Monthly Archives: September 2024

For Those About To Beard – WE SALUTE YOU!

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Happy National Beard Day! For those that grow and groom, you come from a tried and true testosterone tradition. It is either natural or earned & cannot be faked!

Unidentified Beard Bro photographed by Launey and Goebel

Launey & Goebel Stereoview Logo (reverse side)

This gem of an unknown gentleman popped into Launey & Goebel Photography between 1888 and 1892 and perhaps stopped by a barber just prior or a horse tail groomer first! Launey & Goebel were originally positioned in what is now 141-143 Broughton Street (Barnard St.), where you today find The Gap inside of the old S.H. Kress Drugstore building that operated from 1923-1997. Albeit if you look at the old postcard of Broughton St., you can see to the immediate lower left, the earlier site building where Arthur Launey and eventual partner, George Goebel, first held residency.

Lower Left (G.D or C.D. Kenny Co.) Original Studio Locale

These were classic dark room fellows and while not looking directly at their death certificates, I’m left wondering about how their craft may have contributed to their early deaths. Arthur Launey died in 1908 at 54 (or 63, birthdate varies), with George Goebel (as in Goebel Ave), who died at 57 in 1917. At the time of their deaths, their studio was at 31 Whitaker St (W. Congress) – “Across from Paula Deen’s Y’all! – which houses numerous enterprises today. This building is said to have been built by one of Napoleon’s officers after The American Revolution using wood from his vessel. Notably in the subterranean or basement side corner, you can still see a brick tunnel entrance which may be older than the street-level structure. While Sons of Liberty record is hard to come by, a former owner of the building cited it had been used by them for secret meetings which fits nicely with the former location of rebel tavern, “Tondee’s Tavern” just south of this building at Whitaker St., where The Coffee Fox (rhymes with Swamp Fox), now stands. Why do we bring this up? Because this is the stuff men with beards often like to know!

31 Whitaker St (Looking South from W. Congress St. corner)

After Goebel’s death, it appears Launey’s daughter Ira Garnet, took over the company until 1924 and then vanished from company directories by 1926. Both men are buried in Bonaventure and from what we know, their facial hair still growing (too soon?) Happy Beard Day to all!

Arthur Launey’s Grave In Bonaventure Cemetery

George Goebel’s Grave in Bonaventure Cemetery

 

P.S. I Still Wait For You

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Do you share in the romance of reading old postcards? Do you remember writing some? Letters? My discernment tells me that one day we’ll return to such arts!

Stamped: Savannah, GA Sept 27th, 1915 – 4 PM

Written To: (Norman Crane – 6 Pickering St. Roxbury, MA)

“Am at last on my way home – much to my regret – and expect to reach Boston Friday. Left Atlanta last night (Sunday) reached Savannah at 7:30 AM and sail at 4:30 this afternoon. This surely is a quaint old town and we have had a great time seeing the sights and shopping all morning. Spect’ I will be sea sick tomorrow.”(Hazel)

Poor Hazel was in such a hurry she put the George Washington 1 Cent on upside down! Presumably, when “Hazel” says she’d gotten from Atlanta to Savannah over a period of 8-10 hours, she was referring to the railroad and was somewhat leery of boarding a boat for home which may have included other ports over several predicted days. She was in luck as in 1915, a more direct railway from Atlanta to Savannah was more or less, operational.

As the Savannah River wasn’t deepened for another 2 years to accommodate larger vessels, Hazel may have left from Thunderbolt Marina just up from Bonaventure or perhaps closer to Cockspur or Tybee Island which may have involved a ride on The Tybrisa Railway which had a stop at Bonaventure Cemetery and is how she came across the postcard sent to Norman. Just guessing but makes for fun guessing! We don’t really know that she even went to the cemetery at all. All the same, as larger sea voyaging passenger ships were unable to come up the river largely until after 1945, Hazel possibly sailed home on a smaller steamer vessel hugging the coastline a little more closely which would’ve taken some days. Hopefully Hazel did more shopping!

Hazel may’ve been “sea sick” on a boat much like this one.

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A lot of men in Roxbury worked at the Fore River Shipyard. Perhaps Norman himself did. Norman Crane died in 1976 and belongs to one of the columbarium shelves in the beautiful stone crematorium building at Harmony Grove Cemetery in Salem, MA. And lucky him as it is quite small and guessing he purchased his spot early enough in life as cremation was only just gaining traction in America. His “Hazel” is unknown but may have been a sister or a “gal pal.” It doesn’t appear that he married or had children, his birthday is unknown. In truth, this post was just inspired by some bare-bone discovery and I welcome anyone wanting to comment who makes some fun of their own with filling in the blanks. His home on the dead-end street of today (probably changed mid or later 20th century), is a family home with 3 bedrooms and may have been the home he grew up in or came back to and certainly feel there’s a whole back story, many more chapters to that along with “Norman & Hazel’s” connection. I for one, am left wondering – did Norman read the postcard with gladness in the very foyer pictured, or did he lean on the marble fireplace while smoking a pipe as Fall weather surrounded him or just simply sat on the porch putting the postcard to his nose trying to catch Hazel’s perfume and thought how he might like to see this place called Savannah and Bonaventure together one day? Yes, maybe they went back together. Norman took her shopping and they bought more postcards. Ah, the romance of old postcards – Such sweet, vexing intimacy all done with a pen, a postage stamp and true thoughts and feelings!

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