Category Archives: Orphan Photos – Identified

This CDV includes two children, with one appearing to be Lisle Washborn/Washburn.  The photographer imprint on the back reads:  “Mrs. M. J. Wyatt’s Art Gallery Roseville, Ill.”  The photographer is actually Mary Jane (Sears) Wyatt, who started her business back in the early 1870s in Roseville, Warren, Illinois. [1]  There is even a book written about Mary Jane (Sears) Wyatt entitled, She Rode the Rails, by Beverly S. Adam.

This photo appears to be that of Dolly Madison Reed.  There is not enough information to conclusively identify her or her family.  If you believe this to be someone in your family, please contact me.

These are photos of Elvira Reed Kyner, taken in Pennsylvania.

This is a photo of Rosamund Hall, who attended Smith College (Northampton, Massachusetts) in 1901.  Despite the name, I wasn’t able to find a conclusive match for her.  It’s hard to say where she was in 1900, although Massachusetts would be a strong possibility.  Additionally, she could have been enumerated as Rosa, Rose, Rosie, etc., making the possibilities endless without a definitive location. If she’s your relative, contact me!

You’d be surprised how many Hallie Wrights are enumerated in the censuses.  Without a location, it’s pretty hard to figure out who she is.  If you believe she belongs in your family tree and you’d like the photo, please contact me.

This is actually a portrait, measuring 20” x 16”.  It looks like it may have been done in charcoal.  A friend of a fellow DAR member found it in a frame on the side of the road.  The friend salvaged the frame for herself, and gave the portrait to my DAR friend in hopes of finding a home for it.  My friend turned it over to me knowing I collect orphan photos and try to reunite them with family.

On the back of this photograph it reads “Ella Lander.”  Unfortunately with no location, it’s hard to figure out who Ella is.

Update 10/26/10 – These photos have been reunited with family! These two cabinet cards were taken by Bowman in Ottawa, Illinois, and appear to be a husband and wife from LaSalle County, Illinois.  I am pretty positive that these are the photos for Josiah and Ellen (Jones) Bagley.  Since only the husband’s name is listed on the photos, I started with a census search for Josiah Bagley in and around Ottawa, LaSalle, Illinois.  I found Josiah and Ellen in the 1880 census, living in Serena, LaSalle, Illinois, and traced the […]