1906 photograph of Ragnhild Bertine Quien

I came across this photograph--The 1906 Scandinavia Academy graduation class, with teacher R.B.Q. Ragnhild Bertine Quien--daughter of the second owners of our old Queene Anne Victorian.

 The smaller ovals are students, and the larger ovals are the instructors

Detail of Ragnhild Bertine Quien

I found the 1906 photograph mysteriously August 27, 2010.  Here is my journal telling how I found it.

August 27, 2010

Wednesday at noon I walked downtown, and stopped in at an antique shop. I spoke to the shopkeeper and though we'd had nearly the same conversation before about my house, this time she said . . . I have something for you to look at . . . a photograph that may have come from your house.

The 14"x16" photograph is a class graduation from the Scandinavia Academy. Second row from the bottom, at the left, the second person is Ragnhild Quien.

Ragnhild and her parents and siblings lived in my house. Ragnhild taught at the Scandinavia Academy 1906-1910. The Quien family (second owners) owned my house for 90 years.  I believe the gentlemen front and center is Principal Elmer H. Westgor.

I bought the photograph from the shopkeeper and brought it home--very pleased to have it.

Postscript:  I always work through my lunch hours.  So it was quite strange for me to suddenly decide on Monday of that week to take a walk downtown.  I don't know why I just did.  On that Monday when I walked past the antiques shop, a gentlemen, shop owner from the lower level of the building was outside the store.  I said hi, and then mentioned I stopped by to speak with Ingebret (lower level antiques shop).  The man said, she is closed on Mondays. 

I don't know why, but I decided to stop by on Tuesday.  I returned on Tuesday during my lunch hour, entered "Ingebret's Cupboard", and I could hear her on the phone.  Not wanting to interrupt her I waited for 10 minutes.  She was still on the phone so I left, but again it was just a gut feeling that I should return Wednesday to speak with her.  So I returned on Wednesday. 

Since this event I acquired Ragnhild's black leather briefcase.   To see photos of her briefcase and read about how it mysteriously made its way back to the house, read my blog of Sunday June 19, 2011 - Finding Things Originally From Our Old House.