Civil War Revenue Stamps

Cartes de Visite were small portraits on card stock, generally measuring 2.5 by 4 inches, that were especially popular in the 1860s. If there is a revenue stamp on the back of the photograph, you can narrow the date down to the two years during which a tax was applied to photographs. The newly-created Internal Revenue Service was looking for ways to finance the Union's Civil War costs. While the Confederate States printed money and suffered from outrageous inflation, the North imposed taxes on every imaginable product and service.

All kinds of things were taxed, including playing cards, bank checks, and matches. Photographs were added relatively late (1864-1866), so they didn't have their own tax stamp. That's why you will often see a Carte de Visite with a playing-card revenue tax stamp or a more generic proprietary tax stamp on the back. A 2-cent tax stamp indicates that the photograph cost up to 25 cents. More expensive photographs might have a 3-cent stamp.

 Photographer: R.R. Rundell, Owego, New York.

Photographer: F. Smith Hooker, Havana, New York.

Photographer: D.W. Grout, Pulaski, New York.

 

Photographer: Crum & Sharp, Watkins, New York.

 Photographer W.C. Crum, Penn Yan, New York

Photographer: George W. Barnes, Rockford, Illinois (Compliments of H. White)

Photographer: Masterson & Wood, 74 and 75 Arcade, Rochester, New York

The Faces of Susquehanna -Part Two

More portraits from Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. These are from the J.B. Kirby studio and its successor, the Frank Kirby studio. The portraits all measure about 2.5 inches by 4 inches. The father and daughter in the second photo must have had very light blue eyes; they look a little eery in black and white.

 

The photo above with the three ladies is the only one with any names written on the back: Mother Elizabeth and Henryette.

The photo of the boy above is also interesting, because another photographer's name and a different location (Scranton?) were printed on the back before they were crossed out  and replaced with Kirby and Susquehanna. Kirby must have  bought another photographer's card stock.

The Faces of Susquehanna - Part One

Susquehanna Depot, Pennsylvania, also known simply as Susquehanna, currently has a population of 1,643.  There are no names on these portraits, but they are all from G.O. Sweet's studio. More portraits from Susquehanna coming soon

On Their Honeymoon

Nathaniel Ferguson and Amanda Davenport on their honeymoon.

The writing on the back of the card is in ballpoint pen, obviously written many years after the photo was taken. Something not quite right there. Portraits such as this one were not produced in the 1820s. And, since Amanda Davenport wasn't born until 1830, this would have been a stretch. It turns out that the date should be 1856.

Amanda and Nathaniel Ferguson lived in Heidelberg, Pennsylvania. By the time of the 1880 Census they already had seven children. Their household also included her mother, Katherine Adams Davenport, two servants and a governess. Amanda gave birth to ten children and died at the age of 51.

Here's a biographical entry I found for Nathaniel Ferguson in Morton Montgomery's Historical and Biographical Annals, written in 1909.

Nathaniel Ferguson, the youngest son in the above family, was born in Lancaster county, Pa., Nov. 20, 1817. He left home when eighteen years of age with fifty cents in his pocket given him by his mother along with her blessings and well wishes for success. Having graduated from the Moscow Academy in Lancaster, where he had shown himself a diligent pupil, in 1839 he became clerk at the Elizabeth Furnace, in Lancaster county, then owned by the heirs of James Coleman, one of the proprietors of the Cornwall mines. Two and a half years later he rose to the management of the business, and he held that position for seven years. He then removed to Swatara Furnace, Schuylkill county, and became a member of the firm of Eckert, Gilbert & Company, of which he was the active manager. The partnership lasted until 1855 when the company ceased operations as the use of anthracite coal had superseded charcoal. In 1857 he removed to Robesonia Furnace and assumed the management. 

In 1860, at the death of Henry P. Robeson, he purchased an interest and became a partner in the firm of White, Ferguson & Company. In 1863 the firm became White & Ferguson, and remained so until 1875, although the interest of Mr. White, who died in 1868, was continued for the benefit of his heirs. Mr. Ferguson then purchased the interest of one of the heirs and the firm became Ferguson, White & Co. ... In 1885 Mr. Ferguson sold his interests in Robesonia, and, retiring from active business, removed to Reading, where he passed away in 1891. He was a prominent man in the city and served as a director of the First National Bank. As a man of self-reliance, sound education, untiring energy and great executive ability Mr. Ferguson became a successful manufacturer and clear-sighted business man with the respect and regard of all who knew him for his unswerving integrity, benevolence and liberality toward all. Patriotic and public spirited, generous and kind, he passed away after a life of great activity. 

Nathaniel Ferguson married in 1856 Miss Amanda Davenport, daughter of Dr. John Davenport, of Connecticut, and granddaughter of Judge William Adams, a member of Congress in the early part of the nineteenth century. They became the parents of ten children, five of whom still survive: Elizabeth, the wife of Charles L. Hoff, of Reading; Laura, the wife of Rev. S. H. Larper, a Presbyterian minister of Media, Pa.; Nathaniel, vice-president of the First National Bank, of Reading; Wilson; and Grace, wife of O. S. Doolittle, of New York City. 

My Little Fat Girl

You can be sure that few 12-year-old girls would appreciate being called 'my little fat girl' as a term of endearment today, but back in 1911 it was probably received with a giggle. Maybe.

The lovely card was sent to Miss Fanny Irene Ely of New Milford, Pennsylvania (current population 868).

The message is very amusing:

Dear Irene.

How is my little fat girl now days, any way. I am sick I talked to much I guess (?)

Jaws hurt.

Yours -

L.M.L.

Irene was born in New Milford in 1899 to parents Charles and Jessie. Sadly, Irene's father, a laborer at the stone quarry,  died only a year after she received this card. Irene's mother remarried almost immediately, probably out of necessity, to a man named Hobert Gunn who was 12 years her junior and also worked at the quarry. Life must have been very tough in New Milford, because he died at the age of 39. Irene's mother outlived the second husband too, but died at the age of 57.

At that point it appears that Irene went to live with her sister's family, the Trowbridges, in the Johnson City/Binghamton, New York area, where she worked as a bookkeeper at the First National Bank. According to city directories, she was still working there in 1953. It doesn't look like Irene ever married though. After she died at the age of 58, she was buried with her parents in the New Milford cemetery.

Source

Easy Sailing in Gelatt, PA

Once again we have cute Dutch stereotypes relaying greetings on an American card. These seem to have been particularly popular around 1910 in areas with strong Dutch heritage.
Gelatt, Pennsylvania is a 'populated place', not an official town.  I have a feeling it may have been more populated in 1915 when this card was sent. The postmark was from Gelatt, so we know they had a post office.

Mrs. B. Pickering sent this card to Miss Sarah Denney at Burns Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  I have other cards that Sarah Denney received at the hospital, but she appears to have recovered and lived to the age of 80. Sarah was born in 1895 and operated a grocery store in Union Dale, PA (current population 267). She died in 1975 and was buried in the Gelatt cemetery. It appears that she never married.

The message reads:

 from a Friend Mrs B Pickering

 glad your doing nicely.

It looks like Mrs. B Pickering, was Hattie Ball Pickering, first wife of Benjamin Butler Pickering. Hattie died in 1920 at the age of 48, whereupon Benjamin Butler married a woman by the name of Olive Warren. Benjamin and both of his wives are also buried in the Gelatt Cemetery. Here's a view of the cemetery from the road.


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May Day at Bryn Mawr College

May Day is no small event at Bryn Mawr College. It has been a well-loved and much-anticipated annual tradition at the private Pennsylvania women's college since 1900.  The tradition is not limited to maypole dancing either, but includes all manner of events, including strawberries and cream with champagne, singing in the morning, processions, Morris dancing, and a variety of plays.

Here's an old photo and a postcard of the first May Day event at Bryn Mawr in 1900.

Courtesy of Bryn Mawr College Library

Here's Katherine Hepburn dressed up for Bryn Mawr's May Day in 1928.

Courtesy of Bryn Mawr College Library

 And Cornelia Otis Skinner dressed for a May Day play in the early 1920s.

Courtesy of Bryn Mawr College Library

Somewhere, there's a photo of me dancing around the maypole at Bryn Mawr (at a much later date, thank you), but I couldn't find it in time for this post.

I did find an old program of events though, which is too small to read. Suffice it to say that the events extended from 5:45 am until 9 pm.

Here are a few photos from May Day 1982, including President Mary Patterson McPherson on horseback.

If you head on over to Bryn Mawr this weekend, you can partake in the festivities and try to redeem this free dinner card. If you are unable to travel the distance, you can always celebrate May Day at home via Sepia Saturday.

Dear Brother Walter...

One of the most popular posts on this blog, for reasons totally unknown to me, is another card sent to Walter Till.  I'm perplexed by its popularity, because I just don't understand it.

Anyway, on to brother Walter.  The birthday card that is viewed so often for unknown reasons, is from 1916. This one is from 1919.

It's a lovely card, but it wouldn't be my first choice for a 9-year-old boy.  The message on the back of the card reads:

5/2/19

Dear Brother Walter

I came near forgetting when your birthday was but dident. here is just a card hoping you have a happy one suppose you will be 9 years old Sun. you want to see how good a boy you can be from now on let Jesus help you

Love from Sister Laura

It started to seem more likely to me, after looking at previous cards, that "brother" was meant in a religious sense, but then I found that Walter actually did have an older sister named Laura. In fact, he had 10 siblings. The 1920 Census shows Walter, the youngest at age 9, living with his siblings, George (11), Edna (13), and Jennie (15) and their mother Julia E. Till. There is no indication of a father in the household, because the father died a few months after Walter's 9th birthday. Walter also had a younger brother who only lived to the age of four.

I looked for more information on Ancestry.com and was surprised to find photos of Walter and his siblings. There's our little Walter on the right.

And there's Jennie on the left. Here's a postcard addressed to Jennie.

The message on the back reads:

Dear Jennie: -

Come up and see the School house fore your self. my room is where the X is. I wish you a happy easter. your friend Bertha.

What's Up in Punxsutawney?

This is sort of an odd combination Memorial Day/Groundhog Day postcard. Anyway, it's as close as I get to a Groundhog Day postcard, because it was sent to someone in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, home of the Groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil. The front of the postcard is about remembering soldiers who died in combat, specifically in the Civil War.
 

The card was sent to Mrs. Sarah Malone in Punxsutawney in 1909.
The message reads:

Seattle Wash

4-21-09

Dear Sister Why don't you write

Was to Bremerton navy yard 17th

(????)

goodbye AHS

I don't know much about Sarah Malone, except that she was born about 1851 and was married to James Malone, who is listed as a farmer in the US census.

It really is Groundhog Day today, so if you want to find out more about the tradition or watch the live webcast of Phil, you can take your own virtual trip to Punxsutawney here.

Tram Tuesday - Philadelphia

This card has a lot to offer. It has the full names and mailing addresses of both the sender and the recipient. Although there is no stamp or postmark, it appears that the card was sent in 1910. Nettie Smith of Philadelphia sent the card to Miss Julia Schneider in Los Angeles. Maybe they were in secretarial school together, because Nettie seemed to be confident that Julia could read her shorthand.  Does anyone still read (or write) shorthand?

It's a little sad to see those old Philly streetcars, because the extensive system that Philly once had is no longer there. I think that there is a greater sense of loss in Philadelphia than in some of the other places where streetcars have been replaced by buses. I hope they make a comeback.

Here's the back of the card.

If you want to read more about the current issues regarding Philadelphia's streetcar system, you may want to check out Eric Miller's The New Colonist.