A most treasured treasure...

Let's look inside...

Dear Carrie,
Just thought that you should know that I found something of yours, something you no doubt treasured and loved very much. It must have been heartwrenching to wonder where it had gone, who had it, and if they were treating it well.
You can rest assured that I treasure this thing very much and will take very good care of it. In fact, it is a prized possession to me, even though many of the faces within it are nameless to me and long since gone. However, I found out it was yours by being a very curious detective-- a postcard dedicated to 'aunt carrie' here, an address there....Even your own handwriting every so often, although I do wish you'd been better about labeling things.
But none of that matters now, I love it just the same. I hope you will trust me to keep it safe and not let it fall to the perils of the antiques circuit ever again. It has finally found a good home.
Yours truly,
~H

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To me, the Holy Grail of an antiques or flea market find would be to find a filled vintage photo album. I'd heard they existed, but alas, never found one of my own. They had always long ago been ripped of their treasures. Yesterday, however, my luck changed. I came across this plush blue velvet album on its own antique white stand while out scavenging and nearly shrieked with joy. Nearly every page is filled with photos from the turn of the century--- family portraits with crusty old bearded patriachs and their sober-faced wives, young girls is ethereal white gowns, gentlemen in fine suits with saucy expressions and of course the darling babies in long Christening gowns. I had to have it, the photos alone would fetch the asking price, let alone the large album and matching stand.

So, ofcourse you see, it is now home safe with me. And so the treasure hunt began. I took out every photo and postcard and soon found that nearly all the photos were taken in Wolcott, New York at a Smith photography studio. Postcards I found were addressed to a Mrs. (William) Carrie Fink. I can only assume then, that this was Carrie's album.
I believe that the girl pictured above is our beautiful Carrie. And isn't she pretty? The photo was labled "Carrie Fowler, 17 years." The photo above this I believe also shows our Carrie-- on the far left. The photo was inscribed simply "At 13 years of age." And it looks very much like a younger version of our 17 year old Carrie....Don't you think?

I am astonished by the beauty of the photos in this album and even more amazed that I managed to have it in my possession. The love in the family is evident in their postcards--- cards home to 'bro and sister' on Christmas Eve, and many photos of Carrie's (I'm sure) beloved brother at every age as he grew into a very striking young man. How on earth did this album make its way from its loving home out into this lonely world? I'm sure I'll never know...but I am happy to atleast give it a new home. And perhaps give Carrie and her friends and family a happy new life in my artwork (through scans of course, I cant stand to hurt originals)

I will never know all their names, or all their stories, but they look like they had a fine and happy life, don't they?

And of course, a treasure within a treasure...I found this little very faded photo tucked in the album. I was struck by how the girl looked as if she were posing for a playbill, and when I took the photo out, it was labled "Baby Millie Beland." Of course I had to google her right away, and found almost no information on her aside from a Millie Beland that was in a couple of broadway plays in the early 1920s. However, I am pretty sure that flapper actress and this little girl are one in the same. Perhaps this photo was from a childhood spent in vaudeville or the theater? I will have to search farther....Carrie must have been taken with her though, to save Millie's photo in her treasured family album.

The mystery continues............................................