Who Were They?

Lost and forgotten photos from the past

Here we have a photo identified as Mary Lair (or possibly Lain or Sain), who was the granddaughter of Amy Lair / Lain / Sain. This photo was made using the collodion process, which dates it after 1894. Additionally, the cardstock used is the white and embossed card that evolved into the type of mounts …

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This 20th century photograph is identified as Mrs. Everest of New York State. Her dress is very ruffled, which is one of the fashions of the early 1900s. Her hair style is severe though, scraped back from her face and very small bangs. There’s no photographer information. Interestingly, in the photo album written below the …

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This photo from the Mearns Family Album is identified as Mrs. Rutledge T. Gifford. Her dress is an exquisite example of Gay Nineties fashion. It features the high neck with a bit of tiny lace edging, modest puffed sleeves and fancy applique emblems across the front of the bodice. We can only see six buttons, …

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