Upon my father’s death, I inherited every bit of his family history that he had set aside at my Aunt’s house. Among the things were a stack of photographs and portraits that he had saved. Were they labeled? What do you think? I have managed to figure most of them out, but this family has intrigued me.
I’ve shared this picture with others in various family lines and nobody thinks anybody looks familiar. I know it must be family, otherwise it would not have been saved all these years!
What I know about this family:
- They were not an affluent family. Their clothes don’t fit, their shoes are scuffed, they need haircuts and they are standing in dirt.
- They were probably photographed by a traveling photographer.
- Either they or the photographer covered the home with their tablecloths. To show off the tablecloths? To cover their home?
- This was either two or three generations. I’d guess three.
- This was photographed in the winter when the leaves were off of the trees, most probably in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania since that is where most of my family is from.
Any thoughts on this? I wish the photographer had taken the time to put his name on this. He, after all, took the time to put it on a cardboard backing. . . .
From Axer to Ziegler 
All good assumptions on your part. I would have come to the same conclusions. I hope you find some answers!
My guess on the tablecloths is perhaps he didn’t have a back drop and didn’t want windows or something to stick out of someone’s head. I would also think this was a traveling photographer – or someone just getting a start in the photography business.