As I mentioned in an earlier post this week, a friend from the Historical Society lent me a wooden box filled with glass negatives from the early 1900s. The negatives are from my paternal, Josselyn side of the family. My friend bought them 30 years ago at an auction after the death of my grandfather's half brother's daughter. My family was in Maine at the time and missed the auction.
Today I attempted to scan some of the plates. Our scanner is not bright enough, but I did a quick work around for a couple, holding them up to the window and photographing them. I will purchase a negative light box.
The photo blipped is obviously a school group, from the one room King Street School in town. I am one of the oldest family members, so there is no one to pour over the photos with me to recognize family members. I do have a knack for recognizing people at various ages. When I was a kindergarten teacher I used to ask the children to bring in baby photos, and I could always match the babies to the students. So, when looking at this school group, knowing that my grandfather and his sibling attended that school, I would bet that the young boy, standing in the back row on the left, next to the two older girls, is my paternal grandfather. I have baby, teen, WWI and older photos of him and I knew him well. I am as sure as I could possibly be that it is my beloved grandfather. I also believe that the young girl in striped dress sitting in the second row, second from the right is his younger sister, Elva.
It's an exciting project, glass negatives produce beautiful, large, clear photographs( as long as the subjects stay still). I hope I recognize more of the family in glass.
I retired from public school teaching after happily spending twenty eight years playing in Kindergarten. Now I fill my days watching cat antics, taking endless...
