Hello!
I have a photograph which my grandmother (1885-1976) wrote on it: "Volquart Gertz Schildren" (she misspelled 'Children'). It shows 5 young children and the photo was taken in Garding at D. Mehlert. There is no date listed for the photo by my grandmother or anyone else, but on the reverse it shows what seems to be accolade that the Photographers were recommended or something.... in Meldorf in 1877 and in Kiel in 1896. So this has to have been taken in or after 1896. Garding was also where my grandmother was from, and I believe she was probably in that town or one of the nearby ones until after 1900; her family did move to Kiel later, but I don't know the exact year they did.
Based on the handwriting of my grandmother, and that she used the English term for children (although misspelled) I think it must have been written sometime between about 1926 (when she first came to America and was learning English) and about 1950 when her English was good enough to not have misspelled it. It's also possible it was slightly before 1926 when she was learning some English prior to coming to America.
Based on the photograph, though, I am thinking this was probably taken between 1896 and about 1906 to 1910 or so, because it is an older style Cabinet card photo. I can only surmise that she either was sent this after she left Germany in around 1919-20 or she had it in her possessions when she left. In either case, it doesn't seem to be labeled by her at the time the photo seems to be from; there would have been no way that she would have known years in advance she would meet and marry someone who would then take her out of Germany.
I do not know how these children relate to my family, or if they are not relations of some sort (cousins???), but perhaps simply friends of her family. I do have a Gertz Surname in my family, but it seems that it is not direct but is a third or later husband (Johann Gertz) of his Marx Marten's wife (and widow) Elizabeth geb. Hinrichs (1738-1804) (wwe of Johann Daniels first and Marx Martens second). She married Marx Martens in 1761 and he died in 1775; she was married again to Johann Gertz sometime then between 1775 and 1792 when it shows on the marriage register of Evert Evert Schmidt and Martha Martens that his mother was now married to Johann Gertz. Johan Gertz was also someone who, in 1801, was noted as a witness to the baptism of Johann Gertz Schmidt, the son of Evert Evert Schmidt and Martha Schmidt geb. Martens.
If anyone recognises this as being someone in their family, please let me know. I would like to have the information to see if they go back to Johann Gertz. I have included both the front photo and the printed back so that even if you don't recognise the children I might be able to have a smaller date range that the photo was taken.
Thanks ahead of time!
Kasia
I have a photograph which my grandmother (1885-1976) wrote on it: "Volquart Gertz Schildren" (she misspelled 'Children'). It shows 5 young children and the photo was taken in Garding at D. Mehlert. There is no date listed for the photo by my grandmother or anyone else, but on the reverse it shows what seems to be accolade that the Photographers were recommended or something.... in Meldorf in 1877 and in Kiel in 1896. So this has to have been taken in or after 1896. Garding was also where my grandmother was from, and I believe she was probably in that town or one of the nearby ones until after 1900; her family did move to Kiel later, but I don't know the exact year they did.
Based on the handwriting of my grandmother, and that she used the English term for children (although misspelled) I think it must have been written sometime between about 1926 (when she first came to America and was learning English) and about 1950 when her English was good enough to not have misspelled it. It's also possible it was slightly before 1926 when she was learning some English prior to coming to America.
Based on the photograph, though, I am thinking this was probably taken between 1896 and about 1906 to 1910 or so, because it is an older style Cabinet card photo. I can only surmise that she either was sent this after she left Germany in around 1919-20 or she had it in her possessions when she left. In either case, it doesn't seem to be labeled by her at the time the photo seems to be from; there would have been no way that she would have known years in advance she would meet and marry someone who would then take her out of Germany.
I do not know how these children relate to my family, or if they are not relations of some sort (cousins???), but perhaps simply friends of her family. I do have a Gertz Surname in my family, but it seems that it is not direct but is a third or later husband (Johann Gertz) of his Marx Marten's wife (and widow) Elizabeth geb. Hinrichs (1738-1804) (wwe of Johann Daniels first and Marx Martens second). She married Marx Martens in 1761 and he died in 1775; she was married again to Johann Gertz sometime then between 1775 and 1792 when it shows on the marriage register of Evert Evert Schmidt and Martha Martens that his mother was now married to Johann Gertz. Johan Gertz was also someone who, in 1801, was noted as a witness to the baptism of Johann Gertz Schmidt, the son of Evert Evert Schmidt and Martha Schmidt geb. Martens.
If anyone recognises this as being someone in their family, please let me know. I would like to have the information to see if they go back to Johann Gertz. I have included both the front photo and the printed back so that even if you don't recognise the children I might be able to have a smaller date range that the photo was taken.
Thanks ahead of time!
Kasia