Black and white portrait of a young woman in profile. Her top has an elaborate lattice-work motif on the front and upper sleeves. Alice Sewell was born in 1888 and studied at Pacific University in 1907 and 1908. In 1911, after studying art in New York, she returned to teach art at Pacific for a few years. Ms. Sewell was a sculptor and painter. She later taught at Linfield College and remained an integral part of the Portland area art scene for much of the first half of the twentieth century.
Sepia-toned portrait of a young girl sitting on a bench with a parasol. She wears a broad-brimmed hat and a light-colored dress with lace trim. Eleanor Fitch was about five years old in this picture. Carrie Fitch is Eleanor's older sister; she was approximately 21 years of age and still living on the family farm in Dilley when she sent this postcard. Sister Mary Clare grew up in Cornelius, Oregon and entered the convent in 1904, at the age of sixteen. Her name prior to taking her vows was Agnes Morressey.
Black and white image of two young women wearing fancy tone-on-tone striped dresses with pleated skirts and satin yokes and sleeves. One girl is seated, and one is standing,. Both wear their hair up with a bow, though the standing girl's bow is much larger than her companion's. Girls' clothing in the 1910s especially became more child-friendly. One of the girls in this image is identified as Theresa Hendricks, the other is most likely her sister Edna, two years older than Theresa. Both the girls lived in Cornelius with their family. In the 1910 census, Theresa's father, Alphonse, is listed as the proprietor of a general merchandise store.
Sepia-toned image of a group of young people grouped beneath a tree. The four women wear high-necked white blouses tucked into skirts, while all but one of the men wear variations on a suit and tie. One man wears a baseball uniform. Carrie Fitch sent the postcard to Mary Morressey, the older sibling of Sister Mary Clare at St. Mary's Institute. (Sister Mary Clare's name prior to taking her vows was Agnes Morressey.)
Sepia-toned image of a young woman in a suit and bonnet. She wears a two-piece dress with a bustle and a pleated fringe on the bottom, and a pleated detail at the cuffs of her sleeves. Lace trim and fingerless gloves complete her fashionable attire. Her dress is typical of styles in the late 1870s, given its lack of a draped overskirt and relatively minor ornamentation. However, since the addressee in the transcription, Alice Sewell, was born in 1888 and photo postcards were not available until after 1902, it is likely that Ms. Brown had the photo reprinted at a later date. While the museum has no record of just who, exactly, Cleopatra Bella Brown was, Alice Sewell was a student at Pacific University in 1907 and 1908, then in 1911, after studying art in New York, returned to teach art at Pacific for a few years. Ms. Sewell was a sculptor and painter and remained an integral part of the Portland area art scene for much of the first half of the twentieth century.
Black and white image of a man and a woman. Her curly bangs and tightly drawn back hair together with the puffed sleeves of her dress were typical fashions in the 1890s. The Kattermans are listed in the 1900 census as farmers in the Beaverdam area, now occupied by the communities of Oak Hills and Cedar Mill. Born in Germany, Joseph arrived in the U.S. in 1888. Magdalena was born in Switzerland and immigrated in 1891. Most of the early European immigrants to the area were either born in the United States or from the British Isles, but in the late 1800s the Pacific Northwest, like much of the rest of the nation, saw an influx of immigrants from Germany and Scandinavia, as well as other Eastern European countries.
Sepia-toned image of two women and a man, standing on a beach in front of a wharf. The women wear tops that go down over their hips, shorts, and at least one woman wears tights beneath that. They wear swim caps, as well.
Black and white image of a couple apparently headed out to hunt; both wear backpacks and hats, while the man carries a rifle in one hand. The woman wears an athletic bloomers outfit, consisting of the bloomers, baggy pants fastened at the knee, and a sailor style shirt, with dark stockings. This type of outfit was considered a practical and modest alternative for women involved in activities where the normal attire of full skirts and corsets were impractical. Note, however, that she still wears Mary Jane style shoes, rather than practical boots, like the gentleman in the image.
Black and white image of a woman wearing eyeglasses, also in a white shirt and dark skirt doing a high can-can kick. She holds her skirt in either hand and stands on tiptoe with one foot while kicking the other up into the air. She wears dark stockings and buttoned boots, and two layers of petticoats can be seen, one light-colored, and one dark. In an era when showing an ankle in public was taboo, this would have been a highly risqu photograph and, as such, it is very unusual image to have from this time period.
Black and white image of a woman standing next to the rear wheel of an antique automobile. She wears a cloche hat and a fur coat, beneath which can be seen a knee-length skirt and a loose top with bold dark stripes. The landscape in the background seems to be typical of Eastern Washington.
Black and white studio image of a man from the shoulders up. He wears a dark suit over a light-colored shirt with a standing collar, circled by a simple ribbon bow tie. His hair is combed back, and he wears a kepi-styled hat that appears to be made of leather.
A tintype portrait of a man wearing regalia, probably from a fraternal order such as the Odd Fellows. The man has not been identified, but he may have a connection to the Washington County, Oregon region. The initials VCT or WCT (possibly referring to the name of his fraternal lodge) are visible in reverse on the collar to his left, and two large badges adorn each lower lapel. Based on the format and style of the portrait, this likely dates from the 1860s-1880s.
Black and white studio image of a balding, mustachioed man from the shoulders up. He wears a suit over a white shirt with an upright, stiff collar, over which a ceremonial collar has been fastened with an elaborate badge. The collar is fringed along the outer edge, and bears the initials W C in reverse.
Black and white studio image of a woman standing beside a chair. She wears a tightly fitted dark dress, with a buttoned bodice featuring embroidered trim and a ruffled lace collar. Her skirt is draped, also appliqud and embroidered, and gathered in the back into a bustle. She holds a fan in the hand resting on the back of the chair. Her bangs are curly and her hair is pulled back and piled on top of her head.
Group portrait of the family of Tom and Emma Caroline Smith Cornelius. Included in the photo are their daughters Frances (Birdie), Minnie, and Bessie. The photo was taken circa 1895.
