Here are a couple of photos from the celebration of Grandma and Grandpa McClain’s 15th wedding anniversary in Tallman in 1923. The exact date of their 15th anniversary would have been January June 3, 1923. The weather and clothing in these photos doesn’t look like January to me, so I wonder whether they waited until spring or early summer to celebrate. Both of the photos have unfortunate problems, as you will see.
The above photo is Grandma and Grandpa McClain with their children. Names and ages clockwise from front: Betty McClain, 6, Bernard McClain, 11, Addie McClain, 37, Arthur McClain, 39, Florence McClain, 13. Also bottom left, Penny the dog. I’m guessing Grandma is wearing her wedding dress here. Perhaps Grandpa is wearing his wedding suit also, but that isn’t as obvious. Not sure why Mom is half cut out of the frame.
The above photo is of the guests at the 15th wedding anniversary celebration. Grandpa McClain is in the center of the middle row. Right of Grandpa is Grandma and right of Grandma is (Aunt) Clara McClain. Left of Grandpa is his mother Mary McClain. His father Nathan had passed away four years earlier. In the front standing row between Grandpa and Grandma is Mom, On the right end of that row is Uncle Barney. In front of Mom with the bow in her hair is Aunt Betty. I don’t immediately recognize anyone else. If you do, please say so.
Grandma evidently changed out of her wedding dress by this point.
It is possible that there are people out of the frame on the left. I say that in part because the original photograph had a whole lot of empty space on the right, which I cropped out. That suggests that the camera might have been aimed incorrectly in the second photo as it appears to have been in the first. But I can’t be certain.
People I would have expected to be in the second photo but couldn’t find are Harvey and Mary Lake and their children, and Joseph and Nellie Warren and their sons (three by this point). Perhaps they are here and I am just missing them. Also Ellery and Leota McClain and their children, who still lived in Tallman at this point. Grandpa’s other younger brothers, Ray and Clyde, could be in the photo somewhere. Also his older brother Charles and his wife. I presume some of the people in the photo are friends from the Tallman community.
The Wrights had not yet moved to Goltra at this time, so had not yet met the McClains. Otherwise they might have been in the photo also.
My speculation about the top picture here is that the original image was more centered, wider, including the entire group. A light leak, perhaps the camera was opened before the film was completely wound on the take-up reel, half obliterated mom and either the processing place or someone else cut and discarded that exposed part of the printed picture. There is a light leak at the bottom of the bottom picture as well. Ah, film! Anyone remember it?
:–)
Sounds like a reasonable explanation, Art. Thanks.
I’m thinking it is Elmer Lake in the back row, left side. A lot of the guys on the right side look like McClains…
Hey, BabyBro. Do you mean Elmer Lake or Harvey Lake? I ask because Elmer Lake was only 17 in 1923 and no one in the back row looks that young to me (but perhaps you see it differently). I think maybe Elmer and Cheslah are the boy and girl on the left end of the same row Mom is in.
Mary Lake may be the woman left of Great Grandma, and so presumably Harvey is the guy left of her.
I’m not at all certain, but I think the older looking guy in the very back, behind my possible Harvey and Mary Lake, is Uncle Charlie. He looks a little like Uncle Charlie did in the much earlier group photo of the Nathan McClain family (not yet posted). If so, the woman right of him is presumably Aunt Kate.
I agree that the guys on the right look like McClains, too, and are probably Ellery, Ray and/or Clyde. Ellery may be the guy on the upper right holding the child. Ellery and Leota had a son William Claire in 1922, so the child is about the right age.
I dunno.. to me he looks very similar to the picture taken of Elmer only one year later. Maybe it’s just the hair part and the tie…
You could well be right. I agree about the similarity of appearance.
There is a photo coming up of Mary McClain Lake that I think pretty much confirms that she is the one to the left of Great Grandma Mary. So if that is Harvey next to Aunt Mary, that would put your proposed Elmer next to his father, which makes sense.
Baby Brother is correct: a lot of the guys on the right side look like McClains! All these pictures are such treasures!