Ink & Ancestry

Born: May 30, 1853 Died: 1942 Every old photograph tells a story, but some faces practically demand that you go digging through the archives. ​Recently, a late 19th century portrait caught my eye. Written on the back in faded cursive were just a few clues: John Zook, Manheim Twp, Lan Co. The photograph itself was captured at H. Frank Saylor’s Art Studio at No. 43 West King Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. ​Looking at the well dressed man in the portrait, I had to wonder: What happened to him? ​As it turns out, John G. Zook didn’t just witness history, he literally printed it. ​Born on May 30, 1853, in Manheim Township, John G. Zook started his professional life like many bright minds of the era: in the classroom. After graduating from Millersville Normal School in 1875, he spent six terms teaching local children. ​But Zook had a passion for the written word. In 1877, he took a leap of faith, left teaching, and launched a monthly literary publication called The Sunbea...

Born: October 12, 1855 in Dalton, OH Died: August 26, 1920 in Chicago, IL I was digging through an antique store bin, looking for photos to add to the collection. As I kept looking, I came across a photo of a lovely young lady and I knew her story needed to be told. Meet Melissa Stinson Reed. ​Captured in a portrait from June 1877, Melissa stands as an example of late Victorian style. But who was this woman wearing an elaborate lace cravat? Thanks to historical records and a wonderfully preserved card, we can piece together her story. ​When Melissa stepped into Ryder’s Studio on Superior Street in Cleveland, Ohio, she was a young woman celebrating a major milestone. Exactly one year prior, on June 20, 1876, she had married a medical graduate named Dr. Robert Harvey Reed. To mark this milestone, Melissa chose the premier photographer of the era.  ​Born Melissa Ann Stinson in Wayne County, Ohio, she grew up in the community of Dalton. Her early life was marked by the hu...

Every vintage photo carries a story, but rarely do we find one that bridges a small Pennsylvania town with the distant shores of Meiji era Japan. ​If you were to look only at the front of this late 1880s cabinet card, you would see a classic Victorian studio portrait. Three children sit against an ornate, patterned backdrop: a sharp teenage boy in a tailored suit, a young girl in a gingham dress with a lace collar, and a toddler holding a tiny basket of flowers. ​But turn the card over, and a pencil inscription transforms this family keepsake into a historical chronicle:​ Clarence A. Morris, age 13½ years Grace E. Morris, age 6 years Lella H. Albertson, 3 years just Taken before she left for Japan. ​To understand this photograph, we first have to look at the town where it was taken: Tidioute, PA. Tidioute was a bustling boomtown during the 19th century Pennsylvania oil rush. ​Living right in the heart of this boom were the Morris siblings, Clarence and Grace. Thanks to l...

Born: 1874 in Ohio Died: Unknown in Ohio Recently, a sepia portrait came into my collection featuring a young woman seated in a rocking chair in a fancy Victorian parlor, a book open in her lap.  ​Thanks to an inscription on the back, I have a name: Isabelle Beck Smith. And by digging into the archives, I've been able to piece together the story of the woman in the chair. The photo itself speaks volumes about Isabelle’s world. Based on the sleeves of her top and the styling of her hair, the portrait can be pinned down to the mid to late 1890, roughly between 1894 and 1898. Behind her sits an piano topped with fine vases, artwork, and a nearby music stand holding open sheet music. Isabelle was clearly cultured and musically inclined. ​But who was she? ​By finding her name to federal census data and Ohio marriage indexes, her life comes into focus. Born Isabelle Beck in Ohio around 1874, she grew up in a industrializing era. The young woman in this photo is in her earl...

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...

Step into any music shop today, and you’ll find walls lined with guitars, keyboards, and digital gear. But if you were a young woman seeking to be on the cutting edge of the independent music scene in the 1890s, your instrument of choice would be a bowl back mandolin or a five string banjo. ​A cabinet card I acquired this week introduces us to a pair of Massachusetts musicians: Celia and Ida Wheeler. ​The portrait, captured at the studio of Snow & McDermott, shows the sisters posed with an air of artistic dedication. From their Victorian attire to the dark green, scalloped-edge cardstock mount, every element of the photo fits the turn of the 20th century. ​During the 1880s and 1890s, America fell head over heels for the "BMG" (Banjo, Mandolin, and Guitar) craze. What had previously been viewed as informal folk instruments suddenly exploded into mainstream society. ​Mandolin and banjo clubs sprouted up across cities and university campuses nationwide. For youn...