Photo Number 397

Recently I heard from a fellow by the name of Jim..he wrote:

Last year, I picked up an amazing photo at the Brimfield Antique sale.  It's a group photo of ten women and a baby.  The note on the back indicates the Names and ages of the women -- aged 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 years.  (the baby represents 0!)  Taken in about 1885 or so, some of these women were born in the 1700s!



I was intrigued..about the photo and about the sale.. I asked him where Brimfield was located..

I bought this photo at the Brimfield Antique show in May.  It's an amazing show in Western Massachusetts.  It's a week long, three times each summer.  It's a mile long and extends about 500 yards on either side of the road.  I bought a bunch of old photos from Oxford Women's College (which became part of Miami University in about 1907 or so.)  Some of them are simply amazing!

But this one came from an estate in Massachusetts.  I'm not sure what town.  The photo was damaged as you can see, but the notations on the back really made me want to buy this photo.  I figure it dates from about 1885 or so?  I notice that all the women are wearing similar carnation corsages..

The photo is on cardboard, attached to another piece of cardboard.  It may have been a large carte-de-visite type photo that was modified later.

I'm dying to know anything about who these women are!  I'd love to know what your readers think!
Just about anything is possible..I think it is from 1890 or maybe even 1900. The sleeves are somewhat poufy on the younger gals…none seem to be the “leg of mutton sleeves” of 1895..the gal in the back row way on the right has the biggest sleeve. There hair is all simple and pulled back like in the 1890’s.   It may have been Betsey’s 100th birthday in 1890 or  1900.  It was most certainly a special occasion.
 
Jim would like to keep the original photo and have it restored.  He will share a copy of the photo with family members if any are found.

Here is the list as I read them..
 Mrs. Betsey Davis


 Mrs. Lamb


 Mrs. Mary H. Sherman b. 1811


 Mrs. Mc Donald


 Miss Hapsibah Stearns b. 1833  Sister in Law to Ednah, Aunt of Alice and Lily Buck

 Mrs. Ednah M. Stearns b. 1841 Sister in law to Hepsibah , Aunt of Alice and Lily Buck

 Mrs. Carrie Perry


 Miss Alice M. Buck b.1862 Niece of Hepsibah and Ednah,  Cousin of Lily

 Miss Lilly I. Buck b.1873 Niece of Hepsibah and Ednah, Cousin of Alice


 Miss Bessie Dunbar b. 1883


Added December 20, 2010 Baby Mina Treen 

 I would guess that Hapsibah is really spelled Hepsibah..like in the Bible.   And the baby is not named…
Thanks Jim for sharing this unique photograph!

Thanks for stopping by, do come again:)
Update: This photo was probably taken in 1892.  I updated the people with their birthdates if they were discovered.  This is a very interesting group of ladies! :) 


Update on December 20 2010  from Jim who is the owner of the photo. 
I wrote to  the author and genealogist behind the the research that linked a lot of these women.  He replied to me with:

"...In the meantime one of the comments lead me to check Bessie's birth date. I had it like my source (34 page doc) gave it to me but she was wrong. did a quick look up at the 1900 census an confirmed it to be 1883 not 1893 as I had it.

I should have caught it before as she had a brother born Dec 19, 1893 which would have been a little quick :-)...."



Then I heard from one of HIS kinswomen, who wrote:

"...The photo is in the book, Mansfield, Images of America, p. 121. The blurb under the photo is: "This fascinating 1893 photograph shows Mansfield women from 11 different decades. Listed from left to right are the following: (front row) Mrs. Margaret MacDonald, 70; Mrs. Mary Sherman, 80; Mrs. Betsy Davis, 100, holding Mina Treen, six weeks old; Mrs. Cynthia West, 90; and Miss Hepsibah Stearns, 60; (back row) Miss Bessie N. Dunbar, ten; Miss Alice M. Pratt, 30; Mrs. Edna M. Stearns, 50; Mrs. Carrie M. Perry, 40; and Miss Lillian Buck, 20...."

I wasn't sure if you felt like updating the post!  It sounds to me that this photo is somewhat well-known, if it's showing up in local history books!

I ordered a copy of this book from Amazon, just for fun.
Thanks Jim for the update!! :)