LOST IN 1973 – MEEHAN-BOSWELL FAMILY PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM
FIRST PROJECT
My dad joined the angels in 1965. Between his death and 1972, many other family elders joined him. He left behind a wealth of family photographs. My mom also possessed an extensive collection of photos. My parents took many of the pictures, but they received a large number from their parents and grandparents
.
My first family history project was to sort and label as many pictures as possible. I separated out the "best," most exciting images, put them in an album, and pestered Mom and other family members to provide names. A year later, the project was complete. My brother loved it and took the treasure to California to share with family members. Little did I know that would be the last time we would hold the images of our past.
LOST BAGGAGE
In 1973, my brother traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles, excited to share the pictures in the album and hoping that family members would identify some of the unknown images. The cousins ooo'd and ahahah'd the pictures and added a few names. It was a great time!
It was a crowded flight back to Chicago's O'Hara Airport. Due to space limitations, they stored the briefcase holding the great treasure in the luggage compartment. When American Airlines loaded the conveyer belt for luggage pickup, the briefcase was not there! They filed a claim, but it was unsuccessful.
Several months after the trip, someone called my brother, said they were in Ohio and had mistakenly picked up his briefcase when flying from Los Angeles. They asked the person to return the bag to American Airlines. Unfortunately, the caller left no identifying information. The caller did not return the briefcase. 1973 was before caller ID, so the family could not contact the person.
The BEST, MOST INTERESTING pictures were gone!
ALBUM DESCRIPTION
The album is about 14 X 14 inches and has a dark brown cover. (Sample Above) A very faint image of the word "Maywood" was on the cover. I identify many pictures on the back, but most have a small handwritten label underneath the image. The labels are on lined school paper. (Sample On Right)
Some Surnames: Meehan, Freeman, Von Ohlen, Speese, Brown, Boswell, Handsor, and Prisby
The front is the Meehan (paternal) family, and the back is the Boswell (maternal)
family. The families are racially mixed.
Primary Photo Locations: Nebraska, Illinois, and Canada
Image Time Period: Mid-1800s to 1960s.
Types of Photographs: Tintype, Cabinet Card, Snapshots, Varying Sizes
WHAT IS 50 YEARS AGAINST HOPE
"Lost wedding album from 1956 found in New Jersey, returned to family 60+ years later"
Eyewitness News 7, March 21, 2023
That headline and others like it spur me on. There is high hope that the images of our ancestors will make their way home.
I would be grateful for the album, individual pictures, or any leads to help locate this item. Please get in touch with me if you believe you have seen the album or any of the photographs. Use "Contact Site Creator" at the end of this website or message Catherine Meehan Blount via Facebook.