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Research in Other Countries => United States of America => Topic started by: Paul Caswell on Monday 04 March 13 01:09 GMT (UK)
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Hi All,
I found Grispini in a box of photos on a stall at a craft fair and thought of you RootsChat people. I would love to give him a good home with a descendant if we could find one.
I am guessing he is connected to Illinois but only because I doubt there is a Court Street in Paris, but of course I may be wrong.
I think he is a Solo Baritone but obviously he may be Grispini Bariton. He is certainly a handsome man and I just love his 'tache. Let's see what we can find.
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I will try to collect all the details we find here in this post. Please expect it to change.
Possibly H Crispini
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Looks like his initial could be 'H', could also be Crispini?
Jennifer
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Googled I R Martin and some off his work was donated in an album that was patented in 1863 in USA.
Jennifer
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I dont think that is a H at the beginning. I think it is number 1. The word solo appears to be underlined :-\ Maybe we need to find a singer who sang in bariton and solo ;D
1. Grispini bariton solo.
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That is also quite possible. Also remember to look for Crispini and don't forget Paris (although I have to admit - Illinois seems more likely).
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The style of photograph suggests 1870s for a date.
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I had been googling and googling and then thought i had found something :o I had ..... this thread ;D Felt like i had gone around in circles. On the positive side of it, it shows googling works and maybe someone else who is googling the same name might come forward as yet.
Im not finding much at all on the name or the I R Martin's.
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The photographer is listed in this 1869 directory:
http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/edgar/directories/paris-1870.txt (http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/edgar/directories/paris-1870.txt)
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Hi all:
I can never seem to resist a puzzle - so thought I'd give this one a try.
To me it looks like his name is H. Grispini
If the word Bariton is actually baritone then possibly its not just a spelling mistake but its written in a different language. A quick look through googletranslate shows 'bariton' translates to 'baritone' in Albanian, Azerbaijani, Croatian, Dutch, Estonian, German, Haitian Creole, Hungarian, Romanian, Slovenian, Turkish, and Welsh. The majority of those languages are eastern European which may give some insight into his background.
Also wondered if the word Bariton was a place name - and wondered if Solo was actually Tolo. I didn't get anywhere with Bariton locations but there is a small town named Tolono in Illinois.
Didn't solve anything, but it was fun to think about :)
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Someone with access to US newspapers of the time might be able to find some information.
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The photographer is listed in this 1869 directory:
http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/edgar/directories/paris-1870.txt (http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/edgar/directories/paris-1870.txt)
Oooh!! so that's what the Paris ... Illinois means! Its not like London ... New York ... Tokyo its Paris IN Illinois!! For a non-blond I do have my blond moments!! ;D
Paul
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Hi,
Very interesting post!! I have a long shot suggestion... I had a look in the chronicling America site and I found a couple of references to a Mr. Crispini - who is an instrumentalist.
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82016412/1884-01-29/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1860&index=9&rows=20&words=CRISPI%27NI&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1895&proxtext=Crispini&y=14&x=9&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
He has been with an opera company.
Perhaps the bariton is an instrument of some kind, rather than a vocal range?
RK ???
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There are a couple of references on the fulton postcards site -- from the 1870s -- about a Mr. Hubert Crispini, xylophonist.
The second page of the following selection mentions Sr Hubert Crispini playing a trombone. The date (from previous page) is 1895.
http://cdigital.dgb.uanl.mx/la/1080019194_C/1080019197_T4/1080019197_89.pdf
So, there is a Hubert Crispini who, from the 1870s through the 1890s (at least), is a musician of many talents. He seems to play a variety of instruments. Maybe this is your man?????
RK
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There is an instrument called the Bariton or Baritonhorn (in German), it's a bit like a euphonium. It's not a "standard" orchestral instrument though.
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All very interesting ideas.
I also came across something that is unlikely but just a slight possibility its the opera Crispino e la comare (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crispino_e_la_comare)
Crispino e la comare (The Cobbler and the Fairy) is an opera written collaboratively by Luigi Ricci and Federico Ricci with an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave.
The premiere took place on 28 February 1850 at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice.
The work was very popular during the 19th Century, and was an especial favourite of touring Italian companies in the Americas, and in the Asia-Pacific region generally.
It had its London premiere on 17 November 1857 at St James's Theatre, its Calcutta premiere in 1867 at the Calcutta Opera House and its Australian premiere on 11 August 1871 at the Princess's Theatre, Melbourne.
Although I do like RunKitty's Mr. Crispini the musician. I wonder if there are any photos of him anywhere.
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I've been looking through the Library of Congress website - Chronicling America - digitized Historic American Newspapers dating between 1836 to 1922:
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov
There are a few hits for 'Crispini' but the one that caught my eye was a theatre advertisement in the Pittsburg Dispatch, Sunday March 22, 1891 referring to "Next week - Signor Crispini, the Great Trombone Soloist."
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024546/1891-03-22/ed-1/seq-14/#date1=1860&index=10&rows=20&words=Crispini&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1922&proxtext=Crispini&y=11&x=15&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
Sorry about the length of the last link - but I can't seem to figure out how to shrink them ::)
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Oh, now that does look promising, Sami :D
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Here is another reference:
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn93067846/1905-03-29/ed-1/seq-7/#date1=1836&index=1&rows=20&words=Crispini&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1922&proxtext=Crispini&y=10&x=12&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1
This time on a Signor H. Crispini - he does seem to have a connection with music.
Could this be him?
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I wonder if he could be picked up on a census somehow :-\
Interesting thread this :)
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I see some articles that seem to refer to the same man as Chevalier Hubert Crispini or Chevalier Umberto Crispini. A Google search of Umberto Crispini brings up a PDF from a Music Trade Review of some sort, which won't come up for me. But when I click on an arrow to the right of it, it brings up a view of it. It includes a drawing of Mr. Crispini, and he has dark hair & a very similar mustache to your picture.
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I think this is the article your talking about. Let me know if the link doesnt work.
http://mtr.arcade-museum.com/MTR-1898-26-19/MTR-1898-26-19-09.pdf
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Taking the picture that Paul posted and then the one that shellyesq found on the review link this is what they look like next to each other.
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That just has to be the same guy!
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Considering one is supposedly a sketch and the other a photo they are very much alike.
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That certainly is an amazing likeness. Apart from everything else, look at how the ears are so similar.
So now we have a possible name we need to find a descendant. Sorry I have no access at all to US records but I think if he lives in Paris, Illinois at any time I think we have our man.
Amazing work people - not there yet but making serious progress.
Paul
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He doesn't seem to show up on any census records or passenger lists that I can see. My guess would be that he didn't live in Paris, Illinois, but maybe had his picture taken when passing through.
Many US census records are available for free at www.familysearch.org, so you can try looking if you like.
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And the article does say he was Italian :-\
If we get lead back to Italy, how do we search there :o
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I had to go back and properly read the article on Signor H. Crispini (the link in Reply #18).
The article is dated March 29, 1905. It states Crispini "came to Sumter (South Carolina) several months ago and recently opened the New York Restaurant". It goes on to say he "is a naturalized American citizen, came to the country thirty years ago and has travelled extensively......in the entire country".
So, he probably lived any number of places in the U.S. but if he's opened a restaurant in Sumter, South Carolina in 1905 that might be a starting pointing to get an address for him.
It would also seem that he immigrated from Italy in the mid-1870's - which works well with the photograph style mentioned by PrueM.
I don't know my way around U.S. records but is there a census that would cover Sumter around 1905?
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I've gone back to the Chronicling America website and have gathered a bit more information but have left the links out this time.
-- The H. Crispini who opens the restaurant in Sumter is from Ferrandina, Basilicata, Italy
-- There is a Prof. Hubert Crispini of New York and formerly trombone soloist with Gilmore's band that has opened a barber shop in Manning, Clarendon County, South Carolina in May, 1905.
-- Herbert Crispini, son of Mr. H. Crispini who recently moved from New York was involved in an accidental shooting (May, 1905)
- Prof. Chevalier Crispini, late with Gilmore's band - but now of Bismark, North Dakota (Sept, 1908)
Actually looking through all the references and all the various name combinations - Professor / Chevalier / Hubert / Umberto / Crispini - I wonder if there is more than one Crispini. If he is the same man he certainly got around :)
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There's a Hubert Crispinni in the 1900 Census who was born Italy, immigrated in 1875, lived in New York, and had a son Hubert, but the elder Hubert was listed as blacksmith. ???
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MS2S-JGH
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... but have left the links out this time.
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Hi sami,
If you post links like this it looks really professional:
[url=www.....]A bit about what it points to[/url]
it comes out like this:
A bit about what it points to (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,638271.msg4876484.html#msg4876484).
Greatly appreciate your research.
Have we got an idea of date of birth? PrueM suggested an 1870s date for the photo and he looks in his 20s/30s so a DOB of around 1840-50? Do any of the census entries concur? Does anyone agree or have other ideas? Hubert (New York - Blacksmith) looks like he was born 1857 so that would fit. Perhaps he was a solo baritone in his spare time.
It's always possible we have a Crispini Sr. who was a baritone, Crispini Jr. who was the musician. The two photos could be father and son of course.
Paul
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The younger Hubert seems to wind up in Maryland by the 1910 census, served overseas in WWI, and worked mainly in motor works and on the railroads.
He seems to have married between 1930 & 1940 and the 1940 census has him only with his wife, so I'm guessing there likely weren't children.
This seems to be his burial: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Crispini&GSiman=1&GSst=22&GRid=536928&
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The 1900 census mentions a sister to Hubert Jr. called Isabel and a brother to Hubert Sr. called Antonio. Do they show up in a traceable way at all?
Paul
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I don't see definite matches for either of them or Hubert's wife.
There is a match for son Hubert (listed as Herbert) on the New York City birth index:
http://italiangen.org/nycbirthresults.asp?kind=exact&Esurname=crispini&Efirst=&CertNbr=&StartYear=&EndYear=&B1=Submit
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Found one possibly interesting tidbit:
1908 Lewistown, Montana city and Fergus County directory
Crispini, Hubert B., music teacher, 106 1/2 E. Main, rooms at the same address
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Trying to take another tack to make sense of this family...
In the 1920 Census, son Hubert/Herbert was living with grandmother Margaret Donnelly. https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M63L-2LV I presume she was his maternal grandmother. Two of Margaret's granddaughters were also living there.
In 1930, Hubert was listed as a cousin in the home of Russell & Dorothy Fredericks. https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X3WF-54W I think Dorothy is the same Dorothy that was listed in the 1920 Census with the surname Vincinti.
This appears to be the death of Dorothy/Dorothea:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J24R-NJQ
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=FR&GSpartial=1&GSbyrel=all&GSst=22&GScntry=4&GSsr=3681&GRid=668182&
This burial lists her as wife of Russell:
http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/index.html
That didn't reveal anything further about the Crispinis, but maybe someone will find something that will give us some insight.
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Enjoyed your researched posts on Hubert Crispini. I've been looking for him too as I wanted to write a blog post about him, which is how I found this site. He performed in St. Thomas, Danish West Indies, now the US Virgin Islands in 1895. There was a photo of him and a small ad announcing his performance. Seems to have been a well traveled performer. :-) Thought it would make for an interesting blog post to share on VintageVirginIslands.com. Has anyone been able to find his family?
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Hi PaperDoll,
No we never tracked him down. Please do post a link here to your blog when you've posted it. I'd be interested.
Also could you post the image you found? That would be a nice addition to this thread.
Paul