Heller Glass Negatives

Collection

Identifier: MG Heller-(Main)

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

These glass negatives mostly contain photographs of the family, children, other friends, as well as nature shots. They provide an intimate look at family in New Jersey in the late 19th century with subjects like "Catherine pulling Clifford's hair)". Additionally, they are an early example of works by a female photographer.

The text materials in Box 9 are a family history written by Robert Harold Heller and his wife Margaret Whittington Crane Heller in 1966. This gives lots of information about the family featured in the negatives as well as the greater Heller family.

Some (nearly unreadable) notes as to the context of the negatives were written in pencil on the tops of the boxes that contained the negatives. These tops have been saved in Box 9 for further analysis.

Dates

c. 1889-1904, 1966

Creator

Heller, Esther Bortic, 1868-1904 (Person)

Conditions Governing Use

Photocopying of materials is limited and no materials may be photocopied without permission from library staff. Researchers wishing to publish, reproduce, or reprint materials from this collection must obtain permission.

Researchers wishing to publish, reproduce, or reprint materials from this collection must obtain permission.

Biographical / Historical

HELLERS

Elias M. Heller, born in Germany (1807-1877) founded a tools, rasps, and files company in Newark in 1836. He and his wife Mary had seven children.

One son, Elias G. Heller (1837-1912) continued the company and found much success. Elias G. Heller was also first president of the Forest Hill Asssociation. Heller Parkway was named after Elias G. in 1901. Several of the other Heller Brothers also were part of the family business.

Another son, Peter J Heller (1842-1924) sold his stake in the family business and built a hardware store on Valley Road in Montclair. He and his wife Elizabeth had 7 children, the oldest of whom was Frederick Lincoln born in Newark on Sept 29, 1866.

BORTICS

William N Bortic (1844-1912, born in NY), served in the Civil War. He married Eliza Bowden (1847-1924, born in Caldwell). They had at least thrree daughters, the first of whom was Esther "Essie" Bortic born Feb 23 1868 in Little Falls.

Bortic Road in Cedar Grove is named after the family.

William was a teacher who would eventually become principal of Cedar Grove School and Totowa School.

HELLER/BORTIC

By 1880 both Frederick and Esther's families lived in Caldwell, NJ.

Frederick Heller married Esther Bortic in 1889 and had four children Robert Harold (1889), Joseph Clifford (1891), Catherine (1896) and Elizabeth (1898).

Frederick started a plumbing and heating business in Caldwell on the corner of Cleveland Street and Bloomfield Ave. Later he sold bicycles and installed windmills. He was elected Town Recorder and had a office in the back of his store.

Esther is decscribed by her son as "a very capable woman" who married Frederick despite "ridicule" from her family. She was "artistic and sewed beautifully". Esther "took up photography when it was in infancy. Writes her son, "She had a Vive camera which took pictures on glass plates...which she developed and printed in the bathroom". These glass plates form this collection.

Photos in this collection also feature Nettie Courter who worked for the family as a housekeeper. Jeanette "Nettie" Courter (1876-1961) was with the family from "before the girls were born", so likely from the mid-1890s. Nettie was the daughter of a laborer, who lived in Caldwell, and had at least five older siblings.

Esther died from tuberculosis on June 11, 1904.

Frederick would go on to marry Nettie in 1906 and have one additional daughter Jeanette (1909).

Extent

4 Linear Feet (8 glass negative boxes, 1 hollinger box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection contains glass negatives from the Heller Family of Caldwell, Esther and Frederick Heller and their four children: Robert Harold, Josephine Clifford, Catherine and Elizabeth. Most of the negatives are of the family, as well as some nature shots. Box 9 contains some text materials on the family.