1930s photo album and collection of loose photos I bought online.
I think the pictures are all connected but can’t be sure.
This is what I found out so far;
The album shows the first years of a girl named Elsje.
She was born in February or March 1936, she is 6 weeks old in April 1936.
The family visits a swimming pool and a beach.
The family appears to live in a city, but there is also a peculiar little wooden house in two of the photos.
Some of the photos were taken by a photographer in the city of Heerlen.
The parents probably owned a fabric store as the girl is shown in front of the store and it is written that this will be the girl’s store in the future, suggesting she’ll own it one day.
At the end of the album Else meets two girls who appear to be wearing an uniform which could just be fashionable but perhaps also related to a school as there are also several nuns in the photo and a peculiar sort of merry go round.
People mentioned in the album;
Mrs Beusen
The maid Lieske Palmen
Shop assistant Gerda Ackermans
Shop assistant Wiesje Geurten
The loose photos show an affluent family, there clearly are links to the Netherlands but also some that are foreign.
One one of the photos has a stamp on the back saying; Soldes et Occasions, de draperies G.A.F. Bastings, Rue de la Meuse 14, Molenbeek-Bruxelles.
So this Bastings family owns two fabric stores in Belgium, Elsje’s family in the album owns a fabric store in Heerlen.
In old newspapers I found an advert for a fabric store on the Stationsstraat 10 in Heerlan owned by G.Tonnard-Bastings.
Names mentioned on the back of photos;
Frans Bastings
Bernard Vervetjes (sp)
Marie Bastings
Truus Bastings
Frans Tonnard (sp)
Nol Tonnard (sp)
Corretje (born in 1929)
Familie Bergsteyn, Bogaardenstraat 25 Maastricht
Mr. Mesters, Hartleenestraat
Based on these names I think that there were 2 Bastings sisters, Marie and Truus.
Marie married Bernard Vervetjes (sp) and Truus married Nol Tonnard (sp).
I also think that the odds of there being photos with both the Tonnard and Bastings names on them and a fabric store in Heerlen with the same names not being connected are extremely small.
From old newspaper I’ve learned the following;
In 1924 A.H. Tonnard marries G. Bastings.
The shop in Heerlen opened on May 20th, 1933, owner a certain G. R. Tonnard-Bastings.
In 1932 Cheesetrader J. Tonnard marries A. Bastings.
In 1932 a child named A.H. Tonnard-Bastings is born.
In 1934 a child named J. Tonnard-Bastings is born
In 1934 (october 13th) Marie Louise Tonnard-Bastings died age 2
On February 20th Elsje’s birth is announced, parents; A. Tonnard and G. Tonnard-Bastings.
This has to be Elsje from the album, there are too many coinsedences.
In 1969 parents and grandparents A. Tonnard and G. Tonnard-Bastings celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary and their 35th anniversay of their shop, organised by Elly and Rudy Beekman-Tonnard.
In 1974 Nol and Truus Tonnard Bastings celebrate their golden wedding anniversary at the Dautzenbergstraat 12 in heerlen.
Nol Tonnard died on the 17th of August 1980, leaving behing Mrs G. Tonnard-bastings & Elly and Ruddy Beekman-Tonnard/
Truus Tonnard-Bastings died on the 21st of December 1991, age 89.
Although the name Tonnard-Bastings is unusual, I can’t seem to find any people carrying that name today.
There are lots of people called Tonnard or Bastings though.
But I’d love to find any relatives.
If you can tell me something extra about the photos, please do.
Posted by Juffrouw Jo on 2020-02-18 14:55:47
Tagged: , tonnard , bastings , tonnard-bastings , found , photos , album , history , mystery
