Identifying Thrift Store Photographs

Two pictures, both with a man with a big curly haird o, the second with a woman with another big hairdo. The first photo is from The Hall Studio of Plainfield, Wisconsin. Charles Powell. On the back of the first photo, difficult to read, is "Uncle Charles Powell" and "Grandma Ramsey's brother." Back of photo. The second photo does not have a studio mark. On the back, very difficult to read and written in pencil, is "Uncle Chas. Powell and aunt Rose." Charles Powell and Rose, Who was Charles Powell? And was Rose his wife or sister? Plainfield, Wisconsin is in Waushara County. On Ancestry census I searched for a Charles Powell living in Waushara County. A single entry came up. In 1900, Charles W. Powell, born April 1869 in Missouri, boarded in a house in Plainfield owned by William and Violett Decker. He was working as a minister. I checked Ancestry Public Trees for a Charles Powell born in April 1869 in Missouri- no matches. After some other fruitless s...

A photograph from the Levilly studio at 515 Main Street in Buffalo, N.Y. It depicts a man with a goatee, slicked back hair, wearing a double-breasted suit jacket and a polka-dotted tie. On the back in pencil is written :This photo was taken at age 52 "  Mrs. G. Kenyon Geusolle[?] N-1. Below in ink is "George Haussaner." Some other studio numbers are below that. Back of photo. Who is George Haussaner? On Ancestry I searched in the all records area for a George Haussaner, setting the location at New York. Two entries came up. The second noted that George was appointed the postmaster for Getzville, Erie County, New York on 27 June 1889. This cleared up the difficult-to-read word on the back of the photo. George held the position until July 1893. The first entry was for the 1 June 1875 New York census that listed the Haussaner family as living in Amherst, Erie County. George 37 head Elizabeth 31 wife Norma A. 10 son Jacob 4 son Henry 2 son Amanda 1 daughter If George was 37 ...

A photo from the studio of Hughson & Son of St. Joseph, Michigan. On the back written in pencil is the name Nathan Shisler. Mr. Shisler  is wearing a suit jacket, a collar-less shirt, and a large tie. Nathan Shisler. Who is Nathan Shisler? I first searched the US census records on Ancestry, looking for Nathan Shisler in Michigan. None turned up. I looked at the name on the back again. I realized that instead of Shisler, the last name was actually Shuler.  Nathan Shuler, back of photo. I returned to the census search and found that there was only one Nathan Shuler in Michigan. In the 1880 census he was nine-years-old, living in Lake, Berrien County, the son of Henry and Margaret Shuler. The 1900 census for Lake, Berrien County revealed he had been married for six years to Ivy and had two children, Mabel and Earl. His birth date was listed as May 1871 in Michigan. Other records came up. He was born on 28 May 1871 in Lake, son of Henry Shuler and Margaret Myers. He died on 2...

There is no studio mark on this photo , which has a plump woman standing outside next to a chair.  Photo front. On the back, written in pencil, is "Sarah Wilson  Billie Evert Wilson Wife." Back side of photograph. Who is Sarah Wilson? I searched on Ancestry Public Tree for "Billie Evert Wilson" with and without a spouse Sarah. I also tried "William Evert Wilson" with and without a spouse Sarah. Neither had any matches. However, one suggested an alternate spelling of Billie's middle name- Everett instead of Evert.  There were two matches, one of the William Everett Wilsons (1871-1896) and had a wife Sarah Ellen Like (1872-1934). She later married Harlin St. Clair and William  Barnett. The other was for a William Everett Stornes Wilson (1830-1886) with a wife Sarah Emaline Felkins (1835-1910). Is the photo one of these two women? I am uncertain. I doubt it is the second women who would have been much older when the photo was taken. Is it the first woman?...

 Mr. and Mrs. Jose Shambeau pose in front of an elaborate backdrop, with Joe's arm resting on a large fake rock. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Shambeau. The back of the photograph has the studio mark of John Braun of Two Rovers, Wisconsin. At the top is written "Mrs. Shambeau was Mothers best friend." Who were the Shambeaus? Two Rivers is a city in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. On Ancestry in the census search I looked for Shambeaus living in Manitowoc County. The exact search had 30 entries. The 1910 census lists a Joseph and Cristena Shambeau living with their son Edward Shambeau and his wife Mary in Two Rivers. Joseph was 82-years-old and had been born in French Canada. Christena was his second wife, 60 years-old and born in Germany. She had been the mother of eight children, all living.  Ten years earlier the 1900 census for Two Rivers again lists Joseph and Christine living with Edward and Mary. Joseph was born in December 1830 and Christine in October 1847. The 1880 census lists...

A photograph from the Appleton Studio of Dayton, Ohio.  I purchased this photo in an antique store in Safford, Arizona. I later discovered the woman who owned the shop had posted the picture online. A woman in a high-collared dress looks to her left. She appears to have an earring in her right ear and a pin across the front of her dress, which is adorned with a pair of elaborate braids.  Front. On the back in pencil is Aunt Elinor  Mrs. Sidney Watkins . Back. Who is Aunt Elinor? I searched Ancestry Public Trees, using Sidney Watkins as the main person and Elinor as his spouse. No entries. Elinor can also be spelled Eleanor. When I searched using that spelling, the were two results. The top one was for Sidney M. Watkins married to a Sarah Eleanore Vaile, with 31 trees. Some of the trees spelled her name Sarah Eleanor Vail.   Sarah Eleanor Vail was born on 27 June 1853 in Iowa, the daughter of Aaron Vail and Harriet Moon.  On 28 June 1860, Sarah E. Vail lived wit...

 A photo from an antique store in Tucson. There is no studio mark. A woman is surrounded by four women and girls and six men and boys. Almost certainly a family portrait. On the back:  Elmers Mother & family (Julius Liebig family.) Mrs. Julius Leibig Frankfort SD (below that is instructions on editing the photograph) IDENTIFICATION On Ancestry I searched in the All Records portion "Julius Leibig." Seven entries came up. The third one was for the 1900 census and listed a Julius A. Leitrr of Frankfort, Spink County, South Dakota. Someone had corrected the index to Julius A. Leibig. The entry lists the following members of the family: LEIBIG, Minnie Head Oct 1832 Germany She had been the mother of 13 children, 8 were still alive LEIBIG, Julius A. Son Feb. 1880 Wisconsin LEIBIG Richard O. Son Oct 1883 Wisconsin LEIBIG, Minnie L. Daughter Sept 1886 South Dakota LEIBIG William C. Son Sept. 1889 South Dakota LEIBIG, Matilda M. Daughter Mch 1891 South Dakota LEIBIG, Elmer R. Son ...

Taubman family. Purchased at a thrift store in Tucson. The photograph was trimmed to fit inside an elaborate frame, removing the studio mark. The photograph has 13 individuals posed around a central pair, likely the parents, five children, and two seated women who probably the parents of the four younger children. The photograph. Taped on the back is a piece of paper with the following hand-written data. Front side. LEE BESS MAUDE MALOA IDA __A RO(TH) TOMMY SADE JAMES [this list is repeated in pencil across the top back of the frame] Cemetery- Andy, Emma, Cythna, Maloa, Henry, Lee, Andy 1870 Census Henry, Maloa, Thomas, William, Lee, Levin[?], Emma, Andy 1885 Henry, Laura, Andie, Emma, Mary Back side. I wasn't aware that the back side of the paper had names on it until after I figured out who the family was. Wm. Henry T. JENNIE Bowman LYNN T., OPAL T, HENRY T, MALOA __?__ __?__ The scribbled out area is difficult to read and includes 1918 . IDENTIFICATION How did I identify these p...