Not many clues to location (and certainly not of the people). Some of that may be established by provenance (you now who took it and where they traveled). Although the clothing seems to indicate Western Europe, it doesn't specifically identify the location since that type of women's clothing was common from France to Poland. I did notice that the oval matting was imperfect. It shows the scene through it. One of the things behind the matting seems to be a sign (upper right). The language of the sign might tell us something. Is it possible to remove the matting somehow without messing up what's behind it? Also, the front of the cart behind the woman's right arm seems to have some kind of lettering on it. If you can zero in on that and clean it up, you may be able to read it.
Immigrant ships often had small a circus on them to entertain the passengers. I suspect that is what the bear is all about. He was probably part of a larger circus act. The bear appears to be on one of the lower decks where animals might be kept.
I think Grump may have hit it on the bear, or perhaps it was an animal being transported for a circus in America.
By the way, it's SS (steam ship) Phonecia, not USS. USS is reserved for US warships. The Phonecia was not an American registered ship at all. She was built in 1894 for the Hamburg-America Line and held German registry. She sailed until 1937, mostly on the immigrant run.
LR,
Once he learned that, they would give him one of those hats and the Marine Corps would make him into a DI. You can bet that the recruits would listen when he talked. Of course, he probably wouldn't be as scary as most DI's.
It adds immeasurably to the discussion and my ability to research more efficiently.
I'm currently taking a break from the Magic Lantern slides and the tedious process of digitizing, key-wording, restoration and research; in the meantime, I'll be placing some 3500 images into agents' pipelines -- much of the research and key-wording on these are already done.
I'll be sharing a variety of these on NT -- lots of different subjects.
I hit on a site that showed the history of that ship. Let me look for it again. I remember it changing ownership/country's a few times. It may have been postedwith the last image of this ship.
Another SS Phoenician reference with more historical detail on the ship, captainand one of the owners
The Phoenician , arriving at Quebec July 10, 1874 with Miss Macpherson's children, does not appear in the list carrying child emigrants again until April 30, 1878 when William Quarrier's children arrived onboard her at the port of Quebec. The Phoenician had started life as the Saint David , was lengthened from 272 feet to 335 feet and renamed. Interestingly enough, William Quarrier's first party of children sailed to Canada on board this ship when it was called the Saint David . Captain Edward Scott was in charge in 1872 when the first Quarrier party took ship for Canada. A compartment was set aside for the children as well as a portion of the deck. Phoenician was refitted in 1888 and removed from the Liverpool and Glasgow service to South American service.
What is puzzling me about the first picture is this: Notice the brick/cobblestone streets. Usually by the time a city could afford to pave the streets with cobblestone (a fairly expensive proposition given that the clay had to be mined, mixed, formed, baked, transported and set in the roadway) most communities would have had running water and sewers below that cobblestoned street.
That little wooden building to the left of the larger brick building (which looks sort of like a hotel to me) might be a wash house for the hotel. The lady is dresses as a washerwoman, I think, and she may be taking water in or out of the wash house. Laundry to be washed would have been brought in that little cart behind the woman. Notice that it is not a sturdy work cart, it's only suitable for hauling light cargo like clothes.
The street and carrying water are not inconsistent Grump. Even at the beginning of the 20th Century, there were many smaller villages in Europe that had cobblestone streets (some reaching back as far as Roman times) but still did not have piped in plumbing. The reason was economic. Laying down streets and roads (and paying for them) was largely the responsibility of the National or Provincial governments. Installing piping into each home was a matter for the local government and individual homeowner to handle. There would be many who would object to the expense, so it wouldn't be done. Why should it be? It would be expensive and the only people who would complain about the inconvenience would be the women who had to carry the water (and they weren't allowed to vote on the matter). Even in the house that I own, when it was first built just after 1915, it had paved roads and it's own well and outhouse. It was later changed to a septic tank, but wasn't tied into a municipal sewer system until about 30 years ago. It still has it's own well.
I think you may have hit the mark with the washhouse idea. Besides the things you mentioned, there is also the carrying pole that is being used. Equipment like that was expensive to manufacture at that time (mostly hand work) and would suggest someone who carried large amounts of water daily. Most housewives would only carry one or two buckets per day, and would likely just carry them by hand, or give that job to their older children.
Since laying cobblestone is such a huge endeavor, water pipes were usually put in first. Those pipes were often lead pipes. So, If she were carrying water, it would have only been for a short distance. Cholera was thought to be airborne (vapors) and the water would be boiled. Water for drinking, for the hotel patrons, would have probably been in covered containers. Waste water would have probably been taken out the back and dumped if there were no sewer access. I doubt they would have dumped human waste in front of the hotel, but they might in the back in a cistern/cesspool made for human waste.I have no idea why that ended up in italics. A gypsy curse, perhaps.
This was taken on the emigrant ship SS Phoenicia; it raises a few obvious questions.
Itraises the question of how did that bear get a passport?
And I almost missed the oneunbelievably long toe nail on that bear, because I was so impressed with its near perfect posture. Compare the bear's posture with the posture of the gent watching the bear.
Nice image but of whom, and, where?
Added a second image.
Mac,
Not many clues to location (and certainly not of the people). Some of that may be established by provenance (you now who took it and where they traveled). Although the clothing seems to indicate Western Europe, it doesn't specifically identify the location since that type of women's clothing was common from France to Poland. I did notice that the oval matting was imperfect. It shows the scene through it. One of the things behind the matting seems to be a sign (upper right). The language of the sign might tell us something. Is it possible to remove the matting somehow without messing up what's behind it? Also, the front of the cart behind the woman's right arm seems to have some kind of lettering on it. If you can zero in on that and clean it up, you may be able to read it.
TTGA,
I though about removing the matting but the film emulsion might peel away with it and there's no guarantee that the sign is legible in any event.
Immigrant ships often had small a circus on them to entertain the passengers. I suspect that is what the bear is all about. He was probably part of a larger circus act. The bear appears to be on one of the lower decks where animals might be kept.
it's fairly obvious,...the man is teaching the bear to say,...."Remember, only you can prevent forest fire..."
I think Grump may have hit it on the bear, or perhaps it was an animal being transported for a circus in America.
By the way, it's SS (steam ship) Phonecia, not USS. USS is reserved for US warships. The Phonecia was not an American registered ship at all. She was built in 1894 for the Hamburg-America Line and held German registry. She sailed until 1937, mostly on the immigrant run.
LR,
Once he learned that, they would give him one of those hats and the Marine Corps would make him into a DI. You can bet that the recruits would listen when he talked. Of course, he probably wouldn't be as scary as most DI's.
Great! I'll go with that.
"Circus bear entertains emigrants on board SS Phoenicia" c. 1894
Man thanks.
Smokin'!
I think it was recommissioned as USS in 1919/20. I will check that, but for accuracy, your designation is correct for the date.
Gezundheit!
Enjoyable, thanks Mac.
There is that ship again. With "bears, oh my!"
Thanks for educating me on that.
Many thanks, Egilman,
It adds immeasurably to the discussion and my ability to research more efficiently.
I'm currently taking a break from the Magic Lantern slides and the tedious process of digitizing, key-wording, restoration and research; in the meantime, I'll be placing some 3500 images into agents' pipelines -- much of the research and key-wording on these are already done.
I'll be sharing a variety of these on NT -- lots of different subjects.
I hit on a site that showed the history of that ship. Let me look for it again. I remember it changing ownership/country's a few times. It may have been postedwith the last image of this ship.
That's the link.
Mac your "German or France" reference souldn't be far off, it's maiden voyage was with German ownership.
Another SS Phoenician reference with more historical detail on the ship, captainand one of the owners
What is puzzling me about the first picture is this: Notice the brick/cobblestone streets. Usually by the time a city could afford to pave the streets with cobblestone (a fairly expensive proposition given that the clay had to be mined, mixed, formed, baked, transported and set in the roadway) most communities would have had running water and sewers below that cobblestoned street.
That little wooden building to the left of the larger brick building (which looks sort of like a hotel to me) might be a wash house for the hotel. The lady is dresses as a washerwoman, I think, and she may be taking water in or out of the wash house. Laundry to be washed would have been brought in that little cart behind the woman. Notice that it is not a sturdy work cart, it's only suitable for hauling light cargo like clothes.
Just my 2 cents and it's free.
On many of the slides, especially in Germany (1903), the streets are cobblestone.
The street and carrying water are not inconsistent Grump. Even at the beginning of the 20th Century, there were many smaller villages in Europe that had cobblestone streets (some reaching back as far as Roman times) but still did not have piped in plumbing. The reason was economic. Laying down streets and roads (and paying for them) was largely the responsibility of the National or Provincial governments. Installing piping into each home was a matter for the local government and individual homeowner to handle. There would be many who would object to the expense, so it wouldn't be done. Why should it be? It would be expensive and the only people who would complain about the inconvenience would be the women who had to carry the water (and they weren't allowed to vote on the matter). Even in the house that I own, when it was first built just after 1915, it had paved roads and it's own well and outhouse. It was later changed to a septic tank, but wasn't tied into a municipal sewer system until about 30 years ago. It still has it's own well.
I think you may have hit the mark with the washhouse idea. Besides the things you mentioned, there is also the carrying pole that is being used. Equipment like that was expensive to manufacture at that time (mostly hand work) and would suggest someone who carried large amounts of water daily. Most housewives would only carry one or two buckets per day, and would likely just carry them by hand, or give that job to their older children.
Itraises the question of how did that bear get a passport?
And I almost missed the oneunbelievably long toe nail on that bear, because I was so impressed with its near perfect posture. Compare the bear's posture with the posture of the gent watching the bear.