Eliza R. Cottle Tilton.

Eliza R. Cottle Tilton. According to family this is a wedding photo. The picture below is the wedding dress jacket seen in the photo. Eliza R. Cottle was born June 26, 1838. She married Owen H Tilton on July 31, 1859 in Chilmark MA. She died February 11, 1913.

Owen H. Tilton was born on February 16, 1836 in Chilmark MA. He died September 2, 1901.

The above photo was edited to clean up speckles, scratches and other aging marks.



A little mystery in these photos. I took two photos during our 2002 visit with the Tilton family. Both photos were taken with a digital camera (no negatives). Look closely at the two photos. Notice anything? To me it appears the buttons and the dark "stripe" are reversed.

Below are two additional photos.


The wedding photos as they are in the original frames.



This photo was digitally "flipped" by me to match the actual dress. My guess is that the original photo had a negative and it was reversed when the photo was printed.... or the old box cameras flipped the image. I'll have to do some more research about photographic technology in 1859. In either case I would guess this is what Eliza looked like on the day her photo was taken.

What is it?....... answer a Bodkin (see update below).

This is a photo I took in 2002 during a visit to the Tilton family on Martha's Vineyard.

First, this is not one of my better photos. It's blurry...sorry.

There are a dozen or so other photos that were taken the same day. I will post them over the next few weeks.

BUT.....the question of the day.... What is this object used for? Maybe it was just an easyimplement to craft while on a voyage? Did it have a use aboard the ship?

The object is being held by Owen H. Tilton's great great granddaughter Donna.
UPDATE 1:
Bev the "research wizard" provides this answer to the "What is it?" question.

" WHALERS ONLY MADE BODKINS FOR THEIR MOTHERS, WIVES, SWEETHEARTS, AND DAUGHTERS. WHALERS NEVER SOLD BODKINS, AS THIS WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO POTENTIAL COMPETITION FOR THE NANTUCKET WOMEN IN THE MAKING OF DOILIES."

Pictures and descriptions of bodkins can be seen here, here and here.

UPDATE 2:

This much smaller bodkin is from the other side of the family. The Lockhart-Blacks from London mid to late 1800's. It's rumored that one of the aunts was a "lace maker for the Queen". More on that later when I find the documentation.