Lottie Montal

Litigious Lottie, Lottie, the bender of the truth, adventuress and it must be said, woman of fortitude, forever remembered in English contract Law has never been recalled in photography. We have a black and white line drawing from Table Talk and one lithographic portrait of her en rôle and looking rather demanding. She does exist in photographic terms!

In a google search yesterday I had found out that someone had purchased a CDV of Lottie Montal. What? I check ebay's CDV and Cabinet photos EVERY DAY! The same thing happened with two CDV's of the Zavistowski sisters. I missed them as well!

It turns out Lottie was listed in the postcards, though it wasn't one although the sellers speciality was postcards. Damn it.

Eternal vigilance seems to be not the only requirement for finding what you are looking for. Imagining the infinite permutations of a seller or holder's mind must also be taken into account.

But the story has a good end. The buyer responded to my mail and is willingly to make a copy.

Fishing for Steele

Paul Herbert Steele, son of Herbert George Steele, grandson of Elizabeth Steele, who of course was Robert Sparrow Smythe's sister, Eliza, has made his presence known on Ancestry.com via the listing by one Margaret Parker. I have a picture of Eliza' Steele, so Mrs. Parker, if you see this post please contact me. He had a sister too, I think, one Hilda Mabel whom probably married and so disappears from my radar.

Then there are the cousins of Paul Herbert Steele, Arthur Edward Burrows, railway Porter (how VERY Ealing!) and Ella Bessie F. Steele, and the Bennett Cousins, Edith Bennett and Edward Bennett as well as the below mentioned Arnold Francis Steele M.B.E. none the less and sister Muriel Steele, wife of Dr. (Professor) John Rankin. (who I believe had a son, John F.A. Rankin and a daughter, Hazel)

I have got to find this branch of the Steeles!