Description
This awesome, early 20th-century photo album offers a personal window into the life of Gertrude A. Seibert, a young woman living through the 1920s in California and the American West. The album contains over 50 original pages, some 300+ snapshots, all silver gelatin prints, documenting road travel through New Mexico and Arizona, beach outings in Santa Monica, posed photos in Berkeley, and domestic life around Pasadena. Captions throughout name friends, family, and places — including a recurring figure named Helen Rolls, described in notes as “heiress to the Rolls Royce fortune.”
Gertrude’s voice becomes more vivid in a four-page handwritten letter laid in to the album. Written in a matter-of-fact, often humorous tone, she recounts family history tracing back to her grandfather, David Seibert of Petoskey, Michigan, a builder of churches and homes. The letter includes rich anecdotes: childhood illness, family homes in Altadena and Scottsdale, a crooked contractor, whacky relatives and celebrity connections like Odette Myrtil and Lily Pons renting the family house. A page names “G. Warren Kerrigan – movie actor,” (with a handful of photos) whom Gertrude met and photographed. The letter ends with a flourish of mystery and finality: “XXX.”
This album stands out not only for its excellent visual content but also for the unusual blend of photography, family memoir, and name-dropped glamor. I couldn’t find any connection between “Helen Rolls” and the Rolls-Royce legacy, but the captioning and narrative point toward high social aspirations — or insider truth. Or a terrific liar in “Helen Rolls”. It’s a deeply human, story-rich collection ideal for collectors of vintage photography, vintage photo albums, women’s history, and early California ephemera. Gertie’s 4-page, handwritten commentary is almost worth the price of admission:
My father’s father, “David Seibert” + wife Jane, moved from upper Mich. near Canada down to Petoskey. He was a Bldg. Contractor. He built their home and over 20 or many more, also the lovely churches—Presbyterian + Methodist—on the same street. My cousin who still lives there + points to bell towers on 2 churches still ringing at every Sunday calling folks to church. There were 3 jewelers stores in the town. However Dad was only one who repaired watches, did engraving. He went to Jeweler’s College in Colorado. The other 2 stores hired jewelers to do their work. (Also he owned stock in his store — there was only employment.) There is a lovely red brick courthouse with a clock which sounds out the hours. Dad was only one of 3 jewelers allowed to fix this clock. It was largest that side of Miss. River. Dad had 8 brothers & 2 sisters. His brother Walter was a Veterinarian. His brother Edward worked years for Ford Motor Co. His sister Jenny + I were close friends. After her husband died she raised straw flowers on her land outside of town & shipped all over U.S. Her son Ray Baker was given a Degree in Journalism by Univ. of Mich.
He had never been to college a day in his life! Mrs. Peter’s father remarried a few years after Alice’s death. She was 4 ft. 6 in. (I am 5 ft. 2”) She walked in on a blizzard to help relatives who were ill — like pneumonated.
After a few years Peter’s dad remarried to a lady from Ohio who was very bossy. She would put dishes away on a high pantry shelf + Peter’s cousin, Kurt Franke, would eat it all + Peter would get blamed! She took a heavy rawhide whip to P. + left welts all over him! He (P.) went to family Dr. + asked why she did this. Dad said she got a big sex kick out of it. So after a few yrs. P’s father divorced her. His third marriage was to a woman who had a daughter + he legally adopted her girl. Later they had a girl “Lillian” who was to put it mildly “sort of off her rocker.”
So if you’re looking for people who are not all there look at these.
Pauline had scarlet fever at age 2 + year (Alb.) asked several doctors (so ym told me) why Pauline had these sudden spells of temper + they said because she had scarlet fever + that she had no help for it.
About 8118 Gould Ave. home (address still located in the Hollywood Hills near Laurel Canyon). For Albert. — When we lived there it consisted of 1 bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room (we had a square TV table Peter made + ate in his room where it projected — had windows). If there only had been space between house + damp, cold granite cliff, then I believe Albert never would have had the serious infections in his ears, also I would not have had arthritis. Albert took sick as we went to L.A. often in the winter, but that did not help Albert. So Peter decided to investigate Arizona. We had a nice home built in Scottsdale + were there a few years. Peter’s sister Edith visited us there + loved the separate stall shower in bathroom. As we first went to Tempe + then moved back to Calif. Albert wanted to go to Cal Tech + Peter knew that a H.S. diploma from tiny Scottsdale would not do. So we went to Tempe + rented a shack + looked around. Then we moved back to Calif. + lived in trailer (I forget [Boles-Aero?]) until our nice little home in Altadena was built. We had the Gould house enlarged + gave contract to the Mueller Lumber Co. They got a crook to take the contract to put upper story on. His name was Edgar B. Shockley.
Shockley ordered materials for building & gave Mueller Lumber Co. a check — then he asked to see his check + tore it up! So we had to sue but never got much out of it. Then they got somebody else + 2 bedrooms + a bath were added upstairs. Odette Myrtil, a stage actress in motion pictures also + in Opera with Lily Pons, rented the house — she put mirrors all around the one upper bedroom. Lily Pons, the Opera star, visited Odette there. We lost $ but eventually gained it back when we sold the place. But I feel if there had been space between house + hill at rear Albert never would have suffered with such bad ear infections, also I might never had arthritis!!
XXX
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.