UNIDENTIFIED RELATIVES 1
I don't know who these two people are, but I have begun a bit of detective work to try and find out. The photograph is a Cabinet Card, rather than a Card de Visite, measuring 164mm x 152mm, and the two people in the portrait are undoubtedly brother and sister; she is around 10 years old and her brother is around 4. The photograph was taken in a studio in Vitebsk (also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk) in Belarus near the border with Russia and the photographer is possibly Sigismund Yurkovski who had a studio in the centre of Vitebsk in Rue de Chateau, renamed today as Castle Street, or vulica Zamkavaja in Russian. My wife's father's family came to England from the district in circa 1900, his name is Israel Barnet Lateman and there are still members of the Lateman family in Vitebsk today. This photograph was amongst others in his collection so I assume that these two children are relatives. She is wearing a folkloric dress and he is wearing a costume that may be influenced by Cossack uniform. Perhaps the studio had a range of costumes that their clients could use. I think it's a drumstick he's holding: could he be a little drummer boy? On the reverse of the photograph there is a medallion dated 1911. I suspect this picture was taken in circa 1914 at the beginning of World War 1 when there was a vogue for little boys to be dressed in a military style. They are both wearing lace-up boots, button boots fell out of style in the early part of the century and certainly by 1910 or so. There's a little bit of handwriting on the reverse of the photograph which seems to read, according to one Yiddish speaking friend: "Herzl Veshev mit Faygelen". Another friend considers it to read: "Divoshiz Herzeil mit Feiglan". If the reading is correct, Faygelen - or derivative - is probably a 'pet name' or 'nick name'.
Faygeleh - little bird - is used here before more recent connotations. That's about as far as I've got but see the accompanying picture UNIDENTIFIED RELATIVES 2 for the reverse of the photograph and for some more information. Curiously, the two children have the look of Marc Chagall about them. Chagall came from Vitebsk. To be continued....
UNIDENTIFIED RELATIVES 1
I don't know who these two people are, but I have begun a bit of detective work to try and find out. The photograph is a Cabinet Card, rather than a Card de Visite, measuring 164mm x 152mm, and the two people in the portrait are undoubtedly brother and sister; she is around 10 years old and her brother is around 4. The photograph was taken in a studio in Vitebsk (also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk) in Belarus near the border with Russia and the photographer is possibly Sigismund Yurkovski who had a studio in the centre of Vitebsk in Rue de Chateau, renamed today as Castle Street, or vulica Zamkavaja in Russian. My wife's father's family came to England from the district in circa 1900, his name is Israel Barnet Lateman and there are still members of the Lateman family in Vitebsk today. This photograph was amongst others in his collection so I assume that these two children are relatives. She is wearing a folkloric dress and he is wearing a costume that may be influenced by Cossack uniform. Perhaps the studio had a range of costumes that their clients could use. I think it's a drumstick he's holding: could he be a little drummer boy? On the reverse of the photograph there is a medallion dated 1911. I suspect this picture was taken in circa 1914 at the beginning of World War 1 when there was a vogue for little boys to be dressed in a military style. They are both wearing lace-up boots, button boots fell out of style in the early part of the century and certainly by 1910 or so. There's a little bit of handwriting on the reverse of the photograph which seems to read, according to one Yiddish speaking friend: "Herzl Veshev mit Faygelen". Another friend considers it to read: "Divoshiz Herzeil mit Feiglan". If the reading is correct, Faygelen - or derivative - is probably a 'pet name' or 'nick name'.
Faygeleh - little bird - is used here before more recent connotations. That's about as far as I've got but see the accompanying picture UNIDENTIFIED RELATIVES 2 for the reverse of the photograph and for some more information. Curiously, the two children have the look of Marc Chagall about them. Chagall came from Vitebsk. To be continued....