Meet my other great-grandmother -- I wish I knew her name! Mom doesn't know it, because she never knew this grandmother. It might be Rosena, but that's just a guess. She's holding my mother's father. It looks like he's asleep, doesn't it? That would make sense, given that portraits taken in those early days of photography required the subject to hold stock still for several minutes. My grandfather's name was Jarrett Shauck, so I googled it to see if I could get any genealogical hits. I got a couple -- one from the Maryland Archives. It listed a foreclosure action taken against Jarrett and Rosena Shauck for some land in Maryland. (I must say, I love the names of the parcels -- especially Vaughn's Disappointment. Must have been some lousy land!)
Come to think of it, this legal action took place in 1841, so it's unlikely that Jarrett and Rosena are the parents of this baby, my grandfather. He was born in 1867, a full 26 years after that. More likely, Jarrett and Rosena are the grandparents of my grandfather.
Here's another one from the same album -- I wish I knew who this lady was! She looks very elegant and poised, don't you think? I do know, from the stamp on the back of the photograph, that it was taken by Hugo Broich, Photographic Artist, of 359 West Water Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. From the look of her outfit and accessories, It's probably around the same time -- 1860s. What do you think?
So LA -- how about the yardage in this dress, eh? Not to mention the hoop petticoats, pantelets, and corset! I have a feeling, though, that this was most likely this lady's Sunday best; after all, having your photograph taken was a special occasion in those days!
I feel really fortunate and blessed that we have these amazing pictures. Even if I never find out who these folks are, their images remain, a record of dresses and suits, hairstyles, and families. I'll be scanning and posting more, as time goes on, if only to preserve them in digital form.
Then again, they've already lasted almost 150 years!
