Figure 1.--we note five framed and matted photograohs of John Hauerwaas, Jr. He was son of Lucy and John Hauerwaas. John would become a major corporate officer in the U.S. Steel Corporation. John looks to be about 8 years old in the portraits. He wears a German-styled military uniform with what looks like a sailor cap.

we note five framed and matted photograohs of John Hauerwaas, Jr. He was son of Lucy and John Hauerwaas. John would become an important officer in U.S. Steel Corporation, one of the most important industrial corporations in the United States. John looks to be about 8 years old. He wears a military uniform with what looks like a sailor cap. The uniform is not one I have seen American boys wearing. I has rather the look of a German cadet to it. Hauerwaas does seem to be a German name. The cap looks to have a German emblem on it. John assumes various military poses for the different portrait. I can't make out the photographer, something like Fritz. He was located in Los Angeles, California. The portrait is undated, but would have had to have been taken before World War I.

John

we note five framed and matted photographs of John Hauerwaas, Jr. He was son of Lucy and John Hauerwaas. John looks to be about 8 years old. Unfortunately all we know his childhood are the portraits here. John is interesting in these portraits. He does all the different poses quite nicely, but he keeps the same impression throughout the shoot. You get te impression that this definitely was not a comfortable play suit. He certainly does not seem to be gaving a good time with the shoot.

Military Uniform

John wears a military uniform with what looks like a sailor cap. The uniform is not one I have seen American boys wearing. I has rather the look of a German cadet to it. We think American boys dressing up in German uniforms was not very common. This are several reasons for this. Many of the Germans who immigrated to America were famers and merchants who often had anti-military attitudes and objected to conscription. Many Germans came to America after the failed revolutions of 1848 which were put down by military force. German Americans who were second and third generation would not have likely chosen a German uniform. They would have chosen an American looking uniform. Three are epaulettes with piping and two rows of buttons. Hauerwaas does seem to be a German name. The cap looks to have a German emblem on it although the image is not clear enough to tell for sure. A few years after the portrait was taken, America went to war with Germany. Actually there were attacks on Germans and German shops were ransaked. German shepards were renamed Alsatians. John never would have worn this uniform during or after the War. We suspect that his father still had strong attachments to Germany. John assumes various military poses for the different portraits. A sword has been added for add to the martial image.

Portrait

Several portraits were taken of John. They were then displayed in a matted square cut arrangement. This was a popular format. It was also probanly exopensive, suggesting that the Hauerwaas family was in comfortable circumstances. I can't make out the photographer, something like Fritz. We do know the photographer was located in Los Angeles, California.

Location

We can assume because of the location of the photographic studio, that the family also lived in Los Angeles.

Chronology

The portrait is undated, but would have had to have been taken before World War I. We would guess that it was taken about 1910.

Father

Hauerwaas is not a common name in America. Even so, we could not find much about the family. We do note one description of John's father, "At the Recreation Gun Club, when it came to scraping the sky for high-flying ducks, John Hauerwaas held high gun. He was a powerfully built, heavy-chested man, as large as two ordinary men. When the rest of us would use four drams of powder to a charge, he would use six, and did not seem to mind the recoil. He certainly could reach the ducks at a long distance from the earth." [Graves]

U.S. Steel

We thought at first is father at the time the portraits were taken was President of the U.S. Steel Corporation, one of the most important industrial corporations in the United States. This was due to a notation on the back. But perhaps it was John Jr. that was associated with U.S. Steel. The fact that they were living in Los Angeles is one factor. A president of U.S. Steel would not have lived in Los Angeles. We notice a John Hauerwass who in 1952 was president of the United States Steel Products Division based in New York.

German Immigration

We do not know when John's family immigrated from Germany. Germans were one of the main immigrant groups. Germans were farmers and merchants in 19th century America and were beginning to rise into the upper middle-class. We do not note many Germans, however, as major corporate officers or major banks. This ironically began to change after World War I, a war in which america fought Germany. Notice that in the 1950s John was a major officer of U.S. Steel. Of course at the time the president was Dwight Eisenhower, the first German-American president.

Source

Graves, J.A. "My seventy years in California, 1857-1927" American Memory (Library of Congress).

Created: 9:15 PM 12/6/2005
Last updated: 9:15 PM 12/6/2005