Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Workday Wednesday - Five Butchers Cleaving?


Out of all my old photographs, this is one of my favorites, definitely in the top five.  Pictured here are what appears to be five young butchers from the Ashland, WI area.  There is nothing on the back of the photograph to identify any of the men.  The picture is a little faded but the man in the middle appears to be holding a pig on the table.  The man on the front left is reading a newspaper which when enlarged looks to be either "Pouce" or "Douce" Gazette.


The photographer is Bailey - in doing a Google search I didn't find much, but did find a couple of other pictures posted by Bailey or Bailey Studios which were obviously by the same person.  I tried searching on Ancestry.com and found an Art Bailey in the 1905 Wisconsin State Census age age 30, occupation photographer.  He was born in Michigan to parents born in England.  He was married to Lilosa age 24 and with son Samuel? age 1.  I had no luck finding him in earlier or later censuses.  I am guessing this photo to have been taken around 1900 give or take five years either way.

5 comments:

  1. It seems like a very unusual setting for butchers. It's such a formal environment for a profession that's so ... well ... less than formal. It's definitely the beginning of the workday and not the end!

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    1. Nancy, I didn't think about it but it must be the beginning of the workday - their uniforms/aprons are so clean!

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  2. A splendid photo. A studio setting perhaps for graduating apprentices? The magazine could be the "Police Gazette". Google for images and you'll see the distinctive typeface title.

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  3. Mike, you are correct, it is the "Police Gazette!" I have to admit I had never heard of that publication - that's what I love about blogging and the Internet, you learn something new and interesting every single day!

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  4. The center boy is my grandfather.

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