Tag Archives: cabinet cards

Merritt VanScoter and Elizabeth Sweet Briggs, my great x 2 grandparents – photos

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Finally I move forward in time again, to where I possess personal photography.

Merritt VanScoter and Elizabeth Sweet Briggs are my great, great grandparents. Merritt was born March 17, 1806. He was one of 13 siblings born to Elias VanScoter and Mary Halstead. Last night I jotted out informally on a sheet of paper the names of all 13 siblings, and after each of their names – the names of their children. I was trying to get a sense of all the cousins ( a lot! ) my great grandfather Frank had.

Merritt married Elizabeth Sweet Briggs on Dec. 25, 1855 at Versailles, NY. Elizabeth was born May 21, 1818 and her parents were Jacob and Nancy Briggs. Merritt was a harness maker. They lived at Garwoods, NY where they both died: She on Aug. 30, 1888 and he on Feb. 28, 1891. They had 3 children:

Evalyn Havens, b. Feb.18, 1857 at Fredonia, NY
Harvey M., b. and d. in July, 1858
Frank Miles, b. Jan. 20, 1860 ** my great grandfather

Above info can be found on pages 618 and 620 of the VanScoter book.

Note some ages. Merritt and Elizabeth married late in life. He was almost 50, and she was 37. When my great grandfather Frank was born, Merritt was almost 54 and Elizabeth was 41.

I have a book that was owned and signed by Elizabeth Sweet Briggs on August 2, 1854 or 1859, and then signed by Frank Miles in 1892. I will have another post about that book with photos. Frank must have acquired it after Merritt died in Feb. 1891.

A note about Merritt’s name. In formal and informal family documentation I observe Merritt’s name spelled in varying ways – such as Merik and Merih. Maybe this had to do with how the name sounded when pronounced?

Below are two photos of Meritt and Elizabeth found in a family cabinet card album in my possession. The photos are not dated, however one can narrow the date possibilities to about 20 years between 1866 to 1888. How so? Cabinet cards did not exist in the U.S. until 1866 so that is the earliest possible date. Elizabeth died in 1888 so it can’t be past that date. Cabinet cards were at their height of popularity in the 1880’s, and declined after that. They look older to me in the first photo, so I am “guestimating” the first photo was in the 1880’s and the second in the 1870’s.

In the album, these 2 photos are identified as them. The second one is identified clearly as “Merik VanScoter, Pa’s father and mother” in my grandmother Leota’s handwriting. “Pa” would be her dad Frank Miles. The first photo is identified in my dad’s handwriting simply as “Grandfather VanScoter.” My dad went through this album with Leota before she died and he added notes of clarification about some people. Leota must have said “that is my grandfather VanScoter.” Also remember that Leota would not have known her grandparents as they died before she was born.

When I look closely at these photos, I have some doubts/questions. Merritt’s hair puzzles me. I think they look older in the first photo, however his hair is more grey and his mustache has some darkness. But in the second photo, while they both look younger, his hair is all white. How can that be? If your hair goes white, it does not return to grey or dark. Each photo was taken by a different photographer. Perhaps lighting and technique comes into play? (I highlight my hair and in some photos my hair can look rather dark and in other photos rather light.) I looked at these photos under a good light with a magnifying glass, and his forehead and the hair on his head looks quite the same – even the wave/style to it – except in the first photo his hairline has receded and his hair also looks thinner. This would make sense with aging, but not the change from white to grayish hair. Elizabeth’s face is a bit different as she has jowls in the first photo, that I do not see in the second. Jowls do develop with age.

ANYWAYS – perhaps I over analyze these photos. If you have experience in identifying people in photos, your opinion welcome. I guess I have just a little doubt that each of these photos are the same couple? But people do change in appearance as they age, and 10-15 years can be significant. In addition, these two photos could be as much as 20 years apart.

Photo #1. This photo is first in the album.

Photo # 2. This photo is second in the album, a page forward.

 

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Infancy and childhood of Leota VanScoter, circa 1898 to 1910

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My first post featured letters and related photos from 1918 of my grandmother Leota VanScoter and her pending marriage to Earl Spicer. In this post, we will go farther back in time to Leota’s infancy and childhood.

Here is Leota in infancy in 1898, a few months old. Regarding the history of photography, this is a “cabinet card” – you can google search it, but here is one link.

Next is another cabinet card. In fountain ink on the back it is dated the end of April 1899, making Leota 15 months old. A very large framed version of this portrait hangs on the wall at my father’s home.

I just love the photo below and have had it hanging on the wall in my living room for years. This is Leota in 1901 at age 3.

There is one lovely photo from when Leota was about 10 years old that I am not in possession of. It is a large framed photo that hangs on the wall at my aunt’s house. I actually took a photograph of it, but need to find it in my computer. If I manage to find it, I will add it below at that time. *HERE IT IS:

Next is a school photo from May 1907. It is public school number 7 on Clinton Street in Buffalo, NY. Leota is in the second row, second from right, in dark clothing. Her face is a little blurred. I think this is the 4th grade. According to a chart here, Buffalo public school number 7 closed in 1950 and has since been demolished.

The headline photo for this blog is another school photo. It is the 6th grade at public school number 7 in Buffalo, NY in the year 1909. My grandmother Leota VanScoter is in the second row, 5th girl from right in a dark dress.

Next is a photo from 1910 of Leota and her sister Ethel. It was taken where they lived on Wheelock Street in Buffalo, NY. Leota, older, is on the left.

Finally, it is May 29, 1910 and Ethel VanScoter has a birthday party. On the far left is my Grandmother Leota. Ethel, her sister, is in front of her in white. The smallest child in front is brother Frank.The other children are not identified and must be cousins or friends.