Object Record
Images
Additional Images [17]
Metadata
Title |
John L. Battise Trunk |
Object Name |
Trunk |
Description |
Trunk found at the city dump by Mike Lee. There are 15 photos glued to the inside of the trunk's lid. The name John L. (Luwell) Battise is printed on the side. According to local African American historian Mrs. Willie Mae Ashley, Mr. Battiste was born in 1882 at Kings Ferry, Florida. He was employed by the Post Office for several years then, in about 1931, joined with Andrew Huff of Jacksonville to start a funeral home on Beech Street. During those years he served as a Senior Warden at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. Mr. Battiste married Hazel J. Pinkney (born 1897/1902, died, 1965) and had two children, Margaret (born 1919, Florida; died,1969, California) and Joseph (born 1922, Florida). Mr. Battiste died in 1964 and is buried in Bosque Bello Cemetery, along with his wife. An inscription on the lid indicates that the trunk was given to Mr. Battiste in Sanford, FL, in 1909. Further study of the photos on the lid indicate that they were taken at an earlier time. The only information we have on the trunk and its pictures are from extensive research performed by Bill Birdsong. Please see descriptions for each photo below. Photo 1: "The couple is posed formally in a photographer's studio. the man is dressed in a suit and tie probably turn of the century vintage. He has a thick mustache. This could be from the era he lived in or more appropriate to the society from which he came, such as European. His tie is held in place with a stick pin and under a formal dress shirt. There is a ring on the ring finger of his right hand but details are not clear. He leans slightly away from the woman, sitting in the crook of the love seat. The woman is dressed equally as formally and leans slightly toward the man, close enough that her right arm is behind his left. Her hair is nicely put up into a formal style. She wears eyeglasses. Her high neck blouse has long sleeves with lace around the wrists. She wears a pin under the lace collar but details can't be seen. There is a pendant on a chain around her neck that extends past her waist. Neither ring finger can be seen." Photo 2: "This young woman's portrait was taken in the same studio as picture #4, as judged by the backdrop design. Her dress is different but of a similar style to the woman's in picture #4, but more elaborate. The outfit is of two pieces with very intricate lace work, rounded neck, long sleeved, and she wears white gloves. Or, the top is short sleeved with lace gloves that go over the lower arm. There is a ribbon around her waist with the bow tied lower down. The woman holds a rolled paper tied with a ribbon, possibly a diploma. On her right chest is a ribbon suggesting an award of some kind. The ribbon appears to have writing or a badge at the top but it is too indistinct to see clearly." Photo 3: "These two young women are dressed in a similar fashion to the women in photos #2 and #4 but may be of less expensive material with less lace. A checkered pattern in discernable. The portrait shows the same studio backdrop design suggesting they were involved in the same event. The seated woman wears glasses and around her neck may be a pendant. Her hair is formally combed and she is sitting in a different chair from photo #4. The other young woman is standing on a platform allowing her enough height to lean her right arm on the shoulder of the seated woman. Her long-sleeved dress is similar to the other. Photo 4: "This is one of seven portraits of young African American Women, one with a small child. Their dresses are similar to each other suggesting that the portraits were taken at the same time or for the same event by the same photographer. Here, the woman appears to be older than the others and is in a more formal, pensive, pose. Her hair is formally combed and may be a style popular then. The dress is one piece, with long sleeves ending in lace, and a high lace collar. She wears what seems to be cloth flowers at her waist and sits in a wicker chair." Photo 5: "This young woman is formally dressed, with flowers and posed with parasol. The studio backdrop design is the same as that displayed in photo #1, suggesting the photographs were from the same studio and, perhaps taken at the same time or for a particular event. Her hair is formally done with small flowers in the back. She wears a choker style necklace possibly of cloth. Her dress has an open, heart shaped collar and short, puffy sleeves. On her left chest is a large bouquet of flowers some of which seem to be roses. A bright spot on the portrait suggests a ring on her left ring finger but the details are not clear. The white parasol matches the dress." Photo 6: "This woman is dressed similarly to the others (photos 2-4) but appears to be wearing ear rings. The picture is of a different quality than the others and may be a photograph of part of a portrait. There are no visible details of the background or the lower part of the dress." Photo 7: "The young woman is dressed similar to the others (Photos 2-4 and 6) and stands next to a baby placed in a high chair. The portrait is heavily damaged but was taken in the same studio as the others. An enlargement shows the baby wearing a bonnet." Photo 8: "There are seven people and one fish or shark in this snapshot. The young men seem of similar age and are dressed semiformal, not as fisherman coming from the water. Each is wearing a white shirt with a white tie. The collars are buttoned and one may have his collar turned up, the man holding a dress straw hat. The man in the left may also be holding a dark hat but details are not clear. A small child wearing all white and holding what looks like a piece of cloth stands in front of two of the men. He has a very loose belt around his waist that droops very low. Two young African American children are seen in the lower left of the picture, both laughing. In the low background, a third child lays on the grass with his head in his hands but facing the camera. The building on the far right has a sign advertising Spearmint Gum. This was taken in the lot behind 110 Centre Street. The top of the Palace Saloon is seen in the upper right of the photo. Photo 9: "This portrait of a young Caucasian man seems to be of another era, perhaps a generation later than the earlier photographs. This is suggested by his clothes and haircut. The photograph is badly damaged. If this is a studio portrait there is no visible backdrop to help identify it." Photo 10: "The trunk has images of three buildings. The first is a commercial print of the Oglethorpe Hotel in Brunswick, Georgia. The names Fleming and Bryant are written in the lower left-hand corner. The hotel was completed in 1888 and demolished in 1958. The relationship to the photographs is unknown." Photo 11: "This is an early picture of Villa las Palmas in Fernandina. The house was built in 1910 by Nathaniel Borden. He was prominent in the lumber and shipping industry and played a role in the Cuban Revolution against Spain. Cuba gave him the honorary title of 'Colonel.' The relationship to the other photographs is unknown." Photo 12: The Casino of the Carnegies - Cumberland Island, Georgia Photo 13: "There are two pictures of a harbor. Both have moderate damage. Sailing ships and a railroad are visible in one but in none are any details that identify where the pictures were taken. The harbor in Fernandina did have rail line running down to the ships." Photo 14: "There are two pictures of a harbor and one small picture of a train trestle over water. All have moderate damage. Sailing ships and a railroad are visible in one but in none are any details that identify where the pictures were taken. The harbor in Fernandina did have a rail line running down to the ships. In the small picture (#14) a train trestle can be seen." Photo 15: "There are two pictures of a harbor and one small picture of a train trestle over water. All have moderate damage. Sailing ships and a railroad are visible in one but in none are any details that identify where the pictures were taken. The harbor in Fernandina did have a rail line running down to the ships." |
Object ID |
2013.010.016 |
Caption |
Inside Trunk |
Dimensions |
H-22.5 W-20.5 L-33 D-17.5 inches |
Search Terms |
Mystery trunk Kings Ferry Beech Street Good Shepherd Episcopal Church Cumberland Island, GA |
Collection |
AIMH |
People |
Battiste, John L. Ashley, Willie Mae Hardy Birdsong, William Huff, Andrew Pinckney, Hazel J. (Battise) Battiste, Margaret Battiste, Joseph Carnegie, Lucy Coleman Carnegie, Thomas Morrison, Jr. |
Subjects |
Photographs Furniture Luggage Funerary facilities |
Year Range from |
1880 |
Year Range to |
1920 |