During a review and cleanup of the archives of the Town of Los Altos Hills, a thick album-type volume was found on the shelves wth the label "Scrapbook". It had no further identification as to its origin or reason for being in these archives. The album contains some hundreds of photos - almost exclusively of people. Some photos are glued to album pages, some in photo mounts, the majority are just loose. A selection of these pictures was made and they are reproduced on this web-page as a means of making them available to a wider audience in the hope that somebody might recognize a name or a face or provide some other kind of lead that might help us trace the owner of this album, or at least a descendant of the owner who might treasure this family heirloom - which has no intrinsic value to the Town and is merely taking up space on a shelf and collecting dust. Subsequent Update - this web-page helped to achieve that mission - it was referenced in a newspaper article and helped get the word out. The web-page has since been updated (at the bottom) with a brief account of how the hunt ended in success. The primary subject (and possible owner of album) appears to be Augusto Galdieri. Early pictures in the album are of his Mother (1848 - 1930) and Father (1852 - 1903) as adults Some of the photos are even older - including a tintype (1860's or so - Civil War era or maybe before) Subsequent Google search - the 1940 Census tells us that Augusto Galdieri was born about 1881 in Italy. In 1940, he was 59 years old and lived in San Francisco, California, with his son and 2 daughters.

A Wedding in military uniform - probably of the main subject whose mother and father were apparently born in the mid 19th century, so the wedding probably would have occurred around the 1890's or 1900's? But the quality of the photo would appear to be more recent? Maybe a false clue or even a complete Red Herring?

The album also contained a number of Newspaper clippings. Left Column Headline - New Italian Pharmacy - The beautiful and well furnished Pharmacy Galdieri at 708 Vallejo Street. Note - Newspaper appears to be published in San Francisco For about a month, Signor A.L. Galdieri, our Italian Chemical Pharmacist, who has resided 10 years in San Francisco, has become the proprietor of Galdieri's Pharmacy, having acquired the pharmacy of Dr Burque at 798 Vallejo street near Stockton Street... ...We wish all the best to our friend A.L. Galdieri. Right Column - Top Headline - New home of Doctor Galdieri - Saturday evening Dr Augusto Galdieri has thrown a beautiful party at his new and ?? home at 224 Mallorca Avenue, About 200 people were present... Right Column - Bottom - Appears to be a letter in an Italian newspaper about General Mazzitelli (?) and signed by Victor Emanuel III - The latter was King of Italy (and also claimed the thrones of Ethiopia and Albania) from 1900 until the end of WWII

Obituary in Italian newspaper announcing death of Galdieri's Mother (1930)

Another Obituary in an Italian newspaper announcingthe death of Galdieri's Mother (1930) - but this Italian newspaper looks like it is published in San Francisco - see top line of clipping.

Peter the son

Family group in 1938 - The two women appear to be of the same generation as the son, so presumably the group is "Dad with son and two daughters" There doesn't appear to be a wife in any of these pictures. (Note - We found out subsequently that Augusto's wife Carmela died of heart disease the year before this photo was taken)

This was one of a series of very similar family pictures that appear to have been taken at the same sitting.

We assume that these are Augusto's three children. (Note - we learned subsequently from a descendant that there was a son (Peter) and three daughters, but only two daughters appear in the set of photograps from which these were selected)

The previous picture (one of an apparent set taken at the same sitting) was taken at a Photo Studio in The Emporium, a well-known store in San Francisco (Stamped on obverse)

For some reason the Album contained this telegram sent in 1950 to 45 Clark Drive San Mateo - maybe Augusto moved there with retirement?

Based on hairstyle and neck-line of dress - Fair Maiden, probably in the 1950's some time, and clearly American. (Note - we found out later that our guess on the date was wrong - High School Yearbook picture from 1964)

Maybe same person - maybe not...

Maybe same person - maybe not... American style Graduation Mortar-Board

Also - found on the web WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1948 SAN MATEO TIMES -- Italian Duchess A dinner in honor of the Duchess Lavia Galdieri Tixon, who arrived not long ago from Home, was recently given by Dr. and Mrs. August Galdieri of 45 Clark drive, San Mateo, who will entertain her during her stay in San Mateo. The Duchess spoke of Italy and the improved conditions of her country, and her confidence that Italy will again be the country of music, song and gaiety that it once was. Among the guests at the dinner were Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Marianetti (Mr. Marianetti is vice president of the Bank of America) their daughter, Irene, Miss Janice Boding, Artaro Micheletti. Manleo Micheletti, Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Hanson, Mr. and Mrs. Gaspare La Rosa. Mr. and Mrs. Peter Galdieri and Miss Christine Galdieri, all of San Francisco. The Duchess will remain here for some time and will visit all over California. She is interested in learning of new agricultural implements with which to improve farming on her many Italian estates Link to original article Then querying Telephone White Pages via the internet, we find 2 addresses in the Bay Area for what quite possibly might be a grandchild There is a cell phone number provided with both these addresses, but it has been blurred on screen so you have to pay to see it. But the fact that this is a cell phone would indicate a reasonably up-to-date piece of information Link to Town Crier Article published 5/30/2018 ----//---- The Beginning of a Happy Ending Our local Town Newspaper published a short article about the finding of the Album. We hoped that this might trigger a memory with somebody living in the local community - or somebody might even recognize what appeard to be a High School Yearbook picture of a young lady dating back to the 1950's or 1960's . This garnered just a few tentative nibbles or suggestions, but nothing really solid. So it was time to escalate the search with more drastic means. Simple Googling revealed a world of circumstantial information - such as old newpaper reports in the "Society" column of a defunct newspaper based in a neighboring county. Census records also led us to conclude that none of the three children of Augusto were still alive in 2000, One interesting lead was provided by a web-based Telephone Book wich appeared to show a "Peter Galdieri" living at two addresses in or near San Francisco - even though we were pretty sure Peter had passed sometime before 2000. Besides providing two street addresses for "Peter", it implied that he had a cell phone - but the web-site would only divulge the number on payment of a fee. Nothing daunted, in collaboration with Town Hall, it was arranged for a letter to be sent to both addresses on official Town notepaper (to try and assure any potential reader that this was not some elaborate scam) saying in essence "If you are Peter or know of Peter, please get back to us" and enclosing a copy of the newspaper article. Mission Accomplished On June 8th, a telephone call was received at Town Hall from a daughter of Peter Galdieri. She is living in the Bay Area, as is her elderly mother (who is just short of 100 years old and who is the the widow of the "Peter" we were hoping to be able to trace, the son of Augusto) Arrangements were made to hand over the scrapbook to this direct descendant - a Granddaughter of Augusto Galdieri who originaly came to San Francisco from Italy over a century ago. The Grandduaughter drove down to Town Hall on June 21st where we met, chatted, wondered about how the Mystery Album ended up where it did, and handed over the Album - a priceless family heirloom returned to its rightfull place. It is still a complete mystery as to why or how this scrapbook came to end up in the archives of the Town of Los Alltos Hills, or how long it has been quietly laying there. Link to Subsequent Town Crier Article published 7/10/2018

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