We have the original photograph in an Onteora album in our collection. I just looked at it and it is simply labeled "Miss Susie and Clara Clemens 1890"
with no obvious indication of what order was meant (it was written vertically in the margin). Here is the image along with two close ups of Susy and Clara. 
I have also attached an additional image of Clara. I work with these images quite often and I believe that Clara is the one in the white dress closest to the camera while Susy is farther away. 


Mallory Howard
Assistant Curator
The Mark Twain House & Museum
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-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kevin Mac Donnell
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2016 9:05 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Photo of Susie and Clara

You may not be wrong. I tried magnifying that photo in Steve's book and I'm still not certain. If I have time later today I'll compare it to other Clara and Susy images from about that same time (some are on loan to the Hartford exhibit, so I may not even have the ones on hand that I think I do). The published location of that larger image would be helpful. If I recall, it shows their faces close up and not the entire wagon.

Kevin
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Mac Donnell Rare Books
9307 Glenlake Drive
Austin TX 78730
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Member: ABAA, ILAB
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You may browse our books at:
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-----Original Message-----
From: Carl J. Chimi
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2016 5:08 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Photo of Susie and Clara

In fairness, your book's caption for the picture does not actually = specify which girl is which.  It only identifies them as Susy and Clara, = in that order.  But, given the composition of the photograph, it would = not be a farfetched inference to draw that Suzy is the foreground girl = on the left, and Clara in the background on the right.  The other book = that published that picture (the title of which escapes me) does = identify them in that way, if I recall correctly.

And that's exactly what I suspect they ain't.  It bothered me from the = first time I saw the picture in the other book.

But I'm willing to admit I'm wrong.  I'm more curious as to how (short = of there being verifiable contemporaneous written identifications of = reasonable provenance) any modern person could authoritatively identify = those two girls as Clara and Susy, and which is which.

I guess it's these really, really small insignificant mysteries that = make scholars, eh?  =F0=9F=98=80=20

Regards,

Carl

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve = Courtney
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2016 9:33 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Photo of Susie and Clara

Carl, that's in the Mark Twain House collection but I won't be there to = che=3D ck till next Wednesday -- I've labeled it as being one of the =
1890 Onteora =3D Park pix, and must (I hope) have had some solid basis = for doing that. Stay =3D tuned.=3D0A=3D =3D0A=3D From the work Tracy = Brindle (MT House Chief Curator), Mallory Howard (her p=3D artner in =
crime) and I did early this year in preparation for the "In His F=3D = ather's Image" exhibition at the MT House that's running currently -- an = ex=3D ploration of the three daughters and their lives -- I'd say almost = certainl=3D y that Clara is in the front, with the expression you = describe, and Susy --=3D  likewise -- is in the back.=3D0A=3D =3D0A=3D = Best,=3D0A=3D Steve=3D0A=3D =3D0A=3D =3D0A=3D Steve Courtney=3D0A=3D = Special Projects=3D0A=3D The Mark Twain House & Museum=3D0A=3D
351 Farmington Avenue=3D0A=3D
Hartford, Connecticut 06105=3D0A=3D
860-302-8969=3D0A=3D
=3D0A=3D
=3D0A=3D
________________________________________=3D0A=3D
From: Mark Twain Forum [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Carl J. Chimi = [cchim=3D [log in to unmask]]=3D0A=3D
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2016 5:29 PM=3D0A=3D
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Photo of Susie and Clara=3D0A=3D =3D0A=3D You're certainly = right, Barbara. I've seen many photos reproduced in=3D0A=3D reverse, or = misidentified.  I didn't have this before me when I wrote the=3D = =3D0A=3D original post, but the picture can be found in Steve Courtney's = delightful=3D =3D0A=3D book "'The Loveliest House That Ever Was'" on = page 119.  I've also seen it=3D =3D0A=3D in one other book I've read = within the last decade, but I can't remember=3D0A=3D which book.=3D0A=3D = =3D0A=3D The girl I think is Clara has a slightly mischievous look about = her that I=3D =3D0A=3D associate with young Clara's personality.  The = other girl has a sadness in=3D =3D0A=3D her eyes that I associate with = Susie, especially around the time of her Bry=3D n=3D0A=3D Mawr days; she = also bears a resemblance to pictures of the young Sam=3D0A=3D = Clemens.=3D0A=3D =3D0A=3D Carl=3D0A=3D =3D0A=3D -----Original = Message-----=3D0A=3D
From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of = Barbara=3D0A=3D Schmidt=3D0A=3D
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2016 4:55 PM=3D0A=3D
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Photo of Susie and Clara=3D0A=3D =3D0A=3D Carl,=3D0A=3D = =3D0A=3D I do not  have that photo in front of me at the moment, but = from your=3D0A=3D description, I seem to recall it was taken at Quarry = Farm.  I think=3D0A=3D sometimes part of the confusion in photo = identification comes when photos=3D =3D0A=3D are reprinted from = negatives/plates and are unintentionally "reversed" or=3D =3D0A=3D = "flipped."  Without knowing who holds the original print or negative of = thi=3D s=3D0A=3D photo, it may be difficult to correctly pin down the = person on the left or=3D =3D0A=3D right in the frame and then determine = if subsequent reprintings are=3D0A=3D identified correctly.=3D0A=3D = =3D0A=3D Barb=3D0A=3D