Handwriting Assistance and is their a burlesque historian among us?

Question

I didn't think I'd ever place those two things in a G2G question but here we are.

I purchased at auction an old oval convex glass frame for the frame. What's actually in it currently appears to be a small (14-16" wide) burlesque feather fan with pink silk fabric background. On the reverse is the signature you see in the picture with the date 1948. I'm not getting any hits on various name permutations. Several people think it reads Pynse as a surname but I don't find that as a surname and suspect it is Pynn. Any ideas?

And, is there a burlesque historian who might be consulted on real vs stage names? 

Comments

No image. Sorry.

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The image is showing on my screen. You are not seeing it?

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T - you will see it because you are on the Trusted List of whatever profile it is on.

If you edit the image page and add Space:Images4G2G to it, it should be viewable for the rest of us.

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Melanie, where do I add that text? Sorry but I do not understand where that would go.

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Think I got the text added in right place somehow as I logged out and could view the image. Let me know if not...

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Melanie, where do I add that text? Sorry but I do not understand where that would go.

commented by T Stanton

When you click on an image, on the page that pops up there is a place underneath "People & Things in the Image" to "Add a person or thing".  In the box there where it says "WikiTree ID" paste Space:Images4G2G then scroll down and save.

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How about Pym? That is a surname.

Answer 1

I can see it being Pynn, Pynse or Pynx, but only Pynn seems to be a surname.

Perhaps it is this woman https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/245485261/grace-mary-vining

She is also on an Ancestry tree: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/1473174/person/322505623387/facts

Comments

I think this is her yearbook entry/photo: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiFx_GT5IGBAxWCZsAKHYBxD8oQFnoECBgQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fhwslibrary.contentdm.oclc.org%2Fdigital%2Fapi%2Fcollection%2Fp16757coll7%2Fid%2F4451%2Fdownload&usg=AOvVaw32NM51V6wDPTt2Bb4zmCgb&opi=89978449

Certainly a musical/theatrical background but in 1948 she would only be 15...

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Stephen, I agree that this person being age 15 in 1948 most likely rules her out as a prospect but thanks to Andrew for finding her. My impression (and it is nothing but that) is that this was done near the end (or even after) a career. It's a memento from a career rather than an item inscribed to an admirer during a career.

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I suppose the question is whether "My Fan Grace Mary Pynn 1948" is

1. a momento from her fan (of the sort that is waved) to memorialise her career
2. from her to a fan (in the sense of admirer)
3. to her as a fan (in the sense of admirer)

I can't see how to decide between these, but number 3 is compatible with a musical 15-year-old.

Of course it is also possible it is a stage name and does not appear in the standard genealogical sources.

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Andrew, given the description in the original post, I'd say #1

Answer 2

I'm going to go out on a limb and say "Grace Mary Lynn". If you look at the full-size image, I think that's just a random blob by the L making it look like a P.

The only problem is that it's not really done in the cursive style for a capital L or P, making both answers a bit problematic. She's got good handwriting otherwise.

Comments

I had not considered Lynn but I think it's a potential. Thanks, Rob.

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I disagree, there is a definite down and up stroke to the vertical line of the P, which wouldn't make as an L since it would either be a single stroke or a loop motion and would be expected to connect to the y in the next letter.

Good thought though. Not sure why the loop of that P is so shaky

Answer 3

is there a clue as to the location of this artifact?

Comments

Chicagoland or Valparaiso, IN area was its most recent location. Beyond that there are no identifiers found.

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i would then search the 1940 census for all Grace Pynn records. There were 914 close matches in the whole country,  if you limit to IN it might only be a handful