Whites and Cossitts: 1896-1899: 2011

Description of blog

Years ago, about 1968, I received from my grandfather, Walter P. White, Sr., a collection of 4 x 5 and 5 x 7 glass plates photographic negatives made by his father, Frederick Henry White. These images, mostly of his family, were made in Milwaukee between 1896 and 1899. It is interesting to get a glimpse back into their lives. All but one of the family members shown in these photographs are descendant from Asa Cossitt, Jr. and Rachel Seymour Steele. Their eldest daughter, Sarah Maria Cossitt, married George Cossitt White (her 1st cousin and a descendant of Asa Sr.) and the eldest of their children was Frederick Henry White. The one family member shown who is not a descendant of Asa and Rachel is Frederick's wife, Frances Ludington.

The collection consists of 39 4" x 5" plates and 28 5" x 7" plates. All the 4 x 5 plates were exposed in 1896 and all the 5 x 7 plates were exposed in 1897-1899. Frederick must have done some editing as the 4 x 5 plates are numbered intermittently from 7 to 131 and the 5 x 7 plates are numbered intermittently from 7 to 93. Additionally, there is one 5 x 7 plate with the number missing and an additional 7 plates with no number or label (alas). This suggests that he exposed at least 224 plates and more likely at least 231 or 232. It is easy to imaging that Frederick culled his plates due to poor development or movement of his subjects as his exposures were typically about 8 seconds long. All 67 surviving plates are reproduced here.

All plates are shown below in reverse chronological order. The titles are those used by Frederick.

There is labeling on all but 7 of the 67 plates. In this labeling Frederick referred to himself as "Papa", his wife Frances as "Mama". His first cousin, Sarah Lavinia White Van Pelt, was called Mrs. G. B. Van Pelt. His sons, in birth order, were called Fred, Harry, Bud (or sometimes Budd or George), and Walter. His nephew Garrett was called Garrie. There are only two pictures of his eldest son, and namesake, Fred. He was 15 1/2 in January 1896, the time of the earliest pictures. Was he away at school most of this time? And Frederick's sister Sarah Lavinia (Aunt Vinnie) only appears in one picture. Why is that? Also seen are Frederick's mother, Sarah Maria Cossitt, and two of his first cousins, Fannie and Mary (May) Cossitt, daughters of Pearl Steele Cossitt.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Plates and Cameras

The top photograph shows one of the 4 x 5 plates in the collection with the top of what used to be a paper envelope. As you can see, this was plate no. 131 and shows the dates and remarks. The plates had been stored (since 1899 I presume) in their brown paper enveloped in a stack, earliest on the top, The edges of all the envelopes have worn away leaving a stack of glass plates with two sheets of paper between each.

I scanned the negatives on a transmission flat-bed scanner at 400 to 800 dpi; lower resolution for whole plates, higher for detail portions of a plate. Most of the plates had a very narrow range of useful gray scale so some have low contrast. I optimized each scan individually to get the best gray scale range but after acquiring the image made minimal adjustments preferring to give you the more natural image. After scanning each plate I repackaged them individually in contemporary acid-free four-fold wrappers, along with the remains of the original paper envelopes, and they are stored upright in a strengthened carton made for this purpose.

These are two dusty camera given to me by my grandfather Walter White Sr. The one on the left is older and holds 4 x 5 plates. The newer camera on the right holds 5 x 7 plates. It seems reasonable to assume that these are the cameras that Frederick used to expose the plates in this collection.

Not labeled plates nos. 2-7

At the bottom of the stack of plates there were seven plates that had no labeling at all, no plate number, date or subjects identified. On six of these plates I do not recognize anybody so have combined them all in this one posting.

Note on this plate the portrait of Gov. Harrison Ludington who died in 1891. I do not know the reason for the party but clearly some folks are having more fun than others. And what's the deal with the bananas?

Not labeled no. 1

We can recognize Frances, Bud and Frederick on the left in their parlor. The three individuals on the right are unknown.

4th of July

No. 93 No date

103 East Ave., Waukesha Wis.

Clearly made at same time as No. 84

No names given but we recognize:

Frederick upper left
Frances in front of other women
Bud and Walter in front.

Is that a pistol being held high in the upper right?

4th of July

No. 84 Labeled 4th July - no year, but plate developed Dec. 29, 1899.

The residence is labeled as 103 East Ave. Waukesha, Wis. There is some family connection to Waukesha but I do not know what it is.

No names are given but we recognize:

Frederick, 2nd from left in the men's row, and Frances, left in 3rd row. Walter two over from Frances? Bud in front?

Group at Lake Michigan

No. 77 No date but developed 3/25/99

Frederick, Frances, Walter and Budd at Lake Michigan

Nice hats!

Top image is a detail of whole plate below.

Group in Kitchen

No. 76 No date but developed 3/25/99 Note that in some cases he waited up to six months before processing!

On the right we have Frederick and Frances in the kitchen of 1337 Grand Ave. Milwaukee

The couple on the left are identified as George and, it looks like, Clover. I don't think they are family but rather friends.

Now I must say that Frederick had a younger brother named George; born two years after him. This fellow could be two years younger. Also, the relaxed pose in the kitchen is consistent with family. However, to the best of my knowledge, George the younger brother died in 1893 at age 40, approximately six years before this photograph was made. Also, the George and the lady in the photograph are both wearing wedding rings while I have no record that Frederick's younger brother George was married. This appears to be yet another George, in addition to his father, his brother and his son.

Nagawicka Lake

No. 75 No date

Budd and Walter at Nagawicka Lake, Wisconsin

Top is a detail of below.

Nagawicka Lake is about 30 miles west of Milwaukee. Did they have a car, or take a train?

Group in Kitchen

No. 63 No date given

On the left we have Frederick and Frances.

The couple on the right is not identified but appear to be the same couple as image no. 76, George and "Clover".

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Group on Side Porch

No. 42 Dec. 25th, 1897

Here we have Fannie (on the left) and May Cossitt (on the right), cousins of Frederick and Sarah Lavinia White, and George Vinson, a friend of the family? It is easy to understand what might have caused him to have come a'calling this afternoon.

The top picture is a detail of the lower plate.

Frances (Fannie) and Mary (May) Cossitt are daughters of Rev. Pearl Steele Cossitt and Mary L Johnson. Pearl is the son of Asa Cossitt Jr. and Rachel Seymour Steele. Thus Fannie and May are nieces of Sarah Maria Cossitt and first cousins of Frederick Henry White. Fannie would have been one month short of 18 and May had just turned 16 one week prior to this photograph being made.

Group in Front Parlor

No. 41 Dec. 25, 1897
No. 45 is same grouping but with some motion so is not shown.

On floor: Walter
Seated left to right: Frances, Sarah Maria, Bud, May, Fannie, Aunt Vinnie

Standing left to right: Frederick, Garrett

This photo is complex. Easy things first. This is Frances' and Frederick's home on Christmas day.

Sarah Maria Cossitt is Frederick's mother. Bud and Walter are the youngest sons of Frances and Frederick. May and Fannie are sisters. May was born in 1881 and Fannie in 1880. They are first cousins of Sarah Lavinia White, to their left, and of Frederick (behind them). Sarah Maria Cossitt is their aunt. She had a brother, Pearl Steele Cossitt. May and Fannie are his daughters.

Aunt Vinnie (Sarah Lavinia White), is Frederick's sister and Garrett's mother. Garrett's father was alive at this time but evidently not in Milwaukee - I don't know the story here.

Fred

No. 27 July 27, 1897

F. H. White, Jr.

In back yard of 1337 Grand Ave.

Taken by G. B. Van Pelt, Jr.

Mrs. G. C. White

No. 25 July 27, 1897

This is Sarah Maria Cossitt. She married George Cossitt White. They are the parents of Frederick Henry and Sarah Lavinia White.

Sarah Maria was born in 1817 and was two weeks short of her 80th birthday when this photo was made. She died about four years later.

Below detail of the above picture was made in the front parlor of 2901 Grand Ave. where her daughter, Sarah Lavinia White Van Pelt (AKA Mrs. G. B. Van Pelt, Aunt Vinnie) also lived.

No. 27 made on the same occasion.

Castle

No. 21 May 24, 1897

Castle in back yard

No. 23 May 24, 1897

Easter Lillies

No. 17 March 7, 1897

Vase of Easter lillies in front parlor.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

George in Playroom

No. 7 January 9, 1896

Top image is a detail of the whole plate below.

Mama in Nursery

No. 11 Feb. 14, 1897

This top image is a detail of the whole plate shown below.

Papa in Nursery

No. 10 Feb. 14, 1897

Top image is a detail of the whole plate below.

There is another plate with same date and essentially the same image but with the number lost. It is not shown as same as this image.