Travel Log: October 4th, Part 2b, Carlsbad/Karlovy Vary -- Old Family Photos by the Carlsbad Hot Springs

I translated the photographer's printing on the two photos that we have of ancestors that were taken in Carlsbad (now Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic).

Translation of back of Photograph of 4 men in Carlsbad:

Front of Photo:

“Jerie

Carlsbad”

Back of Photo:

“Atelier Jerie

Carlsbad

nächst der Felsenquelle

Spezialitäten

Helio Miniaturbilder

Oelportraits

Sämtliche Aufnahmen mit Momentirockenplatten

Die Platte wird aufbewahrt

K. Krziwanek Wien”

“Studio Jerie

Carlsbad

Nearest the Source Rocks [Source of the Hot Springs]

Specialties

Helio Miniature Picture

Oil Portraits

All Recordings with Momentirockenplatten

The plate is kept

K. Krziwanek Vienna”

Translation of back of Photograph with Man, Woman, and Child in Carlsbad:

Front of Photo:

“Atelier Jerie

Carlsbad”

Back of Photo:

“Photographisches Atelier

JERIE

Carlsbad

nächst der Felsenquelle

Spezialitäten: Oelportraits, Heliominiaturbilder sowie Fotografien auf Porzellan.

Die Platte wird für Nachbestellungen reservirt.

Leopold Turkel, Wien”

“Photographic Studio

JERIE

Carlsbad

Nearest the source rocks [Source of the Hot Springs]

Specialties: Oil Portraits, Helio Miniature Pictures, and Photographs on Porcelain.

The plate is reserved for reorders.

Leopold Turkel, Vienna”

We still don't know who the people in the photos were.  But we do have a third photograph that appears to be of the same uniformed man pictured in those other two Carlsbad photos.  The fact that this photo was taken in a different location may give us a clue as to which part of the family he was from.

Photo of a man in uniform.

At some point this photograph belonged to my great, great grandfather, Louis (Ludwig) Spohr.

This photograph of the uniformed man has a photographer’s mark listing the locations of Leitmeritz and Teplitz.  We don’t have any ancestors (that we know of yet) who lived in Leitmeritz.  But Teplitz (now Teplice, Czech Republic) is a district that includes the town of Bilin (now Bílina).  Our ancestors who lived in the tiny villages of Razice, Mrzlice, Tvrdin, Merunice, Hattau, Radowesitz, Hrobcice, etc. were all in a little cluster, just south east of the larger town of Bilin.  So, assuming that the man in this photo was from that area (and that he was, indeed, one of our ancestors), it is possible that he was from one of our ancestral families from that area, including the Spohr/Spor, Panowitz, Kohl, or Moras/Mraz families.  We may never know exactly who the people in these photographs were, but at least we have a clue of which ancestral family they may have been from.  And who knows, maybe someday we’ll find another descendant who also has old family photos which could shed some light on the identities of these people.  Or maybe military records will end up giving us a hint, at least for the man in the uniform.  Only time will tell.