What I know:
This photograph came from the collection of Agnes Grace Ferrer and was probably taken between 1861 and 1871. Because
the back is stamped by a British photographer, we presume this is either
a McKee or Hewitson family member. The following tree offers a quick who's who:
Note that Thomas McKee's half-siblings, Alfred and James Smith, are not
included. Both were born after 1851, making them too young to be
suspects.
What he’s wearing: What IS he wearing?! The fashion of this photograph is most confounding! He’s holding a top hat, but wearing “worn” shoes. His pant, waistcoat, and jacket are all ill-fitting. There’s something on or wrapped around his head. We looked for information on photographers providing studio clothing to subjects for photo sessions, but came up empty. What the photographer’s stamp tells us: Frederick Pipere (1823-1873) ran the Trafalgar Photographic Company (also known as the Charing Cross School of Photography) at various locations in and around Trafalgar Square. His wife, Sarah Ann, took over the business upon the event of his death. We set the date range to 1871 based upon the addresses listed on the stamp as compared to years of operation at these locations shown in city directories. Who are the suspects? Only three men were between the age of 20 and 35 during our 1861-1871 timeframe: George Hewitson (b. 1841), Dennis McKee (b. 1844), and Thomas M. McKee (b. 1846). Other known photographs of Thomas McKee show him much later in his life, making it tough to compare. We have no photographs (yet!) or either Dennis or George. Do you know who this is? Sources:
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