I wrote about this coat here.
Here it is again.
Isn’t this the same coat? And isn’t it fur? NOT VELVET.
And, if so, what changed Jennie’s fortunes from having her children in an orphanage 20 years earlier to wearing a full length fur coat? Note that the earlier photo has no snow, whereas this photo is obviously winter.
The Mystery of Jennie D. Culver deepens.
P.S. Do you think the other woman in this photo is one of Jennie’s daughters or another woman? Here is the photo I posted last week of the daughters:
Lela and Rhea Culver
Seattle, WA
The Family Kalamazoo 
I’m hooked on this story!
Ruth, I’m so glad to hear that ;)!
In my post about the photographs yesterday at http://brotmanblog.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/whose-clothing-were-they-wearing/ , I also wondered about how a poor immigrant could afford furs. One response I received pointed out that fur was not as expensive back then when there were so many people in the fur trade.
To me, the woman on the right in the second photo could be the same woman as the one with Jenny in the first photo.
I went to read your great post! About the fur, I’m sure it was important in Seattle in those days to have fur, but Jennie’s coat looks pretty expensive to me, While I don’t know of any furrier connections with Jennie, it is possible. However, I feel that Jennie and her girls have a slightly affluent look to their clothing in the many photos of the album–and I can’t help but wonder why. Maybe they had enough to live comfortably or maybe the daughters had professions. I hope I can end up finding out.
I hope you find out also. I do think that people were much more resourceful back then and also may have had just one nice outfit or coat, rather than a closet full.
Yes, definitely. But her daughters are seen wearing many outfits, but always somewhat demure and understated.
My guess is the girl is not one of the daughters. The brow lines seem different. I have a very similar looking coat…ok so kill me animal lovers, it’s about as old as this photo…it’s a seal skin. I flippin love it and walk around the house wearing it with a cloche hat when I’m really missing Downton Abbey. I think this honors the poor old seals better than tossing it!
Mom, my guess is that this coat is seal. That’s what it looks like to me. I won’t be a market for new fur clothing as I know too much about the process and love animals. But an old coat is not a new market, so I can appreciate how much you enjoy wearing it and pretending ;). Can you believe I STILL haven’t seen Downton Abbey? I am so behind! On the subject of fur, I’ve also read about people using old furs they no longer wear or want to benefit animals, such as animal rescues that use them for bedding, etc.
Re the girl, I was wondering that myself and wasn’t sure if it was that hat makes a difference or not. Wondering, I guess, it if could be Lela and if not who is that girl?
I have a vintage black velvet coat with a rabbit fur lined hood. I feel the same way. What good will tossing it do. The animal already died. I would never buy a new fur coat.
Same here–but I had never heard about donating an old tattered one to sooth an animal in a shelter! Doggies may have my hoard/ collection of them once I’ve worn them all that I can. I have (all very old) a beaver, fox(?) with mink, raccoon, and a muskrat too. I wish I’d known about the shelter thing last month. I did the ALS Ice bucket thing and gave a donation for each “like” on my facebook that it got in 24 hours. The catch was that I did it wearing my very favorite of the vintage furs that I’ve worn for years and years in public. It’s so warm! But my family has been begging me for years to get rid of it…they call it my “bag lady coat.” So, the ice bucket ante went up when I said that if there were more than a certain number of “likes” I would donate the “bag lady” and never wear her again…sigh…I’ll miss the old gal!
Your ice bucket story is hilarious!
Lady on the right side of both photos seem to be the same woman. Changing fortunes….yes, many of us see them.
Oh, really? I mean, it looks like a daughter standing next to Jennie, so it seems likely to be Lela.
What kind of fur do you think it is. If it is her daughter with her it has to be the daughter on the left. But I’m no so sure. We need more photos to compare. Good luck!
Yes, I need to put up some more photos :)!
I think my grandmother also bought a seal coat in 1943. I am not sure by the picture whether it is velvet or seal. What clues tell you that it is a seal coat? You could also look on Ancestry in the Sears Catalogues at coats in the late teens and early twenties to see what the catalogues have and how much they cost.
Ooh, I love that idea! I do think it’s seal, but I will check out the catalogues!!!
I tend to think that the second woman is one of her daughters. It’s fun to see how things were going much better for them 20 years later.
The way they are standing there for some reason is like mother and daughter.