This week's Sepia Saturday Suggestion reminded me of a LOST GALLERY page from last year. I found three class pictures together but did not associate them at first.
Only one of them (Picture Number One) was labeled on the reverse. The first impression was that these were three different classes photographed the same day.
But then I noticed two important things.
Picture number ONE
On reverse:
(back row)
Gordon Wingate
Harry Wingate
James O'Connel
Bruce Harrington
Harlow Trescott
Richard Clancy
2nd row
Leon Voster
Dana Colingrove
Jimmy Homet
John O'Neal
Paul Heath
Acker Smith
Richard Homet
John Cole
Charles Brown
George Shuster
3rd row
Alice Phillips
Hazle Cole
Agnes Q. (?)
Margorie Vosler
Marlyn Ward
Marie Thomas
Betty Jane Douglas
Olitta Morse
Evelyn Benson
Joyce Temperato
Helen Redman
Teacher (Standing)
Miss Snyder
Picture number TWO
The first thing I noticed was that the teacher. identified as "Miss Snyder" in Picture Number One is the same as the adult in Picture Number Two. So instead of it seeming to be different classes the same year, it now seemed more to be SAME class, different years.
The second thing I noticed was the "X" on the girl's collar, far left, second row from the front, in Picture Number Three. I looked for another "X" on picture number one but found none. So, no easy identification there.
Then I spotted an "X" in Picture Number Two. I missed it at first because it seemed to be just a design on her dress. It appears to be the same face.
After associating those two faces, it wasn't hard to pick out which one she is in Picture Number One. She's in the front row, far right.
So now we know. She's Helen Redman.
Number THREE---------Number TWO---------Number ONE
While comparing faces, I found some others that might be the same from one photograph to the next. Kids change from year to year; sometimes, a lot.
So there was nothing conclusive. Except for one. This is unmistakeably the same girl in all three class photographs. If correct, that would make her Marie Thomas, as identified in Picture Number One.
Now, here's a face that tells a story. What do you think?
Number ONE---------Number TWO---------Number THREE
Of course I added all three of these photographs to the BACK PAGE called
CLASS PICTURE
If the bright, shining faces of school mates are interesting to you. Go there. There are some really old ones there too.
Go back to THE MAIN INDEX PAGE
There are now more than 4,000 photographs in the Lost Gallery.Or try out the NEW BACK PAGE INDEX
The most popular photographs 
Area 51 and a Half 
Don't take my picture! Oh! You DID didn't you! 
And don't miss
Cabinet Card Gallery
One Man's Treasure
Penny Tales
Square America
Tattered and Lost
Vernacular Photography
The best
FOUND PHOTOGRAPH
sites on the web.
And for postcards try
THE DAILY POSTCARD.
All images are the property of Lost Gallery and the author. Permission must be granted for their use.
All rights reserved.
THE KIDS 
Dee and the Business School 
The beautiful Dee. A curious story; What do you see?
WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?
"What are they doing?"
Nice find and exzcellent sleuthing. Sadly, practically all of my school photo finds have lost any ID of the subjects.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting sleuthing. Poor little Marie communicates a lot with her body language. She does not look like a happy child. I hope she was just "camera shy" and once the tripod was gone burst into a smile and a giggle and skipped on home.
ReplyDeleteThanks Brett Payne. I know what you mean. I have found only two that included all of the names.
ReplyDeleteThanks Helen Bauch McHargue. Yes, the wary face of little Marie Thomas makes one wonder about her. Like you, I hope that she was just a bit camera shy and was ordinarily the life of the party.
Three vintage class photos that you have rescued from the great disconnect whirlpool! Without one, the others become lost.
ReplyDeleteLike any puzzle addict, I had to try, and I think I know when and where they are. The names: Gordon Wingate, Marjorie Vosler, Richard Homet, Harlow Trescott, Helen Redman, and Maria Thomas are all found in the 1940 census for Livonia, Livingston County, New York. All born between 1929 and 1931. I suspect the others would also show up. This is my mother's generation who was also born in 1930, so there was something familiar about the clothes and faces.
Took about 15 minutes, but I've worked out similar postcard name lists before and some can be very hard. It's fun when it works out so easily like this on a census year. Kind of like getting a good card hand.
what brilliants photos and how great to have names to put to them. Good detective work too. Poor Marie does look a sad little lady, i hope she was happier in later life.
ReplyDeleteYes, Marie really does stand out. It makes me wonder about her story.
ReplyDeleteWe have some class photos from when our children were at school but none of us can name most of the children.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike Brubaker. “Great Disconnect Whirlpool.” That’s good! And indeed, it is like getting a good card hand! I should have thought to do this also. The discovery of the actual location of the photograph does ask that other question, the one that seldom gets answered: How did it get from Livonia, NY, to a junk shop in Fort Smith, AR, 80 years later? Of course, it’s probably because the “X” girl moved there at some point in her life, through family business or marriage. Or perhaps a descendant of Helen Redman moved there.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gill Edwards. I agree, she does look a little withdrawn in all three photographs. The photographs are likely at least a year apart and she has the same look in all three. She’s too young to look that troubled. I hope things worked out for her.
I don't know, the first of the sad little girl doesn't look like the same girl as the other two - that would be your final trio. I don't think she was usually the life of the party, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sharon. I wonder about that too. I think I’ll see what I can find. I’ll add it to this page as an update if I do.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bob Scotney. Yes, those old photographs of the whole class get pretty obscure after only a short time. I have seldom found one that had ANY name on it let alone a list of all of the children showing.
Thanks Kristin. Could be a different girl. Kids change a lot in those early years.
Not wholly convinced by your similarity analysis ( I avoided reading other prior comments so as not to prejudice myself !), but that's the fun of such exercises....you will wake in the night and decide to change your mind....or not.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nigel Aspdin (Derby, UK) It's all just speculation.
ReplyDeleteI know how photos get tossed when there is no one left who knows the people or no family, etc. I face a question of what to do with my own massive collection of the ages being the end of the line. I must comment on the first photo, the girl seated third from the left, Agnes?. Look at her feet and tstrap shoes, I remember having shoes like that and might just have a photo somewhere. Glad you have rescued these.
ReplyDeleteOkay, it does look like maybe, but in any case, it's always so much fun seeing all the many different expressions, and now especially how they continued to look! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Transplanted Pat. “End of the Line” sounds so sad when applied to a family tree. Indeed I have found many sets of photographs abandoned because there was no one to pass them on to. At least the photographs have documented the locations and events and as you pointed out, the clothing fashions of the time.
ReplyDeleteThanks Karen S. I am sure that there are more faces that are in all three or at least two of the pictures but children change so much at that age, it’s really hard to tell for sure. It’s always fun to speculate how they felt about “picture day” or even how they felt about school in general.
A wonderful collection. The problem with such photographs is that I always somehow see myself sat amongst those rows of children and have to do a double take just to make sure it really isn't me.
ReplyDeleteThanks Alan Burnett. Looking for yourself in group pictures is sort of like déjà vu except you think you might see yourself somewhere you never were. Or something like that.
ReplyDeleteGroup class pictures do draw me in too. I always look for someone I might know, realizing at the same time that it is probably impossible.
I instantly recognized these class pictures since my father-in-law is in them (Richard Homet) as well as his brother, Jimmy. The third photo shows their father in the black suit. He was the principal of the school.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bailey & Cocoa. I am so happy that you made a connection to these photographs. Thanks for the additional identifications. I will add your information to the page.
ReplyDeleteCan you identify Jimmy or Richard in pictures number two or three? Do you know the dates or the name of the school? (Larger versions of the photographs are available on Flickr; Just click on the picture. At Flickr, click on the three dots in the lower right corner. Click “all sizes” then select “original” for the largest version.
Please email me phase65 at yahoo.com with any additional information you would like to contribute.
Thanks again for your help in identifying these rescued photographs.