Annie Pihlasky, New York

This one brought out the researcher in me. I found a photograph of an adorable baby girl with a hand written note on the back. The note reads (exactly):

“This is the picture of my our daughter Annie and if Goldie will send me the picture of her baby I will send her one two. Best regards form all. Harry & Sadie Pihalski. Your nephew & neice”

The photo of little Annie was taken by H. Berger on Avenue B in New York. Harry, Sadie and Annie actually weren’t too hard to find despite the fact that the last name Pihalsky never appears in documents – but many variations do.

Harry and Sadie were both born about 1890 in Russia. Harry’s parents appear to be Meyer & Rachel Pollsky (I’m sure that’s not spelled correctly). Annie was their first child, born in 1914 in New York. According to census records Harry & Sadie Pialsky/Piulsky/Peolsky lived in New York, New York in 1925, in Brooklyn, NY in 1930, and in Bronx, NY in 1940. They had other children, Jack (1916), Rose (1919), and Leo/Louis (1922).

The 1930 census is particularly wonderful – Harry was the manager of a shoe store. The couple had married at age 21 (about 1911) – both of them. They spoke Yiddish at home. As did almost everyone on that page of the census record; clearly they lived in a Russian immigrant neighborhood. Annie, 17 at the time, is an office stenographer. By 1940, Annie (still living at home) was a typist at a book publisher; her father still worked in shoes. Sister Rose was worked as a beautician. Interesting that neither of the brothers worked – perhaps they were in school.

This is such a wonderful picture and note that I certainly hope to find some family member who can cherish it.