This photo of the Arthur McClain family was taken about 1926 in front of the Hammell residence at 122 N Sherman (the house is out of the frame to the right). The house in the background is the house on the corner of First and Sherman Streets (that is, the camera is looking south—130 N Sherman is behind the camera).
Identifications, from left: Addie and Arthur McClain, Betty (in front), Bernard, Florence. It is likely that the photo was taken by John Hammell.
Everyone in the photo seems to have a hint of a smile or maybe even a smirk on their faces except Mom (Florence). I’m not sure what to make of the hand on her hip. Was she just being a 16-year-old, or was the inscrutable facial expression and the hand-on-hip her own understated reaction to whatever everyone else was smiling at?
There aren’t many photos where Grandma Addie is smiling, so it’s nice to see at least a little smile here.
At age 14, Uncle Bernard is a handsome kid. But I don’t think there can be any disputing that nine-year-old Aunt Betty steals the show with her cuteness.
It is interesting that the kids are all looking at the camera and the adults are both looking off to the right (possibly where the photographer is standing). I don’t know whether that reflects a generational difference in familiarity with posing for a photo, but maybe.
You are right: Aunt Betty steals the show and it is GOOD to see Grandma smiling. Uncle Bernard and Mamma are almost unrecognizable. It looks to me like Mamma is working at NOT smiling.
This is an interesting picture – I’m glad to have it! I would really like to be an invisible guest at their dinner table and observe the family intereactions! Two teenagers nearly a century ago!
It would be very interesting, wouldn’t it?
That stance was typical of Mom in my memory. Great picture!