This is a photo that has been in my mother's house as long as I can remember. My mother did not know who this lady was.

Recently I put the photo on this web page and asked my third cousin Stan Goodman, in Israel if he could help read the Russian lettering on the back. He wrote back with: "Artistic Photography G. Rudy in Ostrow, Lomza Gub." He knew (and I didn't) that the only Ostrow in Lomza Gubernia (province) is Ostrow Mazowiecka.

Then I contacted Stanley Diamond (Montreal) because of his connections to Ostrow Mazowiecka. He forwarded my message to the "Ostrow Maz. Research Family"

Shortly thereafter Michael Richman (Maryland) wrote: "I can't identify the lady, but I recently saw a photo printed on the same type of card, from about 1902. The photographer is listed in the Vsia Russia business directory as Josef Zelmanovich Ruda (as of 1895). At least that gives us the general time period." Michael also said that the photo he had seen had a large piece of tape of the back. Now he could see the whole back with the address of the studio, on Glowna Street and a name for the house, since there may not have been street numbers at that time.

My grandfather came from Lomza. The town of Lomza is 27 miles from Ostrow Mazowiecka. However, he was born in Goworowo and his family lived there for many years. Lomza was a big town and likely to have a photographer, but Goworowo was much smaller and not far from Ostrow Maz. People did travel to larger towns to have photos taken.

My grandfather left Poland in 1895. Perhaps he brought this photo with him to America. My grandmother left Lomza 5 years later. This woman might have been from her family.

OK all cousins and people with ancestors from eastern Poland - any ideas to help identify her? Can we guess her age? Is she wearing a wig? Do her clothes, jewelry, book tell us anything about her position in society? (Michael Richman says his great-great-grandfather was holding a book in the circa 1902 photo. What message does a photo of a book send in the 1890s?)

You can contact me at: rkimble@uoregon.edu