches her sitting father to his shoulder and may be about 5 years old.

He father is sitting in an armchair with long fringe in the front and along the sides. He is wearing a three-piece suit, not necessarily matching material, with a light colored shirt and bow tie. The four middle buttons of his vest are left unbuttoned while the top and bottom buttons are buttoned. He is not wearing a watch chain or a ring. His boots appear well-used. His hair is trimmed over the ears with a high side part and a little wavy comb over. His goatee is neat and full with a moustache.

The mother’s hair is parted down the middle, pinned up with a tiny curl at the side of one temple. Her dangling earrings look like the queen piece from a chess set. Her hip length buttoned jacket (elongated cuirass bodice) has wide lace cuffs with covered buttons and a light colored blouse peeking out of the sleeve where her hand rest on her husband’s shoulder. The double darts down the front of the bodice emphasize the hourglass shape. A light colored scarf with a fringe and pattern is held together with a brooch. Her overskirt edged with a band of tiny pleats curves up and overlaps in front. It does not appear to be a bustle. Her narrow shoe-length skirt is trimmed at the hem with a row of large pleats and a row of puckered material above. Her footwear is hidden under the skirt. She is holding a fur muff in her left hand.

Dating the Photograph

I believe this photograph was taken in the early 1880s mostly due to the lady’s two-piece dress which became popular around this time and her daughter’s tartan patterned dress.

This is supported by the information found on the photographer, his place of business, and the history of the area. The Territory of Washington was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington on 11 November 1889. The territory as such existed from 2 March 1853 until 1889 when it became a state. Henry Herman Brodeck, a Walla Walla photographer, was the owner of Brodeck & Co.’s Photograph Gallery from 1869-1890 during the time the area was still known as Washington Territory.

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

Please contact me!
Are you related to a person mentioned in this post? Send an email to
openingdoorsinbrickwalls @ pt.lu or message me on my Facebook page
Opening Doors in Brick Walls.

Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #50 Unidentified Bearded Man

There are still a few unidentified photographs in this collection. The photographer of this picture was James A. Mullen (1834-1919) who had a business in Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky. Mullen established his business in Lexington at about the time of the Civil War.

Doesn’t this bearded man look like someone you’ve seen in a history book? How would you date this picture?

UNKseatedmaleKY Rooney collection

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

Please contact me!
Are you related to a person mentioned in this post? Send an email to
openingdoorsinbrickwalls @ pt.lu or message me on my Facebook page
Opening Doors in Brick Walls.

Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #43 Unknown Family

Could these be three, four or five generations of one family? The woman and girl resemble each other and could be mother and daughter. In the second photograph the man in the back looks much older than the man and woman in front of him. Are they a couple, brother and sister, or mother and son?

There is no identification on either of these photographs. The cardboard is the same and the backs are identical in color which tells me they may have been made at the same time. Or could these cabinet cards have been reprinted and mounted at the same time? Are the clothes seen in both photos from the same time period? Could this be 1870s or 1880s?

More about this collection, how it came to be in my possession,
and links to previous posts in the series can be found here.

Please contact me!
Are you related to a person mentioned in this post? Send an email to
openingdoorsinbrickwalls @ pt.lu or message me on my Facebook page
Opening Doors in Brick Walls.

Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can ~ #24 Unidentified Children

This is a spin-off of my 52 Ancestors: #14 Albert Spencer LILLIE (1848-1913) ~ Old Photographs Saved From Trash Can blogpost in which I featured a few photos from a collection of old photographs my 4C1R Joe Rooney shared with me. I asked Joe about using the photos and he kindly wrote, “Please use them at your will. I feel it is keeping it in the family and don’t need credit. If anything, I appreciate your evaluations, identifications and detective work. I’m hopeful you and yours enjoy them. On a blog, in a book, above a cloud.”

#24 Unidentified Children

Barefoot little girl in nightgown with sibling in a babydoll carriage

These children were not identified on the back of this ca. 1900-1910 photograph. The photographer was L. A. Williams of Vienna, Illinois.

Lewis A. Williams was born 31 October 1849 in Tennessee. He married Eva W. [–?–] about 1876; per census, they did not have children. He worked as a wheelright in 1880 in Galatin, Saline County, IL; photographer in 1900 in Vienna, Johnson County, IL; proprietor of a studio in 1910 in Vienna; and as a bookkeeper in 1920 in Carrier Mills, Saline County, IL. He died 13 October 1920 in Carrier Mills.

Any guesses on who these children may have been or they could be identified?

Links to previous posts in this series may be found in Old Photographs

Please contact me!
Are you related to a person mentioned in this post? Send an email to
openingdoorsinbrickwalls @ pt.lu or message me on my Facebook page
Opening Doors in Brick Walls.

Joe Rooney kindly gave me permission to use these photographs on my blog.

Joe ROONEY wrote on 15 February 2015: This collection of photographs was scanned at 300 dpi color by me. The original photos were sent by Sandra Lillie about ten years ago after she found them cleaning out a relative’s garage in Southern Illinois, finding no other takers (suckers). She believes they were a collection by L Vance Lillie. Many of the pictures seemed to be removed from frames or were in albums evidenced by fading characteristics and may have been from other’s collections. I scanned the reverse if there was laboratory advertising or writing. Some of the authors’ identification may be figured out of the handwriting matches. I did not scan the reverse of photos where there was only a three digit number that I believe to be sequence numbers on a roll of film. I didn’t spot any obvious helpful commonalities.

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