An undated cabinet photo shows Martin Tiemann (1889-1968) from Wischhafen in Germany. Photo: Gustav Gock
The story behind the image
Martin Tiemann turned out to be an interesting man. But first things first. This undated photo in the CdV format was part of the Rößler lot that I acquired in last year.
One of the previous owners of the photo wrote a note on the back:
Martin Tiemann aus dem grossen Haus am Markt in Krempe
In English, this simply means: “Martin Tiemann from the large house at the market in Krempe” and says – besides the name and the location – very little. I was puzzled. Would I be able to find the story behind this portrait? And where was the link to the Rößler family?
So, I did a bit of research and found Mr. Tiemann to be a frequent visitor to the United States. Between 1913 and 1949 he traveled several times between Germany and New York, in the first years as member of the crew or seaman.
| Date | Route | Vessel | Comments |
| 02/10/1913 | Bremen-New York | S.S. George Washington | Mr. Tiemann’s first entry to the U.S. |
| 13/05/1922 | Bremerhaven-New York | America | Member of the crew |
| 20/09/1923 | Bremerhaven-New York | Sierra Ventana | Seaman |
| 17/12/1923 | Bremerhaven-New York | Seydlitz | Occupation: Cook Father: Claus Tiemann, Krempe |
| 14/09/1925 | Hamburg-New York | Mount Clay | Seaman |
| 28/10/1925 | Hamburg-New York | Mount Clay | 2nd Cook |
| 05/03/1929 | Hamburg-New York | Cleaveland | Seaman |
| 17/05/1929 | Hamburg-New York | Deutschland | Cook, Place of Birth Wischhofen, Returning Resident Alien |
| 17/03/1932 | Hamburg-New York | Hamburg | Krempe |
| 08/11/1934 | Hamburg-New York | Albert Ballin | Cook, Place of Birth Wischhafen, Father: Claus Tiemann, Krempe |
| 01/05/1936 | Hamburg-New York | Hamburg | Chef, Place of Birth Wischhafen, Mother: Emma Tiemann, Markt 7, Krempe |
| 04/11/1938 | Hamburg-New York | Hamburg | Chef, Place of Birth Wischhafen, Mother: Emma Tiemann, Markt 10, Krempe |
| 03/10/1949 | New York-Copenhagen (Denmark) | SAS Aircraft OY-AAF | via Gander, Newfoundland, Canada and Prestwick, Scotland |
| 28/11/1949 | Hamburg-New York | SAS Aircraft SE-BDL | via Prestwick, Scotland |
He first entered the United States as early as 1913, though, and signed up for the U.S. Army to serve in both world wars. Many years later, in March 1955, he naturalized in the United States. The related court records show that he spent the summers in New York, usually from April to September, before he headed down to Florida to work as a chef during the high season.
The photo print in CdV format is in almost perfect condition, especially considering the fact that it is more than a century old by now. I think it shows Mr. Tiemann at the age of 25 to 30, i.e. it was shot between 1914 (pre-war) and 1919 (post-war.) He looks so confident and proud, and I really like his determined pose.
His father, Claus Tiemann, died on 16/12/1934 in Neumünster, Germany, and was buried four days later in Krempe. The church record mentions the full name of his mother: Emma Friederike Albertine Tiemann, born Henning. She was from Wischhafen and died on 25/07/1951 in Kellinghusen, Germany. She got buried next to her husband in Krempe.
Martin Tiemann never married and had no children. He died at the age of 79 years in Dade, Florida in April 1968.
I have yet to find the link to the Rößler family.
* * *
The photographer
Little is known about photographer Gustav Gock in Hohenwestedt in Holstein. He ran his photo studio over a long period, probably from the late 1880s to the 1920s. Apart from the standard jobs (studio portraits) he also captured images of point-of-interests of the area. He participated in exhibitions, won prizes and used the medals to promote his business.
Design ideas
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | c. 1919 |
| Photographer | Gustav Gock |
| Location | Hohenwestadt in Holstein, Germany |
| Image Source | Albumen print, c. 6 x 9 cm, mounted, CdV format |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image Source Format | TIFF, 48 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 5743 x 8608 Pixels |
| Copyright | Photo © Gustav Gock Scan © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
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