The Farnsworth Children


​Recently, a late 1890s cabinet card captured by the Pacific Photograph Co. made its way into my collection. On the front, three beautifully dressed children look at the camera. On the back, an inscription reads:

​Aunt Maggie

Farnsworth's – Bess, Grace & George A.

By cross-referencing this information with genealogical records, the curtain has been pulled back on the Farnsworth family. Let’s step into the late Victorian era and meet the siblings behind this portrait.

​They grew up in Santa Monica, California, the children of George and Harriet Farnsworth. Based on the estimated ages of the children in the photograph, we can date this moment to right around 1898 or 1899.

  • ​Grace Farnsworth: Standing tall on the right at around 11 or 12 years old, Grace wears a dress with fashionable puffed sleeves.
  • ​Elizabeth "Bess" Farnsworth: On the left, roughly 7 or 8 years old, Bess sports a white lace trimmed dress and classic button-up leather boots.
  • ​George A. Farnsworth: Perched between his sisters at about 3 or 4 years old, little George steals the show in a  sailor style suit. In his lap, he holds a small toy brought along to keep him still for the camera's long exposure.

As the 19th century gave way to the 20th, the three children grew up alongside the rapidly expanding pacific coast. 

​Grace would go on to pursue higher education during an era when doors were just beginning to open for women. She dedicated her early adult years to working as a school teacher in public California schools before marrying and raising a family of her own.

​Bess grew into an active community member, navigating the roaring twenties in a vibrant Santa Monica. Records show her working in administrative roles, maintaining an independent and social lifestyle while remaining close to her family.

​George grew up just in time to face a defining moment in history. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, George answered the call, serving his country overseas. Upon returning to civilian life, he had a long, successful career in the Pacific timber and merchant trades, living a full life well into the mid 20th century.

​And what of the mysterious Aunt Maggie who left her mark on the reverse side of the card? History points toward her being none other than Maggie Marck, a beloved relative and a favorite figure among the family's historical records. It was Maggie’s dedication to archiving her family's legacy that ensured Bess, Grace, and George wouldn't become anonymous faces in an antique shop.

​Through restoration and research, this 128 year old moment has been brought back to life in vivid color, preserving the Farnsworth legacy for generations to come.


Popular posts from this blog

The Plummer Children

Image
For a long time, the identities of the four children in this portrait were a mystery. With a little patience, the faint cursive on the back finally revealed a list of names: Grace, Winifred, Earle, and Irene Plummer . ​These four siblings grew up at the turn of the 20th century in Marion County, IN. Born to John Thomas Plummer and Mary Elizabeth Barker, they had this studio portrait taken around 1900 or 1901 when the youngest, Irene, was just a toddler. ​Here is the story of the children and the lives they went on to lead. ​Grace M. Plummer (Top Left) ​Sitting in the wicker chair on the left is the eldest sibling, Grace, who was born in February 1888. In the early 1910s, Grace married an Indianapolis attorney named Clarence W. DeHass. Together, they raised two children, John and Mary, in the heart of Indianapolis. Grace lived a long life, passing away in October 1968.  ​Earle S. Plummer (Center) ​Standing in the center in his suit and bowtie is Earle, the only boy...
Read more

Florence Henlen

Image
Born: 1884 in Dickenson County, KS Died: 1975 I recently acquired a beautiful late 1880s photograph that I just had to research immediately. The photo shows a toddler bundled up against the cold. She is wearing a dark winter coat trimmed with white fur or wool, matching cuffs, and a ruffled bonnet. She stands in a Victorian studio's version of the outdoors leaning against a prop tree stump. ​At the bottom, the photographer’s mark reads "Weaver" of Herrington, Kansas (a historic spelling of Herington). ​Turning the card over reveals a faint pencil inscription: (Florence C. Henlen) ​A look into historical records from Dickinson County, Kansas, brings Florence’s world into view. ​Born in 1884, Florence Campbell Henlen was roughly three to five years old when she stood for this photo.  Her family was prominent in the early days of Herington. Her father, Dr. Benjamin Augustus Henlen, was a pioneering doctor who ran the town’s leading drug store, served as a dire...
Read more

The Bailey Brothers

Image
Recently, I found an early 20th century cabinet card featuring two young children. A note on the back of the photo changed everything.  The photo shows two children dressed in dark Edwardian garments, polished lace-up boots, and perfectly styled white hair bows. Looking at the image, one might naturally assume they are looking at two young girls. ​Flip the card over, however, and a note  sets the record straight: ​ "Kenneth & Faber Bailey. There mother always dressed them like girls." ​While it was a common late Victorian and Edwardian custom to keep young boys in gowns or tunics, their mother, Sophia Bailey, clearly possessed a flair for fashion. She let her sons' hair grow out into long, ringlets and adorned them with oversized hair bows that rivaled any young girls. ​Armed with a location (Ohio) and these two distinct names, a look through the US Federal Census records brought the story of these two boys to light. ​Kenneth (born circa 1904) and Fa...
Read more