If you recall my posts about Jennie Culver, and her daughters Rhea and Lela, moving to Seattle, you will see that this photo fits neatly into the move. Try this post if you need a reminder or are new to the story:
Bingo: When Aunt Jennie Left for Seattle
On the back, one of the girls has written “my present domicile” and on the front, the date is 1918, the year other photos showed them at the train station, ready for the move.
I glanced at some of the other unidentified Culver photos to see if this apartment building (I assume it is apartments) shows up. Only one other photo with square brick columns shows up, but it can’t be of the same building. See here:
Notice what confuses me here. The square brick column, the white round column–the same as the first photo, right? But the white siding in the second photo is not in the first photo, right again?
I will say the age seems right for Seattle in this photo. The more I look at the Culver photos, the more Kalamazoo photos I suspect might be in the collection.
So who wrote “my present domicile” on this photograph? It wasn’t Jennie because the scrapbook and its photos clearly belonged to one of the daughters. My confusion began with information I noticed that I wrote about in this post:Who Went Where When?. According to the newspaper, Rhea, the stenographer, moved to Seattle mid-August 1918. Jennie and Lela were not mentioned. But at some point Jennie and Lela did move to Seattle and lived there the rest of their lives. Somewhere around 1918. And Rhea did, too, except that in 1920 she was “spotted” living in Kalamazoo (see my post).
Can I assume that Rhea did go to Seattle August 20 as the newspaper and photograph verify? And that “my present domicile” was where Rhea lived? If so, can I conclude that the scrapbook belonged to Rhea. And that this photo I posted earlier was, in fact, Rhea in the plaid?
Is the handwriting on the above photo, the same as on the back of the first photograph I posted here?
Barely any letters to compare. They each have a final “le”–in Seattle and domicile. While nobody’s handwriting is completely consistent, are these in the bounds of what could be written by the same person? I will say there is a similarity to MY handwriting, weirdly. Both Miss Culver and I produce the triangular Ts of Emily Dickinson.
As usual, I manage to produce more questions than answers. This is becoming a disturbing trend!
The Family Kalamazoo 
Nice update. The two house photos are similar but the first one is a brick house and the second a wood house. Maybe the second house is down the street from the first one. Notice the second house is at street level while the first house is sitting high up from the street so they are not the same building. The two handwriting’s are not by the same person; notice that the “f” is not at all the same. The “le” that you mentioned is also not done by the same hand; one ends with the line going down while the other the line goes up. Like I’ve told you in the past, stop trying to make sense of all these and spend more time on building that time machine. That way you can just jump into machine like Rod Taylor did in the movie and set the dials to 1918. Don’t forget to take the photos with you so you can compare the buildings. Oh, my god I just thought of something… You said that the handwriting was like your handwriting… What if you did write the card when you went back in the time machine in the future… Now that’s something to think about. Great post, thanks.
OK, this really cracked me up. It IS my handwriting. I must have written it. Maybe I am really Rhea Culver back for a second crack at things. By the way, you did the same thing I did at first–thought I was comparing two “Fs,” but there is a P and an F, so it’s not really a fair comparison. The 2nd one is more straight up and down and not as curvy, but that could be speed writing versus careful writing. I hear you on the ending “E.” I’m sure you right about the houses. Also, I did find one other photo with the square brick columns, but the brick appeared lighter. It’s a close-up photo. Now I am wondering if the brick in this photo is truly dark or is it an optical illusion and really a lighter color . . . . More thinking, I know.
Thanks Luanne… The two “f’s”… I totally missed that the “present” word was not an “f”, even though I had read it several times and in the end I finally understood the word but then didn’t go back and change my comment. In looking at the two notes there really is no repeat letters. I love all the comments too and one coming from Auckland as if it was just around the corner. Had to use my snow blower today and thought of you… get that guest room ready.
Take Care
Jose from Clarkston, Michigan
I did exactly the same thing. Must be because that P looks like an F.
LOL re the snow blower! It was so nice out today–you would love it!
I was thinking much like mionsiog. Perhaps the second photo was taken across the street where the photographer took the first photo from???
So in other words they could be from the same neighborhood. That’s very possible. It’s also interesting that a woman in the photo of the house is wearing a plaid skirt–and Rhea (if it’s Rhea and not Lela) was wearing a plaid skirt when she left for Seattle. So much to think about!
Glad you allow us some thoughts😀 It will help me think more in depth on my own family
Good luck with your project, Andy!
I am not as sure that the handwriting is different as mionsiog, but I also am not convinced they are the same. It’s amazing how few letters there are in common! As for the building, have you tried a Google Image search? Or posted it to a Seattle historical or genealogy group? If it’s still standing, someone might recognize it or there may be old photographs somewhere if it no longer exists. Good luck! (And aren’t there always more questions??)
I am not sure if “legally” there are enough letters in common to compare handwritings. I need to put all the handwriting from the album together and look it over. More to do, more to do. These are GOOD ideas about searching for the building! It is a lovely building and would be so cool if it were still standing! Thanks, Amy! (By the way, I have been falling asleep when I hit the couch at night, which is why you’ve heard nothing from me).
I hope you can find it and also solve the handwriting question. (And don’t worry about me….I understand falling asleep on the couch!)
Read more tonight–I’m enjoying it so much!
Yay! Thanks!
I finished it! Yay, I enjoyed it very much! I’ll be writing a review before too long.
Thanks, Luanne! I really appreciate it and would love more specific feedback if/when you have a chance.
I’ll do it this week!
I’m for different buildings and different hand writing the two samples. I think Amy’ suggestion about local historical and genealogical societies is a great one. It could be that the buildings are examples of a particularly popular style. I know that here in Auckland there was a very definite architectural style that existed for a time and you could pose people outside several houses in different suburbs even and truly wonder from the photos if they were all the same house — especially in black and white. Good luck.
I am sure you’re right about the buildings and probably right about the handwriting. I like Amy’s suggestion, too! It does seem to me that there are a lot of buildings with those square brick columns. It must have been popular at a certain period–and maybe popular in Seattle, for all I know. So funny about the style in Auckland. I can honestly say that our stucco tracts in California and Arizona all look pretty much alike with much the same houses ;)!
I really like the picture of the girls at the train station – one looks ready for the upcoming adventure and the other looks slightly scared about the unknown.
Sheryl, the tall one is a Culver. I think the other one is an older woman who either traveled with her/them or came to say goodbye. The other Culver sister is in a group shot wearing a very frilly suit (on the other post). I do wonder what drove them to move so far away from Kalamazoo–or, rather, what drew them in particular to Seattle.
Hmmm more conundrums. The 1st photo is in a very hilly area. Street slopes and houses built onto hillside. Not enough detail to be sure, but seem to be in the same area
I know! Always more mysteries! I agree–very hilly. In fact, it made me think of San Francisco, but it has to be Seattle.
I also think the writing is from two different hands.
Just to make it more interesting, I’m not at all sure the two people in plaid are the same. The woman at the train station is fairly slender and wearing a crisply pleated skirt. The lady in front of the house seems to be heavier and her skirt is gathered, rather than pleated. Mind you, the second photo is taken from some distance, and both are black-and-white, but you could look at them with a magnifying glass and get better detail.
The houses are most likely in the same neighbourhood. As Leslie said, there are certain architectural styles and a good history buff can tell when a house was built. You can put people in front of three houses in different parts of town and they’d all look alike.
Good luck!
That is my take on the two plaid skirts, too, but it seemed like such a coincidence. The tops appear different. And the woman doesn’t have that same tall and thin appearance. And the handwriting does seem different–one is more rounded than the other. But all these differences just make it more difficult to figure anything out!!! Thanks for your good wishes.