Tattered portrait shows a distinguished white-haired gentleman, with many handwritten notes on the back
John Chilton Ransdell was born on March 22, 1809, in Fauquier County, Virginia, just west of present-day Washington, D.C. to father, John C Ransdell (44) and mother, Lucy T Chilton (33).
He married a woman named Mary Bowen (February 21, 1821 – 16 April 16, 1895) on February 13, 1844, in Henry County, Kentucky. The couple lived in Port Royal, Kentucky, where they raised two sons and two daughters.
He died on March 18, 1891 at the age of 81, and was buried in Port Royal Cemetery, Port Royal, Kentucky.
I wasn’t able to learn much about his life or occupation, but he must have been successful because his grave marker is a large and elaborate stone monument. You can see a photograph of it here: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52589270/john-chilton-ransdell.
From his granddaughter’s note on the back of the photograph, we know he was a furniture maker, but it may have just been a hobby.
Handwritten Notes on the Back Side of the Cabinet Card
The cabinet card is quite tattered around the edges, with a hole through it that may have been where it was tacked to a wall or board. The front says “Gurlitz Artist”.
The back is among the most cluttered I have ever seen, with two photographer’s stamps and many handwritten notes — apparently written by granddaughter Roxana Ransdell Foreman.
From top to bottom, the notes say, “John Chilton Ransdell. Wife Mary Bowen — Parents of Roxana Ransdell (Foreman).”
“# 433-830198-C3/4/83 copy for Marshall Jr.”
This was probably the negative number for the photographer’s reference, and may indicate an 1883 date for the original photograph different than the 1890 identified for this print, which is possibly a copy reordered later.
“Hitchcocks
6572 Brum (?) Drive
Knoxville”
Photographer’s stamp: “Harry Gurlitz, Photographer”
Photographer’s stamp: “Turners, Ky.” (now called Turners Station).
“John C. Ransdell
Born 1809
Died Mar. 1891
Grandfather of J.C. Foreman.”
“Made plain straight chair in bathroom — Roxana”
Seller’s sticky note:
c1890 Turners KY
Turners Station KY,
John Chilton Ransdell
Port Royal Ky cemetery
Harry Gurlitz Fotog.”
About Photographer Harry Gurlitz
Harry Gurlitz was an itinerant photographer who travelled Indiana and Kentucky, making portraits in his mobile studio (a terrific photograph of the studio wagon can be seen here). An autographed 1869 portrait of Gurlitz can be seen here.
According to the Indiana Album, Ebarhard Harry Gurlitz was born September 22, 1844 in Russia. He was married in 1874 to Catherine T. Clayton (probably in Kentucky).
He operated his first studio at 22 W. 5th Street in Cincinnati in 1863.
In 1865, he began operating an itinerant photography wagon out of Milford, Indiana. Over the next 40 years he had locations in Indiana and Kentucky, ultimately settling in Shelby County, Kentucky, east of Louisville, where he died on July 21, 1923.