Well, I'd go further.  No one alive ever met any of those girls when they
were girls.  Offhand, I don't know how long Julia Langdon Loomis lived.  I
do know that Clara's appearance changed throughout her long life.  To my
mind, she actually began to look more like her father as she aged, where in
youth she had fuller features.  

We are looking at pictures of girls as teenagers.  I don't know how it
worked back then, but I do know that girls of my generation (born 1953)
usually professed to hating how they looked and hating having their pictures
taken.  Teenagerhood is an awkward time of life, physically and emotionally.
What I see as sadness in Susy may just be her not much wanting her photo
taken.  What I see as mischief in Clara may well be, well, mischief.

One thing I notice as a distinguishing characteristic between the two
sisters is that Susy's hair usually has some sort of almost pompadour effect
over her forehead; it rises an inch or so.  Clara's usually is pulled
straight back, so that it lies right along the top of her head (Julia has
the same pulled back hair in the group photo of the cousins, which adds to
her resemblance to Clara).  Susy also had a squared face, viewed from the
front, and a flatter profile.  Clara's face, viewed from the front is a bit
more triangular, and from the side it is more rounded, meaning her forehead,
nose, and chin form more of an arc.

That said, the two sisters did resemble each other greatly.  When I first
heard the Beatles, I could not distinguish one singer from another.  Only
years of familiarity helped me to know John's voice from Paul's, or from
George's.  And I still can't always tell.  Same with the older two Clemens
girls.  Jean I can always tell, except maybe in the baby photos, where she
looks an awful lot like Susy.

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kevin Mac
Donnell
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2016 9:49 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Photo of Susy and Clara

I have some diaries of Jervis Langdon (1875-1952) that cover 1885-1891, and
a diary kept by Julia from 1886, but I can't tell you where she was in 1890.

No mention of such a visit in her brother's 1890 diary, however. These
mostly document visits of the Clemens family to Elmira and Quarry Farm, some
play activities with the Clemens sisters, but not much detail re Sam or the
girls.

It's reasonable to assume Clara's face looks different from that angle or
from squinting in the sun, but it's still open to question. Anybody have
facial recognition software?

Kevin
@
Mac Donnell Rare Books
9307 Glenlake Drive
Austin TX 78730
512-345-4139
Member: ABAA, ILAB
*************************
You may browse our books at:
www.macdonnellrarebooks.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Carl J. Chimi
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2016 7:52 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Photo of Susy and Clara

A book I have!  The picture is on page 56 of the 1977 edition.  If all the
pictures I have ever seen of Susy and Clara that identify them each
specifically are correct, then this picture is mislabeled without a doubt.

That is Susy on the far right, and Clara next to Julia. Unquestionably, if
the above stipulation holds true.  In my mind there is no question which
girl is which.

That said, you are right, Kevin, that Clara strongly resembled her cousin
Julia.  But I don't think Julia is the girl in the wagon; she looks too much
like Clara.  And the girl in the wagon bears an amazing resemblance to the
Sam of the 1850 printers apprentice photo.  Is there any evidence that Julia
was at Onteora with the Clemens family in 1890?

Susy always has a melancholy look to her, a sort of recognition of the
intensity of life.  Clara always seems to be plotting some caper that makes
her adopt a devilish slight grin.

Carl



-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kevin Mac
Donnell
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2016 4:02 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Photo of Susy and Clara

There is a good photo of Julia Langdon together with Clara, Jean, Jervis
Langdon(1875-1952), Ida Langdon, and Susy in MARK TWAIN IN ELMIRA (1977). I
forget which page, but it's all of them together. That book is fairly
common. It also appears at page 26 in the much expanded second edition of
that book (2013) which is available from Elmira College. Anyone who does not
have this book ought to buy one post-haste.

That's Julia on the far left, but is that Susy next to her or is that Clara?

Is that Susy or Clara over at the far right?

That photo, a nice big 8 x 10 print, once belonged to Jervis Langdon
(1905-2004, just to keep our Jervi sorted out) but I own it now. Susan Crane
once owned it and wrote the names of the children on the back, plus the date
of the photo (August, 1887). Unfortunately, she listed them with their
birthdates in order of birth, so her notes are of no use in solving this
puzzle.

But you'll see how closely Susy, Clara, and Julia resembled each other at
that time.

I'll be interested to see how this all sorts out!

Kevin
@
Mac Donnell Rare Books
9307 Glenlake Drive
Austin TX 78730
512-345-4139
Member: ABAA, ILAB
*************************
You may browse our books at:
www.macdonnellrarebooks.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Carl J. Chimi
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2016 12:10 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Photo of Susy and Clara

Oh dear.  Can you direct us to a photo of Julia Langdon for comparison?  Not
sure I've ever seen one.

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kevin Mac
Donnell
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2016 12:58 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Photo of Susy and Clara

I'm a little bothered by the "Clara" identification also. Susy could be with
Julia Langdon (her cousin, daughter of Livy's brother Charlie), and this
girl in the white dress looks a lot like Julia.

Do we know the handwriting of the inscription in that album?

Kevin
@
Mac Donnell Rare Books
9307 Glenlake Drive
Austin TX 78730
512-345-4139
Member: ABAA, ILAB
*************************
You may browse our books at:
www.macdonnellrarebooks.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Hal Bush
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2016 10:42 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Photo of Susy and Clara

yes, apologies to all, I misspoke:  I do agree it is Susy on the right.

But again, to me, the one on left/ foreground does not resemble anyone very
much.

-hb

On Fri, Aug 26, 2016 at 9:45 AM, Kevin Mac Donnell <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Thanks. I can see them! Susy on the right for sure, and Clara in the 
> whiter dress.
>
>
> Kevin
> @
> Mac Donnell Rare Books
> 9307 Glenlake Drive
> Austin TX 78730
> 512-345-4139
> Member: ABAA, ILAB
> *************************
> You may browse our books at:
> www.macdonnellrarebooks.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Carl J. Chimi
> Sent: Friday, August 26, 2016 8:45 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Photo of Susy and Clara
>
> Dear Twainians,
>
> Steve Courtney was kind enough to send me a digital copy of the 
> photograph of the girls in the wagon.  I think anyone interested 
> should be able to download it from this link:
>
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/r3o5jcn1bf2x8ze/Susy%20and%20Clara.jpg?dl=0
>
> I'll be interested in any opinions about the girls' identities.  I'd 
> also like to know what that other book was that published this photo a 
> few years ago.
>
> Carl
>



--
Prof. Harold K. Bush
Professor of English
3800 Lindell
Saint Louis University
St. Louis, MO  63108
314-977-3616 (w); 314-771-6795 (h)
<www.slu.edu/x23809.xml>