Cartes-de-Visite of Mr. and Mrs. Ulmer

A carte-de-visite labelled only as “Mr. Ulmer” is in the biographical section of historical photographs at the Sandusky Library Archives Center. There is also a portrait of Mrs. Ulmer.

Both of the cartes-de-visite were created at the studio of Sandusky photographer A.C. Platt, who died in Sandusky in 1884.

By looking at the 1880 U.S. Census for Erie County, Ohio, there are two logical choices for helping in the indentification these individuals. In 1880, Albert Ulmer, age 38,  was listed as a dairyman. He resided in Perkins Township with his wife Louise, and their four daughters.  Jacob Ulmer a wagonmaker, age 39, lived in Sandusky, Ohio with his wife Susan, and brother Florian. Albert and Jacob Ulmer both stated that they had been born in Germany. 

Please be sure to label your family photographs so that in the future, your descendants will be able to know who the people are in the family pictures that you may pass on to them. Even though we do not know exactly which Ulmer family is pictured in these cartes-de-visite, it is delightful that we have pictures of German immigrants in our collections. It seems that Mr. Ulmer adapted well to his new home in Erie County, Ohio. Hundreds of early residents of Sandusky and Erie County came from many different parts of the world, helping to create the proverbial “melting pot.”