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| Great Analysis by Carol Farrant |
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| If you have a picture you'd like us to feature a picture in a future quiz, please email it to us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of your picture. You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book. |
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| Congratulations to Our Winners! Mary Fraser Daniel Jolley Robert W. Steinmann, Jr. Jim Kiser Arthur Hartwell Nelsen Spickard Alan Lemm Dale Ray Margaret Waterman Joshua Kreitzer Collier Smith Roberta Martin Leslie Shapard Carol Farrant Peter Norton Evan Hindman Margaret Paxton Betty Chambers Nicole Blank Sharon Taber Rebecca Bare Marilyn Hamill Jen Ruffner Mike Dalton Diane Burkett Odile Loreille Robert W. Steinmann Jr. |
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| If you enjoy our quizzes, don't forget to order our books! Click here. |
| Quiz #289 Results |
| Quiz #289 January 23, 2011 |
| Answers: Easy: Approximately Jan 20 -Feb 13, 1914 Medium: Ann Arbor, MI Hard: 717 N. University Ave. |
| Easy: What month and year was this photo taken? Medium: What city was it taken in? Hard: What location in this city was it taken? |
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| The idea for this quiz was submitted by Ed Vielmetti |
| From the Oswego (NY) Daily Palladium 1901 www.fultonhistory.com/Process... |
| Comments from Our Readers |
This one was tough and I am glad that it did not end on Sunday. I used the posters for
movies to get the date; I searched the 1915 City Directory until I located the Barber
Shop. Another exhausting but interesting quiz, thanks. Jim Kiser
*****
This was a tough one but I *think* I have this one right. The picture was taken in Ann
Arbor, MI around February of 1950 (assuming that the ads were not just left up for a
long time).
I believe, based on the one small church photo I found on this site:
http://www.a2state.com/our_neighborhood/neighborhood_history, that this picture was
taken somewhere on Maynard Street. The church is listed as being on State Street
between Liberty and William Streets, and Maynard is a small street piggybacking that
one so the church would have been seen in the background as it is in the photo in the
contest. I could not find a barbershop in Ann Arbor from the past with the name 'John'
in the title so I had to look for church steeple photos of downtown Ann Arbor, it took
hours but it was fun! Hope I got this one or at least am close with the address - have a
good night! Nicole Blank
*****
I searched "traffic in souls" in newspaperarchhive webpage and found the movie was
shown all over Michigan in 1914. No Ann Arbor newspaper was archived,
unfortunately. With out the ad, I would have said the month was April. Didn't think the
snow would melt that soon. Arthur Hartwell
*****
Well, I don't think I'm going to get [the hard part]. No more time to spend on it. Fun,
though. I've enjoyed the hunt as far as I could take it. I'll be fascinated to see the results.
Peter Norton
*****
Great quiz! I hope I'm right! I attacked this first by looking for the location of The
Oswald Dietz & Son Barrel House from the bill in the center of the photo and found it
located at 122 Washington Street West Tel 2006 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Taken From
"Polk's Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Washtenaw City/County Directory of 1916" and then
started to look at the other bills. I also looked at the Overland car ad and found a picture
of a 1913 Overland 4-Passenger Touring car that was very similar to this billboard ad
graphic, that ot be in the ballpark. I also noted the partial name (John Tr_ _) from the
barber shop awning and matched it up to the Polk's Directory and got a hit for another
Ann Arbor location! The rest was just deducing the many bills and ads for the films and
theatres and when they were playing. Robert W. Steinmann Jr.
*****
My struggle with this picture - Church in background. Churches are not torn down as
a general rule, but I can't find anything in a current map with that type of steeple!
Roberta Martin
movies to get the date; I searched the 1915 City Directory until I located the Barber
Shop. Another exhausting but interesting quiz, thanks. Jim Kiser
*****
This was a tough one but I *think* I have this one right. The picture was taken in Ann
Arbor, MI around February of 1950 (assuming that the ads were not just left up for a
long time).
I believe, based on the one small church photo I found on this site:
http://www.a2state.com/our_neighborhood/neighborhood_history, that this picture was
taken somewhere on Maynard Street. The church is listed as being on State Street
between Liberty and William Streets, and Maynard is a small street piggybacking that
one so the church would have been seen in the background as it is in the photo in the
contest. I could not find a barbershop in Ann Arbor from the past with the name 'John'
in the title so I had to look for church steeple photos of downtown Ann Arbor, it took
hours but it was fun! Hope I got this one or at least am close with the address - have a
good night! Nicole Blank
*****
I searched "traffic in souls" in newspaperarchhive webpage and found the movie was
shown all over Michigan in 1914. No Ann Arbor newspaper was archived,
unfortunately. With out the ad, I would have said the month was April. Didn't think the
snow would melt that soon. Arthur Hartwell
*****
Well, I don't think I'm going to get [the hard part]. No more time to spend on it. Fun,
though. I've enjoyed the hunt as far as I could take it. I'll be fascinated to see the results.
Peter Norton
*****
Great quiz! I hope I'm right! I attacked this first by looking for the location of The
Oswald Dietz & Son Barrel House from the bill in the center of the photo and found it
located at 122 Washington Street West Tel 2006 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Taken From
"Polk's Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Washtenaw City/County Directory of 1916" and then
started to look at the other bills. I also looked at the Overland car ad and found a picture
of a 1913 Overland 4-Passenger Touring car that was very similar to this billboard ad
graphic, that ot be in the ballpark. I also noted the partial name (John Tr_ _) from the
barber shop awning and matched it up to the Polk's Directory and got a hit for another
Ann Arbor location! The rest was just deducing the many bills and ads for the films and
theatres and when they were playing. Robert W. Steinmann Jr.
*****
My struggle with this picture - Church in background. Churches are not torn down as
a general rule, but I can't find anything in a current map with that type of steeple!
Roberta Martin
| Many Great Ways to Solve This Puzzle! |
| Arthur Hartwell: I searched D Hope Leonard and got a book seller with an original program from the Alice in wonderland play in the Whitney Theater Feb. 13 and 14. The book seller was in Ann Arbor. From that I learned a lot about the Whitney and Orpheum Theaters. I found a site that showed pictures of the Overland Automobile for each year of manufacture. Unfortunately, I didn't save it and can't return. The Days of Days picture was released Jan 20, 1914. The Whitney Theater started showing pictures in 1914. If the Traffic in Souls add can be located at ground lever in early March, the snow will probably be gone by the end of the month. I found Polk's Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Washtenaw County directory, 1914 at ancestry.com. A T might be peaking out from the barber pole followed by a R and O. The list of Ann Arbor barbers had only one with first name John. He was John P Trojanowski at 717 North University Ave. ***** Jim Kiser: I had to really dig on this one. The Key was finding the Overland Ad thus fixing the approximate year. I used Cyril Scott Ad to nail the date down. Then finding which years had a Friday 13th. Next finding a reference that zeroed in on Ann Arbor and finally a Ann Arbor directory that listed Barber Shops which fit the name John (X)RO(?) I expect it more likely taken in January than Feb because of the theater ads would be up at least two weeks prior to the showing. Keep 'em coming, it starts my Sundays off. **** Collier Smith: This was a little harder than usual. Close inspection of everything turned up no overt clues about the town. After googling around on several of the advertisements with no luck, I tried "oswald dietz barrel house" and found it in the Ann Arbor, MI, 1916 city directory. There were also a City Bakery, and Orpheum and Whitney theaters. So I decided the town was Ann Arbor. Looked in that city directory for "john" and "barber" and found "John Trojanowski" at 717 University Ave North, as the only barber with a name that starts "TRO" (as on the awning at lower right). So the location is 717 University Ave North, Ann Arbor, MI. This is currently a parking garage. The steeple in the background appears to be on the site of the present day First United Methodist church on State St., about 2 blocks NW. Returning to your "Easy" question, I googled Cyril Scott in "The Day of Days" and found it came out in 1914. The movie "Traffic in Souls" came out on 24 November 1913, but the poster at lower left has a Mar 9 date on it. So I would guess the date of the mystery photo is during Feb-Mar 1914. The "Alice in Wonderland" ad has a date of "Friday, Feb 13" (as best I can make out), and a perpetual calendar says that Feb 13th was on Friday in 1914. There is no way to determine if the posters are old and outdated, but I suspect not. I think they were covered by new posters as soon as the run was over. So, all in all, I think the picture was taken between Feb 1 and Mar 16, 1914. The "Alice" stage show could have run longer than a movie, and movies probably weren't advertised a whole month in advance, so that could narrow it down to late February, 1914. If one had access to historical weather data for this place, the scraps of snow in the gutter would be a good clue: it snowed an inch or more a few days before the picture was taken. That could narrow the window considerably. I didn't find a free archive of data. (I also think the time was around 9 or 10 a.m., because Univ. Av. is an east-west street, and the shadow of the barber pole is pointing at a substantial angle to the street, about 45 degrees northwest, I would judge. This means the time would be around 9 a.m., give or take.) (This analysis took me about 4 hours, including time for lunch and composing this note.) |
| Are you sure the “Easy” question was really easy? If so, there is some really big clue that I missed. I started with the “Medium” question. A search of Oswald Dietz Barrel House came up with this: Oswald Dietz, Dietz Barrel House, 122 West Washington Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan “Mail Orders Solicited”. [1916 Polk city directory] To double check, the Gillette Company appears in the same directory. Interestingly, someone had crossed out the name in the image I was looking at. I had to wonder if they had gone out of business. That was a wild guess on my part, but if I was correct then the date the picture was taken would likely have been some time before that. Then for the “Hard” question: As long as I was in the 1916 Polk city directory, I searched for barbers. [There were a lot of barbers in Ann Arbor in 1916.] In the photo I can see on the awning the name John followed by a space (covered by the barber pole, and the letters RO, possibly TRO, in that order. In the directory there was a John P Trojanowski, barber, 717 N University Avenue. Google maps puts that address on or across the street from the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor. I vote for across the street from the campus. There were two old Methodist churches with spires similar to that in the background of the photo. One had two spires, the other had only one. That one was at the corner of East(?) State and East Washington. [Again, 1916 Polk city directory.] There is still a Methodist Church there, but the spire is gone. To see that spire in the background the photo would have had to have been taken from the school campus looking north. That puts 7! 17 N University Avenue across the street from the campus. Now for the “Easy question. [Ha!] I started by looking for photos of Overland cars. But, alas, when they were passing out skills at birth, they missed me when it came to bestowing the ability to recognize automobile details. Then I went on to the Alice and Wonderland play at the New Whitney. A dead end as it relates to Ann Arbor. I could have searched for the product posters, but the sale of a product is not likely to narrow down a specific month and year. That left the theater posters. Although the poster for the New Whitney Theater is partly obscured, we have to be talking about a year that included a Friday the 13th in the month of February. In the early part of the 1900’s, the only years that contained a Friday the 13th in a February were 1903, 1914, 1920, 1925 and 1931. In the current day and age, those types of posters could stay up for decades before they were removed or replaced. There are too many other place to get the same information. The posters get forgotten. But, in the early part of the 20th century, I suspect they were replaced more frequently so people would know what is coming up. The Whitney Theatre was constructed in 1871 and was used for stage productions. It showed its first movie in 1914. The Whitney didn't switch to a movies-only program until the mid-30s. The movie poster in the bottom left of the photo is for “Traffic in Souls” which was released on November 24, 1913. So, it would have come to the Whitney after that date. The Orpheum Theater poster shows Cyril Scott in “The Day of Days”. That came out January 24, 1914. That puts the picture in the winter of 1913/1914. And, posters provide advance notice of what’s coming up, but not too far in advance lest we forget. There are traces of snow on the ground. In Ann Arbor, the winter of 1913/1914 had only 3.8 inches of snow…no snowmen! I see no sign of Christmas decorations in the barber shop, so I’m eliminating December 1913. That leaves 1914 before February 13th. Lots of assumptions on my part! Carol Farrant |
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There are several clues that suggest the photo was taken in the month of January or
February. It is obvious that there is ice on the ground and no leaves on the trees.
Additionally, there is a nativity scene on the west wall that is beginning to show signs of
deterioration.
February. It is obvious that there is ice on the ground and no leaves on the trees.
Additionally, there is a nativity scene on the west wall that is beginning to show signs of
deterioration.
| Many Clues to the Date Thanks to Talea Jurrens for providing much of the solution to this week's puzzle. |
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| The Cyril Scott movie poster for The Day of Days gives a clue for the year and a further clue to the date . According to the January-March 1914 issue of The Moving Picture World, it was released on January 20th, 1914. |
| Another clue as to the year is given by the New Whitney Theatre poster announcing the New Alice in Wonderland production. The date of the show is February 13 which falls on a Friday in 1914. |
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| More info about Alice |
The date can be further narrowed down by the movie and theatre posters to
approximately January 20-February 13, 1914.
approximately January 20-February 13, 1914.
| Many Clues to the City |
The ads for two theatres and one restaurant/bar give clues to show the picture was
taken in Ann Arbor, MI.
taken in Ann Arbor, MI.
The New Whitney Theatre was found in the 1911 Ann Arbor, Michigan City Directory.
According to the Cinema Treasures website, it was originally built in 1871, closed in
1952 and demolished in 1956 to make way for a larger theatre that was never built.
cinematreasures.org/theater/2843/ and books.google.com/book...
According to the Cinema Treasures website, it was originally built in 1871, closed in
1952 and demolished in 1956 to make way for a larger theatre that was never built.
cinematreasures.org/theater/2843/ and books.google.com/book...
| I believe the picture was taken in either late January or early February 1914. I came to this conclusion because of “The Day of Days” movie poster and the “Friday Feb 13” date directly above and |
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| The Orpheum Theatre was found in the 1917 Ann Arbor, Michigan City Directory. According to the Ann Arbor Digital Library website, it was constructed by clothier J. Fred Wuerth and opened in 1913. It was the first theatre in town to show movies. |
| Undated photo of Orpheum Theatre versus present use as a restaurant. www.aadl.org/gallery/aastreets... |
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The listing for Oswald Dietz Barrel
House was found in the 1916 Ann
Arbor, Michigan City Directory as well
as earlier directories. It conveniently
lists his home address along with other
Dietz family members. The same
location was home to the Del-Rio Bar,
which eventually closed in 1995,
making it a long running location for
local taverns. books.google.com/books...
House was found in the 1916 Ann
Arbor, Michigan City Directory as well
as earlier directories. It conveniently
lists his home address along with other
Dietz family members. The same
location was home to the Del-Rio Bar,
which eventually closed in 1995,
making it a long running location for
local taverns. books.google.com/books...
| Oswald Dietz c 1890 ypsigleanings.aadl.org/gallery/aastreets... |
“The 1890s sign on what had been built as John J. Wagner Jr.'s Carriage and
Blacksmith Shop on the corner of Ashley points across Washington Street to Michael
Staebler's American Hotel (originally the Germania). The Stabelers ran other businesses
nearby: groceries, coal, bicycles, and autos. The awning shades Oswald Dietz's Saloon,
the first of a series of saloons to occupy this space for over a hundred years.“
ypsigleanings.aadl.org/gallery/aastreets...
Blacksmith Shop on the corner of Ashley points across Washington Street to Michael
Staebler's American Hotel (originally the Germania). The Stabelers ran other businesses
nearby: groceries, coal, bicycles, and autos. The awning shades Oswald Dietz's Saloon,
the first of a series of saloons to occupy this space for over a hundred years.“
ypsigleanings.aadl.org/gallery/aastreets...
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| One Good Clue to the Address |
| The best clue to the location is the partial name of the barber that appears on the awning to the right. The barber's name was John __ro__, and the first letter of his name is probably a T. |
| This ad is from the 1912 Michiganensian. books.google.com/books |
John Trojanowski’s barber shop is found in the 1911 Ann Arbor, Michigan City
Directory at 717 N. University Ave. This is across from the U of Michigan campus.
books.google.com/books
Directory at 717 N. University Ave. This is across from the U of Michigan campus.
books.google.com/books
| It’s very hard to see here, but there is a sign that is partially visible and you can just make out the word had. Since the Stenographic Institute is listed at 711 N. University Avenue in the 1911 Polk Directory, one can assume that this was short for shorthand. |
| The location today across from the campus of the University of Michigan. |
| Etc. |
| The church steeple can be identified from the Polk's directory as that of the First Methodist Church on State St. |
| behind it. The date of the photo couldn’t be earlier than January 20th, 1914 since that was when “The Day of Days’ movie was released, and I don’t believe the Gillette Company would have left the advertisement up for “The New Alice in Wonderland” show very long after the Friday and Saturday (the 13th and 14th) presentations. The theatres where “The Days of Days” and “The New Alice in Wonderland’ were presented were the Orpheum and the New Whitney theatres, respectively, which were located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The exact location of the photograph is on the central campus of the University of Michigan in the 700 block of North University Avenue. The barber shop in the photo was owned by John P. Trojanowski which Ann Arbor City Directories indicate was at 717 N. University Avenue. I’ve attached a photo, which you may already have, called “Otto’ s Band Marches West On North University, Memorial Day, 1914.” The barber pole in your photo can be seen in the “Otto’s Band…” photo at the top center. Here is the link to the photo if you don’t have it: www.aadl.org/gallery/aastreets/site13a/otto_300.gif.html Daniel E. Jolley |
Looking north on State Street. Beyond the small shopping
area, both sides of the Sate Street were still residential in
the 1870s. The tall building in the distance is the old First
Methodist Church.
www.a2state.com/our_neighborhood/neighborhood_history
area, both sides of the Sate Street were still residential in
the 1870s. The tall building in the distance is the old First
Methodist Church.
www.a2state.com/our_neighborhood/neighborhood_history
The Overland car in the ad appears to
have been a 1913 or 1914 model. A
real bargain at $950!
have been a 1913 or 1914 model. A
real bargain at $950!
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| List of Related Links Courtesy of Robert W. Steinmann Jr. Polk's Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Washtenaw County Directory Whitney Theatre Orpheum Theatre Arcade Theatre and Arcade Theatre Wuerth Theatre Day of Days Traffic in Soles History of the State Street Area near the First Methodist Church |
| While I was doing a search on Ann arbor in google images I found a picture of my great great uncle John McPherson who was a shotput champion . He died in 1895 when he fell from one of the gates at the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie Michigan. chippewa.migenweb.net/obits.htm Sharon Taber |
