This portrait of my great grandfather Samuel, born 1835, is the only one of him that exists. The sign he is holding says "Lord, increase our faith". Back in childhood I always wondered why, and I can't recall anyone ever explaining. (Possibly they did not know either.) He was a farmer and a merchant; not a clergyman. However (thanks to research done by one of my dad's cousins), much later I learned that Samuel was involved in the founding of a local free church in 1884. Then he was 49 years old, which seems to fit with this photo.
Back then, he was still married to his first wife, Anna Sophia. She died in 1894. (There is no photo of her.) Together they had 9 children, born between 1866-84. Two died in childhood, and another (at age 31) in 1899, before my own grandmother was born.
In 1898, Samuel got remarried to my great grandmother, Selma (born 1861); she also a widow, with a young daughter. There is no wedding photo or other portrait of Samuel and Selma together either.
This photo of Selma is probably from her first marriage - or even earlier. Her first husband was younger than her; but died when their daughter Hildur was only two years old.
Together, Samuel and Selma got two more children: my grandmother Sally (born 1900) and her brother Nils (born 1902). Samuel died in 1907 (72 years old) and then Selma was a widow again, now with three young children. She did not get married again, but remained living on the farm with her step-son Carl (single), who had taken over the running of the farm already around 1903/4.
In the census of 1910, two separate households are listed for the farm: Selma and her children (probably at the time living in a separate cottage) counted as one family; and Carl, his brother Gustaf (recently returned from eight years in America) and their sister Ester (housekeeping for them) as another. Later on, it seems that Carl, his stepmother and her children all lived together in the farmhouse, though.
Selma (born 1861) and her sister Ida (born 1865). Not sure which year, but my guess is c. 1917.
Ida and her husband Gustav in 1908
(the year actually printed on the photo!)
My grandmother Sally (born 1900) and her half-sister Hildur (born 1892 in Selma's first marriage). Same studio background as in the photo of Selma and Ida. Could be from the same occasion.
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Hildur, Selma and Sally, around the same time as well. (Compare Hildur's bow tie here to the one Ida is wearing in the first portrait.)
Another studio portrait of Sally and Hildur
- a few years later, I think.
- a few years later, I think.
Sally's half sisters on her father's side, Ester (born 1876) and Gerda (born 1881). Must be from before Gerda emigrated to America - 1902 or earlier.
Ester, a bit later in life (year unknown)
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▲Gerda with a friend, from Chicago (1902-1910)▼
LEFT: Gerda to the right - RIGHT: Gerda to the left
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Gerda returned to Sweden in 1910/11, but soon went abroad again.
Gerda in Lyon, France, 1913 (or 15?)
Hildur, Gerda and Sally. My guess is that this was taken on Gerda's return from France in 1919 - after the end of WWII.
Gustaf, born 1878, also emigrated to America in 1902, and returned in 1910. The portrait above is from Port Allegany, probably 1903. The photo below is one I just recently found and realised that it must be Gustaf to the right. It's printed on American postcard paper (but not written on) so I'm guessing that it must be from his later years in America. I don't know who the other two men are.
Once back in Sweden, Gustaf did not go abroad again. He helped out on the family farm for a while; then moved away to work elsewhere in Sweden (also with farm work); then returned again to help out at the family farm - and took over when his older brother Carl died in 1928. But I think the farm was sold after Sally, Nils and Hildur all got married and moved away - to do with distribution of inheritance.
Carl, Selma, Hildur and Sally
Hildur, Selma and Sally, probably summer 1930
Nils, Sally and Selma
("when big hats were the fashion")
Linking to Sepia Saturday 694 - Portraits
OK, you win the prize of the most family portraits. Wow. These are wonderful, and you knew who they all were, and most of the years they were taken. This is an incredible family album just here. It encompasses the lives of many people so well.
ReplyDeleteThanks Barbara. 11 years since I started this blog, and I'm still trying to assemble the family history puzzle... (So many photos without names or dates attached!)
DeleteWhat great photographs and, as Barbara says, how lucky you have so many of them. Pictures of Gerda have always made me feel she would be a really neat person to know. :)
ReplyDeleteGail, she certainly had the most "unusual" life among all her siblings!
DeleteAs Barb wrote, you win the prize this weekend! It's interesting to see so many quality examples of first-class studio photography in Sweden. It's a mark of how popular photographs became in the late 19th and early 20th century. Perhaps there was a strong market in Sweden for sending photos to distant friends and family too. However I wish more American photographers had taken up including a printed year on their photos. It would make research so much easier.
ReplyDeleteMake sure to read my blog, Monica. I used this theme to include a special photo at the end that I knew you would appreciate.
Mike, I think that the portrait of my great-grandmother's sister and her husband is so far the only example I've come across of the year being included on a studio portrait. I agree it would have been helpful if that had been the norm! I'm guessing that the interest in being able to send printed photos of oneself also increased with emigration/immigration, and railways and faster ships making it easier to send letters and postcards.
DeleteI did read your post and I guess it's the moustache you're referring to! ;-)