Steidle photo puzzles (Mauch Chunk aka Jim Thorpe county PA)
In September 2005, a wonderful surprise awaited us in email. A lady named Barbara Wentz had bought some photos and one of them had "Grandma Steidle" written on the back. She found Jonas Steidle on this website and contacted us about the photos. This purpose of this page is so that others researching the Steidle family might be able to check the pictures and see if they can identify the people. All of the thumbnails can be clicked for a larger view. The larger views are NOT sized for printing, so unless you have a utility that automatically resizes for printing, you need not waste paper. They are deliberately left a larger size so that you can magnify for more detail. The thumbnails are cropped versions, so there is more to the picture than what you see here. Quotes are from Barbara. Bottom of page has links to some family group sheets of possible family members.
"Last week I bought a number of photos taken in East Mauch Chunk." "There were numerous other photos with this group I purchased. I would imagine some must be other Steidles but nothing is labeled [as such]."
Use your browser's "back" button to return to this page after looking at the larger views of pictures.
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1 - On the back of photo it says Grandma Steidle September 1912. Since Jonas Steidle's wife Salome was still alive in 1910, and was the only one of her age in Mauch Chunk (which is now called Jim Thorpe), that makes her identification pretty easy. - Rinker's Studio, E. Mauch Chunk, PA.
2 - Nothing on back but it is obviously the same person in a different chair. Same dress etc, but I'm not sure about pin as it's not as clear in #2. Were they taken at same time but just the chair and lighting different? - same photographer.
3 - Barbara sees a resemblance with Grandma Steidle and notes that the dress is 1870s to 1880s. Salome would have been in her 40s at that time, so it is possibly her, though it could be someone else.
4 - In the larger picture, see if you can figure out the photographer's name?
5-7- "The ones labeled Two Brothers were taken May 1903 in East Mauch Chunk" "Photographer: S. J. Zellner, E. Mauch Chunk, PA. Both are 5 ¼ x 7 ¼ inch mats with 2 5/8 x 3 5/8 oval photos. The embossing around the oval photos is identical – thus I named them two brothers. There was a Zelner/Zellner family of photographers in Mauch Chunk starting in the 1870’s and continuing, perhaps, after 1900. The Zellner Studio burned in April 1900. A photo I have has S. J. Zellner, E. Mauch Chunk, PA – then is signed on the front Rinker and the photo is dated 1908. I believe Rinker took over after Zellner. [7] appears to be a brother of [5] & [6]. It is those ears! He actually may be the same as [5] or [6]. Ears are like fingerprints, each person has a distinctive ear that could probably be used for ID!"
8 - "The photo with the four people on it was also taken in 1912 - date is written in same handwriting as the Grandma photo." 2 ¾ x 3 ¾ inch photo on 5 x 7 matboard. Rinker Studio, E. Mauch Chunk, PA.
9 - "There is a photo of a large family - I titled in Steidle but there is NOTHING on the photo to identify it as such." 5 x 7 inch photo in8 x 9 ¼ inch mat with cover. Rinker Studio, E. Mauch Chunk, PA. OCTOBER 2010 UPDATE: Tonya Moore of Mauch Chunk PA, has identified this picture as her being in her ancestry. Mother: Annie Salomie Steidle (1881-1971, #107278 on chart below), Father: Thomas Lewis Jones, Children: David T, John A, Lewis E, Thomas L, Glyndwr J, Leighton W, Anna E (Tonya's grandmother), Marvin L, and George W. Tonya has this family on Ancestry.
10-11 - "Pin Lady - Only one photo – must have scanned it twice" – Rinker’s Studio, E. Mauch Chunk. 5 7/8 x 8 7/8 mat with 3 ½ x 5 photo.
12 - Bride 2 5/8 x 3 5/8 on 5 ¼ x 7 ¼ mat. S. J. Zellner, E. Mauch Chunk, PA. "Appears to be same lady as photo [17], but younger".
13 - Book Lady - 2 ¾ x 3 7/8 inch photo on 4 7/8 x 8 inch mat. E. E. Rinker, E. Mauch Chunk, PA. MAYBE same lady as [18]?
14-15 - Barbara named the man's photo ManMatchesBowLady - "I called them matching because each photo is mounted on an 8 x 10 mat with the same size 3 3/8 x 5 inch oval photograph. The raised oval frame surrounding the oval photos are the same. Thus they appear to be a “pair” – brother and sister or husband and wife. No photographer imprint or any markings on photo."
16 - Soldier - If he is a family member, could he be Paul R Steidle b.1903 who was a Tec/5 in the Army in WWII? 4 x 6 inch “linen” finish photograph. OCTOBER 2010 UPDATE: Tonya Moore of Mauch Chunk PA, has identified photo #16 as being Marvin Jones (b.1915), one of the children in photo #9.
17 - unknown "Real Photo Postcard – divided back [after 1907] in mat frame with cover – no photographer imprint. The place where one puts the stamp has an imprint which a postcard imprint site says was used from 1904 – 1908."
18 - unknown - 1 ¾ x 2 5/8 oval photo on 3 ½ x 5 ½ mat. "No photographer. Appears to be same lady as [11]."
19 - unknown - "Same mat and photo size as [13] & [14]. MAYBE same lady as [12]?"
20 - unknown - 3 ¾ x 5 7/8 on a 6 ¾ x 10 ½ inch mat in a 7 x 10 ¾ inch folder.
21 - For camparison purposes, this is a picture we already have of Jonas & Salome's granddaughter Gretchen (through their son Paul Henry).
Here is a descendant overview. Linked are the Family Group Sheets (FGS) of the father of Jonas showing his possible brothers George and Anthony. Also the FGS of Jonas, George and Anthony. Then in the next generation, see Jonas' sons Frank and John. Son George is "lost" after 1880, son Paul Henry only had the one child, Gretchen. Lewis had no children, and Albert is also "lost" after 1880. As with the pictures, use your browser's "back" button to return to this page.
