1873 An impressive U.S. State Department Naturalization Certificate for a German immigrant who opened a boot-making shop in St. Louis, Missouri along with two cdvs, one in duck-hunting gear wearing a pair of what, no doubt, are boots that he made himself Bootmaking,Hunting,Immigration,Photography

The large citizenship certificate with a printed Department of State seal measures 11.5" x 18". It was issued on March 8, 1873, to Charles Traugott Schwabe. The partially printed document is on bi-fold paper, which, when unfolded, measures 18" x 23". An impressive Department of State watermark with a federal eagle and an "E. Pluribus Unum" scroll fills the entire unfolded sheet. In nice shape with storage folds and very light wear and soiling. One undated cdv shows a portrait of Schwabe in a suit with bow tie and floral vest. It was taken by "Cramer & Gross, Photographers . . . Below French Market" on 4th Street. The other cdv is a full-length studio image of Schwabe standing in front of a riverfront scene with his shotgun, dressed in full duck-hunting attire, including boots that he probably made for himself. It was taken by Robert Benecke, who was located at the corner of Fourth Street and Main. . Schwabe was born in Germany around 1828 and immigrated to the United States in 1854, where he established a boot-making business. He died from nephritis in 1886 and was buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery, the resting place of many prominent St. Louisans. Cramer and Gross were important, award-winning St. Louis German immigrant photographers who specialized in photographing wealthy and prominent German-Americans. Robert Benecke was an even more important award-winning St. Louis German immigrant photographer. During the Civil War, he served in the 18th Missouri Volunteer Infantry until being discharged with an eye injury. He first achieved national fame after his photograph of General Sterling Price appeared in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. He produced a series of Lower Mississippi River stereoviews and had a series of Indian Territory photographs published in Scribner s Magazine. After he completed a series of promotional photos for the Kansas Pacific Railroad, he became interested in improving the photography process and became a pioneer in the use of printer s ink to prevent fading and later in perfecting dry plates. He took a well-known self-portrait of himself in hunting garb posed before what appears to be the same riverine backdrop used for this Schwabe cdv. (For more information, see online genealogical and news articles about all four men.) An unusual and impressive citizenship certificate accompanied by an important Benecke photograph. .