The album contains 225 photographs. The photos are primarily sepia-toned though some
cyanotypes have been included. The photos are in multiple sizes and formats. Pages
include anywhere from one to many photos. The photos are primarily of the members of
the family over a nine year period. Photographs of the exterior and interior of many
houses are included, as well as photos of day to day activities, parties, and
vacations. The home and buildings listed in the album are in various places around
the county. The homes at 623, 625, and 651 Milwaukee Street would be at 1203, 1207,
and 1237 North Milwaukee Street today. Pages 15, 37, and 38 are missing.
The Kern Farm that is depicted is today known as Kern Park in Milwaukee. The current
address of the park is 3614 N. Humboldt Blvd., and is at the corner of N. Humboldt
Blvd. and W. Keefe Avenue. A Milwaukee Journal
article from July 21st, 1898 mentioned a wedding that took place at “the summer home
of Mr. and Mrs. Ferdinand Meinecke, three miles west of Wauwatosa.” A perusal of
plat maps showed the location of the Meineckes’ summer property at the corner of
what is now North 100th Street and West North Avenue. The home itself is still
located at 2517 N. 100th Street. Oak Terrace appears to have been a summer home for
the Meinecke and Kern families. However, no trace of the house’s location in
Milwaukee was found. It is possible that the home was somewhere near North Ave., but
that assumption is based upon conjecture and the photo showing one of the children
leaving Oak Terrace to go to Rohn’s Swimming School which was located by the North
Avenue Dam.
