This is a portrait of Martha Vanderkloot sitting in a high-back wooden chair. Martha Tanis was born on March 28, 1857, in Haarlemmermeer, North Holland, Netherlands. She wears a skirt and jacket with frilly white lace at the neck and sleeves. Martha appears to be displaying her engagement or wedding ring on her left hand. However, a web search indicated it wasn’t common in the early 1880s to have engagement rings or even overlapping rings. Her dress is very dark, which might suggest it is not a wedding dress. But again, a web search indicated that in the 1880s, white wedding dresses were not common. There is no information on this photo as to the photographer or the studio address.

During an April 2025 phone conversation with Betsy Strand, a granddaughter of Martha Tanis, she indicated that when Adrianus and Martha were engaged, he was in Chicago and she was in Holland. Betsy also indicated that each had an engagement portrait taken, which they sent to each other.

 

  • There are two choices for this photo title:

    1. Wedding Day Portrait - Dec 26, 1882: This photo might be Martha’s wedding day portrait taken in December 1882 as she displays her ring on her left hand.
    2. Engagement Portrait - Earlier in 1882: This photo might be her engagement photo taken in Holland in 1882, assuming Adrianus sent her an engagement ring. However, engagement rings weren’t common at the time.

    I believe of these choices, without further information, that this portrait is: “Martha Tanis Vanderkloot's Wedding Portrait - December 26, 1882”. If it is an engagement portrait, it would be between a few months to six months earlier in 1882. It is the display of the ring which suggests it is a wedding day photo.

    Jeanne Jordan borrowed the original Martha Tanis portrait from a relative, but she couldn’t recall who. Most likely, it was from either Dick Denker or Harry Schodrof. She then had a photographer make a 5x7 print, which I now have. If you would like to add information about this photo, please contact Dave Jordan, a great-grandson of Adrianus and Martha Vanderkloot. The Picture Reference number is DJB55.