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| Herman Koplin (on right) was a first generation German born in Chicago in 1896. The other young man and the exact year of this photo is unknown. Photo Courtesy of Lindsey Howard |
Three “penny postal” photographs have been recently donated
to our Chicago Genealogical Society.
“Penny postals” are early 20th century snapshots which were
taken by owners of black “box” cameras. Once
photographs were taken, the cameras were returned to Rochester, New York where
the film was developed (by the Kodak Company), printed with post card forms on
the back, and returned with a roll of unexposed film in the camera. The developed pictures could then be mailed to
friends and relatives by the photographer for one cent each. Thus the term “penny postal photographs” came
into being.
Penny postal photographs were taken all over the city, and many Chicago families may find a few in their family photo archives.
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| (Courtesy of Chicago Genealogical Society) |
Two of the photographs show five women on a visit to Jackson Park in Chicago on August 2, 1914. Three of the five women shown in one photograph are identified by name. Two of the ladies were sisters; Anna and Ruth NELSON. They were children of Gustav and Augusta Nelson. The family is listed in the 1900, 1910 and 1920 Federal censuses of Chicago. The Nelson family was living at 1685 88th Place in 1900. Ruth and her mother are also listed in the 1930 Federal census of Chicago. They were living at 820 88th Place in the city from before 1920.
The third person in the photograph is that of Daisy
WILSON. Daisy Wilson, born in Chicago in
October 1893, was a daughter of Charles and Nellie Wilson. The 1900 Federal census of Chicago lists the
Wilson family as living at 1695 88th Place, just a few doors down
from the Nelson family.
Another photograph has identifications of "Mrs. Wilson” and
“Daisy Wilson.” Mrs. Wilson, nee EVERELL
and born in Sweden in 1867, was the wife of Charles Wilson. Charles Wilson was listed in the 1900 census
as having the occupation of “steamboat” captain. By 1930, the family lived at 7817 Champlain
in the city. Nellie Everell Wilson died
in Chicago on 20 August 1933. She is buried in the Cedar Park Cemetery on the
far south side of the city.
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| (Courtesy of the Chicago Genealogical Society) |
Interestingly, a Wilson family history addition on
“Ancestry.Com states that a brother of Daisy Wilson, Archibald, is remembered in
that listing as being one of the people who helped in the rescue of survivors
of Chicago’s July 1915 “Eastland” sinking in Chicago. Archibald Wilson, a
musician, died in Chicago on 6 March 1927 and is buried in Oakwoods Cemetery.
If the reader has any suggestions as to where other archives
of 19th century Chicagoan photographs can be found in public and
private hands and are accessible to family history researchers, we would
appreciated your contacting us about it. Please email craig@pfannkuche.com. Also, you can share your own digital copies of your family's Penny Postals on our CGS Facebook page.
