Yearbook Photo (Class of 1875?)

I really love this image of what seems to be the students of a one-room school house and their teacher, who is definitely the older woman in the middle of the group. This is one of the very few group shots that I have in my collection, mainly because they are rare, and thus, much more expensive that your average antique image. Actually, I came across this one by accident when I bought an old photo album in Vermont a few years ago. I was so happily surprised to see this one in there! I really love the beaming smile on the face of the teenage girl with the long curls sitting directly behind her teacher on the right. Who said people didn't smile in those days! The woman on the far left, who also appears to be much too old to be a student, is holding some sort of scroll or paper in her hand. Maybe she was a music teacher, hard to say. This picture maybe have been taken in the autumn, certainly before it was warm, as the teacher is wearing a cloak and leather gloves. To think that all these kids wwould have trying to learn at the same time is a bit mind-boggling, but they look content.

Interestingly, this photo was taken by "E.M. Johnson, Photographer, Crown Point, N.Y." Crown Point is directly across from Vermont on Lake Champlain, and during the 1700s was an outpost for French (and then after 1758) British troops. Thanks to the wonders of Google, I was able to discover that this photographer, was actually Elbert Johnson, who fought in the Civil War, and then had a fairly prominent studio for many years. His diary was recently published. To learn more, visit: http://www.penfieldmuseum.org/diary.htm Another one of his images can also be found on the web: http://www.flickr.com/photos/20939975@N04/2462518646/