The Portrait

There are a few possible birthdates for Mathias Balthazar Firmenich, even between his baptism certificate and his headstone, but we’re going to use 12 Feb 1842 in Eicks, Rheinland, Prussia. If my (short) research is correct, this is a village now located in the town of Mechernich, Euskirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

This is one of the first photos I had seen of Mathias. The obvious part of his appearance was his large beard, which he seemed to have had his whole life, though he shortened it later on.

I am not sure on the year of this photo, I assume it’s from around 1900 or before since he seemed to have the larger beard during that time. This is still one of my favorite family photos.