Photo Detective: An Afternoon Outside

 

Bradley Richardson’s mother inherited this picture from her parents. She knew it came from her Allan or Love branches, and other, already-identified images helped name some of these folks. Richardson found them in the 1905 Kansas state census, when the family consisted of William H. Allan, an expressman (who works in cargo delivery), 35; Alta E. Allan, 33; Thelma Allan, 7; Harry Allan, 5; Harold Allan, 4 months; Abe Allan, 65; Lois Love, 23; and Laura Love, 19. 

Richardson tracked the Allans in online city directories using the father’s name and occupation. Like many families in this period, they moved frequently. According to the 1901 and 1902 city directories, the family lived in Kansas City, Mo., at the time, at 1204 West 25th Street—a match to the address on the front of this house.

The children are key to the pinpointing the year this photograph was taken. The estimated ages of Thelma, born in 1898, and her brother Harry, born in 1900, suggest a date of 1902. They would’ve been 4 and 2 that summer. 

The young women in back could be Lois and Laura Love, about ages 20 and 16 in 1902. They lived with William and Alta in 1905, but their names are absent from the 1901 and 1902 Kansas City directories.