Dating the Bible House photo series

     

Most readers here will be familiar with the set of sixteen numbered photographs taken at the Bible House that were published in various places including as a set of postcards (see below).

     The most familiar pictures are probably CTR at his desk, and then the Bible House family (without CTR) having a group photograph taken outside the building.

     Can we date these photographs?

     We can start to narrow it down by the picture of CTR at his desk in his study. On the bookcase shelf to his right are the International Sunday School Lessons books for 1905 and 1906. Zion’s Watch Tower mirrored these lessons with its own comments on the Bible verses for many years. But this would suggest that the photograph was taken after 1906.

     At the end of 1908 they prepared to move to Brooklyn, so there would be no point in a series of promotional photographs for Bible House. New photographs were soon taken in Brooklyn and many of these can be found in the 1909 convention report.

     So most sources suggest the Bible House picture series dates from some time in 1907. We should also note that the group picture outside the main building includes Francis and Susan Winton, sitting together in the front row. They both died within days of each other in January 1908.

     We can now establish that the photo series was taken on May 3, 1907. A professional photographer, using a 5 x 7 inch glass plate camera, would probably have taken them all over one day, and one photograph contains a date.

     It is the Mail and Express Department.

     The three figures in the picture are (from left to right), Morgan T Lewis, Carl E Franklin and Frederick L Scheerer. Between Morgan and Carl on the wall is the number 3.

     You will not be able to see it on this reproduction, but if you had an original photograph and a strong magnifying glass or microscope you would see above the 3 in a darker color the year 1907. In between the 1907 and the number 3 is the month of May. So the calendar for this working day displays May 3, 1907. As noted above, the whole picture set was likely taken on that same day.

     With grateful thanks to Andrew F, Mike C, Brian K, and Bernhard B for their combined research which made this article possible.