The Poirier's, the Levy's and the Dunn's somewhere in Punta Arenas, about 1909. Herman Poirier, his wife Sarah (nee Romanofsky) Joseph Leszerovich Levy, his wife Golda, and her sister Rebecca Dunn with her husband Simon, Emanuel's oldest son. The children are Arturo (Arthur) and Carmelita Poirier, Mary (Maria), Rebecca and Anita Levy, and Millie (Amelia), Robert (Roberto), Mary (Ana Maria) and baby Sophie (Sofia) Dunn. Frances (Fanny) and David are not in the picture, so one has to assume they are merely twinkle's in their father, Simon (Shimon ben Yaoshua Lieb's) eye...

Location:The Family Portrait a century ago

A better quality image of the photo which is shown on the introductory page to this blog. Here are the three youngest Dunn siblings Sophia, David and Mary, with their Uncle Charlie.


It would be suggested the photo was taken around 1918-19 while Charles Jacob Dunn, Simon's half brother was visiting the family in East London, while returning from military action in France or Germany.

Charles was a G.I. in the United States Army, enlisting in 1917. He lived in Manhatten, New York, emigrating there in 1906, from Lithuania then part of Russia, via the port of Liverpool in England. It is likely he stayed in London for a while before leaving.

He worked as a store keeper dealing in stationary, on the Lower East Side of N.Y. City. He later lived in the Forest Hills area of Queens, New York at 66-78 Selfridge Street, as shown on his WW2 registration card, when he was called up for "the draft" in 1942, after the destruction of Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, when America entered the war. He was by this point middle aged, at 53. His date of birth was March 23rd 1889.

Living with Charles at this time was his sister Rose Dunn, who was by now about 49 years old.

Charles' employer is given as a Mr Aaron H. Rubin, of 484 Madison Avenue, New York.

Lithuanian District Map

A map of the districts between Kovno (Kaunus) and Vilno (Vilnius) where the Dunn's, Epsteins and Romanofsky's amongst others hailed from.

A railway line from Kovno-Vilna was laid down during the second half of the 19th century which rapidly sped up migration and settlement patterns, leading to increased commerce, wealth and prosperity for some Landsmen.







More information can be gleaned by reading an article about Koshedar (Kaisiadorys) which can found at http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/Koshedar/koshedar1.html

The Noble Savage

One of the portraits of Native Indigineous Chlilean people which Henry Poirier produced in his curiosity shop.

People of Punta Arenas, a cenury ago.

Town and Country, Magellan Life...

More from a selection of early 20th Century photographic postcards, from Punta Arenas Tierra Del Fuego, Chile. Some actually bear the name of Henry Poirier, the man who produced them in his curiosity shop and photographic postcard studio shop.

Postcards from Punta Arenas

A selection of early 20th Century photographic postcards, from Punta Arenas Tierra Del Fuego, Chile. Some actually bear the name of Henry Poirier, the man who produced them in his curiosity shop and photographic postcard studio shop.