1921 Wedding Gift Journal- Papers Tell a Story

[00:00:01]Hi everyone, it's Tarnished Treasures and welcome back. Today we are looking at this wedding gift record book which I received as a birthday gift for my friend Sally along with this dinner record book. It was a lot of fun yesterday putting the pieces of the puzzle together to figure out who this belonged to. Um when it was from and then I was able to find out some interesting facts about the bride and groom and their life. So if you love history um if you love treasure hunting this, you know, this experience yesterday, you would have loved it. So I'm going to come back to this record book. So, this one was an easy one to figure out who it belonged to. Um, it belonged to Mrs. Barber and her husband, Senator Barber. So, let's figure out what their names are. So, it was actually because it said Senator Barber, pretty easy to figure out that he was from New Jersey. Um, he was born in 1888, passed away in 1943.

[00:01:12]He was um a heavyweight boxer. Then he was in the New York National Guard for 10 years and was stationed near Mexico.

[00:01:22]Then he became, and this is what explains the money in this wedding book, um the president of the Linen Thread Company. And that was founded, started and run by his father until his father passed away in 1917.

[00:01:41]So his father was not at the wedding.

[00:01:45]And then he became the mayor of a town and then a senator in DC. And his wife's name is Elizabeth Cochran Carreri. And then she took the name last name Barbara.

[00:02:01]Mrs. Barber right there. And this book is from 1939.

[00:02:07]Uh he did pass away in 1943, so not long after this, but it did say that they were divorced at the time that he passed away. Um and then she went to remarry.

[00:02:23]So with her first husband, she had three kids and 10 grandkids. And then her second husband was a sir, so she became lady. and her name was Elizabeth.

[00:02:39]Elizabeth Cochran Carreri and then she was Barber from her first marriage and then I forgot to look for her second one.

[00:02:50]And one of her children's names was Sharon. And this is a bill about Sharon's debut. And this is 1950. So, she was remarried to her second husband at this time. And yesterday when I was researching, it said that she was buried with her second husband. And I was thinking to myself, I wonder how you choose. And then this morning, it said at the time of the senator's death, they were already divorced. So, that answered that question.

[00:03:20]So, you might say, when did they get married? When is this book from? Well, it is from 1921.

[00:03:31]So, [snorts] that's a little backstory about the couple. Now, a little bit about um what's in this book and the clues that I found that helped me figure all of that out. But, it makes sense that this would belong to the couple um from the dinner record book because the the books were together. So, it's a leather book. There's gold. And at first I thought this uh might be the initials of the couple, especially because there is that amperand right there. But when I was reading where some of these gifts were from and also on the first few pages, it says that this book is from Black Star and Frost, which I think I have possibly some thimbles from there.

[00:04:18]And I could tell it was a B, an S, and the and sign, but I couldn't tell that last one. Well, that's black, star, and frost. Okay, so I do think it is interesting that they give you these in the front. It's little stickers that you would stick on the present and then you'd write the number in the book. Um, they were stuck in there a little bit, so I got them out. And then I discovered an attached ribbon. And maybe that was something like maybe there was a flap to this or this is somehow helping you get these out if they're stuck down, but it's not a bookmark because that would be over here and this is attached.

[00:04:59]There also isn't a spot to put who this belongs to. And when you receive this book and you fill it out, then you know it's yours. But 100 years later, 105 years later, people might not know. So, it would be nice to add a name to this.

[00:05:16]I think I might do that even if it's just an extra piece of paper slipped in.

[00:05:21]And that's smart to do with your photos.

[00:05:24]When you get your kids photos, like now you know who they are, but later on down the road, other people might not.

[00:05:32]It also says in here in case of fire or burglary it might be of particular value as a means of identifying articles or in estimating the loss.

[00:05:46]So this I had said that the the money came before he was the senator. It came from the fact that this family, the um husband's side, owned a major thread company, the linen thread company. It was flax, it was linen, it was in New York, it Scotland, Ireland, and this book is half filled out with wedding presents. Now, I guess the more I think about it, just because they're listed as wedding presents, it doesn't mean they attended the wedding, but they could have. And that would have been 243 families, couples, single individuals.

[00:06:37]This could have been a huge wedding. And the family had a residence in New York, also in New Jersey.

[00:06:49]So these names mostly New York Park Avenue, East 55th Street, Park Avenue about three blocks away. Madison 55th 62nd to Park Avenues just a few houses away.

[00:07:10]And what were the last names? Caesar, Griggs, Stout, Hoppin, Cook, Downey, Williams.

[00:07:24]So, so far, none of the last names of the husband and wife of the couple, which at, you know, yesterday when I started reading this, I didn't know that yet.

[00:07:38]They received four silver candlesticks, a rose leather picture frame, a silver bowl from Gorum, a tan linen tea set from Lord and Taylor, an antique 1810 glass compost, a breakfast set china from Tiffany, a bronze lamp and shade from Tiffany, a silver gravy boat from John Wells. So all of these things are glass, silver, china, linens. It's all entertaining things. And we saw in this dinner record book, they knew how to give a party. So I'm sure all of this stuff was being used. How amazing.

[00:08:26]The handwriting does change back and forth in the book.

[00:08:31]That's one.

[00:08:33]And then a little spot in here where at the like the top about four or five are really big and then goes back to the other handwriting. So I wonder who was going back and forth entering. And it would be really neat if it actually was both of the couple. See how different that is from, let's say, that handwriting there.

[00:09:00]So, let me find the name uh of uh the first name I saw where I said, "Okay, here we go. Number 22, Mr. and Mrs. William A. Barber."

[00:09:14]And I saw the name Barber. That's the barbers from the dinner record book.

[00:09:18][snorts] And it said William A. So, looking online, the senator was William Warren. So, he was he went by, I think, W. Warren Barber. So, not him. Then I looked online and it said his father's name was William. So, I thought maybe this could be his parents. Says it's from California. And with a little more research, I found out that his father passed in 1917. So, that was four years before this wedding happened. Um, so I think at that point it would have just said Mrs. William A. Barber.

[00:09:53]So, this is just someone in the husband's side of the family and the name Barber pops up a lot. But let's see what William Barber gave. He gave a linen table set.

[00:10:06]Now, it says bought with check.

[00:10:14]Not sure, but it does make sense that if you're in the linen thread uh business, you might be giving something that's linen.

[00:10:22]They also on this page received a mantel clock from Tiffany, a glass picture frame from Tiffany, a linen tea cover, a lace and linen tea cover, a glass cigarette box from Tiffany, a silk sewing bag. So, they received six antique afterd coffee cups. So, they received antiques as well.

[00:10:45]So, it's nice to know they were appreciated.

[00:10:51]More Tiffany, Bigalow, Kiton, Gorum, Tiffany, Oington.

[00:11:09]Now, the um wife's last name was Carrer.

[00:11:13]C A R R E R E. And I don't see that anywhere in here. Um, her mother's maiden name was Cochran. I don't see that either.

[00:11:25]So, very interesting that um, the name Barber pops up probably 10 times in here, but I don't see anyone that I can figure out would have been from her side of the family. And her father was passed at the time of the wedding as well. So, now there's something here, Mr. and Mrs. Harry and the last name Carrerary was C A R R E R E.

[00:11:56]So, not exactly, but maybe if it was written fast or misspelled, possibly could be someone from her side of the family, but that was some word dish. And then, doesn't that look like it says take back here? They got a silver.

[00:12:18]What does that say? Silver vegetable dishes too with covers. And that's from Black Star and Frost.

[00:12:28]So I would assume you could register at this time. And I guess when you registered they gave you this and some addresses here.

[00:12:42]Does look like we've got New Jersey, Morristown, New Jersey, Park Avenue, New York, Lindberg, Washington.

[00:12:58]So, here we have another barber and this is the Flax Spinning Company, but they owned the Linen Thread Company.

[00:13:11]So, a little bit of a different name.

[00:13:14]Um, but the name barber, as I was thinking about that, I said, you know, I've seen trade cards with that name and and thread spools with that on top. So, we know this name if you are into sewing and antiques and collecting. [snorts] So, this was the founders's son of that company. This is his wedding registry and also one of the former presidents of the company. So, here's Barber again.

[00:13:50]So, when I first saw that name, William Barber, I thought, "Oo, maybe this is the senator's. He's just a guest." But no, it's his wedding in 1921. And these are other Barber family members.

[00:14:06]grandfather clock.

[00:14:08]Very old.

[00:14:11]They got a standing lamp and shade from the little gallery. The little gallery pops up a few times. Here is a reference to the linen thread company. They gave a silver card tray. So that could have been workers.

[00:14:28]This is Sir James Knox place and that's Scotland. And here's another variation.

[00:14:35]The Barber Flax Spinning Company.

[00:14:39]J Barber, Conway, Lisburn, Ireland.

[00:14:48]I keep stopping to read more and more about this thread company. I just find it so interesting. Um, so it looks like the name barber definitely started in Ireland and that's where like thread and mills happened and obviously people must have immigrated over here and brought this spinning and thread and linen and um the father of the groom, William Barber, he had a whole list of different thread companies that he had and I think eventually it just got all um mixed into one for the linen thread company. But they lived on 53rd Street and in 1917 he passed away.

[00:15:34]He was 55 years old. And it said his estate at that time was worth 10 to 20 million in 1917.

[00:15:44]And the person who lived behind him was Rockefeller, John Rockefeller Jr. So he bought that house and then had it knocked down in 39 and it is now the Museum of Modern Art.

[00:16:04]Miss Idaroo from the Hotel Chelsea on 23rd Street. She gave two Italian china bases from Wana Maker California. Very pretty enamel.

[00:16:21]So that's neat to have the little thought in there.

[00:16:25]A violet glass fruit bowl.

[00:16:29]A Tiffany glass flower bowl. A gold traveling clock.

[00:16:39]Martha Washington's dress.

[00:16:45]A crystal ball with a piece of Tiffany glass flower bowl.

[00:16:50]Are we Are we reading that? Martha Washington's dress. Crystal ball with piece of Okay.

[00:17:04]From Ireland. Here we've got Belfast.

[00:17:07]We've got a linen lunchon set.

[00:17:11]Bunch of violets. And that was from Mrs. Beverly Ward at the Hotel Webster on West 45th Street.

[00:17:24]Also someone from the Hotel Gotham.

[00:17:31]She received a and he a dozen dinner plates, blue band, gold monogram, a book.

[00:17:42]Here we have switched to pencil.

[00:17:48]We've got 12 service plates with gold bands from Tiffany, a Tiffany lamp, an ice cream fork and spoon.

[00:17:56]Up here it says Mr. and Mrs. Henry Clark. And Clark is a name of a another thread company. So I wonder if any of these names might have been other thread company people. Who knows? It does look like it says something like Dick's mother, but I know all of you have very good eyes and help me figure out some of this handwriting when I just I can't put it together.

[00:18:23]And they were from Providence.

[00:18:27]We've got someone from the Waldorf, New York City. They gave an ice cream spoon.

[00:18:33]So, the first clue was the name Barber popping up a lot. And then the second clue right here as to you know who the wife was. The silver cigarette box ECC.

[00:18:47]Well, those are the initials of Elizabeth Cochran Carreri, the senator's wife. I'm just curious as to why they would have engraved it with her maiden initial when this was a wedding gift and she changed her name, which we know because it's in the dinner record book.

[00:19:06]But the name Barber and then that right there is what told me who this belonged to because Barber I mean it could have been any niece or nephew's book or kids book.

[00:19:20]Here is also the last name star with two Rs and they gave a dozen plates. So, is that a family member from Black Star and Frost?

[00:19:36]I mean, these were business owners and at this point he would have been the president of the company and business owners in New York, business owners anywhere in a town usually um support each other. Just saying that and seeing all of this and it says the United Shoe Manufacturing Company in Boston.

[00:20:08]So I guess they all went in on a gift.

[00:20:10]Browns. Maybe the Browns owned that company.

[00:20:17]And I would definitely think that you would sell linen and flax strong thread to people who make probably leather shoes. [laughter] And they gave a gold traveling clock.

[00:20:33]We have some blue ink.

[00:20:35]Scotland.

[00:20:37]They sent some prints and a table.

[00:20:42]We have Italian lace table linens.

[00:20:49]Mr. and Mrs. Robert Webster, the American Net and Twine Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, an antique mirror.

[00:21:00]Um, a fancy embroidered lingerie case. A silver loving cup.

[00:21:07]The directors of the Greenwich Bank says a letter or was written by the president and they gave 12 silver and glass finger bowls with silver plates from black star and frost.

[00:21:25]We have a green glass vase with red flowers.

[00:21:31]That is Havland and co. So, they got some leoge.

[00:21:38]And here is a silver card tray from Bailey Banks and Bidd. And that's a Philadelphia company. And I have some pearl-handled knives from there.

[00:21:53]And the name Barber. And I really don't see any of her names Cochran or Carreri in here. Very interesting.

[00:22:04]Well, thank you so much for browsing through this, going through that little history dive, and I will see all of you in another video. Bye.