Mysterious Woman with Wavy Hair

Jay Kruizenga of DutchBlood.com sent in this photo of his family’s mystery woman. Her long, flowing hair definitely makes an impression. She has really long full hair that must have created an enormous braid when pinned up.

The photo was given to Jay by the daughter of his grandfather’s brother. Now the family wants to know who’s in the picture. Is she Jacob Derk Kruizenga’s third wife, Jennie? Jennie was born Dec. 1, 1836 and married Jacob in 1876. This was her third wedding.

There are several problems with that identification.

• The studio arrangement of rug, chair and drapery dates from the 1880s.
• The long pleats in her skirt, accessorized by what appears to be a very full overskirt in the same fabric as the rest of the dress, and the high collar and large buttons are characteristic of the 1880s.
• This woman is much younger than Jennie would be in the mid-1880s. Born in 1836, Jennie would be 50 by 1886. I estimate that this young woman is only in her late teens or her 20s. She has a very young face, plus it’s rare to see an older woman posed with her hair down.

Tracking down the identity of this woman starts with the ownership of the image. It once belonged to Jay’s grandfather’s brother. Jay has a family history website. It’s lovely with lots of information, stories and pictures.

So the question is: Who’s the right age to be the young woman in this picture? If she’s 20 here and the picture was taken circa 1886 then she was born in the 1860s. While she’s not Jacob’s third wife, might she be one of his children, or a friend of the family?

Solve your family photo mysteries with these books by Maureen A. Taylor: