Higgins' Pocket Gallery 1

It's not a true photograph, so much as a photostat.  I wasn't able to find out much about the Higgins' Pocket Gallery.  I found a brief mention in an old article that referenced the gallery and mentioned it was compiled by police chief, Honest Jimmy Higgins.  Then, when I typed in chief Jimmy Higgins as well as a few other combinations, all that came up was current police chiefs, and assuming they aren't 100 years old, not honest Jimmy.

So, this will be the first in a series.  Additional posts will be individual images of the various fugitives as well as the small descriptive paragraphs on the back of the page.  Click on Higgins Pocket Gallery in labels at the bottom of the page.  As of yet I haven't decided if I'm going to put them up with out interruption.

Gender Fluid?

There was this thing in the 19th century where small boys were kept in girl's clothing, skirts, dresses, long hair, that sort of thing.  Once the boy got to a certain age, usually around four or five, and then, the hair was cut, boy's clothing replaced the girl's clothing.  Breeching was when that little boy started to wear pants.  Anyway, when I see the short hair, I think this photo is probably a little boy who's about to go from dresses to trousers. 

So, recently I read an article about parents raising their children as gender neutral.  I didn't think much about it until I was in a fast food place when I saw a young mother put lipstick on both her children,  a six or seven year old girl and a four or five year old boy. 

Power!

This is an interesting photograph.   The unit in the front looks like it's some sort of mock-up.  There is a control panel in the background that has a certain amount of depth, but the front one looks like it's only a few inches in depth.  The room also looks more like a carpentry shop rather than some place where electronic equipment is manufactured.  I did buy it in Los Angeles, so perhaps it's part of a movie set.

Three In A Park

There is some lettering on the arch in the deep background.  I thought I might find where "Palmer Park" is but there are at least six Palmer Parks I was able to identify, and I suspect there are a lot more.  Oh well.

Big Hat Collection 7

The last of the Big Hat real photo postcards and this one has a lot of info written on the back, some of which is covered by black photo album paper so I'll do my best to cobble things together.

 "Dear Mother, 5-6-15  (Obscured) just decided (Obscured) last to have "out siders" to the App Ball & have changed the date to the 14th So Be sure & come Thurs. if not sooner.  Hope Maye & Babies all are fine.  Excuse card as was best I could do now.  (Obscured) us a card & let us know when you can come, Love E.E."  Mailed to "Mrs. F. M. Baker,  1111 Glendon Way, So. Pasadena, Cal." 

In an earlier post I speculated that Elliot Baker might me be the son of Fannie Baker despite a mere 16 year age difference.  That card lists an E.F. Baker, but then again if was written in a different hand, and E.F. could be mis-written or poorly written.  In any case, as noted above, this is the last of the collection and all can be seen by clicking on Big Hat Collection in labels.

Big Hat Collection 6

I cropped the large white bar at the bottom of this card.  I mean, who want's to look at that.  As usual, click on Big Hat Collection in labels to see the rest.  Or, since I'm posting these without interruption, don't be lazy and just navigate back to see what's already up.

Big Hat Collection 5

There are some identifications on the back of this one.  "Maye Blake age 33, Fannie age 30, Maye Baker age 16 Taken Feb 23 1..., Redondo Beach, For Maye to keep."  As far as the year taken goes, there's black album paper glued to the back, and I didn't want to damage the card to uncover the exact year, especially when it wasn't necessary.   The second card in this series has Fannie age 36 taken in 1911.  Subtract six years and we've got 1905.  I suspect Fannie and Maye Blake are sisters and Maye Baker?  Well that's a tough one.  If Maye is Fannie's daughter that means Fannie gave birth round  14 years of age. (Perhaps 15 depending on birthdays.)   Not unheard of, especially in an era when women were more likely to wed at younger ages, but still very young.  Perhaps a sister-in-law or cousin. 

As usual, click on Big Hat Collection in labels to bring up the whole collection.   

Big Hat Collection 4

This one looks more like Los Angeles than Guthrie, Oklahoma.  Again, click on Big Hat Collection in labels to see more.

Big Hat Collection 3

She looks a lot like Fannie Baker from the last post.  She is not, however, in Guthrie, Oklahoma.   This postcard has an embossed studio name in the bottom right corner.  "Mitchell, 619 SO BROADWAY, LOS ANGELES, CAL."   The only thing I could find about Mitchell Studios was an ad in Camera Craft, from 1913.  Mitchell Studios was looking to sell some used equipment and buying new.  So, I guess, at least in 1913, they were successful enough to upgrade. . 

And of course, click on Big Hat Collection in labels,

Big Hat Collection 2

There is actually some useful information written on the back of this one.  "Taken Fri. Apr. 21-1911, Fannie M. Baker age 36, Elliott F. Baker age 20, Guthrie, Ok. For Maye Baker"  Oklahoma became a state in 1907 so the photo used to make this real photo postcard was made just a few years after statehood.  I couldn't find any information on these two which isn't to surprising.  I have to wonder, mother and son?  Step mother?  Siblings?

Click on Big Hats Collection in labels to see more.