Most readers will be familiar with the photograph of the Bible House family, taken outside the building, and generally dated to around 1907.
In fairly recent times another picture has been
discovered, taken inside the building. This interior shot below was taken
around the same time because it includes many of the same people.
The picture comes from a photo book that once belonged
to Rose Leffler Hirsh (1877-1984). Rose Leffler married Robert Hirsh in 1915.
The marriage took place at the Brooklyn Tabernacle and was conducted by CTR.
Robert as a single man is there in both the above photographs.
The interior photograph was taken in the Bible House parlor. Below is a colorized photograph of the parlor.
Below again (and with grateful thanks to Bernhard) is the new group photograph also colorized and with the names of the people, where known, added below. (You may have to click on the photograph to enlarge it to see all the details).
1. Frederick W Williamson
2. Frederick L Scheerer
3. Robert H Hirsh
4. George C Garman
5. Carl E Franklin
6. Elizabeth Williamson
7. Susan S Nation
8. Jesse G Herr
9. Sr. Patton
10. L S Lewis
11. Emma L Hamilton
12. Francis Winton
13. Alice E Bourquin
14. Unknown
15. Morgan T Lewis
16. Gabriella Logan
17. Frank A Hall
18. Clara A Taylor
19. Hattie S Williamson
20. Laura Whitehouse
21. Albert E Williamson
22. Unknown
23. Elizabeth M Nation
24. Almeta M Nation
25. Isaac F Hoskins
We can also date the photograph to around 1907 because the group includes Francis Winton (12). Francis died on 11 January 1908, sadly on the day after his wife’s funeral. Susan Winter is not in the parlor picture, but she is there in the exterior one, sitting in the front row with her husband.
Francis had an interesting history. From the Pittsburgh Press obituary column for
January 13, 1908:
The death certificate for Francis:
Both Francis and Susan gave their address as the Bible House. Both deaths were reported by A E Williamson of the Bible House. Both were interred in the United Cemeteries, owned by the Society, but this pre-dated the special section created for full-time workers, where CTR was ultimately buried.
Addenda
The Bible House photographs were issued as a postcard set of sixteen cards (but not with the picture that forms the basis of this article). With grateful thanks to Andrew F for the image below.
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I have the date of this picture as May 3 1907. This photograph is part of a set of (16) numbered Bible House pictures. I have two complete original sets of these pictures and the reason for May 3 1907 is that in the picture of the Mail & Express Department between Brother Morgan T Lewis and Brother Carl E Franklin is the big number 3. At the top in a darker color on the calendar it displays the year 1907. In between the 3 and the year at the top is the month of May. It can hardly be seen unless you blow up the picture and look at it with a magnifying glass. Since this was a set of pictures and know how meticulous Pastor Russel was in running the Bible House I go with seeing is believing. May 3, 1907
ReplyDeleteYou may want to add that the reference is on page 61 of Bernhard's fine book.
ReplyDeleteVery many thanks for the fine detective work in establishing the date for the series of photographs. The “new” photo that formed the basis of this article was not in the original set, but was found in the photo book of Rose Leffler. It was also missing from the first edition of Bernhard’s book “The Bible House.” That is why, when this material was first written up on another blog, it was entitled “The one that got away.” It was subsequently added to a new edition of Bernhard’s book. Your quoted page 61 doesn’t work with the first edition, but no doubt will do so with the current edition. Any who have not seen Bernhard’s book can see a picture of the cover at the end of this old post “A picture within a picture” - https://jeromehistory.blogspot.com/2021/11/a-picture-within-picture.html - and it can be obtained from Amazon and the usual suspects.
ReplyDeleteAddenda - for Rose Leffler, read Rose Leffler Hirsh.
ReplyDelete