What is this old picture?????

[jtw1313]

Does anyone know what is going on in this photo? There are pictures hanging on the house one is a portrait with a American flag below it. Along with others and a desk outside as well

 

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[Plug N Play]

Another theory ?

(1881 McGuffy's Reading Charts)
(Autumn)

The country would have been hit with this news Sept. 1881.

 

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[Kray Gelder]

Another theory ?

(1881 McGuffy's Reading Charts)
(Autumn)

The country would have been hit with this news Sept. 1881.

View attachment 1742756

Dang, Garfield was born in Ohio also, and the time frame fits. The picture could be of Garfield as well.

 

[Anduril]

Also these pictures are on the outside of the building the would be ruined if left there. So had to be moved intentionally for photo.....along with the desk as well.....

Same thing with the Lesson.
This was the time before Photoshop, so any good photographer would have removed the lesson first, unless it was important to the image (or covering up a distracting blemish on the building).

 

[Reanm8er]

Great info!

 

[Mackaydon]

The McGuffy books were also written in Ohio.
Don...

 

[jtw1313]

That is a lot of people to keep still and watch for photo forgetting a lesson hooked on a door would be quite easy

 

[Doubter in MD]

The photo isn't too clear but it looks like Garfield to me.

 

[Jay Plunder]

Does anyone know what is going on in this photo? There are pictures hanging on the house one is a portrait with a American flag below it. Along with others and a desk outside as well

Fascinating, I really enjoy looking at old photos and seeing the people and their belongings and just trying to imagine how life was back then. Ensure the photo os well taken care of that is historical regardless of subject matter.

 

[Jay Plunder]

My theory would be that I agree with the previous post. President Garfield was Assassinated: September 19, 1881, judging by the leaves on the ground and intentional placement of the photo ( I believe it looks more like President Garfield) then this would have been a greivance or memorial photo for their President at the time. In addition, Garfield was born and raised and a member of the Ohio Senate before election. Cool piece of history...perhaps he had ties with this school/church...

 

[DCMatt]

No question it is Garfield. So that really narrows the time frame it was taken. There's nothing unusual about having a picture of the President at the school.

I think this is simply the first day of school 1881. School would have started after Labor Day. You can see leaves on the ground but the weather hasn't turned as several of the small boys are still shoeless.

Do a Google image search on "1890 first day of school" and you'll see lots of photos similar to this one.

 

[Jay Plunder]

No question it is Garfield. So that really narrows the time frame it was taken. There's nothing unusual about having a picture of the President at the school.


Do a Google image search on "1890 first day of school" and you'll see lots of photos similar to this one.

View attachment 1742867

View attachment 1742868

True, however I would think in the early 1880's it would be an expensive proposition to hire and expend the resources needed to produce a photograph during that time just for the first day of school. Basically I just think it would be doubtful they would go to such lengths of mounting the photographs and hiring a photographer and dressing up/ wearing ribbons, etc. all for simply the first day of school. Ohio typically has decent weather even late September, shoe-less or not. I am not disagreeing with you just proposing an alternative. Perhaps the OP could contact the James Garfield National Historic site at (440) 255-8722 in Mentor I really think there is a historical value that could be of interest to them.

 

[Doubter in MD]

I only spent a few minutes searching but I remember reading that in the 1800's he school year was quite different. It was scheduled around planting and harvest schedules.

Here's a quote I lifted from Google:

"Before 1900, rural schools had two terms of schooling during the year–summer term from May until August and the winter term from November through April."

I'm not sure this adds anything to the discussion but I thought I'd put it out there.

 

[DCMatt]

I only spent a few minutes searching but I remember reading that in the 1800's he school year was quite different. It was scheduled around planting and harvest schedules.

Here's a quote I lifted from Google:

"Before 1900, rural schools had two terms of schooling during the year–summer term from May until August and the winter term from November through April."

I'm not sure this adds anything to the discussion but I thought I'd put it out there.

I read that is a couple of places as well. It may have applied to rural schools, but these folks don't look like farmers. I also read in a few places that the "school year based on farming" has largely been debunked.

 

[jtw1313]

I agree with it being a school and Garfield but for the time I believe there are to many men there for it to be first day of school.......and a very big variety of kids including a infant. Also pictures hung outside

 

[jtw1313]

Kind of looks more like a family photo Garfield’s Family........maybe

 

[jtw1313]

And just throwing it out there

But these 3 don’t look like first day school photo fellers lol

 

[Anduril]

But these 3 don’t look like first day school photo fellers lol

Well..... they might be slow learners.

(Nothing against the Buckeyes!)

 

[jtw1313]

Oh no you didn’t lol

 

[DCMatt]

But these 3 don’t look like first day school photo fellers lol

If it's a brand new building and they helped build it, they would deserve to be in the picture.

Or maybe they donated that new teacher's desk and dictionary.

The guy on the end with the vest and watch chain looks like a local big shot.

Granny and the baby in the pic is anybody's guess...

 

[DCMatt]

I really tried to figure out the other picture hung next to the President.



I photo-shopped it as best I could. It appears to be people (possibly children) coming out of the church/schoolhouse on the right, crossing a tree lined road to get to... houses?

Houses doesn't feel right for some reason so maybe... steamboats? We assume the photo is from Ohio so... on Lake Erie? I know in the mid-19th C steamboats often ran right up to the shoreline to disembark goods and passengers. A new steamboat coming in would also be cause for excitement in town.

Not sure why it would be important enough to hang on the outside of the schoolhouse, though, unless the artist is in the crowd.

OK, I'm done.