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I reunite identified family photos that I find in antique shops and second hand stores with genealogists and family historians. If you see one of your ancestors here and would like to obtain the original, feel free to contact me at familyphotoreunion [ at ] yahoo [ dot ] com. I also accept donations of pre-1927 images to be reunited. I hope you enjoy your visit!
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Friday, January 13, 2012

Look Closely: Clarence & Harold Crane, 1913, S. Dakota


These two boys are "Clarence and Harold Crane, ages 4 & 6 years," according to the handwritten inscription on the back of the postcard photograph.

That's all I had to go on for information, so I went to the 1920 US Census and searched for two brothers with these names and the same age spread.  I found one possibility in Liberty, Lyman, South Dakota:  Clarence Crane, b. 1910 Nebraska, and Harold Crane, b. 1908 Nebraska, sons of William W. & Carrie Crane.

It was probably them, but Crane is a fairly common name and I wished I had something more definitive.

The postcard did not have a stamp so it appeared it was not sent through the mail.



That's when I put it aside.  When I took it out again to scan the photo, I noticed that indentation just under "Name and Address Here" line.  Was that a postmark?  I looked closer.  It wasn't a postmark per se.  It was the impression of a postmark.  The photo must have been sent through the mail in an envelope.  When the postmaster stamped the envelope, it left an impression on the photo.  With a magnifying glass I could read, "Aug 12 5 pm 1913  S. Dak"  The town name is not readable.

Now I feel better labelling this photo "Clarence and Harold Crane from Liberty, South Dakota, 1913"

UPDATE:  Just after writing this, a Crane descendant from Oklahoma contacted me about the photo.  It looks as if this one has been reunited, and it's on its way!

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