Lottie Raymond Ford


​Recently, a beautiful portrait of a young girl caught my eye. Turning the card over, the cursive script revealed her identity: Lottie Raymond Ford, Pittsburgh.

​Unlocking her name opened the door to a remarkable journey through time.

Born in the late 1870s, Lottie was named in honor of her father, William Raymond Ford, a Civil War era veteran, and her mother, Elizabeth Bartley. Growing up in the industrial landscape of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Lottie was part of a tight-knit household alongside her older brother, William Wallace, and her sister, Minnella.

​The portrait captures Lottie in her early years, dressed in a ruffled dress and lace tights, leaning against an elegant studio chair. It is a classic representation of late 19th century portraiture, showing the poise expected of young children of the era.

As we trace Lottie through historical records, a fascinating story of lifelong independence begins to emerge:

By the turn of the century, Lottie was an adult, still living at home in Pittsburgh with her widowed mother and her sister Minnella.

The early 1900s brought immense change. Her brother William Wallace married and started his own family in 1903, the very same year their mother, Elizabeth, passed away. 

For many women of this era, historical tracks disappear behind a husband's surname. However, a dive into the archives revealed a different path for Lottie. She never married.

​Instead of settling down into a marriage, Lottie and her sister Minnella chose a path of companionship and adventure. The two unmarried sisters remained entirely independent, managing their own lives and eventually making a massive cross country move.

​By the 1920s, they left the smoky skies of Pittsburgh behind for the sunny landscape of Los Angeles, California.

​Voter registration records and state archives from the West Coast show the sisters living out their twilight years together. Lottie kept her identity exactly as it was written on the back of her childhood photograph. When she passed away in Los Angeles, she was officially recorded under her full birth name: Lottie Raymond Ford.

​It's rare to connect the face of a nameless Victorian child so directly to the independent woman she eventually became. Lottie’s portrait is no longer just a piece of old paper. It's a piece of history and a welcome addition to the collection. 




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