Ultimately there was quite a nice response to the recent
Quiz photograph both in comments on the blog and back-channel. Here is the
complete photograph that can be found in a rather poor reproduction opposite
page 112 in the 1914 convention report, captioned “Receiving instructions. Re:
Immersion service.”
The people in the picture (from left to right) are: Robert Hollister, John A Bohnet, Charles T
Russell, and Edward W Brenneisen.
The “mystery” character in the recent quiz was John Adam
Bohnet. He was regularly photographed in convention reports between 1906 and
1927 but for the studio portraits was nearly always hatless. This meant that
what stood out as his principal identifying mark was a shiny bald head.
Pictured here with a hat on was designed to confuse for the recent quiz – and
succeeded.
Bohnet is an interesting subject – CTR’s private secretary
who typed letters for him to Maria, who typed out Joseph Lytle Russell’s last
will and testament, who designed and built the pyramid monument on the United
Cemeteries plot, and who literally grew “miracle wheat.” An article on his life
story is in preparation. Below is the cover of a 1909 cemetery photo book with
his portrait.
11 comments:
Thanks for that interesting background! Also, isn't that photo of Hollister the one that appears in the "Proclaimers" book?
Proclaimers book page 423 - that's correct - well spotted.
Reuben Robert Hollister (to give him his full name) did not stay with the IBSA. His WW1 draft card gave his occupation as secretary and treasurer of the Mena Film Company. He died in 1980 aged 96.
Sadly, not a surprise. So many came and went . . . did E. W. Brenneisen remain with the IBSA? And is his photo the one at the bottom of page 224 in the "Proclaimers" book? So far I've been able to identify William Hersee, of Canada, and Otto Mäkelä, of Finland, as the two Pilgrims shown on the left side of the display. I'm sure you would also know the identity of the English Pilgrim shown on the right.
Beautiful photo! and nice advance to the Bohnet article. Looking forward to enjoy it.
Brenneisen was till his death loyal with the WTS
That certainly looks like Edward Brenneison's photograph on page 224 of the Proclaimers book. The census returns for 1930 and 1940 have him as a salesman in printing and binding, and he was involved at some point with the W B Conkey Co. which did printing for Society and also printed the book Angels and Women (1924) that has an IBSA connection. He was born c. 1874 and died in 1956. For his picture to be used in the Proclaimers book would suggest the editors/authors believed he remained loyal to the IBSA, especially when there were others to choose from for the United States. Unlike R R Hollister his death was not noted in a Bible Student periodical.
As for the English Pilgrim there would only be 3-4 doing this work in the 1920s, but my British lists and files have not been scanned and are all photocopies that are buried away - somewhere - at the moment. So I can't put a name to the face at present. But maybe someone else here can.
Hi Andrew & Jerome,
English Pilgrim (1920-32) on page 224 of Proclaimers book? Charles Herbert Senior. Is there a prize?
Gary
Many thanks for that. As Senior was a WW1 conscientious objector you are the best placed to make an identification. The main prize is that warm fuzzy feeling of knowing you have solved a puzzle. All part of putting the jigsaw together.
Gary - Thank you so much for answering that question, which has perplexed me ever since the "Proclaimers" book was published in 1993. Now my handwritten captioning on that page is complete!
Pleased to be of service Andrew. When I was a little boy living in Aldershot, Hampshire, in the late 1960s an elderly brother Senior from nearby Basingstoke occasionally visited our Congregation to give talks. If only I had been bright enough to ask questions! I next came across his name in c. 2001 when I visited Richmond Castle and have been fascinated by him ever since.
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