Unidentified World War I Photos

Last weekend I attended an ephemera show at the Shriner's Auditorium in Wilmington, MA. This was my first time attending such a show and it was completely overwhelming.  So many old books and papers to peruse - an historians dream, better than a candy store.   We entered one vendor's booth and I saw a long white box labeled Marblehead Soldiers in World War 1.  What the heck is this, I just wrote a book about Marblehead and World War 1.  Do I need to do a sequel already? I opened the box and there were over 100 glass plate slides or lantern slides.  Well out came the charge card, this was a must. I hurried my husband through the rest of the show, I needed to get home and check out my find. 

First I had to research what these things actually were.  After doing an internet search I believe these are lantern slides. A lantern slide is a glass transparency that was viewed through a slide projector that casts the image on a wall or other surface. Usually the slide was made by placing a dry plate negative directly on light sensitive glass, which, after it dried was fitted with glass and mat and sealed with tape. These were widely used into the 1920's.  The ones I purchased are 3 inches by 4 inches and the vendor had resealed them with new tape as some were beginning to show signs of water damage. Some had the photographers or supplier of the glass name imprinted on them as  A.D. Handy of Boston, which I believe is still in business as an Audio Visual supplier. I know that Mr. Litchman from Marblehead and Mr. Thompson photographed all of the Marblehead soldiers before they left for war, but I don't know if these are part of that project or were done independently. 

Thanks to modern technology I don't need a projector to view them.  I have been scanning them and making digital images. Unfortunately only a handful was identified with the soldier’s names on the slide.  I was able to recognize one as my great uncle Stuart Smith; most Marbleheaders would know him as "Aunt Sadie's" brother.  I have found one of the Woodfin brothers, President Wilson, and Charles Beckman Chapman.  There are some wonderful family shots with the serviceman and his mother, daughter, father and entire families. Just a wonderful find.

Now my job is to try to identify the people in them. As I said I just completed a book on Marblehead and World War 1 which will make its debut on June 4 from 12 - 3 at the Spirit of '76 Bookstore in Marblehead.  I will be there doing a meet and greet book signing and hopefully by then I can have these slides scanned and photos printed.  I plan on having them in a photo album for people to look at and hopefully find a family member so we can put names to the photos.  So come on down, view the display and hopefully purchase a book.  See you there!!