We just got back from Lake Tahoe last night, and I have a lot of catching up to do—including blog reading!
This beautiful funeral photograph from Kalamazoo seems to belong to someone in my family, but who is the mystery woman? I have not been able to figure it out. If anybody has any ideas, based on knowledge of the family or even based on photos I’ve already posted, please let me know!
Any idea on what decade this is? Was this typical of a certain era to create a tableau like this from a funeral? The only other photo I have that is similar is the one for Louis Van Wyck‘s funeral in 1911. His funeral was hosted by the Salvation Army.
John M. Reidsema ran his photography business in Kalamazoo from at least 1889 – 1905, possibly earlier and/or later.
The Family Kalamazoo 
I had a few of those type pictures at the funeral home in South Carolina and they were dated in the early 1920″s. They are strikingly similar in appearance and quality.
Oh, interesting! So if that’s the case, then the photo is of a woman who was much older than the photo (because of her dress and hair)!
can you make out the name on the right? looks like a name. btw i met a guy who does tin type pics – very knowledgeable about the process if you’re interested. He takes them with a flash so no need for long poses. http://www.garethjarvis.com
Oh, interesting! Thanks, Barb. It says Rest in Peace on the card in the pic. I wish there was a name, though. It almost seems an oversight.
I am not at all familiar with funeral cards so can’t help you on this one. Lovely photo though. Welcome back!
Thanks, Amy. There is so much to do when we get back from vacation! I didn’t know these kinds of photos were even a “thing” until finding the other one and now this.
LOL! Yes, the return from vacation often is exhausting and makes you wonder whether you had a vacation!
I couldn’t have had one the way I feel right now!
I’ve never seen anything similar to that arrangement, but it would be appropriate for a cremation. Is the fact that the flowers are wilting just my imagination, or would this be a reference to the unpredictability of life?
Wow, I hadn’t even noticed about the flowers possibly wilting. I guess I concentrated on the ones at the top of the frame which are the “crisp” lily types, but the flowers in the bottom portion of the frame could be wilting. I had even wondered before you said this if they were fake and used by the photographer for all these photos that he did. But now I think you are right that they are real flowers . . . .
It seems obvious but I could be soooo wrong, it seems to be Victorian era to me. 1837 – 1901 corresponding with Queen Victoria (England) The picture appears to be a painted portrait and not a photo. That could point to this time period. The foliage does seem wilted but perhaps this was during the fall and winter months. The florist using outside foliage that would not last and was perhaps wilting already. Just thoughts! Welcome home from Tahoe
I can be so dumb! Of course, it’s a painting. How would it be so HUGE otherwise? Looking at it in relationship to the flowers, it is a very large painting. So that also means it belonged to somebody who could afford such a luxury. And now that you brought that up, Sharon, I looked more closely at the woman herself. She’s wearing a MONOCLE, isn’t she?
Thanks for the welcome! I feel as if I got run over by a train or a plane getting home. I’m so exhausted!
I can’t really tell if its a monocle or actual glasses with out the frames, but glasses just sitting on the nose with a monocle type cord. I would guess wealthy people too. 🙂
The picture frame looks very old-fashioned. Similarly to others, I’d guess early 20th century.
Oh, that is helpful. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? That would be quite a find at a flea market today!
I was curious about the dress in your picture. So I went to Pinterest (a very useful genealogy web, but, of course, for other things to). Anyway, a search on 1900 – 1919 women’s fashion shows dresses kind of similar to the picture in your post. I have no sense of fashion, but maybe these pictures will help. Hope so. Thank you. Spyro
Spyro, once again I am disoriented by a new opinion. I was thinking a little earlier for the painting itself because of the monocle, but you are so right about the dress!!! Thank you.
Luanne, I noticed the flowers, the sign,( the glasses are not a monacle, by the way, but a pair with a chain in lieu of ear pieces, and the style of dress and hair. Reitsema has a lot of photos on ebay, perhaps you will have luck there, in finding similarities. Good luck! Keep me posted, it could be one of our shared relatives
So you can see a lens over each eye? I wasn’t sure I could. But then I do have cataracts haha. I went over there and looked at the photos. Nothing caught my eye, but WOW what a fabulous idea to keep checking out ebay for Kalamazoo pix!!!!!! Thanks for the tip, Mary!
is there a way to share a photo for you on here?
The only way I’ve found is that you post the photo online and put the link in the comments. Otherwise, email me?
I beg your pardon, the photographer’s name was “Reidsema”-some are on ebay right now.
I can’t help you with who it is or even what era it is, but I think that is a pretty cool picture. This may sound weird (I’ve definitely been called worse), but I wish this was still a thing. This could also be the grief talking (as we’ve recently laid to rest a family member), but I think this is a fantastic way to remember the deceased…
Thanks so much for sharing!
Kimberly, you might have something there! I’m so sorry for your loss. Do you like the photo this way or would you prefer that the casket be in there as well? I’ve seen it more the other way and there’s no way of telling why this one was taken this way. Thanks for stopping by!
Definitely this way…. I think having this kind of momento with the casket in it would defeat the purpose of preserving memories and cross over into the eerie and/or creepy side of things…
That’s what I was thinking, too. I have never seen it done this way before, but it really is just a nice memorial without the creep factor.