An undated cabinet photo shows Charlotte Christiane Elisabeth Stellwag, born Ramm (1850-1920) in Marne, Germany. Photo: Th. H. Backens, Marne
The story behind the image
Here’s an undated cabinet photo that was part of the Rößler lot I acquired last year.
For a while, it was unclear who the person on the photo was, and how she belonged into the genealogic puzzle of the Rößler family. A handwritten note on the back just said: “Mrs. Stellwag from Marne, the mother of aunt Paula, and the 2nd mother for Frieda Stellwag.” Uh, yes.
The portrait had been photographed by Thomas Heinrich Backens in Marne in or after 1902 and before 1912. We know this because Backens – like many other photographers of the time – used to promote the prizes he had won for his work. The back of this photo shows a medal from 1902. From 1912 onwards, he showed a medal from 1912, so this photo must have been shot between 1902 and 1912.
During my research I discovered the link to the Rößler family: In 1915, Minna Rößler married Carl Emil Arnold Friederich (1883-1954) from Meldorf. It was his second marriage, and there was a photo showing him with his first wife, Anna Elisabeth Friederike Stellwag (1877-1914), or short “Frieda”. This was the missing link: Mrs. Stellwag (the lady on the photo above) had been the step-mother of Frieda.
Mrs. Stellwag had been married to Carl Friedrich Julius Stellwag, a blacksmith in Marne. He had been married before to Johanna Ramm from Meldorf, who died in February 1880. The next year, on the 27th April 1881, Julius married Johanna’s sister Charlotte Ramm in Hamburg – which turned her into “Mrs. Stellwag”. (She gave birth to two further childs: Gustav Ludwig Otto, and Paula Sophia Marie. Both moved to Hamburg. Paula got married in 1911, but the marriage got divorced 24 years later.)
I’d estimate Mrs. Stellwag’s age on the photo to be about 60, but her dress makes her certainly look older. Having said that, she wears a black dress, maybe because she was still mourning about the loss of her husband who died in 1897. I’d say the image could have been taken around 1906, confirming the earlier findings from looking at the prizes won by the photographer.
In any event, it was now clear what the mysterious sentence on the back of the photo means. Mrs. Stellwag was the mother of Paula and the step-mother of Anna Elisabeth Friederike (“Frieda”).
Charlotte Christiane Elisabeth Stellwag, born Ramm, died on 13th November 1920 in Hamburg.
For you enthusiasts of historic images, here’s a 1:1 comparison between the unedited, color-calibrated cabinet photo and its digitally re-mastered version. Gone are countless scratches and dust particles:
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The photographer
Thomas Heinrich Backens was born on March 24, 1859, in Flensburg, where his father owned a mill (not too successfully, though, as he went bankrupt twice.) At first, Thomas Heinrich wanted to become a musician, but realized that this is hard-earned money. So he got trained as a photographer with the well-known photographer Wilhelm Dreesen in Flensburg. Around 1880, Backens opened his first photo studio in Meldorf, where he also met and married his future wife. In 1884, they moved to Marne where they remained for the rest of their lives.
Backens deserves attention today because he did not just operate a portrait business (which secured the income for the family) but also captured the area of Dithmarschen. These photos are valuable time capsules today.
Thomas Heinrich Backens died on May 25, 1925 in Marne.
Read more about him at Wikipedia (in German.)
Design ideas
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | c. 1906 |
| Photographer | Thomas Heinrich Backens |
| Location | Marne, Germany |
| Image Source | Albumen print from a glass negative, mounted, CdV format (c. 9.8 x 14.3 cm) |
| 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 | 9452 x 13587 Pixels |
| Copyright | Photo ©Th. H. Backens Scan © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
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