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
@
Mac Donnell Rare Books
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Austin TX 78730
512-345-4139
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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
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