Greene County, Arkansas - Centennial Edition 3

Greene County Arkansas

Paragould, Arkansas

Centennial Edition Section 3

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Monday, August 29, 1983~Paragould Daily Press

Some favorites from

the unidentified file

Were these young women twins? Sisters? Friends who chose to dress alike? We'll probably never know. The picture carries the stamp of "Ostrander's Gallery, Paragould, Ark." the only clue to the photograph's date - probably the 1890's - and location. A former Paragould resident's curiosity was aroused when he spotted the picture in a gift shop near Indianapolis. He bought it to mail to his friend Carroll Gibson who in turn showed it to us. Unfortunately, many old Paragould photographs have ended up in faraway gift shops and flea markets. So who says old pictures are priceless? This one was marked $1.00.

This may have been a group of early Greene County teachers, for a few of the individuals have been identified as such. The picture was obviously taken before the Greene County Courthouse got its exterior stuccoed in 1918 and

shows that building's original brickwork, the brick sidewalk leading to the east door and, just barely, the wrought iron balcony overhead. The sapling tree that had to be held down has since grown and gone.

In the early days of photography, having a family portrait made was quite an occasion and family members would make it even more special by posing with their favorite or most valuable possessions, whether that be a violin, a gun, a rug or a pump organ. One picture too faded to be reproduced here even included a framed portrait propped on a chair.

The conventional group pose sometimes in-cluded a dash of the unconventional-bystanders either intent on being included in the picture or are unaware that they would be. At right, this unidentified school class stands under the

watchful eye of the man leaning out of the school-house window. Above, several faces peer through the windows at whatever this dignified occasion may have been. "Bethel" is written in faded pencil on the back of this photo.

Numerous old photographs show blankets or other cloths stretched to provide a professional looking back ground. But the photographer often forgot to crop the edges out.

Transcribed from the 1983 Centennial Edition by : PR Massey

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