I don’t get many French family photos, mainly for the reason that I don’t speak French and am not familiar with French sources of genealogy. I was fortunate to return two photos to families in France. But the rest of them in my collection are still waiting to have their true stories rediscovered. Perhaps by sharing them with you, some new clues come to light and these French families find their way back home, too.
Olga Scherzer 3 year? Roger Scherzer 9 months? Photographie Dufayel, Paris
These French siblings (my guess) are a mystery. My Instagram community helped me figure out that their surname was Scherzer. No wonder nothing came up when I searched for Scherger.
I was only able to find two records. We could identify that Olga Suzanne Scherzer was born on July 4, 1910 in Paris, 19e-Arrondissement. She passed away on July 6, 1993, in Villepinte, Seine-Saint-Denis in France.
And one Roger Francois Scherzer was born on September 19, 1912 in Paris, 9e-Arrondissement. He passed away on April 11, 1977 in Saint-Benoit-La-Foret in France.
So Roger was 9 months old, and Olga almost 3 years old in May 1913, when this photo was taken.
I’ve not found any other information on those two, no names of parents or spouses. In fact, I cannot say for 100% that those are the records for these Scherzer siblings. I hope one day we will learn more about them!
Renee et Yves Jamin. Mariage de Jacqueline Jamin, 1946
My French followers told me that this is a photo of Renee and Yves Jamin, taken at the wedding of Jacqueline Jamin in 1946. Renee and Yves were then either a married couple or siblings, and Jacqueline who shared their surname, might have been their sister.
I wish I found a marriage record for Jacqueline Jamin so that we would also know whom she married in 1946 and how her surname might have changed. I wish I also knew for sure her relation to Renee and Yves Jamin. But so far, I have not found anything that would tie them all together.
I found one Yves Jamin working as a French steward for Air France between 1948-1956, travelling as a crew member from France to New York several times over the years.
In 1949, he was listed as single, so Renee was not his wife. His place of birth was marked Dinan, Cotes-D’armor in France. On a passenger form from 1960, his date of birth was marked November 19, 1923.
On another crew list his name was listed as Yves Rene Alphonse Jamin, French citizen.
In 1963, he and his Mrs were living at 2024 Rue Roche in Montreal, Quebec. He passed away on February 5, 2010, in France. But since I find nothing else for this name, no relations, family members or family trees, I am not even sure if this was the Yves Jamin in Jacqueline’s wedding photo.
Pierre Saillat, mon père 1863, Paris
This one is a long shot. There have been more than a few men with the name Pierre Saillat in France . So let’s concentrate on the ones who lived in Paris. I assume the man in the photo could have been in his 30s, so perhaps he was born in the 1820s or beginning of 1830s.
I find one gentleman named Pierre Saillat who was born on June 16, 1832 to parents Pierre Saillat and Marianne Delmas. On October 29, 1863, he married Marie Rose Richard. Perhaps he gave this photo to his bride. The photo is very faded, so I can’t make out if he was wearing a wedding band in the photo.
Pierre Saillat passed away on December 16, 1906, in Paris 14, and was buried at the Cimetière de Montparnasse (14e), in Paris. I wish I could read this record about his death:
Source: Archives de Paris
Pierre and Marie had (at least) one son: Victor Henri Emile Saillat. Perhaps he wrote those lines on the back of the photo?
Grandparents Tellier, Leur fille et petite fille. Ohio/Orio/ Orie?
My French followers on Instagram helped me read the surname of the grandparents to have been Tellier, and they were photographed with their daughter and with their grand-daughter.
But regarding the last word, there were several opinions. It could read Ohio. Or Orie, perhaps the grand-daughter’s name. Or more probably it reads Orio, a name of the town this picture was taken in. Orio is a fishing town located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community, northern Spain. The lady holding the child might be wearing a traditional costume and headpiece of Basque country.
I would date the photo to the late 1900s, more likely early 1910s, taking into account the fashion of the lady shh-ing the baby.
But that is all I have for you, so just leaving you here with this faded gem until new hints come to my attention that might help us further.
Samedi 30 June 1900, … Pellissier
Two cabinet cards from the same family outing from Saturday June 30, 1900. The name below reads Pelllissier. But was it a surname or a name of the location? Also, I cannot read the abbreviation before Pellissier: Deph. (for Dephany)? Dlph (for Delphine)? Ilph (for Ilphonse)? Oeph (for Oephia, Oephelila)? Alph (for Alphonse)? Ilph
If you have any ideas for me, do please let me know. All clues and ideas are very welcome, let’s find their homes together!
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