#52Ancestors52Weeks....Week 46...Cultural.....The Tradition of Swaddling and The Brondolo Fasce (Swaddling Band)

 

 This mysterious roll of embroidered linen belonged to the Brondolo Family. What was it used for?? 

 

   This mysterious and intriguing roll of embroidered cloth has been in the box of Brondolo/Bertonasco pictures for years.  I have unrolled it on occasion, wondering what it was, how it was used and who it belonged to.  It was a mystery!  

 

 When the piece is unrolled, it is 6 feet in length.  It has a width of 6 1/2 inches.  It has strings on the finished end for tying. 

The finished end, underside, with  strings for tying. 

 "Amato Bene" means "Loved Well" or "Beloved" in Italian.  The embroidery was not done by hand, but by machine. 

 Amato Bene is repeated along with the pattern.  

      Was this a keepsake from a wedding? A confirmation?  A wall hanging or a table runner?  I found a Facebook group for all things 'Italian Genealogy' and several members knew right away that this was a beautiful  swaddling cloth.  It must have belonged to my grandmother Tersilla Palmina Brondolo, born in Vesime, Northern Italy, on March 31, 1911.  The swaddling cloth, or band, could have also been used for her siblings Emilio, Celestina, Francesco, Agostino and  Guilio.  Considering the relatively good condition it is in, it may have only been used for Nino (Tersilla) who was the baby of the family.  Sadly, we have no photographs of her as a baby. 

   After discovering what the cloth was used for I did some quick research into the practice of swaddling and its cultural significance.  I also found pictures of swaddling bands that were very similar to ours.  

   Swaddling is an ancient practice that has been passed down through generations and cultures. From ancient Greece to Roman times through the Medieval period and up to the 1800's, the practice of wrapping babies helped promote a sense of security and warmth, helped promote better sleep,  and served to limit a baby's movement to prevent accidental injury. It was also thought to prevent limbs from growing crooked.  Swaddling garments were often adorned with intricate designs and patterns to reflect the cultural artistry and craftsmanship of each society. Italian swaddling bands could be beautiful works of art...

 This is a needlepoint (cutwork) lace swaddling band made in Italy, Sicily, in the 16th century.  From the Cleveland Museum of Art. 

     The embroidery on our swaddling band appears to have been done by machine.  A contributor on the Italian Genealogy Facebook site suggested that it may have been done on a special embroidery machine after the turn of the century.  She said that it was not unusual for young girls to do this kind of embroidery after school hours.  These types of bands are still beautiful! 

This was advertised on Etsy as an "antique Italian swaddling band" from the 1920's.  It is made of cotton.  This one has Mille Baci embroidered on it....or "thousand kisses".  So sweet!  And very similar in style to ours. 

     Swaddling is a practice that was once widespread in Italy and much of Europe and the Mediterranean.  In fact, it was still a part of baby care in Italy, Germany and Russia up until the 1960's.  

  Linen fasce (baby band) from Italy, 1600-1625; Victoria and Albert Museum

This is how it was done!

Swaddling has come back in style with new parents these days, although in a more modern form.  Pictured are my grandchildren; both were swaddled as babies.  

Photograph taken in 2021. 

Amato Bene! 

Fasce:  Swaddling

      

References:

Victoria and Albert Collections

https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O38155/swaddling-band-unknown/

Baby Wrapping-Traditional Baby Swaddling in Italy and Beyond October 29, 2018 Michael Curtotti     https://beyondforeignness.org/7340

{{cite web|title=Needlepoint (Cutwork) Lace Swaddling Band|url=https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1920.1132|author=|year=16th century|access-date=14 November 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

#52Ancestors52Weeks...Week 43 and 44 Themes...Lost Contact/Challenging......Are You My (Norwegian) Cousin? Part 2

 

"Unni" 

 Somewhere near Olso, Norway.

Photograph taken sometime after 1930.

Unni's place in the family tree remains a mystery. 

Back of photograph

   "Hello Heine...

  Do you know again little Unni, taken this summer...She never forget you and very often speak about, she can't understand yet that your father is my uncle, and why you are so far away.  

                                  Yours

                                   Emma (?)   "

 Unni and Harold Klemmetsen

Somewhere near Oslo, Norway.

Taken after 1930.

Back of photograph

 "Father and little Unni giving him caffe in the garden."

  My grandfather Harold Hansen (his nickname was Heine) took a trip in 1930 to visit with his father's family on their farm near Oslo, Norway.  These photographs were sent to Harold from his first cousin Emma after his 1930 visit.  Grandpa's father, John Hansen, was Emma's uncle; Emma's mother was Hulda Klemmetsen, John's sister. 

  John Hartwig Hansen, grandpa's father,  had lived with his sister Hulda and her husband Harald Klemmetsen in Oslo, Norway before coming to America in the 1890's.  John Hansen kept in touch with his family as evidenced by trips back to Norway,  many (unidentified) photographs, several remaining letters, and the heritage he proudly passed on to his sons.  

 A Christmas card sent to Grandpa, signed by Emma Klemmetsen, date unknown (but before 1939).  I am not sure if Emma was ever married.

                                                                     Inside of card with Emma's signature.

  envelope

Sadly, over time, later generations have lost contact with this branch of the family.  WWII caused a rift between members of the Norway family, with some members participating in the underground fighting against the German occupation and others siding with the Germans.  We believe some relatives ended up in the Chicago area after that.  The last contact between the Norway family and our Hansen family was sometime in the 50's when "Mia" came to the states to visit with Robley (Uncle Bob) Hansen and his family.  Was this Emma?  And who did Unni belong too? 

 Uncle Bob with "Mia" on the front porch of the Arlington Avenue home in Reno, Nevada.  Circa 1950's. 

Photograph from the Bob Hansen Family Album

 

    Piecing together this branch of the family has been a real challenge!  Generational links have mostly faded away and valuable information has been lost to time. I do have many pictures, some with identification, but most with nothing written on the back.  Just little pieces to a very large Norwegian puzzle.  

  These are pictures that either have identification written on them or that I have identified from other known photographs. I pieced together the family tree for Harald and Hulda Klemmetsen several years ago using Ancestry.com, original family documents and letters that Grandpa wrote while on his trip in 1930.  Here is what I know....

Hulda and Harald Klemmetsen

Photograph taken around 1900 (possibly 1905) in Norway. 

Ingeberg Studio, Christiana (Oslo)

Cabinet Card.

 Harald Peter Klemmetsen (b. 1862 Norway) m. 1885

Hulda Elvine Kristine Gunderson/Hansen (b. 1857 Christiana, Norway)

     (Children all born in Christiana, Norway)

1.  Hartvig Harald Aleksander Klemmetsen b. 1885

2.  Elvira Matea Sophie Klemmetsenb. 1887  d. 1894

3.  Marie Kristiane Harolda Klemmetsen b. 1892

4.  Kristian Valdemer Klemmetsen b. 1892  (Christian the farmer in Ski)

5.  Emma Hansine Klemmetsen b. 1894

6.  Hans Petter Klemmetsen b. 1896

7.  Rolf Henry Klemmetsen b. 1898.  (Ralph the ship captain)

This photograph was taken at the same studio as the above photograph.  John Hartwig Hansen posing with his  cousin Emma; he was wearing his Spanish American War Naval uniform with a medal of some kind.  He must have visited Norway right around the turn of the century, possibly in 1905 after his marriage to Vere Burrows. 

Cabinet Card. 

This embossed photograph was taken at the same studio as the above two pictures. 

Candid photograph of John Hansen with Harald Klemmetsen,  taken at the same time as the above picture. 

Date on back is  "4.7.1905"  and may possibly date all of these photographs to 1905.  Marie Klemmetsen's name is also on the back.   This was taken at the Ingeberg studio, but has a different look to it.  The chair is the same as in the portrait of Hulda and Harald. 

Cabinet Card. 

Emma and Marie Klemmetsen

Photographs taken at the Ingeberg Studio at the same time as the above pictures.  Emma would have been 11 years old and Maria would have been 13 years old in 1905.  

Cartes de Visite

Identified as "Rolf Henry March 30, 1900" on back.  Taken at the Ingeberg Studio. 

Cabinet Card.

Rolf Klemmetsen 

Ingeberg Studio

If this picture was taken in 1905 Rolf would have been 7-8 years old. 

Carte de Visite.

Rolf Klemmetsen

Photograph taken in Christiana (Oslo) Norway, around 1910-11 at the Kongsrud Studio, Christiana, Norway.

Carte de Visite.

Emma Klemmetsen 1913, Oslo, Norway

Back of photograph

   Translation from Norwegian to English:  

"Dear Uncle!  Here you see me in front of the house-I hope you recognize it.  As you can see, I'm all grown up now, and I'm already 19 years old.  We are so thrilled and overjoyed that you're coming to Norway.  Oh, we're going to have so much fun! Just imagine how fun it will be to teach Aunt Vere and our little cousins to speak Norwegian.  Welcome!  

     Warm regards, Emma." 

  If Emma was 19 years old, she wrote this to John Hansen in 1913.  He was already married with three little boys at home, so the context would make sense with the date.   It sounds like John was planning to  make another trip right before WWI with his family.  I don't think they made that trip, possibly due to the war. 

 Hulda Klemmetsen,  Harold Hansen and Emma Klemmetsen, 1930.

Harold Hansen made a trip to  Norway in 1930 to visit his father's relatives. 

 Harold Hansen with (possibly) Rolf or Christian Klemmetsen in 1930.

 Emma Klemmetsen 1933 

  I have many more pictures, some I can identify from the above pictures, some I cannot.  It is obvious that this branch of the Norway family missed John Hansen, enjoyed his visits, and got to know John's sons later on.  It is sad that our later generations have lost this connection.  It is a branch of our family tree I would love to know more about.  

    I do have DNA matches to quite a few people with Norwegian ethnicity; as yet I haven't been able to make any connections between our trees, as most trees from matches are not built out or are nonexistent. This has been very frustrating and very challenging to say the least.  Hopefully, over time, I will find a cousin that has a piece of the puzzle I can use!  

    Unni's relationship to our family still remains a mystery.  

Relationship Reference:

Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Harold Hansen-John Hartwig Hansen

#52Ancestors52Weeks....Week 42 Theme...Full House...The Hayes Family at Home Somewhere on 22nd Street

  Robert Franklin and Sallie (Crawford) Hayes at home in San Francisco (top right).  Who were the rest of the people in their parlor?  

The clothing styles date this photograph to between 1906-1909. 

      The theme for this week is Full House.  This picture was found in with the Hayes Family papers and was most likely taken by Lester Hayes who was around 23 years old at the time.  He was an amateur photographer and had a studio located at 3818 22nd Street, a 2 unit home that the Hayes owned. 

  According to the 1900 census, the Hayes rented out one unit of the 3818 property (the other was the photography studio) and  Franklin, Sallie and  son Lester lived at 3822 22nd Street, just two doors down from Lester's studio.  They owned this home also. 

   The mystery is....who were the rest of the people posing for the picture?  

 

  

Robert Franklin Hayes married Sallie (Sarah Elizabeth) Crawford in 1880.  They were my great great grandparents.  The picture in the background (above Franklin's head) was found in the King album, and was most likely taken by Lester Hayes. Lester married Emma Lavinia King, my great grandmother, in 1908 in San Francisco. 

    The same picture observed in the Hayes' parlor. From the King Album. Date and location unknown. 

     Possible identifications for the couple on the top may be Franklin's brother William and his wife Dorthea Christensen Hayes (from Denmark).   Posed with them may be Lillie Ross Hayes, the mother of Franklin and William (and brother Joseph). William, Dorthea, their young children and Lillie were living at 18 Elgin Street (Elgin Park) on the 1900 census. This was Lillie and Robert Hayes' family home since 1876.  

   Who are the rest of these lovely ladies?  The two women in the middle, left to right, may be mother and daughter.  The young lady at the bottom of the picture may be related to this group.  The woman on the far right is a mystery!  None of these women fit any relationships or ages in the Hayes or Crawford family tree.  They may simply be good friends or neighbors.

  Who is who is just speculation on my part.  But it is fun to enjoy the moment of the photograph.  Franklin and Sallie are looking directly at the photographer (probably their son) while the rest of the group is focused on a point to the photographer's left.  It is a happy and relaxed group; they seem to be very familiar with each other.  It was not a formal picture but more of an impromtu gathering of family and friends.

   The Hayes were proud of their parlor.  They exhibited several pictures that are familiar.  The large picture to the left is of Lester Hayes as a boy...this picture is now hanging in the dining room of my mother.  

   The large picture on the right did not survive, but the frame did which was restored and repainted.  It is now a beautiful mirror hanging in the hallway of my mother. 

The smaller cabinet card on the far left is of Lester around the time of his high school graduation around 1900.

 

    I can only speculate on the reason for this gathering and subsequent photograph.  The William Hayes family (William, Dorthea, their children Lilly and Robert) and Lillie Hayes lived at number 18 Elgin Street in 1900.  By 1910 they were living in San Leandro.  Of course, the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire happened in 1906.  Looking at when homes were built in the Elgin Park area,  you see that most homes still standing today were built after 1910.  The fire had reached this neighborhood.  Lillie Hayes' will stipulated that a lot should be deeded to her son Joseph after her death.  The lot was on the west side of Elgin Park.  Was there a home left? This home had been in the Hayes family since 1876.  Was this family staying with Franklin and Sallie because they had no home?  A possibility.  

   By the 1910 census Franklin and Sallie were living at the 3818 address with Sallie's father John Washington Crawford.  It was still owned by the Hayes. Sallie continued to live at this address after Franklin's death.  The 1930 and 1940 census shows Sallie and Lester living at this address together, as Lester and Emma had divorced.  In 1950 Lester was living at this address by himself. It was still a 2 unit dwelling. 

 Redfin 

 

The Hayes home in San Francisco, California.  The 3822 home is two doors down on the left.  Both homes were built in 1900 and survived the earthquake and fire.  

Google Street View

  

   Lillie Ross Hayes was listed on the 1910 census as living at 3902 22nd Street, just up the street from Franklin and Sallie.  She was living with her son Joseph and another couple by the name of Captain John Dart and Amy Dart.  Amy was a witness to Lillie's will on March 15, 1917.   Was Amy one of the lovely ladies in the photograph?  She was obviously a family friend and neighbor who graciously added Lillie and Joseph to her home until Lillie's death in 1918.  Franklin and Sallie were taking care of Sallie's father John Washington Crawford at the time and perhaps this was the solution they came up with to care for both aging parents.  

   This was a fascinating photograph to analyze.  There are still so many unanswered questions.  But at least we get a glimpse into the Hayes' parlor.  But which parlor was it?  3822 or 3818? There is always more research to do! 

Relationship Reference:

Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Margaret Elizabeth Hayes Hansen->Lester Hayes->Robert Franklin Hayes m. Sallie Crawford 

   

                   Robert Hayes (1825-?) m. Lillie Ross (1832-1918)

I

Robert Franklin Hayes (1854-1918)

William James Hayes (1859-1912)

Lilly Hayes (1864-1878)

Joseph Ross Hayes (1867-1927) 

#52Ancestors52Weeks...Week 41 Theme...Most....A Most Thrilling Story! But Was It True or Just a Tall Tale?

   Daily Morning Union October 12, 1904

Grass Valley, California

Goldfield was otherwise known as New Mining Camp in 1904, the height of the boom. 

    This week's theme is Most....John Hansen (my great grandfather) was a natural born storyteller.   He even wrote a complete manuscript telling of his many adventures in Central America in 1910.  Those stories blurred the line between reality and tall tales but were non the less very fun to read!

    I do believe this story was one of the first stories of John's to be published and shows his ability as a storyteller. He wrote it (or told it to a reporter looking for a sensational story) for the local paper.  The Daily Morning Union readers  wanted to know what John was up to in Goldfield, Nevada when he should have been home in Grass Valley  with his new bride Vere (they married in July of 1904).  But...was his story true or made up?  A most confounding question.  You decide! 

   John Hansen was in Goldfield, Nevada, scoping out gold mines and opportunities to make some money during the boom of 1904.  He even purchased shares in several gold mines a few years later in 1906 and 1907.  Goldfield was at one time the largest town in the state, fueled by a feverish goldrush which quickly dried up by 1910.  John may have been lured by the promise of easy riches during the boom; instead of gold he came home with this intriguing story of his journey in the desert.  It reads like a tall tale, but, like the rest of his stories, there must have been a little truth in there somewhere! 

  

 John purchased 700 shares in the Manhattan Combination Mining Company in Goldfield, Nevada in 1906. We don't know if he saw any returns for his investments in Goldfield mining adventures. 

 

 

   Click on the link for Central America (under labels) for more stories written by John Hansen. Click on the link for John Hartwig Hansen to learn more his life. 

Relationship Reference:

Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Harold Hansen->John Hartwig Hansen m. Vere Burrows Hansen