This is a portrait of Adrianus and Martha Vanderkloot. Adrianus was born on April 16, 1852, and Martha was born on March 28, 1857. In this portrait, Adrianus has a heavy mustache with his hair combed forward. He is wearing a very nice coat and a full-length tie around the upturned collar. There is a pin in his lapel. Martha has her hair pulled tight and up. She has a hair holder at the back of her head and a nice pin at her collar.

Compared to their 1882 wedding year portraits when they were 30 and 25, they appear older in this portrait. Assuming there is a reason to have a portrait taken, and given they appear older, it is very possibly their five-year wedding anniversary portrait. Their 5th anniversary was on December 26, 1887, and at that time, Adrianus was 35 and Martha 30 years old. His jacket and vest and her dress appear to be an upgrade from their 1882 portraits, suggesting they prospered over the last five years.

During an April 2025 phone conversation with Betsy Strand, a granddaughter of Martha Tanis, she suggested they blended two engagement photos together for a portrait of both of them. I believe this portrait is the one she is referring to. Observation indicates a vertical line just to the left of Martha’s head and discoloration of her right shoulder.

In a web search, I researched how this photographic blending might have been performed in the 1880s. Basically, it was very difficult. Most wedding photos of the 1880s were single portraits as that period required long exposures, and people could not move sometimes up to 10 minutes, which led to stiff poses and a lack of a smile and was harder to do with two in the photo.

One technique in the 1880s to photograph a couple was to block the negative on one side and take the photo of one person with the non-blocked side of the negative. Then that part of the negative was blocked while the 2nd person sat down. What is astounding is how good it turned out. Since the background for both halves of this photo is identical, it had to be the same photographer.

And as noted in the “Matthew and Art Vanderkloot Portrait (circa late 1887),” the background of that portrait is identical to this combined portrait of Adrianus and Martha, suggesting not only the same year but also the same date. That is on or about December 26, 1887.

But because of the uncertainties, it would be helpful if the same portrait can be found which shows the name of the photographer and studio location and possibly a date on the back.

I have two copies of this portrait from different sources. The best is from the portrait Jeanne Jordan borrowed from either Harry Schodrof or Dick Denker in the late 1970s and had reproduced. If you would like to add information about the above portrait, please contact Dave Jordan, a great-grandson of Adrianus and Martha Vanderkloot. The Picture Reference Number is JCJ01.