Monday, November 9, 2009

Slightly labeled


For the first mystery we have this picture of ten. The back is beautifully labeled in black ink pen as follows:
  • Cora - August Boysen
  • Bess - John Gauthier
  • Elmer -
  • John -
  • Edward -
  • Frank -
  • Fred
  • Clara - Arthur Hasselbach
  • Phylia
Does anybody else see a problem with this? First, there are only nine names but ten faces in the picture. Second, what name goes with what face? Third, does this family have a last name? If the names follow and go left to right the back row would be Cora, Bess, Elmer, John, Edward & Frank. Is the younger male on the far right side Fred or does that make the older man sitting Fred, the young woman in the middle Clara and the woman on the right Phylia? That would leave the youngest male unnamed. Does anybody have any more information on this family?

Timeline: The photographers mark on the bottom right hand corner says "Banister". There is some writing below that but I can't make it out. When I look in "Ohio Photographers; 1839-1900" I find nothing. That isn't surprising because judging by the girls clothing on the far left I was guessing it was taken after 1900. I pulled out my trusty "Uncovering Your Ancestry through Family Photographs" and looked at the listing for female clothing after 1900. The listing for 1908-1914 is the last listing and it is the first to include the notation for skirts as "feet show". Since you can clearly see the girls feet I assume this was taken after 1908.

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