It's Louise Because I Say So

Or, When an Amateur Historian Abandons All Standards

These photographs were found in the steamer trunk next to the wedding announcement we just looked at. They were taken by a photographer in St. Louis. Therefore, I have concluded that the subject is Louise Nolte Kolb.

If I have found the right birth record, Louise was born December 18, 1902. So if she's in her early teens in this first one, that would place it in the vicinity of 1915.


(Click on images to enlarge)
Images courtesy of E.H.

In this second one, she's several years older, at least. Her hair looks bobbed. I'm guessing that this photo dates to circa 1925.




A tiny bit of research turned up this listing of St. Louis photographers, which places Frank A. Kientzle at 1534 S. Broadway in this general time frame, as a successor, I gather, to Ludwig F. Hammer, Sr. and Jr.

A Nolte Wedding

Since the newspaper gave so little information about "Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Nolte and daughter," I would never have been able to find them in the census records, had not this wedding announcement been saved in the steamer trunk.


(Click on images to enlarge)
Images courtesy of E.H.

We find the little family — William, Ada and Louise Nolte — in the 1910 Census and the 1920 Census, living in St. Louis. By the 1930 Census, Ada is widowed (as we might have guessed from the wording of the wedding announcement) and living with her daughter and son-in-law, still in St. Louis. I can't find Ada in the 1940 Census, which shows Harry and Louise (childless), living without her.

This address is written on the back of the announcement:



I'm guessing the announcement was sent to Herman and Minnie Harms. As you may remember, the Ainsworth branch of the Nolte family and the Harmses were semi-related and had been neighbors for several decades; and the St. Louis Noltes, visiting their nephews in July 1920, likely spent some time visiting their lively and charming shirttail relatives as well, thus either beginning a friendship, or strengthening an existing one.