Mystery Photo for whatever day this is

 As we're locked down, I have been able to make good progress on my family history photos and documents scanning project. Of course, the more I get digitized the more mysteries seem to pop up.

Below, is a mystery photo of a couple. Looking at it, I'm inclined to say it is from the 1920s to the 1930s. On the back of the photo is written Dennis. I have a Dennis McFadden (1847-1924) in my line, but about when this photo was taken he'd have been an old man.

Why would it have been so hard to add a last name or a name for the woman?

Mystery Photo - Manny

Another mystery photo from my grandmother's (Ruth McFadden Webb 1905-1985) collection. Many of the photos in the box that eventually made its way to me were mixed together so I am unsure if this is someone from her side or my grandfather's (Clyde Lee Webb 1898-1987).

On the back at the top someone had written something. It could be Manny, Mommy, Murray or something similar. So far I have not come across anyone on either side named Manny, Murray or anything particularly close.

The name of the photographer is also on the back. C. C. Giers National Portrait Gallery at what looks like 45 Union Street in Nashville, Tennessee. Some of his photographs are held at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture. Under his biographical information it states that his geographical location was 43 and 45 Union Street in Nashville about 1863-1877.

https://mcclungmuseum.pastperfectonline.com/bycreator?keyword=Giers%2C+C.+C.

When Ruth's father (Dennis Cornelius McFadden1847-1924) arrived in America he and his family lived in Ohio, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area and Baltimore Maryland.

Clyde Webb's grandfather, Zephaniah T. Webb (1828-1906) was born and lived in Tennessee and at some point moved to Arkansas.

For now I am going on the assumption that this person was a Webb or related family member and was born and was born between 1863-1877. It's also difficult because of how babies and toddlers were dressed back then to determine if it's male or female so for now I will assume it could be either.

Mystery Photos UN0001 & UN0002 *updated 8/8/16

 I found this unknown photograph in a chest that belonged to my grandmother that included items from her and my grandfather's families. I want to say it is from the late 30s to the early 40s but that really is just a wild guess.

My grandmothers family was from the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area and my grandfather grew up around Little Rock, Arkansas. From what I know of both places the landscape doesn't match either.

To me she doesn't resemble anyone from either side of the family.

I tried looking through some fashion sites and books but haven't found anything that would indicate the time period for what she is wearing. The skirt does seem awfully short to me for being from the 30s or 40s.

I'm currently scanning all the photographs and documents that I have. I just found this second picture of the woman, car and this time a man with her. In the first photo you can see a man wearing a tie behind the car through the window. It seems likely it's the same man. Again he doesn't really resemble anyone I've seen or know of so far.

You can also see what looks like a church in the background. I'm currently looking through the photos to see if there are any other images with that building included.

I am able to get a good view of the license plate.  N. J. 1904     A7922.  I'll need to look into how long plates were kept on cars back then and see if the registration information still exists.


Of the living family members I've been able to ask, no one recognizes them.To date this is still a big mystery.

Mystery Photo UN025 and time to get organized

 

 

Here is another unknown photograph that was in my maternal grandmothers house then got sent with my aunt. It has 3 adults and 4 children standing outside of a house.

 

Unfortunately, I do not know if it is my grandmothers (Ruth Eileen McFadden 1905-1985) or grandfathers (Clyde Lee Webb 1898-1987) side of the family. The people in the photo do not bear any resemblance to any other photographs that I have gone through.

 

The house does look similar to some of the houses my grandmother was pictured in front of in the 1920s in the Pittsburgh, PA area.

 

 

Also, it is time for me to get these photographs better organized. I have an old scanner that as far as I can tell won't let me scan them as tiff files or set the DPI. I plan to look for a higher quality scanner this weekend. It will also let me combine duplicates and compare photos that are labeled with similar photos that are not.

Wordless Wednesday-Uknown photograph



I received this mystery photograph with a few other McFadden family items over Thanksgiving.  No one had any idea who she might be.  I'm guessing the photo might be from the mid-30s.

Mystery Monday-unknown photograph

Here is another photograph that was in my grandmothers box of letters and pictures.  I don't know if this person was on my grandmother McFadden's or grandfather Webb's side.  On the back is written "Grandad". 

Mystery Monday-interesting photograph

While scanning some negatives, I came across this interesting picture.  At first I thought this was an early movie theater because of the sign on the back wall with Episode no. 2 on top of the frame.  The kids could have been dressed up for the serial (like an early The Rocky Horror Picture Show). 

I quickly dismissed that idea and my second thought was this is a school and the kids are putting on a play.  The two kids in back (at first I thought they might be teachers) look like they could be the king and queen.  The kids in the front couple of rows could be subjects, wizards or other fairy tale characters.

There is some writing on the left of the theater which I have been unable to make out.  Also, behind the "king and queen" it looks like a box office. 

This picture raises a lot of questions but the main ones I am interested in are:
1.  What is the play?
2.  Where and when was the picture taken?
3.  Who are these kids?  Is it a school group?
4.  What is the show being advertized on the right?  Is it or whatever survives available on DVD?