Wellington Slow Contact Paper

From the collection of John Rochon

From the collection of John Rochon

This envelope of printing paper was in a trunk full of glass and film negatives that was given to me - the negatives dating from the turn of the last century to just before W.W.I.  When I removed the black paper from the envelope to look inside, I found paper that was still sensitive to light!  Amazing!!

Joseph Abraham and Sarah (Bone) Bolson

From the collection of John Rochon

This charming tintype was enclosed in the following letter regarding the marriage of Joseph Abraham Bolson and Sarah Bone in 1876.

From the collection of John Rochon

According to the Canadian Census of 1881, Enniskillen Township, County of Lambton, Joseph A. Bolson, 39 and his wife Sarah, 30, lived on the farm of Charles Bolson, 59, a widower.  Also living there were Charles W., 3, Eva E., 1, and John Bone, 18.  Subsequent digging has unearthed the following: 

Bolson-Bone Marriage Registration

Courtesy of Ancestry.com

Bolson Family in 1891 Census

Courtesy of the Library and Archive of Canada

Charles Bolson Death Registration 1893

Courtesy of Ancestry.com

Joseph A. Bolson Death Registration

Courtesy of Ancestry.com



Trio of Masons

From the collection of John Rochon

This interesting card backed photo by G.B. Robson of Petrolia, ON shows three generations of Masons - could they be three generations of the same family??

Fun at Camp

From the collection of John Rochon

Another favourite, this semi-candid shot of a group of young women arriving at camp dates to the 1920's.



Mystery Photo

From the collection of John Rochon

This photo appears to be the ruins of a school or church which looks to be have been destroyed in a fire.  No other information is available.

Lettie and William by James & Merrihew of Seattle, WA

From the collection of John Rochon

One of my favourites, this vignette of Lettie and William, was done by James & Merrihew of Seattle, WA sometime between 1910-1920.

Saints Rest

From the collection of John Rochon

This wonderful outdoor photo of two late-Victorian or Edwardian women enjoying the sun at the cottage - Saints Rest - by an unknown photographer.

Seated Couple by Philip Dobereiner of Caledonia, C.W.

From the collection of John Rochon

This unusual CDV image of a seated couple is by Philip Dobereiner of Caledonia, Canada West.  I say "unusual" since most images of couples taken in the Victorian era have the wife dutifully standing at her husbands side.



From the book Industries of Canada, Historical and Commercial Sketches, Hamilton and Environs c1885 page 103, I found this brief mention of Mr. Dobereiner: "Among those engaged in this line of business in Guelph is Mr. Philip Dobereiner, of Macdonnell Street, who has been established in his present premises for the past 18 months, although he conducted the same line of business in Caledonia for 18 years previously."

Young Man and his Best Friend by John Cooper of London, C.W.

From the collection of John Rochon

From the London Public Library Image site: "John Cooper was in business as a photographer from 1857-1890. His business was located at 198 Dundas Street until 1875. He then moved to 440/442 Clarence Street."

Varnum Family

I recently received two photos of members of the Varnum family.  The first photo is of Mr. & Mrs. Uri S. Varnum by J.S. Thom of Sarnia, ON.

From the collection of John Rochon

The following information was provided with the photo:  "Uri S. VARNUM, 48, widower, carpenter & joiner, Dorchester twp., Warwick twp., s/o Samuel VARNUM & Harriet WAIT, married Annie C. WOOD, 42, Michigan US, Sarnia twp., d/o Isaiah WOOD & Lavena WOODROW, witn: Ephraim HALER of Plympton & Vida (or Aida) V. VARNUM of Detroit, 12 April 1898 at Sarnia

Mr Varnum was the son of Daniel Porter Varnum and Harriet Sybal (or Sybel) (nee Wait) Varnum. 
Both sisters were born in Dorchester Ontario (Canada), not far from London Ontario. Nancy was born in 1851 and Eliza Amelia Varnum in 1854. Nancy's husband John Atkins (1844-1917) was also born in Dorchester. They were married in 1866 and had 9 children (the first in 1870). Two of their children died before reaching their first birthday. Their youngest daughter (born in 1891) was named Eliza Sybel, after Nancy's sister and mother.  
Eliza Varnum Grant's husband, Allen (1845-1909), was born in London, England, the son of Margaret (McGillivray) and Angus Grant. They had one daughter, Lena , who was born in London England in Ocotber 1876. We weren't able to find a date of death for Eliza."

The second photo is of Mr. & Mrs. Barret D. Varnum by John Barron of Sarnia, ON.

From the collection of John Rochon

The following information was provided with the above photo:  "According to Middlesex County Records 1880, when Barrett Dier, 23, married Jane Anthony, 26 at Metcalfe, Middlesex County, Ont. (near Ottawa) Jan. 1, 1880 he was a farmer of Springfield, Ont., 15 miles S.E. of London. Jane was the daughter of Charles & Elizabeth Anthony of Metcalfe. The witnesses were William Anthony of Wyoming and Maggie Booth of Bothwell. By 1881 the census showed Jane Varnum, 25 and Irish and Barratt (sic)D. Varnum, 24 English living with the James Karr family in Warwick Township, Lambton County (near Watford). The age difference between Barrett and Jane seemed to have shrank. Much later, a photo taken of the couple and their two daughters Elizabeth and Florence playing croquet on a farm (posted on Geni) indicates the location is Waubuno. A post office opened there on Lot 13, Con. 2, Moore Township and one of postmasters was B. D. Varnum, Though the post office passed out with rural mail delivery, the church, school and community is still known as Waubuno. Later photos of the early 1900s seem to indicate the family eventually moved from the country to the city of Sarnia.

And we also discovered this information about Mr Varnum's sister (Nancy Melissa Varnum Atkins) and her family:

   21.  John Howe5 Atkins (John4, John3, John2, John1) was born June
03, 1844 in Dorchester, Ontario, Canada, and died February 02, 1917 in
Shabbona, Michigan, United States.  He married Nancy Melissa Varnum
November 24, 1866 in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada, daughter of Daniel
Varnum and Harriet Wait.  She was born April 30, 1851 in Dorchester,
Ontario, Canada, and died April 11, 1915 in Shabbona,  Michigan, United
States.



Children of John Atkins and Nancy Varnum are:

       46          i.           Arthur Maitland6 Atkins, born August 20,
1870 in North Dorchester,  Ontario, Canada; died Unknown.  He married
Helen E. Shepard August 23, 1905; born September 23, 1874; died
Unknown.

+    47         ii.           Oliver Aldwin Atkins, born April 12, 1873
in Plympton, Ontario, Canada; died 1950 in Sandusky, Sanilac Co.,
Michigan, United States.

+    48        iii.           Mary Harriet Atkins, born March 25, 1876;
died Unknown.

       49        iv.           Porter John Atkins, born April 02, 1879
in Forest, Ontario, Canada; died February 15, 1880 in Forest, Ontario,
Canada.

+    50         v.           Persis Obediah Atkins, born August 16,
1880.

+    51        vi.           Ami Anson Atkins, born February 13, 1885.

       52       vii.           Ella Maul Atkins, born May 29, 1887; died
August 29, 1887.

+    53      viii.           Edith May Atkins, born September 13, 1889.

+    54        ix.           Eliza Sybel Atkins, born July 10, 1891."

Also, just found this Varnum family photo while looking through my collection:

From the collection of John Rochon

Pictured above are Daniel (1898-??), Violet (1887-??) and Elva (1900-1909) Varnum, children of Daniel and Jemima Varnum.

Ambrotypes

Made of collodion on a plate of glass, the Ambrotype was an inexpensive alternative to the Daguerreotype.  The image is a negative, however, when backed by a black background (varnish, paper, felt, etc.) the image becomes positive.  Being quite fragile, not only because of the glass, but because the collodion could easily be wiped off the glass, they were presented in cases identical to those used for Daguerreotypes.  Ambrotypes were popular only for about 15 years, from the 1850's to the late 1860's, when the Carte de Visite pushed them from popularity.  Here are some examples from my collection.

From the collection of John Rochon

In the above 9th plate ambrotype with the early tombstone matt a woman sits for the photographer during mourning.  In the later 6th plate photo at right sits a rugged gentleman with a large book.

From the collection of John Rochon

In this charming 6th plate above, a family of 5 squeezes onto a settee.

From the collection of John Rochon

This lovely pair of 4th plate ambrotypes show husband and wife sitting at the same side table with blue tinted cloth.