German Writing

[rdwags79]

Prue-  It is an odd picture.  It is very thin paper and does not feel like a photograph so I am sure that you are right in it not being the original.  The  card that it is pasted on says, " Miss Wilson's Studio" Jonesboro Arkansas.  When Conrad Boehler came to the US he ended up in Lincoln, Illinois.  May have been a Miss Wilson's that copied the picture for him or something of that sort?
He arrived here in 1872. 

Deb

[PrueM]

Hi Deb,

Yes, that's definitely a possibility.  He could have brought the original with him and when it started to fade he had it copied and re-printed.  Without seeing it in really close-up detail though, I can't tell what sort of print it is.

If you want to get the picture dated, let me know.  I can post a link on the Photo Restoration and Dating board to get the experts to come and have a look.

If you have the photo, a really detailed scan of one section of the photo (say, her face) as big as you can get it (and in as high a resolution as possible) would help me to work out what the process is.  At the moment, because of its great condition and your description, I'm wondering if it's a carbon print, which would be unusual and very nice to have

Cheers
Prue

[Peonie]

Hi Deb,

here is a site for Reichenau:  http://www.ahnenforschung-jackmuth.de/main.htm

Have a look at all 3 villages on Reichenau. Under "Geburten" for Oberzell you find Konrad Böhler born  1852, could be yours.

If you want to know more about Reichenau, you can look here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichenau_Island

Good luck, Peonie

[rdwags79]

Peonie-  My Conrad listed his birthdate as Oct. 16, 1949.  We always thought that he was born in Baden Baden Germany.  But in most of the records he just listed birthplace as Baden...which is just an area of Germany right? 

Thanks for your help, any ideas or suggestions are most welcome.
Deb

[rdwags79]

Prue-

Here is a scan of her face in 9600 dpi.  Will this help?  Yes, I would like to get it dated.  There is a date on the back of 1846, but not sure what that represents.  Her birth year maybe.  Surely not the year it was taken?

Thanks for your help-
Deb

[PrueM]

Hi Deb

That does help, actually, because I can see a bit of silver mirroring just under her chin, which indicates that this is a silver gelatin print.  These were produced after 1885 so that's the earliest that this reprint could be.  I still think this dates closer to 1900 when these big mounts were in vogue. 

I'll pop a link over on the Photo board and ask folks to come and give their opinion on the dates

Yes, 1846 is her birthdate, as indicated by the text on the back of the photo

Cheers
Prue

[kattie]

Mh, looks like late 1860s to me.

[PrueM]

Mh, looks like late 1860s to me.

That's what I think too - perhaps it's a 21st birthday portrait (if the 21st had the same significance in Switzerland as in English-speaking lands).

[Peonie]

Hello Deb

the "Kirchenbücher" for Baden-Baden and Mittelzell were filmed by the Mormons and are listed on their Library Catalog. You can order them through your local History Centre.

Prue - very generous of you to give Reichenau to Switzerland! Hope to visit there next year. My son lives just a stone throw away from it.

Regards Peonie