Photos

November 18, 2018

My First Photo Restoration

Last weekend, while enjoying time in Hopland, California with friends and family, I had an incredible find! Currently, our family is in the fifth generation of staying and playing on this land. My husband’s grandmother was the original family historian on that side of the family. Grandma Shirley left the most incredible treasure trove of documents and photos as part of her legacy. Most of these documents are now in my possession. I have been slowly digitizing them to share with family.

To my surprise, on a trip into the barn, my husband found another (previously unknown) 100+ year old photo. It is a photo of the members of the Star of Finland celebrating 15 years (1896-1911). There are approximately 140 individual photos included. Someone (maybe Agnes Mattson) left markings on the photo to identify her parents (Charles Mattson and Wendla Botmaster, and Uncle and his wife, Matts Mattson). The Star of Finland was a sick benefit society. The information I have found online includes many names from Malax and Solf where my husband’s ancestors immigrated from.

So why does the photo need some love? Unfortunately, being left out in the open in the barn means it was covered in dust and mouse poop. We carefully wrapped the the photo before coming home.

Luckily, my local genealogy society, Marin County Genealogical Society, had Gawain Weaver speak at one of our meetings years ago. Gawain is a photo conservation expert who owns his own conservation studio here in Marin, California.

Since I know very little about photo conservation and this photo is so old, I made the call to Gawain Weaver Art Conservation . After a consultation with Gawain, I contracted with him to clean the photo, make a small fix to a corner, and take high resolution scans.

I am so excited to add this photo to my family archive! After the photo gets some love, I will be sharing it!

Gawain Weaver with Star of Finland photo

June 18, 2018June 18, 2018

Agnes Marie Gingg Newspaper Diary #1

Agnes Marie Mattson is my husband’s great-grandmother. She kept a newspaper clipping diary from 1928-1931.

This clipping is about Agnes’ younger brother, Carl (1913-1996). The clipping is hand dated as 1928.

BOY. 15. SAVED FROM DEATH IN RUSSIAN RIVER

Seized with cramps in deep water, Carl Mattson, 15-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. J Long of 2 Wright street, San Francisco, had a narrow escape from drowning yesterday afternoon in the Russian River at Vacation Beach, near Guerneville, when his brother, Albert, 18, and Albert Saaransen, 19, plunged to his rescue.

The boys, who are vacationing on the Russian River, were swimming at the beach. Mattson swam out into deep water and was seized with cramps before he could return to the beach.

He shouted for help and was able to keep afloat after going down once until the other two boys reached him.

He is a brother of Mrs. Frank Gingg, of this city.

This is a google map of of Vacation Beach, California. Carl and Albert most likely visited their sister in Santa Rosa on the way out to their vacation.

June 18, 2018June 18, 2018

Agnes Marie Gingg Newspaper Diary (Prologue)

My husband’s great-grandmother, Agnes Mattson, married Charles Frank Gingg as a young woman. After moving to Santa Rosa, California, Agnes kept a newspaper clipping diary. The diary is a book with lined blank pages. The newspaper clippings were glued onto each page. Many clippings have the month and year written next to the item of interest. The Diary begins in 1928 and ends somewhere about 1931.

From what I can tell, most if not all of the clippings are related to family, friends, or acquaintances of Agnes. I recognize names in 80 percent of the clippings.

I am going to post photos of the newspaper clippings. They offer an interesting insight to the world Agnes lived in.

First page of diary written by Agnes Mattson Gingg

This is a google maps street view of the home the Gingg’s lived in while the diary was created. The home is just north of Downtown Santa Rosa. It sits on an east-west street between downtown and the Santa Rosa Junior College campus.

There was an envelope of photo negatives in the genealogy papers my husband’s Grandma Shirley collected. The outside of the envelope was dated 1933. There were several different types of negatives and based on the age of Grandma Shirley in the photos they were taken anywhere from 1925-1933. I believe this photo of Shirley and Frank Gingg (ca.1932) was taken in front of the home at 485 Benton Street. The shape of the front door stairs and wood porch supports match closely.

Frank and Shirley Gingg (about 1932 or 1933)

February 14, 2018

A Finnish Death

My children have a branch of their paternal tree that originates in Finland. We had the most amazing trip last summer to the area just south of Vasa, Finland to see where the husband’s ancestors lived. I have found several photos relating to this branch of the family.

This photo appears to be a trip Wendla Batmaster took back to Finland in 1930 to visit family. It also indicates I need to look for a passenger ship manifest to find Wendla coming back to the United States in that year.

Grandma “Great” lived to be over 100 then fell & broke her neck. In Finland

Grandma Botmaster & Great Grandma Botmaster

Grandma Long & her sister Anna Ostergard. June or July 1930.

I am not sure who wrote on the back of this photo but I am inclined to believe it was Shirley (Gingg) Pope. This reasoning is that she refers to Grandma Long (Wendla Batmaster). Wendla Batmaster remarried after the death of her husband Charles Mattson. Her second husband was John Long. Even today, a few generations youger everyone calls her Grandma Long. It is hard for me to see Agnes Mattson (Shirley’s mom) referring to her mom as Grandma Long. Other photos Agnes owned say Mom in reference to Wendla.

I am not sure how accurate this description is. Far right in the photo is Brita Maria Marander, Wendla’s mother. She lived to 81 (died 1939). This dates her to 72 years old in this photo. I do not know how old Brita’s mother, Maria Stina Alskog, lived. If she was born approximately 1835, theoretically, the person at the left could be Maria Stina Alskog. In 1930 she would have been 95. I am not convinced the person at the left looks 95 years old. Also the person is referred to as Great Grandma Batmaster. This points to Jonas Batmaster’s (Brita’s husband) mother, Ulrika Johannesdotter. We do know that only lived to 47. Unfortunately, I do not have any other photos of the woman at the left. I do not know who she is. There is family resemblance but I am just not sure who she is.

January 31, 2018January 31, 2018

Almost Wordless Wednesday – 18th Birthday Photo

I recently came into possession of many photos and documents for my husband’s ancestors. I will be making an effort to post these on Wednesdays to share with family.

My husband has an ancestor we call Grandma Long. She was born Vendla Båtmäster in 1881 in Sundom, Finland. She immigrated to San Francisco with her brother, Isaac. Our family traveled to Finland last summer. We had the best time visiting the area where Vendla’s family lived and spending time with cousins.