Josephine Myrtle Corbin(Bicknell) and husband James Bicknell
You may recall when I wrote about a year ago, about being told by my little 89 year old Mother, that we had a woman who was related to us distantly…and she had four legs. I blogged about it then and in case you never read it, the post can be found in the September 2008 archives below. And I’ve been fascinated with Josephine Myrtle Corbin ever since…it boggles the mind to think of what her life was like…while she traveled in side-shows in the this country and in Europe I’ve read, she also married and had five children.
Handwriting on the back of the photo....
But the picture you see above came to me from a woman named Connie who lives in Washington State. She had found the photo in a box of her Mother’s pictures…..it traveled from Iowa where she lived, to Wyoming, and then to Connie in Washington. She did some research to find out who this woman was…she believes someone purchased the picture at one of Myrtle’s shows…when she stumbled across my blog. She kindly wrote and asked if I would like to have it, as Myrtle was no relation to her.
I wrote back saying, “Yes, yes , yes…I would love to have the picture!” and asked who she thought obtained it. She replied, “ I really don’t know who purchased it. It could have been one of my grandparents, or great grandparents, or even one of their relatives. They probably got it sometime around the turn of the century, most likely somewhere in the midwest, since most of our family is located in Iowa. It was found in the box of our old family photos, and there were photos dating back as far as the late 1800s in the box.”
And now the photo makes another trip, this time to Baltimore, into the hands of an actual relative…I will make copies and send them to my sisters and Mother in Alabama, where I believe Myrtle was actually born…in Blount County. My Mom is quite thrilled to have a picture of her…when I told her I was making her a copy, she said, “Oh, you’ve just made my day!”
And from Connie, ” We are quite happy for you to have it. Better that it go to family, then sit in an old box in the closet. It’s going to be almost as well-travelled as she was by the time it gets to you! It started out in Iowa, then went to Wyoming with my mother, then with me to Seattle, and now to you in Baltimore. Quite amazing how things can work out these days!”
Have a great weekend everyone, be nice and come home safe….’cause we miss you.
