Good evening;
I am working on cataloguing the collection of a local historical society, so I was wondering if the following notes found in a box of daguerrotypes ring any bells with others in the history community. Something feels wrong about the dates given, but the handwriting on the notes is probably 20th century, although there are two sets of handwriting.
Notes from the collection include:
"great-grandmother Alice Stewart Scotland abt 1756"
"Richards Chestnut Hill Phila" (Probably a photographer, it is the only one with this originally impressed in the velvet inside the photo case.)
"About 1800 Jane Stewart b. Scotland wife of Jacob Glaus Phila" (Younger lady with boat-neckish dress and hair worn almost hippie style)
"Mrs. Mary (Stewart) Cole Scotland b.c.1800" (looks younger)
"Chas Potts grandson of Capt Potts" (infant)**
"Robert Stewart b. Scotland c. 1800" (looks no older than late 20s, early 30s)
"Went to Cuba d. of small pox on way home great uncle of HRH" (HRH seems to be the author of the notes, seems to also be Robert)
"Grandmother Cole Mary Cole Grandmother of HSH" (Younger image, tinted)
I would *guess* that the family moved to the US sometime after 1800 if the dates are accurate, but another note seemed to say "taken 1805", which would be a miracle. Does anyone have a database of Stewarts, Philly area early photographers, or be aware if the Stewarts are connected to the Pottstown area (or Potts/Rutter/Nutt/Savage clans) in a way that has been forgotten since 1950?
PART 2: Are there any grants out there to help stabilize these images, or does anyone know of a locally-able way to repair broken glass and image damage from future degradation? The organization in question has very limited resources.
Thank you in advance for your input!
Sincerely,
Shannon L Lefebvre, MA
Curator for Pottstown Historical Society
603-767-4033
**From the Potts Memorial, Capt Charles Potts is a son of James Potts and Mary Aris Potts, born ?, m. Margaret Tallman 1796, sailed on the merchant ship Adventure soon after. d. Pottstown, his brother Benezet m. his widow. She dies 1818, buried Friend's graveyard in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, there are several infant Charles in our target time period, many of whom did not make it out of infancy.
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