The Palimpsest

Blaski, Steven

Quilts Reveal Lives of Early Iowans
by Steven Blaski
Imagine you’re making a quilt. You’ve 
designed it to commemorate an important 
event in your life. Composing your quilt, 
you use cherished remnants —fabric from a 
wedding dress, perhaps, or from a shirt that 
belonged to a friend who has died. You 
devote many hours of care and patience 
stitching it together. And when it’s finished 
you sleep with it. What handmade item is 
more personal?
Because they so intimately reflect the 
lives and times of the people who make 
them, quilts are rich sources of historical 
information. This will be illustrated in The 
Thread That Remains: Patterns from Iowas 
Past, an exhibit opening May 13 at the State 
Historical Building in Des Moines. The 
exhibit will contain sixty-three quilts made 
in or brought to Iowa before 1925 — and 
thus will shed light on the public and private 
lives of early Iowans.
The Thread That Remains is a collabora­
tion between the State Historical Society of✓
Iowa’s Museum Bureau and the Iowa Quilts 
Research Project. According to chairperson 
Katheryn Russi, the project was established 
in 1987 to register and photograph pre-1925 
quilts, teach how to properly care for them, 
and create an exhibit of outstanding quilts 
for the public to view.
To accomplish this, the project sponsored 
twenty-eight “quilt days in towns across the 
state. Iowans brought in more than 2,500 
quilts to be registered, Russi says. This 
entailed documenting everything known 
about each quilt — its size, patterns, materi­
als, condition, and history. The project will 
donate these documents to the State Histor­
ical Societv so that future researchers willj
have easy access to the information.
“Quilts are like family records,” Russi 
says. "We wanted to make Iowans more 
aware of the historical value of quilts so that 
future generations can appreciate and learn
from them.’
After registering and photographing the 
quilts, a project committee and the Society’s 
Michael O. Smith, curator of the exhibit, 
selected a theme to determine which of the 
registered quilts to display. “The theme is 
about how quilts are signposts, markers of 
important life passages — like births, birth­
days, weddings, mourning, and community
events, ” Smith savs.*
Included in the exhibit are both pieced 
and appliqued quilts. All were made before 
1925. The oldest ones date from the earlvj
1800s, Russi says. The exhibit, on display 
through September 2, will include photos of 
some of the quilt makers, plus related
artifacts from the Society’s collections.✓
In addition, the following events will be 
held in the State Historical Building this 
summer:
June 9, 9 am Sara J. Kadolph
Conservation Practices for Historic Quilts"
• June 9, 10:30 am Shirley McElderry
“T. L.C. for Antique Quilts and Textiles"
(Note: Registration is required fo r  June 9 workshops, 
as part o f  the Congress o f  Historical Organizations 
(COHO). For more information on COHO, see hack 
page.
• June 10, 1-4 pm Quilt Identification Day
c<
June 23, 1:30 pm Liz Porter, Marianne Fons
Never Underestimate the Power of the Nine Patch"
«<
July 28, 10 am Barbara Brackman
Quilts as Vehicles for Social, Political, Religious, and 
Self Expression
• Jnly 28, 1:30 pm Barbara Brackman
‘‘Patchwork Souvenirs: Quilts from the 1933 Chicago 
World s Fair
August 18, 1:30 pm Cuesta Benberry
Afro-American and Slave-Made Quiltsu
• August 18, 9-1:30, 3-4 pm 
Quilt Identification Day
SPRING 1990 33


English

Quilts Reveal Lives of Early Iowans

Horton, Loren N

Part 4 in a series
Interpreting 
the Image
How to Understand
Historical
Photographs
by Loren N. Horton
ALTHOUGH many historical photographs 
exist of people dressed up, far fewer pho­
tographs exist of people in their everyday 
clothes performing actual work tasks. Even 
when photographs were taken of work situa­
tions a century7 ago, many were not realistic. In 
many photographs, the work has stopped and 
all of the participants stand stiffly, facing the 
camera. The subjects might stand in rows in 
front of a work place, occasionally arranged 
symmetrically according to height, age, or gen­
der. Sometimes we are hard pressed to decide 
exactly what tasks the people might have been 
performing prior to this “frozen moment of 
time.’ Because of these numerous stilted ver­
sions, we prize even more the few pho­
tographic examples that preserve the images of 
people actually performing an act of work.
One reason historians prize ‘work pho­
tographs from the past is because they often 
document obsolete occupations. The pho­
tographs may be our only evidence of “how” 
something was done, or even “whether some­
thing was done. Dramatic changes in agri­
culture, communication, transportation, con­
struction, and more mundane and routine 
work have occurred since the invention of pho­
tography. Images of these changes are pre­
served in the photograph albums of families 
and in the collections of libraries, historical 
societies, and museums all over the countrv.
From them we learn how houses were built, I 
how laundry was done and meals were pre- I 
pared, how crops were planted, cultivated, and | 
harvested, how food products were processed I 
and stored, what sources of energy7 were avail- I 
able to run machinery, and a mvriad of other I 
understandings about the past. It is important V 
in the history' of any family, neighborhood, or |  
community to trace such changes. In this way I 
we can learn about how our ancestors and their j 
friends made their livings. I
Of equal importance are photographs that || 
show us who did what sort of work, and when j[ 
and where. We know that past generations had f 
definite ideas about gender and age roles for I
178 THE PALIMPSEST
certain chores. Children were assigned certain 
tasks at certain times in their growing up, and 
elderly men and women had entirely different 
and well-defined chores that they were 
expected to perform. Whether adult women 
milked cows, whether hoys as young as ten 
rode on the cast-iron seats of gang plows 
behind team s of ho rses, w h eth er the 
bangboard on the corn wagon accommodated 
one shucker or two, were all matters of ethnic, 
regional, and chronological differences. 
Women in one community might never milk 
cows, while it might have been very common 
in a second community. Women in the second 
community might never have put up hay, and
the men there mav never have worked in the 
chicken house. Recording these subtle varia­
tions, photographs of work enrich our knowl­
edge and heritage. The fabric of life in the past 
is made known, and it comes alive in the 
photographs.
The photograph here illustrates the task of 
constructing a barn or other large farm out­
building. As with other photographs, the 
viewer needs to look at each individual ele­
ment in the image, perhaps actually list or 
inventorv them, and then trv to make them fit 
together and make sense. Noting details of 
construction, size, shape, internal arrange­
ment, and function can suggest insights about
WINTER 1990 179
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the farm family who built the barn. Group the 
observations according to what you want to 
determine — dates, locations, social elements, 
or material culture. Comparing observations 
with histories of farm practices and architec­
ture would help establish a possible range of 
dates and geographical area. From careful and 
painstaking examination of a photograph we 
can extract the greatest amount of valuable 
historical information.
Clues about the People___________
The erection of major farm buildings often 
required more labor than what the immediate 
family could provide. Friends, neighbors, rela­
tives, and perhaps specialized craft workers 
might be called in for certain tasks. Until well 
into the twentieth century, men ordinarily did 
this work. In the past many farmers were at 
least semi-skilled in carpentry by necessity, as 
many farmers today must know the rudiments 
of engine mechanics. Simple economics dic­
tated that certain construction and repair jobs 
on the farm could more quickly and cheaply be 
done by oneself. Specialists were expensive 
and might not be available when needed.
Four men are visible in the photograph. We 
cannot know for sure if they belong to the 
family who owns the farm. We surmise that 
they are involved in construction, but it is 
remotely possible that they were simply pass­
ing by when the traveling photographer was 
setting up equipment. Of the four, the man on 
the left seems the most occupied. The others 
look blatantly at the camera.
Since people rarely climbed up on the tim­
bers of unfinished buildings wearing their best 
clothing, we assume they are wearing work 
clothing. All of the men are wearing hats, a 
useful item of social historv. The rest of their 
clothing is not distinct enough here to tell us
much historically.✓
Clues about the Surroundings_____
Few building materials lie about on the 
ground; there is a small heap of stones, a 
tongued beam, and some planks. Other flotsam 
and jetsam of a farmyard and a construction 
venture are visible. We see a couple of barrels, 
a couple of troughs, a bucket, a ladder, and the
partially exposed wooden tower for a windmill. • 
Off to the left are two additional buildings, 
probably not used as dwellings because the size 
of the barn would indicate a relatively pros­
perous establishment.
Clues about the Building’s S ize____
The size of this structure suggests it will be a 
barn. The shape indicates space for a hay mow, 
stables for draft bourses, and stanchions for 
milk cows. Construction has not progressed far 
enough to indicate any tightly fitted compart­
ments for storing shelled grain. (Use of bams as 
granaries was not uncommon in the Midwest.) 
Presumably there will be places for storing 
vehicles and equipment. Because we cannot 
see the entire farmstead, we cannot be sure of 
the exclusive or general uses of any one 
building.
Clues about Construction_________
In building barns, when certain methods of 
framing involve raising preassembled compo­
nents into place, the process is called “raising” 
the barn. The method used here seems to be a 
combination of timber framing (requiring 
heavy timbers and mostly practiced before 
sawed lumber was available) and mill framing 
(in which the milled support members often 
have extensions that branch off into a Y). Bal­
loon framing, more common in houses, was 
sometimes used in barn building. More often,
after the turn of the centurv, barns were built/ *
from plans and pre-cut lumber purchased 
through catalogs or from lumberyards.
It appears that all the vertical walls have 
been framed. Components that seem to be J 
resting at an angle may be framed portions I 
completed on the ground, ready to be raised I 
upright by pulleys, or they may be braces sup- j 
porting the superstructure until additional j 
framing timbers can be nailed or pegged into I 
place. I
Other than the framing techniques, little of I 
the “how” of work is actually portrayed here. I 
We know that the men probably used the lad- I  
der to reach their positions, the tripod and I 
ropes to lift materials to higher levels of work. I 
The foundation has been laid very, very t  
carefully, even though the construction site is B 
on quite level ground. Note the even dressing If
180 THE PALIMPSEST
and careful fitting of the stone blocks and the 
running ashlar bond used in the laying of the 
masonry. We might assume that the troughs 
hold mortar and the barrels hold water. The 
stone has been partially dressed (cut to fit 
together smoothly) but left rusticated on the 
outer side. None of these factors suggests a 
rude outbuilding. In fact, barns with heavy 
timbers do not need such sophisticated founda­
tions because the timbers will support the 
weight.
Clues about the Photographer_____
Why did a client want this photograph made? 
What was the photograph trying to show? Was 
it a successful effort?
Placement of the structure within the pho­
tograph is excellent. The building is framed by 
the windmill tower to the left and trees to the 
right, by the adequate amount of yard in the 
foreground and by plenty of sky to silhouette 
the dramatic view of the workers. Much care 
went into the correct placement of the camera 
to handle all of this.
But why was it important to show the 
unfinished building? We can easily understand 
why a farmer would be proud of a completed 
barn, the newest and perhaps the largest in the 
neighborhood. It is even reasonable that a 
craftsperson might want to record steps in con­
struction. But if this photograph is not one of a 
series, why was it taken? Did the building 
belong to a prominent person? Were the work­
ers friends of the photographer? Was the pho­
tographer attempting to record historically 
important scenes, even at this early dater* Per­
haps the photographer was conscious of the 
attraction of “before and after’ pictures, 
intending to photograph the completed barn. 
For this photograph, the only clues may be the 
questions we ask and the options they provide.
Conclusions_____________ _______
Ihe photograph tells us that rope and gal­
vanized buckets were available in the area, but 
that wooden-staved barrels were still common 
— thus showing a transition between periods 
or stages of technology. The building skills of 
working with heavy timbering and dressed 
stone were practiced here. Wooden windmill
towers instead of the metal towers were still in
use.
C'learly the photographer did not intend to 
capture the entire spirit of the building pro­
cess. The partially erected structure is the
focus.
A color photograph would reveal the barn 
color, of course, but in reality barn paint was 
often simply the cheapest paint available. Red 
was verv common in the Midwest.
Left to our imagination — or family records 
yet to be found — are the reasons behind 
choosing this method of framing and location, 
the specific uses of the structure, and the rea­
son for laying such a sophisticated and finished 
foundation under a barn, as well as whether the 
farmer did the work or imported specialized 
craft workers. G
For More Information, Consult These 
Sources________________________
Susan H. Rogers, T h e  C h a n g in g  F a r m s te a d :  A  S e le c tiv e  
B io g r a p h y  (Iowa City: State Historical Society of Iowa, 
1990). The best single resource on farm buildings in the
Midwest. Contains fiftv-one references to books and arti-*
cles about barns and other buildings of the farmstead.
I n fo r m a t io n  a b o u t  b a r n s  p r e d o m in a te s  in  th e  fo l lo w in g  
s o u r c e s , b u t  th e y  a lso  c o n ta in  m a te r ia l  a b o u t  o th e r  b u i ld ­
in g s  o f  th e  fa r m s te a d .
B a r n s to r m in g  (Iowa City: Friends of Historic Preserva­
tion and the Johnson County Historical Society, 1990).
Curtis J. Frymoyer, “Bams of Cedar County,” C e d a r  
C o u n ty  H is to r ic a l  R e v ie w  (Cedar Falls: Cedar County 
Historical Society, 1980).
Charles Klamkin, B a rn s :  T h e ir  H is to r y ,  P r e s e r v a t io n ,  
a n d  R e s to r a t io n  (New York: Hawthorn Books, 1973).
Pat Sonquist Lane, “An Iowa Barn: Swedish Style, T h e  
P a lim p se s t  (Sept./Oct. 1983), pp. 170-78.
Lowell J. Soike, “Viewing Iowa’s Farmsteads,” T a k e  T h is  
E x it:  R e d is c o v e r in g  th e  Io w a  L a n d s c a p e , ed. by Robert 
F. Sayre (Ames: Iowa State University Press, 1989).
Lowell J. Soike, W ith o u t  R ig h t  A n g le s :  T h e  R o u n d  B a r n s  
o f  Io w a  (Des Moines: Iowa State Historical Dept., Office 
of Historic Preservation, 1983).
Eric Sloane, T h e  A g e  o f  B a r n s  (New York: Funk and 
Wagnalls, 1966).
WINTER 1990 181


Interpreting the Image: How to Understand Historical Photographs (Part 4)

Sullivan, J Leo

A Small'Town Opera House
by J. Leo Sullivan
I
T IS NOW just a memory for me, the 
opera house in that little northeastern 
Iowa town of my boyhood — a memory 
that goes back to the very early years of 
this century, and my days in knickers.
I have heard that it was considered an unsafe 
structure many years ago. But even in my days 
there in Lawler, Iowa, it was losing its hold on 
public interest because of the Princess, the 
new moving picture theater that introduced 
me to such pioneers of the silent screen as John 
Bunny, Flora Finch, Mary Fuller, Florence 
Labadie, Marguerite Snow, and Pearl White. 
Both places of entertainment, it may be said, 
shared in the general decline of small-town life 
that came about through the growing prefer­
ence for the automobile, making it desirable to 
go to a town that could support a more preten­
tious theater.
The seating capacity of the Lawler opera 
house was sufficient to serve attendance by its 
small-town audience. The floor was level, not 
slanting toward the stage. There was no orches­
tra pit. Musicians taking part in a performance 
did so from the stage or from a floor space next 
to the stage. The walls were without paintings 
or photographs of in terest. The interior 
seemed designed to center attention on the 
scene of action, the stage.
To enjoy what the opera house had to offer, 
one had to ascend to a second floor by way of an 
enclosed stairs between a barbershop below 
and, on the other side, an adjoining building, 
which housed the town s weekly newspaper. 
The ascent did much to explain the falling-off in 
attendance after the opening of the street-level 
Princess. But in my boyhood days, before the 
lure of the movies, it took a bad case of rheu­
matism indeed to discourage even the aged 
from making the ascent to witness what either 
traveling players or the town s thespians had to 
offer in the way of entertainment.
The local thespians were mainly students of 
the town’s two schools, the public and the
Catholic. And except for my senior year in high 
school, my own trodding of the boards was 
done under the direction of one of the nuns at 
the Catholic school.
Nuns can display a thoroughness all their 
own. And in those days, when everyone was 
more thorough in tilling a smaller intellectual 
acreage, the nuns were thorough indeed. They 
had three cardinal rules about acting: you 
memorized your lines perfectly; you spoke in a 
distinct voice; and you positively never turned 
your back on the audience. If this did not 
always make for a professional performance, it 
got things done in no uncertain manner.
The big event of the school year at the opera 
house was, of course, the June graduation. And 
it was the greatest challenge to the nuns in the 
matter of casting. To leave out any member of 
the class was unheard of. So the problem was 
often solved by selecting something of spec­
tacular proportions that not only called for a 
cast giving every7 graduate something to do or 
say, but also meant recruiting from other 
classes — though this in turn might invite the 
criticism of favoritism.
It was not always a drama that was selected. 
There was, for example, a production that 
remains in my recollection as typical of what 
was given in those years. On opening night, the 
opera house was touched with the fragrance of 
the late spring flowers that bordered the front 
of the stage. Early arrivals found two nuns 
giving last touches to things floral. They would 
later disappear to the temporary cloister of 
backstage. The other nuns would come pres­
ently and occupy seats in a front row. After our 
pastor and assistant priest had arrived and had 
taken places reserved for them opposite the 
nuns, things would begin.
When the curtain, bearing a garden scene 
broken by blocked advertisements of the 
town’s merchants, rose that evening, there was 
a short but generously applauded display of the 
school’s musical talent. After that, a descent of
WINTER 1990 173
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174 THE PALIMPSEST
stood so near the scene of action that the 
audience on the opposite side sometimes saw 
the white of a hand or a bit of the black of a 
habit.
My senior year in high school was spent in 
the public, not the Catholic, school. Because it 
was felt that we Catholics could not support an 
accredited high school of our own, at the same 
time supporting the already accredited public 
school, it was decided to discontinue our own, 
and all would attend the public. So it was that 
as a senior at the public high school I had my 
chance at a role in the graduation play. 1 also 
had a chance to delight in the knowledge that I 
knew “the theater’ better than anv of mv 
schoolmates, thanks to my experience as a 
stagehand. For during that year at the school I 
was employed as the janitor at a bank; and as 
the opera house was under the same ownership 
as the bank, my janitor duties included occa­
sional employment at the opera house as well.
One thing in particular stands out in my 
memory of that graduation play. In my role I 
was called upon to impersonate at times a char­
acter wearing a beard. Since the beard had to 
be donned and removed repeatedly, I was pro­
vided with one that could be suspended from 
the ears. The play was given with such success 
before our own local audience in Lawler, that it 
was decided to give it again in two neighboring 
towns, Protivin and Waucoma. By the time of 
the Waucoma performance I had become 
too sure of myself. After one exit I quite 
thoughtlessly hung my beard on a convenient 
nail I had caught sight of on the back side of the
set. When it came time for mv next entrance I✓
suddenly realized, to my consternation, that I 
had forgotten where I had left it.
When I recovered myself I was able to con­
vey to an actor on the stage that I was not ready 
to enter on cue, that I had to be given time to 
find my beard. He was equal to the occasion. 
With a presence of mind that was unusual in 
one who was young and inexperienced in 
things theatrical, he took advantage of the 
action of the play at that point, which had to do 
with a disagreement between us, and he ad- 
libbed lines about our disagreement until I 
could recall where I had left my beard, and was 
able to make my entrance.
Another form of entertainment that dates
A company of ty pically well-dressed actors poses in their 
finery at a Cedar Falls depot, circa 1900.
the opera house of my boyhood was what was 
called a declamatory contest, in which the par­
ticipating students of the public high school 
competed for first place in an oratorical, dra­
matic, or humorous recitation. That I, with 
something of a local reputation as a lad of 
almost serious mien, chose a humorous recita­
tion as my bid for top honors, is due to the fact 
that I liked to imitate the accent of the Irish, 
which I heard all about me. And the additional 
fact that I won, I must attribute in great part to 
having chosen an impersonation of a fat Irish 
maidservant who had gone on a diet, and the 
presence of an equally rotund Irishwoman in 
the audience who good-naturedly found my 
efforts so much to her liking that her laughter 
infected the rest of the audience — and, pre­
sumably, the judges.
A
S JANITOR and stagehand at the
opera house, I experienced a partic­
ular pleasure in mingling with the 
traveling players and other enter­
tainers who made appearances there. Plays 
given by traveling companies were usually con­
fined to Saturday nights. And it was just too bad 
if I neglected to get a needed haircut at least by 
supper time (dinner time to city dwellers). For 
as soon as farmers got to town after their day’s 
work, the barbershop began to fill so quickly
WINTER 1990 175
A “womanless wedding” stage production, by the Thimbles Society of the Congregational Church, Strawberry Point.
that I would not dare face the reasonable dis­
pleasure of a barber who had something better 
to do than give a haircut to a lad who could have 
come at a less busy time. At the grocery store 
and dry goods store, the drugstore and restau­
rant, clerks were hurrying about even more 
busily than they did for the regular Saturday 
night trade. There was excitement everywhere 
for the new show that was to be given over at 
the opera house.
One such production by traveling players, 
and one that most thoroughly acquainted me 
with the resources called upon to produce light 
and sound effects, was a melodramatic produc­
tion titled The Broken Rosary. The title was 
taken from the climactic moment in the last act, 
the moment at which a marriage frowned upon 
by Heaven is interrupted by a sudden storm 
and a shaft of lightning that breaks the rosary 
held in the hand of the bride-to-be.
The thunder, lightning, and rain for the 
miraculous intervention were quite im­
pressive. The thunder was easily obtained at 
the hardware store: a sheet of soft metal. When 
properly held and shaken, the metal gave out a 
roll that was near enough to the sound of an 
angry sky. The lightning was simulated by 
inserting a photographic slide, painted black 
except for a zig-zag figure in the center, into a
projection machine in the balcony, suddenly 
allowing a powerful light to penetrate for a 
moment and at convincing intervals, and cast­
ing the reflection onto the backdrop of a dimly 
lit stage. The falling rain was a triumph of 
achievement. It brought flattering exclama­
tions when the actors took their curtain calls 
and there was no evidence of a wetting. A tin 
container had been placed on a shelf at the side 
of the stage, out of view of the audience and at a 
height to ensure pressure for a convincing 
downpour. Water from the bucket poured 
through a pipe, perforated on the underside, 
running across the stage at the front and high 
enough to be unseen by the audience. The 
wedding took place on a lawn, and the artificial 
“grass’ at the front of the stage was sufficiently 
sponge-like to soak up the precipitation.
W
HEN THE CULTURE of Chau­
tauqua visited the opera house 
in the winter season (it visited us 
in a tent during the summer) 
there was little demand for mv services as aj  .
stagehand. But I exercised my right to go back- 
stage. And I was properly thrilled whenever a 
star of the evening engaged me in conversation 
during an interval when he was not appearing. 
One such instance was the appearance of a
176 THE PALIMPSEST
Belgian baritone who was also an accordionist, 
a giant of a man with a wealth of hair, who 
explained an intermission in his concert by 
telling his audience that he had to have time to 
comb his Belgian hares. Another was that of a 
Catholic priest who gave a lecture on (I 
remember the title exactly) “The Weeds and 
Flowers of Modern L ite ra tu re / and who 
delighted his audience with his good-natured 
scorn for heroines with swan-like necks, mar­
ble brows, starry eyes, and pearly teeth.
And there was the time when the Edison 
phonograph manufacturers sought to convince 
us of the fidelity of their recordings by sending 
us one of their recording singers, having the 
stage darkened at times for a test of their pho­
nograph, and letting the audience judge 
whether it was the singer continuing to sing, or 
whether it was her voice as recorded on the 
instrument placed on the stage with her and 
her piano accompanist. Remembering now the 
old phonographs, it is hard to believe that any­
one could be deceived. But the point is of no 
consequence here. What is of consequence to 
me is that I was seated next to an Irish neighbor 
who had one protest to register against the 
lovely and capable soprano of the evening. It 
was this: she had been billed as an Irish 
soprano; yet she had sung not one “Irish” song!
T
HE AUTUMN following my high
school graduation found me miles 
away, at a college that boasted things 
theatrical well beyond anything seen 
or heard in the opera house of my boyhood 
town. That college was Columbia College in 
Dubuque, now known as Loras College. 
Although college soloists in the field of music 
essayed classics that generally went far beyond 
the appreciation of my townspeople, there 
were no graduation plays on a stage with fra­
grant flowers in a riot of color.
The change was, unquestionably, an ad­
vancement for me. But on one of my visits to 
Lawler years later, I sought out the custodian 
of the building, secured the key, and ascended 
the enclosed stairs to the theater that once held 
much interest for me, but that now seemed 
quite deserted and of little interest to anyone.
I sat once again on one of those seats of hard 
wood, seats fastened together in groups ofper-
haps half a dozen, so that they could be moved 
quickly and easily to a place near the walls, 
leaving the floor clear for dancing. I filled them 
again with familiar forms, and envisioned the 
ladies arising from them gingerly after a per­
formance, in their fear of the consequences to 
summer dresses after long occupation on a very 
warm and humid evening.
An upright piano still stood near the stage. It 
was the electrically operated player piano that 
did service as musical accompaniment for the 
movies that had been introduced in competi­
tion with the Princess motion picture theater. 
The owner of the opera house had requested 
the owner of the Princess to remain closed on 
those infrequent occasions when the opera 
house was offering live entertainment. When 
the owner of the Princess refused to do so, the 
owner of the opera house began showing 
motion pictures as well. But not enough of the 
older citizens especially were willing to con­
tinue to ascend those stairs. After the competi­
tion had proved profitless, the opera house 
returned to live performances only, and the 
piano had been left there in eloquent silence.
It had been a long time since that player 
piano had poured out “On the Shores of Italy” 
or “Why Is the Ocean So Near the Shore?” or 
“He’s a Devil in His Own Home Town — 
often in conflict with the action or emotion 
being portrayed on the screen. But memory 
heard it doing so again. And in the same mem­
ory I could see the operator of the projection
machine descend from the balconv in an✓
attempt to correct the piano when it failed 
altogether, or when it went through several of 
those arbitrary selections on its roll at such 
headlong speed as to distract those in atten­
dance and create at least a murmur of laughter.
My memorable visit included, of course, a 
wandering in and out of the dressing rooms. 
But it was the visit to the stage itself that 
evoked the most tender memories.
I raised the curtain, covered now with dust 
and out of date in its blocked advertisements of 
the town’s merchants, and faced an audience I 
conjured out of those memories. For the 
moment, all were alive to me still, responding 
as of old to the unsophisticated representations 
of life’s tragedies and comedies, offered from 
the stage on which I now stood. □
WINTER 1990 177


A Small-Town Opera House

INDEX FOR 1990
compiled by Mark Meachamand John Thompson
Acting and actors: home talent, 173-75; 
racial stereotypes and, 68-79; in stock 
companies, 154, 157, 171, 175-76; 
photo of, 168, 175, 176 
Aday, Matt, Jr., 116 
Advertisements: for quilting, 16, 18, 26 
African Methodist Episcopal Church 
(Sioux City), 74 
Afton (Iowa), 25
Agriculture: Jewish immigration and,
148. See also Rural life 
Architecture: rural, 34-36, 178-81 
Autobiographical writing: 1860s revival 
meeting, 12-15; 1920s collegiate, 
38-48; coal mining, 118-25; rural life, 
52-55, 56-67, 94-96; small towns, 
173-77; traveling salesman’s letters, 
186-92
Babcock, Frances Edith, 49; photo of, 
Summer cover 
Bailey, Bill, 13, 15 
Barns, 178-81; photo of, 178-79 
Beaman (Iowa): photo of theater curtain, 
163
Be l l , M ich a el  J., “To Light Out for the 
Territories Ahead of the Rest,”
146-53; biog. of, following 196 
Bell’s Mill (Iowa), 192 
Be n n e t t , C harles  P., “Threshing with 
Steam as I Remember It, 52-55; 
biog. of, following 96 
Be n n e t t , Mary, “Tips on Handling and 
Labeling Historical Photographs, 37; 
"Tips on Storing Historical 
Photographs,” 93; “Tips on Storing 
Negatives of Historical Photographs, 
130-31; “Tips on Displaying Historical 
Photographs in Albums and Frames, 
182-85; biog. of, following 48, 96, 144, 
196
Benton Countv (Iowa), 94-96 
Berto, John, 117 
Bieger, Paul, 21, 30 
Blackface in the White Mind: Racial 
Stereotypes in Sioux City, Iowa,
1874-1910,” by W illiam L. H e w it t , 
68-79
Black lung disease, 109, 122 
Blakesburg (Iowa): theater curtains, 
160-62
Blaski, St e v e n , “Quilts Reveal Lives of 
Earlv Iowans,” 33; biog. of, following 
48
Bloom, Moses, 147 
Booth, Anna, 99 
Booth, Harry, 99, 104, 114, 116 
Bo o t h , H arry, “You Got to Go Ahead 
and Get Killed: Lost Creek 
Remembered,” 118-25; biog. of, 119 
Booth, William, 99 
Booth, William A., 99, 102, 116 
Bower, Mrs. E. L. “Annette”: photo of, 
83
Bridges, inside Winter back cover; photo 
of, Summer back cover 
Brooks Stock Company, Jack and Maude, 
157, 169
Bryan, William Jennings: cartoon of, 
Spring back cover. See Presidential 
campaigns 
Burch, Emily, 23
Burlington (Iowa): Evangelical Lutheran 
Bethanian Church, 21, 30-31 
Byers, Fred, 166
Canfield, Emily (Burch), 23 
Canfield, H. W., 23 
Carroll (Iowa): photo of, 82 
Cartoonists: racial attitudes and, 68-79 
Chautauqua, 176-77 
Childhood: in coal camps, 118-25; farm 
life and, 94-96, 186-92; holidays and, 
photos of, 82, 84, 86, 88, Summer 
cover; opera houses and, 173-77; 
threshing and, 52-55, 56-67 
Clapp, E. R., 21 
Clarkson, John T., 104 (caption)
Classics, 38-48
Clifford, Helen. See Gunter, Helen 
Clifford
Coal mining: 98-117, 118-125; photo of, 
100, 101, 106-9, 112-13, 118-19,
121-22, 125, Fall covers 
Costume: 1870-1890s, 35-36, 90-93; photo 
of, 35, inside Spring cover, 91 
Cox, George, 158
Cox, Jesse, 154-59, 165-67, 170-72; photo 
of, 156, 159 
Cox, Robert, 159
Cox Scenic Studio, Jesse (Estherville), 
154-59, photo of, 158 
Crane family: photo of, 88-89 
Crayton, Sylvester, 117 
Crews, Charles B., 117 
Cricket, William, 102, 104 
Crime: theft, 134-44 
Crow, Sam, 15 
Crum, E. L., 40 
Cummins, Albert B., 9, 10, 112
Darling, Jay N. “Ding,” 74; cartoons bv, 
73, 75, 76, 78 
Darrock, Harry, 116 
Davis, Katharine B., 133 
D avis, Me r l e , “Horror at Lost Creek: A 
1902 Coal Mine Disaster, 98-117; 
biog. of, following 144 
Day, F. E., 74 
Denechok, George, 117 
Depressions: 1930s, 186-92 
Description and travel: 1930s by auto, 
186-92
Dixon, Thomas, 77
Duncan, J. F.: photo of farm, 53
Education: secondary, 173-75;
postsecondary, 1920s, 38-48 
Elder, John, 117
Eldon (Iowa): photo of theater curtain, 
161
Embroidery, 16-32, photo of, 17, 19-32, 
Spring cover 
Encephalitis, 133 
Entertainment. See Opera houses; 
Movies; Actors and acting
WINTER 1990 193
Estherville (Iowa), 157-59 
Ethnicity: Jewish life and heritage,
146-53; portrayal of blacks in popular 
entertainment, 68-79 
Evangelical Lutheran Bethanian Church 
(Burlington), 21, 30
Fainting Bertha. See Libbecke, Bettie 
Feeblemindedness, Criminal Behavior, 
and Women: A Turn-of-the-Century 
Case Study,’ by T o m m y  R. 
T h o m p s o n , 132-44 
Fish, Dan “Boone,” 117 
Fish, Russell, 117 
Fisher, J. A., 74
Flickinger, Roy C., 38, 40-41, 43, 44 
(caption), 45-47; photo of, 41 
Foehlinger, Charles F., 102 
Fort Dodge (Iowa): poster from, 80 
Foster, Frank E.: photo of, 84 
Foster, Fred H.: photo of, 84 
Foster, John E.: photo of, 84 
Fothergill, George, Jr., 116 
Fothergill, William, 102, 116 
Fox, Michael, 102, 117 
Fox, Michael, Jr., 102, 117 
Frontier and pioneer life, 12-15 
Furnishings. See Victorian period
Galveston Project, 149 
Gasperi, Frank, 102, 117 
Gasperi, James, 102, 117 
Gasperi, Joseph, 102 
Gogo, George, 116 
Graham Opera House (Washington): 
photo of, 168 
Gray, Alexander, 117 
Greiner, Chuck: photo by, 17-32, 154-72, 
Spring, Fall, Winter covers 
G u n t e r , H e l e n  C l i f f o r d , “A Young 
Latin Scholar: University Life in the 
1920s, 38-48; photo of, 40; biog. of, 
following 48 
Gunther, Lou, 134 
Guthrie Center (Iowa): photo of, 83
Hammerstead, Axel: photo of farm, 60 
Harris, Ross, 57 
Harvey, William, 116 
H e i n , Ruth  D., A Town Girl Becomes 
a Farm Helper,” 94-96, biog. of, 
following 96
Henderson, Lydia E., 28 
Henegan, Laura, 23
H e w it t . W illiam  L., Blackface in the 
White Mind: Racial Stereotypes in 
Sioux City, Iowa, 1874-1910,” 68-79, 
biog. of, following 96
Holidays and celebrations: Fourth of July, 
51; photo of, 50-51, 80-89, Summer 
cover; graduations, 173-74; Jewish, 
151-52; parties, photo of, 72 
Hollingsworth, George: photo of farm, 63 
“ Horror at Lost Creek: A 1902 Coal Mine 
Disaster,” by M e r l e  D avis, 98-117 
H o r t o n , Lo r e n  N., Interpreting the 
Image: How' to Understand Historical 
Photographs”: Part 1: 34-36; Part 2: 
90-93; Part 3: 126-30; Part 4: 178-81; 
biog. of, following 48, 96, 144, 196 
Households: in coal camps, 120; rural, 
94-96; Victorian, 126-31 
Housing: in coal camps, 105, 120, photo 
of, 115, 121, back Fall cover; rural, 
34-36, photo of, 35 
Humphrey, James, 117 
Humphrey, Sam, 117
Immigration and settlement: Jewish, 
146-53
Industrial Removal Office, 148-49 
Ingleside Hospital for the Insane 
(Hastings, Nebraska), 140 
Interpreting the Image: How to
Understand Historical Photographs,” 
by Lo r e n  N. H o r t o n , Part 1: 34-36; 
Part 2: 90-93; Part 3: 126-30; Part 4: 
178-81
Iowa City (Iowa), 38-48; photo of, 39, 42, 
44, 47
Iowa Falls (Iowa): photo of, 84 
Iowa General Assembly, 112-13 
Iowa H om estead , 2-11 
Iowa Institute for the Feebleminded 
(Glenwood), 133; photo of, 134 
Iowa Quilts Research Project, 33
Jerkins, John, 116 
Jewish Agricultural Society, 148 
Jewish customs and religion, 146-53 
Johnston, Poe, 52, 55 
Journalism: 1896 election and, 2-11; 
crime reporting and, 132-44; racial 
attitudes in, 68-79
Kendall, Nate E., I l l  
Kersands, Billy, 72 
Kimball, Clara, 74
Knight Templars: photo of quilt made of 
badges, 20 
Kovall, John, 117
Kr a m m e , M i c h a e l , “ Opera House 
Illusions: Jesse Cox and Theatrical 
Scenerv,” 154-72; biog. of, following 
196
Ku n z e , Jo e l , Shameful Venality: The 
Pierce-Wallace Controversy and the 
Election of 1896,” 2-11; biog. of, 
following 48
Labor unions: coal miners, 106, 109-11,
114, 117, 119-20, 123; photo of union 
hall, 122; union support, 114 
Ladies Aid (Evangelical Lutheran
Bethanian Congregation, Burlington),
21, 30-31
Lannan, Charles, 116 
Lanning, Hugh, 160
Larson, Joe, 191 1
Latin. See Classics
Lawler (Iowa), 173-77 1
Leaf, Arthur, 186-92; photo of, 145, 187,
188, 192 \
Leaf, Dale, 186, 187; photo of, 190 
Leaf, Doris, 187, 190, 192 
Leaf, Florence, 186, 190; photo of, 191 
Leaf, Johanna Marie, 186-92; photo of,
188, 190
Leaf, John, 186, 192; photo of, 190, 191 
Leaf, Paul, 186, 189, 190-92; photo of,
190, 191
Le a f , VaD onna  J e a n , “ Sure Hope 
Things Go Better Tomorrow’: Letters 
From a Traveling Salesman,
1928-1935,” 186-92; biog. of, following 
196
Leonard (Missouri): photo of theater 
curtain, 164 
Levi, Alexander, 147 
Lewis, John L., 123 
Libbecke, Bertha. See Libbecke, Bettie 
Libbecke, Bettie, 132-44; photo of, 132,
141 |
Libbecke, Anna, 135 
Libbecke, Elizabeth (Lizzie), 133, 136 
Libbecke, Emma, 135 
Libbecke, Mary, 133 
Libbecke, Minnie, 135 
Libbecke, William (father of Bettie), 133 
Libbecke, William (brother of Bettie),
133
Lost Creek (Iowa): 98-117, 118-25 
Lothrop, J. S., 74
Mabie, Jonas, Jr., 102, 116 
Mabie, Oliver, 102, 116 
Maquoketa (Iowa): photo of, 80 
Martin, John, 117
Material culture: mining tools, 116-17, 
photo of, Fall cover; quilts, 16-33; 
theatrical scenery, 154-72. See also 
Photography 
Mayer, Julia Bloom, 152 
McDowell, Billy, 52, 55 
McDowell, Clyde, 52 
McGuire, James, 73-74 
McKinley, William. See Presidential 
campaigns
McNeeley, Jack, 117
Medical treatment: in coal camps, 119-20.
See also Feeblemindedness 
Melton farm (near Mount Pleasant): 
photo of, 88-89 
Mental health, 132-44 
Meservey farms: photo of, 65
194 THE PALIMPSEST
Methodist Revival Meeting:
Remembering a Boyhood Experience 
in 1865, bv H enry A. M i l l e r ,
12-15
Miller, Ella Mary (Potter), 15 
Miller, Frank Justus, 38, 40 
Miller, Franklin, 15 
Miller, Franklin, Jr., 15 
Mil l e r , H enry A., M ethodist Revival 
Meeting: Remembering a Boyhood 
Experience in 1865,’” 12-15; biog. of, 
15
Milton, Iowa: photo of opera house, 
inside Winter cover 
Mining. See Coal mining 
Minstrel shows, 70-72; photo of, 72 
Missouri Valley (Iowa), 25 
Monetary reform: in 1896 campaign, 5-10 
Morgan Show, Hila, 157 
Mt. Zion Baptist Church (Sioux City), 77 
Movies, 173, 177
Museum of Repertoire Americana (Mount 
Pleasant), 172 
Music. See Opera houses
Newspapers. See Journalism 
Noble Dramatic Shows, Warren G., 157, 
167
Nolte, Otto: photo of, 57
Oakville (Iowa): photo of, 53 
Opera House Illusions: Jesse Cox and 
Theatrical Scenery, by M ic h a e l  
Kra m m e , 154-172
The Opera House R eporter, 1.54, 158, 159 
Opera houses, 154-72, 173-77; photo of, 
168, 176, inside Winter cover 
Oral histories, 118-25 
Orr, Reverend (Methodist church, 
Unionville, 1865), 13 
Ottumwa (Iowa): photo of theater curtain, 
160
Oxford Junction (Iowa): photo of theater 
curtain, 164-65, 172
Packard, Emily, 18 
Pash, Andrew, 112, 117 
Payne, W. J., 190
The People’s Church (Omaha), 137, 140 
Phonograph, 177
Photography: preservation of, 37, 93, 
130-31, 182-85; interpretation of 
historical photographs, 34-37, 90-93, 
126-31, 178-81 
Pickpockets. See Crime 
Pierce, James M., 2-11; photo of, 3 
Political cartoons, 7, 8, back Spring cover 
Politics: in 1896, 2-11 
Populists. See Presidential campaigns
Postcards, 82, 85-87 
Potter, Ella Mary, 15 
Potter, Franklin, 40, 47-48 
Presidential campaigns: of 1896, 2-11 
Prisons: photo of, 14-43. See also Crime
Quilting, 16-33; photo of, 16-33, Spring 
cover
Quilts Reveal Lives of Early Iowans,” by 
Steven  Blaski , 33
Racial attitudes, 68-79 
Railroads: regulations, 5 
Redhead family (Des Moines), 27 
Reese, John P., 110-13; photo of, 112 
Reid, J. Cornelius, 77-79; photo of, 79 
Religion: Catholic education and, 173-75; 
criminal reform and, 137-38, 140-44; 
Judaism, 146-52; Methodist, 12-15 
Reminiscences. See Autobiographical 
writing
Revival meetings, 12-15 
Ringgold Countv (Iowa): threshing in, 
52-55
Rural life: 1940s, 94-96; holidays, 80-89; 
Jewish settlement, 147-51; threshing, 
52-55, 56-67. See also Frontier and 
pioneer life; Opera houses
Sales (traveling, as occupation), 186-92 
Savidge, Charles W., 137-40, 142, 144; 
photo of, 137
Scenery. See Theatrical scenery 
Schaffner Players, 157, 172 
Schminke, Elaine: photo of, 95 (corrected 
caption: "Lois, Elaine, and Lenore”) 
Schminke, lima, 94, 96 
Schminke, Lenore: photo of, 95
(corrected caption: "Lois, Elaine, and 
Lenore”)
Schminke, Lois: photo of, 95 
Schminke, Ruth: photo of, 95 
Schminke, Walter, 94, 96 
Schwartz, E. P., 190 
Secress, Frank, 116
“Shameful Venalitv: The Pierce-Wallace
y
Controversy and the Election of 
1896,” by Jo e l  Ku n z e , 2-11; biog. of, 
following 48
Shaw, Lydia Henderson, 28 
Shaw, Samuel E., 28 
Shields, W. P., 74 
Sioux City (Iowa), 68-79, 149 
Slavata, Joseph, 43 
Slavata, Louise, 43
“ A  Small-Town Opera House, b y  J. L e o  
Sullivan , 173-77
Social clubs and organizations: collegiate, 
43; Jewish, 150, 152-53; Ladies aid,
21, 30-31; miners hall, 104-5, 123, 
photo of, 122
Sp e n c e r , C arole  A., “Victorian Crazy 
Quilts,” 16-32; biog. of, following 48 
Spooner Family (Centerville), 168 
State Historical Society of Iowa, 16, 33 
Stille, August: photo of farm, 54 
Stovall, James, 117 
Sullivan, Asa, 116
Sullivan , J. L e o , “A Small-Town Opera 
House,’ 173-77; biog. of, following 
196
" Sure Hope Things Go Better
Tomorrow’: Letters From a Traveling 
Salesman, 1928-1935, by Va D onna  
Jean Le a f , 186-92 
Swanson, Ed, 116
Swanson, Johanna Marie. See Leaf, Marie
Tallman, Harry H., 77-78 
Teaching, 38-48
Terrace Hill (Des Moines): photo of, 17, 
29
Territories (Iowa): settlement of, 146-47 
Theater stock companies: photo of, 168, 
175. See Opera houses 
Theaters. See Acting and actors; Movies; 
Opera houses
Theatrical scenery, 154-72; photo of, 145, 
154-72, 177, Winter cover 
Thompson, Bert, 102 
T h o m p s o n , Tommy  R.,
"Feeblemindedness, Criminal 
Behavior, and Women: A Turn-of-the- 
Century Case Study," 132-44; biog. 
of, following 144
The Thread That Remains (exhibit), 33 
Threshing, 50-51, 52-55, 56-67; photo of, 
50-51, 53, 54, 56-67, Summer back 
cover
“Threshing Day,” 56-67 
“Threshing with Steam as I Remember 
It,” by C harles  P. Be n n e t t , 52-55 
Tillman, Benjamin F., 74, cartoons about, 
73, 75
Timbrell, Jasper M. Jap,” 101-2 
"Tips on Displaying Historical
Photographs in Albums and Frames, 
by M ary Be n n e t t , 182-85 
"Tips on Handling and Labeling
Historical Photographs,” by Mary 
Be n n e t t , 37
Tips on Storing Historical Photographs,” 
by Mary Be n n e t t , 93 
Tips on Storing Negatives of Historical 
Photographs,” bv Mary Be n n e t t , 
130-31
To Light Out for the Territories Ahead 
of the Rest, by M ichael  J. Be l l , 
146-53
A Town Girl Becomes a Farm Helper,” 
by Ruth D. H e i n , 94-96 
Transcontinental Threshing Company: 
photo of, 60, 61
Treliar (Trealiar?), Al: photo of farm, 63
WINTER 1990 195
Ullerich, Ruth: photo of, 94. See Hein, 
Ruth D.
Uncle Tom's C abin , 68-70, advertisement 
for, 69
Unionville (Iowa), 13-15 
United Mine Workers. See Labor unions 
University of Iowa (Iowa City), 38-48; 
photo of, 39, 44, 47
Vaudeville: photo of, inside Summer 
cover
‘Victorian Crazy Quilts,’ by C arole  A. 
Sp e n c e r , 16-32
Victorian period: crazy quilts, 16-33; 
family, 128; furnishings, 126-31; opera 
houses, 154-72; portraiture, 90-93;
social customs, 126-31; women, 16-31, 
128
Walker, Louisa, 40 
Wallace, Henry, 2-11; photo of, 2 
W allaces’ Fanner and Dairym an, 2-11 
Walters, David, 117
Washington (Iowa): photo of opera house, 
168
Werning, Dolores, 96; photo of, 94 
Weming, George, 94-96 
Werning, Paula, 94-96 
W’estgate (Iowa): photo of theater curtain, 
163
West Liberty (Iowa): photo of, 86 
Whitefield Methodist Church (Sioux 
City), 74
White, John P., 109-14; photo of, 112 
Women: criminal behavior and, 132-44; 
education and, 38-48; historical 
records and, 152-53; in the Jewish 
community, 152-53; mental health 
and, 132-44; See also Quilting; Social 
clubs and organizations; Victorian 
period
Women’s Relief Corps, 24-25
“You Got to Go Ahead and Get Killed: 
Lost Creek Remembered, by H arry 
Bo o t h , 118-25
“A Young Latin Scholar: University Life 
in the 1920s,’’ by H e l e n  C l if f o r d  
G u n t e r , 38-48
196 THE PALIMPSEST


Index for 1990

Part 1 of a new series
Interpreting the Image
How to Understand Historical Photographs
by Loren N. Horton
IN PHOTOGRAPHS as in life, there is often 
more there than first meets the eye. People 
who have unidentified photographs in their 
own family collections can use the following 
analysis to help determine the who, what, 
when, where, and why of the photograph.
The simplest way to interpret or understand 
a photograph is to begin by asking the following 
questions:
• What is revealed or suggested by clues of 
architecture, clothing, and setting?
• Why was the photograph taken?
• Why was it saved? What was its value to 
the possessor?
The intentions of the photographer, or the 
subject of the photograph, may seem apparent, 
but additional information of interest can be 
found in almost any photograph. When exam­
ining a photograph, pay attention to the people 
(and how they are arranged), the buildings, the 
context within which the people and structures 
are shown, the setting, objects, and any seem­
ingly peculiar or unusual aspects. Not all pho­
tographs will answer each question. But a 
surprising number do have clues to help us 
give tentative or approximate answers. Some 
clues will be quite small, so pull out the magni­
fying glass.
A note of caution before beginning: When­
ever we use architectural styles, fabric pat­
terns, clothing styles, or room furnishings to 
date or place a photograph, we should 
remember that not all persons followed fash­
ions at the same time. Time lags might be due 
to economic circumstances, personal tastes, 
geographical isolation, or lack of opportunity to 
buy the latest fashions and fads. Such aspects 
are clues to dates and places, but can never be 
depended upon absolutely. All of us know peo­
ple whose clothing is a decade out of high 
fashion, or whose room furnishings may remain 
the same for decades. House construction may
be out of style because of the lack of skills of the 
available builders. Time lags may hold es­
pecially true in isolated, rural, or poor regions 
less affected by the convenience of mail-order 
catalogs and rapid transportation.
Let us examine this particular photograph 
and see what conclusions we can come to. The 
photograph shows a building with people in 
front. A bit of landscaping is also visible.
Architectural Clues
To start with the basics, we might assume that 
this building is a house, because of the people 
in front of it. Also, we know that it does not 
resemble closely any type of public or commer­
cial structure with which we are familiar, and 
the setting does not seem appropriate for any­
thing other than a residence for people.
The house is of frame construction, is L- 
shaped, has a porch, two dormers, and a bay 
window. The basic siding is clapboard, the 
shingl es are wooden, and there are two 
crowned chimneys (an element of sophistica­
tion). There are varicolored scalloped or “fish 
scale’ shingles, millwork on the porch posts 
and balcony rail. The lintels, sills, and corner- 
board quoins casing the clapboard siding have
been factory-mi lied rather than hand-hewn.✓
The rosettes in the lintels over the windows are 
repeated in the cornice-like board over the 
front porch. The porch floor is wooden rather 
than dirt.
Although this is surmise, the two front doors 
leading to the porch seem to indicate a separa­
tion of functions within the house. One door 
may lead to the kitchen area, and the other 
door may lead to living or sleeping quarters. 
Bay windows are usually found in the parlor, 
sitting, or dining areas, rather than the kitchen 
or bedroom areas.
These observations help us date the house. 
The L shape was common for decades but was
34 THE PALIMPSEST
most popular from 1880 through 1910. Earlier 
L-shaped houses were usually the result oi 
building an extension onto an existing small 
house. This house seems to have been built as 
one unit at one time, because the roof lines are 
even, the gable angles are the same, and iden­
tical millwork is used throughout.
Millwork of this type was available in Iowa as 
early as the 1840s, but the details and trim 
were more common in the last third of the 
nineteenth century. While we cannot date this 
building exactly, houses that resemble it were 
often found in the Midwest during the 1890s. 
There are no elements present on the building, 
or at least none visible in the photograph, that 
would be anachronistic in 1890.
Clues About the People
An adult female and adult male, with a young 
child on his lap, are in the center of the photo. 
An adolescent male sits to the left, nearly 
obscured by the fence post. Two children stand 
on the balcony. One is clearly a girl. The 
younger one is probably a boy, but gender- 
neutral clothing was common for very young 
children, and the short hair could be hair grow­
ing back after an illness such as a fever.
The combination of ages in the photograph 
suggests a nuclear family. The adults could 
certainly be the husband and wife and all of the 
others could certainly be their children. We 
don’t know that this is true, but the visual 
evidence suggests this strongly. Considering 
the setting, we might go further and suggest 
that this family is posing in front of their own 
home. But are there other reasons why this 
combination of people of various ages might be 
in this setting?
Clothing Clues
Clothing is often evidence of time and attitudes 
of the persons photographed. In this example 
the clothing is not very formal, yet it is not 
ragged or shabby either. The man is wearing a 
vest but no coat. The woman’s dress is practical 
but not high style. No jewelry or other orna­
ments are visible on it. The pattern of the cloth 
suggests that it was probably a work dress, 
because ‘dressy’ dresses of the period tended 
to be solid colors. Its style, skirt length, the 
sleeve, waist, and collar all are typical of 
women’s clothing in the last decades of the 
nineteenth century. The clothing on the
SPRING 1990 35
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T
O
N
younger people is not distinct enough to help 
date or geographically place the photograph.
Clues About the Setting
In the foreground, a barbed wire fence creates 
some sort of boundary, and the wire is strung 
on wooden posts. (Barbed wire was patented 
after 1870, so the picture has to have been 
taken after 1870.) Fences, of course, are useful 
to keep things out, or to keep things in. The 
height of this fence suggests that it was meant 
to keep animals out rather than to keep people 
(children) in. Although not visible in the photo, 
this presupposes a gate through the fence that 
could be opened or closed.
Also visible on the grounds, presumably the 
front yard, are examples of ornamental vegeta­
tion that may have been set out. There is a lilac 
bush, a cedar tree, and other young, deciduous 
trees. The grass is cropped rather than shaggy. 
Set-out vegetation seems to indicate an effort 
on the part of the owners or residents to beau­
tify the environment in which thev live.
Adjacent outbuildings or neighboring build­
ings are always good clues for locating a struc­
ture in its context. No other buildings are 
visible on either side, nor in the background. 
Because of the barbed wire fence, we might 
think this is a rural scene, but the absence of all 
other buildings is inconclusive. The house 
could be on a farm, on the outskirts of a small 
town, or isolated on a large lot in a town.
Seasonal Clues
Because the leaves are out but the lilac is not in 
bloom, it is probably early summer. Were it 
later in the summer, things might appear drier. 
There is no evidence of drought or mud, and it 
is warm enough for people to be outside with­
out coats on. The chair outside and table on the 
porch would also indicate summer time. The 
light seems bright, so it is probably mid-day.
Clues About the Photographer
The photograph shows definite clues about the 
skills of the photographer. The placement is 
beautiful, with the building centered and 
framed nicely. There is a lot of sky showing 
(perhaps for contrast to the darker colors of the
house) but only a small amount of yard and 
fence. The perspective is a bit distorted because 
of the angle of the camera. The details are very 
clear, showing some care in developing.
Clues About Why the Photograph 
I Was Taken
We can safely assume that the building was as 
important as the people, because great care 
was taken to include the entire house in the 
photograph. If the people had been the major 
focus, then the photographer would have prob­
ably moved in closer so that they would have 
appeared larger, with the house appearing only 
partially, as a background. The young man 
would not be blocked by the fence post.
Conclusions
From all of the clues observed, we can con­
clude that the photograph was probably taken 
by a professional photographer or skilled ama­
teur towards the end of the nineteenth cen­
tury, perhaps in the 1890s. Photographs of 
families standing or sitting in front of new 
homes are a common genre for the times. This 
is probably a single family in front of their 
home, and the chances are it is a rural scene 
rather than an urban scene.
From these observations, we may also con­
clude that the house was constructed after pro­
cessed lumber was available in the area, that 
the purely utilitarian aspects were not para­
mount (hence the decorative details on the 
building), and that the people who paid for the 
construction were not satisfied with a tiny cot- 
tage-type house.
We cannot isolate this photograph geograph­
ically, except to note that it is very similar to 
other photographs taken in the Midwest dur­
ing early summer. The people involved have 
some pride in the appearance of their home 
and of themselves. While the clothing is not 
formal, it is neat and respectable. We surmise 
that the house is prized, because there is trim 
and decoration beyond what is required for 
simple function.
By looking at all parts of the photographic 
image, we can learn a great deal about the 
people and places represented in it. Try' it on 
your own family photographs. D
36 THE PALIMPSEST


Interpreting the Image: How to Understand Historical Photographs (Part 2)

The Palimpsest, vol.71 no.1, Spring 1990

Wood, Sharon E

Althea Sherman and the Birds of Prairie and Dooryard: A Scientist's Witness to Change

Swaim, Ginalie

Index for 1989

Working and Wandering
The wanderer on picture postcards is always dressed in oversized 
shoes, a crumpled hat, and patched trousers. With a tin can slung 
around his neck and a bundle tied to a stick, the bearded tramp 
chomps on a cigar or pipe, sharing the joke of the postcard’s 
caption. His image lias become an American icon, one that our 
society sometimes accepts affectionately through the humor of a 
Charlie Chaplin or a Red Skelton.
The popular motif of the postcard tramp appears in this sam­
pling, part of Palimpsest contributor George Horton s extensive 
collection of hobo memorabilia. These examples generally date 
from 1906 to 1919 (sending and collecting picture postcards were 
quite popular in these decades), but the stereotype continues on 
cards printed in subsequent decades.
In choosing a picture postcard with the tramp motif, the sender 
slips into that character to convey travel details or to share a joke. 
Looking underneath the humor, however, one detects stronger 
messages troni mainstream culture, messages about our society’s 
attitudes towards the vagabond. — The Editor
»
—-
^  J -
ivL&'ik
UNTRY
Double meanings and puns abound on cards portraying the tramp as an unwelcome visitor.
T h e  whole» t o w n  tu r n e d  o u t  t o  m e e t
m e .
— -
o
127-
LEADING A CHASED LIFE.
£MB. I» C £ C ru 6 T 0 fC .
SUMMER 1989 93
t o .  I t  ( H  I  t  H H I T I t .  M (l6 N9l l f .  « 11.
94 THE PALIMPSEST
J  SHOULD WORRvfi";
l ilt* postcard tramp speaks for all of 
us with empty pockets. The pen­
niless, victimized character com­
plains on our behalf, finding fault 
with the economy or government 
for the fall from riches to rags.
cX ^stvm l su m ) /rrum& f
O/ /)7u& arrui4/i& '
YE R'
WOW
£ f  DERNED TOOTIN' I 'm a taxpayer
ELSE COULD A GUY GET LIKE THIS
YvfOULD YOU BELIEVE IT ? 
I  WAS LIKE_DATONCE.
c
0 |
°+Hb?r?
"KIND LADY, I HAD THE MISFORTIN TER LOOSE 
ME LEG— ”
"WELL, IT'S NO USE LOOKIN' FOR IT HERE, I 
AIN'T GOT IT I”
Above: Frequent elements of the 
wanderer's life — misfortune and 
danger — are turned into humor on 
these picture postcards. One indi­
vidual’s misfortune triggers no com­
passion in the stern-faced lady of 
the house, and the very real danger 
of riding freight trains becomes a 
joke about the risk of a carefree life.
Bight: To most of us, the life of the 
vagabond appears to represent a 
break from propriety and obliga­
tions. Discarding social expecta­
tions and resp o n sib ilitie s  and 
donning a favorite floppy hat, we 
seek the open road on our too-short 
vacations — and send a postcard to 
the folks at work hack home.
1 am e n jo y in g  m y  vacation im m ensely
SUMMER 1989


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Quilts Reveal Lives of Early Iowans

Interpreting the Image: How to Understand Historical Photographs (Part 4)

A Small-Town Opera House

Index for 1990

Interpreting the Image: How to Understand Historical Photographs (Part 2)

The Palimpsest, vol.71 no.1, Spring 1990

Althea Sherman and the Birds of Prairie and Dooryard: A Scientist's Witness to Change

Index for 1989

The Postcard Tramp

Bertha Shambaugh's Frog Folk

2,796

4,035