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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: Michael ONeil on Friday 05 February 21 16:40 GMT (UK)

Title: Need help with numbers on second line COMPLETED
Post by: Michael ONeil on Friday 05 February 21 16:40 GMT (UK)
I've had a loupe all over this and I still can't be sure. First line reads 223 Madison St NY but I need help with the numbers on the second address. Both lines are from the same hand.

I can make out the first 4, then not sure about the next two numbers - 3 or 8 followed by 4, 7 or 9?
And then it's a 1 followed by the same number as the first of the unknown from above (e.g. 3 or 8).

It's the address my GG Grandfather James O'Neil gave when witnessing his mother's will. Curiously there is a James O'Neil living at 434 East 13th Street in the city directory for that year and I know it looks like it could be that address, the problem I have interpreting it that way is because of this:

The two possible 3s in the second line don't look like the 3 in the 223 in the first line.
The second 4 does not look like the first which is clearly a 4.
Title: Re: Need help with numbers on second line
Post by: josey on Friday 05 February 21 16:46 GMT (UK)
It does look like 434 to me - don't forget they often wrote with scratchy pens with nibs that deposited uneven amounts of ink [the M of Madison shows that]. I see what you are saying about the 3s, some seems rotated but few of us write completely consistently; writer was probably in a hurry.  There's also ageing of the document, unevenness in scanning to make thick & thin lines vary.
Title: Re: Need help with numbers on second line
Post by: ShaunJ on Friday 05 February 21 16:47 GMT (UK)
I read it as 434 East 13th Street NY City
Title: Re: Need help with numbers on second line
Post by: lydiaann on Friday 05 February 21 16:49 GMT (UK)
I totally agree with ShaunJ and Josey.
Title: Re: Need help with numbers on second line
Post by: Viktoria on Friday 05 February 21 16:59 GMT (UK)
It seems to me that there two different styles of handwriting .
Words and numbers  differ greatly.
Would  that  be possible ?
Viktoria.
Title: Re: Need help with numbers on second line
Post by: arthurk on Friday 05 February 21 17:04 GMT (UK)
I was about to say the same as Viktoria. "Residing at" does look much the same, and might have been written in advance by a clerk, but "NY City" at the end of the lines is very different - also the way "Street" has been treated, if that's what the first one is.
Title: Re: Need help with numbers on second line
Post by: Michael ONeil on Saturday 06 February 21 11:54 GMT (UK)
Cheers for the replies folks and I reckon I'll go with my initial gut instinct and what the majority seem to think here.

I won't bore you with the details but 434 East 13th Street opens up a whole can of worms for me but thanks again.
Title: Re: Need help with numbers on second line
Post by: josey on Saturday 06 February 21 12:12 GMT (UK)
Quote

I won't bore you with the details but 434 East 13th Street opens up a whole can of worms for me

 ;D ;D ;D it's all part of the fun...