George Daniel Waswo Sr. & Lucy Helen Traulsen

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Subject: Left to Right: George Daniel Waswo Sr. (age 31), and Lucy Helen Traulsen (Waswo) (age 24).

Date: March 28, 1915.

Location: 5328 Leland Avenue, Chicago, IL.

Occasion: Engagement.

Photographer: Unknown.

Relationship: Maternal Grandmother and Grandfather.

In the next few weeks, I am going back in time so to speak, to post pictures that I have found in boxes. To date, I have pretty much followed the timeline from the photograph album that my mother, Norma created for me.

Since my maternal grandfather passed away years before I was born, I asked my mother when I was in my late 20's if I could have a picture of my grandfather and grandmother. Mom found this photograph and gave it to me. I framed it and it hangs next to my desk where I am typing this. I find comfort having imagines of my ancestors close by while I work.

My grandparents were married on August 19, 1915. This photograph has always been attributed as an engagement picture. It was taken at the home of my great grandmother, George's mother, Johana Lueth Waswo Giermann. There are many posts and photographs of Great Grandmother Giermann that you may explore.

If you look closely at George on his left lapel, you will see a shiny button and chain. During this era, this was how men wore their pocket watches. If I do say so myself, my grandfather was very handsome and grandmother so very pretty. They both look very fashionable for the era.

Forrai-Waswo Wedding, November 16, 1957

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In the next few weeks I will be posting photographs of my parents' wedding from their wedding album.

Subject: Left to Right: Lucy Traulsen Waswo (age 66), and unknown man and woman.

Subject: Left to Right: Unknown woman, Albert Emil Reichardt (age 71), Norma Waswo Forrai (age 35), Albin C. Paskowicz (age 40) and unknown girl.
Date: November 16, 1957.
Location: Milwaukee, WI.
Occasion: Wedding Day.
Photographer: Albin C. Paskowicz & Margaret Paskowicz.
 
I welcome comments from friends and family members who can identify people in the photographs.

Lucy and Norma

Subject: Lucy and Norma Waswo.
Date: circa 1950's.
Location: Milwaukee, WI.
Occasion: Unknown.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Maternal Grandmother and Mother.

Once my mother retired, she went through the boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother. This is a photograph from the album made for me.
 
As usual, I have very little information about this photograph.

Norma, Lucy and George with our maroon Chevrolet

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Subjects: (Left to Right): Norma Elsbeth Waswo(age 11), Lucy T. Waswo(age 41) and George D. Waswo, Jr.(age 15).
Date: 1932.
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Occasion: Unknown.
Photographer: George Daniel Waswo, Sr.
Relationship to me: Mother, Maternal Grandmother, Uncle.

Once my mother retired, she went through the boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother. This is a photograph from the album made for me. The caption on this picture is: Norma, Lucy and George with our maroon Chevrolet.

All through my childhood I heard stories of the Maroon Chevrolet. This must have been the most beloved car of the Waswo family. If memory serves me correctly, this was a photograph from about the time they purchased the car. This was just seven years before the passing of my Grandfather George Sr.

My mother had a red wooden toy car that was part of her doll house. It looked very similar to the car in this photograph. She always called it the 'maroon chevrolet' and though I never really played with the doll house, I do remember playing with the wooden toy car when visiting grandmother.

Seasons Greetings The Forrai's 1963

Subject: David and Louis Forrai.
Occasion: Christmas.
Date: 1963.
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Photographer: Joseph Frank Forrai.
Relationship to me: Parents, Joseph and Norma.

For the first four weeks in December, I decided to post the Christmas cards that my parents started sending in 1960. I think almost everyone is familiar with the photo holiday cards that some folks choose to send.

You may wonder where my father had these cards made? My dad had a dark room in the house where we lived. Photography was my dad's hobby since the 1940's. Each one of these cards were hand made.

How was the photograph taken? In the early years my dad used a portrait camera. There was a long cable attached to the camera. He routed it so it would not appear in the photograph. He would squeeze the button to take the photograph. In later years, he had a 35mm camera with a built in timer. My father aways used a tripod, and it would take him a good deal of time for the set up for these annual photographs.

You can see over the past several weeks, that the early Christmas greetings centered around the fireplace. The stuffed animal in the photograph was made by my Grandmother Lucy Traulsen Waswo. She was very creative, and I always loved the animals she made. The one in the photograph was a little dog that I had named 'Brownie'. The stockings hung by the fireplace were knit by my mother, Norma Forrai. I still have that sock and it hangs on the door knob in the family room this very day.

It amazes me, how many of my relatives and friends of our family have hung onto these photographs. I am not the only one with a collection!

Unknown Relative or Friend, about 1913

Subject: Unknown Relative or Friend
Age: 22 - 24
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Occasion: Unknown
Date: 1913
Photographer: Perdieu, Milwaukee

My plan was to post the wedding pictures of George Daniel Waswo and Lucy Traulsen in August; as August was the month of their marriage. However, while going through some boxes, I found additional photographs from this era of my grandfather and grandmother. My mother, Norma, gave me these photographs years ago. I forgot I had them. In the following weeks I will post photographs of my grandparents from their courting days. Finally, in September the wedding photographs will be posted.

This photograph is very unusual. It is tall and narrow. The name of the photographer is embossed in raised letters in the lower right hand corner. The photograph is glued to a gray card, with a fold similar to a pamphlet. In fact, it resembles a book marker.

It is my opinion, this photograph was given to my grandfather so he would have a picture of my grandmother while he was on the road selling yeast.

Updated information.

Let's clarify this directly so there is zero confusion!

Using her confirmed 1906 graduation photo as our absolute baseline, here is the verdict on those two questionable photos:

1. Woman with Flowers on Chair

• Is it Lucy? NO.

• Who is she? Someone else.

• Why: Look at her face compared to 1906 Lucy:

• Her face is narrow and oblong with a sharper jawline.

• Her eyebrows are thick, dark, almost straight, and set low near her eyes.

• Her nose is narrow and pointed at the tip.

2. Milwaukee Leaning Cabinet Card 

• Is it Lucy? NO.

• Who is she? Someone else.

• Why: Even though it has a great backstory, when you compare her features to 1906 Lucy:

• Her eyebrows bow high in the center and pull down sharply at the nose bridge.

• Her nose bridge is broad and wide at the nostrils.

• Her mouth is significantly wider with a prominent toothy/gummy smile that doesn't match Lucy's mouth shape in 1906, 1913, or 1915.

Summary Table

Photo	Verdict	Key Reason
Graduation (1906)	CONFIRMED LUCY	Baseline for her high arched brows, round face, and gentle mouth.
Sitting with Flowers	NOT LUCY	Narrow face, low straight brows, sharp nose.
Leaning Cabinet Card	NOT LUCY	Broad nose tip, differently shaped brows/eyes, wide toothy smile.

Bottom line: Neither of those two mystery portraits are your grandmother Lucy—they both belong to other relatives, in-laws, or friends!

Lucy Albertine Helene Traulsen

Subject: Lucy Albertine Helene Traulsen
Age: 15
Date: Spring 1906
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Occasion: 8th Grade Graduation
Photographer: W. L. Stein, 452 Mitchell St., Milwaukee.

I posted this photograph on Facebook during Mother's Day week, sans the border. This view gives you the actual photograph. As Waswo has pointed out in previous posts, during this time, the mounting on heavy cardboard allowed you to stand the photograph without a frame.

If memory serves me correctly, Lucy, my grandmother, went no further in her education. She was fortunate as a young woman during this era to receive any formal education. My Chicago female relatives were not as fortunate as many did not even make it to the eighth grade and were required to leave school in order to work. From eighth grade, Lucy went to work in the family bakery. In future posts, I will provide more detail into the life of a female bakery worker.

Getting back to the photograph, in my opinion photography during this era was truly an art form. From your first glace you can just feel the preparation the subject and photographer went through to capture this special moment. Lucy was so beautiful, you can feel her youth radiate. Think how happy this moment was. She completed school and graduated. She received this beautiful new dress, and perhaps even the locket in the photograph was a graduation gift. I love the high white socks and the white shoes with the white bow. Lucy must have felt all grown up, diploma in her hand and ready to meet the world. I am so happy that my great grandparents had the means to capture this special day, and that it persevered for 104 years! I feel very fortunate to have this very special photograph of a person who I not only loved, but was so special in my own life.

My Cousin Waswo commented on this photograph on Facebook, "Wow Wicho...this photo is just a stunner. Not just because it is Grandma Lucy. It is just an exquisite portrait, a beautiful photograph. You are lucky to have it. Would be interesting for you to start a blog about your collection. Post one photograph each week and write a little family history. Seems like you might enjoy it, and it'd certainly be great to read."

And so the humble beginnings of this blog.