Glass Negatives

If if you know anyone in the photos or if you can identify a home or location, please contact the chapter by email. We are excited to be able to identify more photos and more history of the photos and the families and locations found in these precious photos.
jeffersoncounty1@att.net

When Larry and Rena Goss first visited with Howard McClure in July 2017, he was at work in the Smithfield Hardware Store.After viewing and discussing the extensive framed collection of photos on display in the store, McClure said he had glass negatives in the basement and didn't know what to do with them.Larry Goss had experience scanning glass negatives and volunteered his services. McClure loaned him the negatives.Larry Goss scanned and saved them in JPEG format.  He returned the negatives in August along with all of the photos on flash drives to McClure and store owner, Carl Johnson. Both men have worked on identifying people and places.Rena Goss created a descriptive inventory list of the photos and after several conversations with McClure, she included the known identities in the list.

Howard McClure believes that Leonard Corona, an area resident may have printed some of the negatives in the past.Three of the framed photos of houses in Smithfield which hang in the hardware store are images from the glass negative collection.Corona was a World War II veteran who had experience with aerial photography and later worked for Hanna Coal Company photographing properties.

According to McClure, the negatives were purchased at an auction held in the last two or three years by the Strupe family.The auction occurred at the house which was previously owned by the Purviance Family who operated a florist business.

The following list identifies the image by Glass Negative (GN) plus the JPG number.A description of the subject or persons is given.Quotation marks indicate an identification made by Harold McClure or Carl Johnson of persons or places.A "U" indicates that the person(s) or place(s) in the images is unknown.

Click each number below to view the images.

GN 001 - U - Man sleeping on a bed.
GN 002 - U - Young child in white standing beside a child's rocking chair.
GN 003 - U - Same as GN 001, man sleeping on a bed.
GN 004 - U - Same as GN 002, young child in white standing beside a child's rocking chair.
GN 005 - U - Young adults/teens having fun.
GN 006 - U - Three ladies, one in a chair; one man kneeling, (proposing?); nice dresses and lace curtains.
GN 007 - U - Couple inside a store.
GN 008 - Identified as "Tom and Nellie Judkins Purviance."On-line research showed a marriage record for Thomas W. Purviance, 25, and Nellie Judkins, 23, married 8 July 1890 in Smithfield.
GN 009 - U - Young African American woman sitting in a rocking chair, holding a baby; the house appears to be the same house as in GN 008.
GN 010 - U - Ornate Victorian pram with infant inside and young girl standing near; appears to be in front of the same house in GN 008.
GN 011 - U - Drawing of a train with a religious theme.
GN 012 - Identified."This could be the school which was on Rt. 151 between Smithfield and Hopedale, known as No. 9 School.Originally located near the road, it was moved back to near the golf course."
GN 013 - U - African American man holding rope of a horse.
GN 014 - Partially identified."This was Smithfield High School's graduation class of 1894.Although the names of the graduates are not in the order they were seated, their names were:Sadelle Kithcart, Minnie Gwynn Cole, Laura Anderson West, Samuel C. Dennis, Samuel T. Purviance, Carrie Welsh, Mabel Galbraith, Ella Vermillion Howe."The man on the right side is likely Samuel T. Purviance.He was identified in image 56.
GN 015 - U - Little boy with long curls dressed in a white shirt, knickers, and boots, standing by a planter.Could be the same house as in GN 008.
GN 016 - U - Several ladies outside at a "buffet" table.
GN 017 - U - Young man lying in a hammock with other young adults standing attentively to his need or pretend ailment.
GN 018 - U - A team of horses pulls a buggy which holds a man and woman.
GN 019 - Partially identified.Four or five generations seated on a front porch."The man was identified as Nellie Judkins Purviance's father."Others not identified.
GN - 20 - U - Sixteen men and ladies.Could be a school or church group.They appeared to be a school or church group and were seated on the steps of the house in GN 008.
GN - 21 - U - Toddler and baby in a rocking chair.
GN - 22 - U - Young adults seated in the grass with an open umbrella.
GN - 23 - U - Bearded man seated outside a house and young boy with his toy wagon and rocking horse.
GN - 24 - U - Men drinking something, Ladies, horses all in front of a small barn.
GN - 25 - U - Two ladies with great Victorian clothing outside of what appears to be the house in image 008.
GN - 26 - ID- Beautiful house and porch, no people in the photo.According to Howard McClure and Carl Johnson, "it was known as the Porter House on Main Street in Smithfield."They said, "The house, still standing, was difficult to identify because a tower was added later."
GN - 27 - U - Two ponies, two teenage boys, and a small building in the background.
GN - 28 - U - A dental office and a man but his head does not show in the image.
GN - 29 - U - A Sunday School class or a public school class.The teacher appears to be one of the graduates in the Class of 1894 in image 014.
GN - 30 - U - Possibly three generations of a family beside a house with another house or barn in the background.
GN - 31 - U - Nine young adults gathered around one young man "playing sick?" on the sofa.Paragon Polka sheet music is shown in the image.
GN - 32 - U - Two women in front of what appears to be the house in image 008; could be mother and daughter.
GN - 33 - U - Young adults, one "playing" sick; another appears to be the dental patient!
GN - 34 - U - Toddler and baby in a rocking chair; appears the same as image 021.
GN - 35 - U - This appears to be two couples and their children.Perhaps the adults are related.
GN - 36 - U - This appears to be the same group as in 033 except a different pose.
GN - 37 - U - Two couples in front of a house.
GN - 38 - U - Nine ladies, seven in white blouses and hats, two men, a young boy, and a baby.
GN - 39 - Identified with no name, but a handsome ram with a very wrinkled coat of wool.
GN - 40 - U - A Sunday School class or public school class.The teacher appears to be one who was shown in the Class of 1894, image 014, and with the class in image 029.
GN - 41 - Identified by McClure and Johnson as, "What was known as the Park's house.The location was where the bank now stands."Two unidentified men and a lady on the front porch.
GN - 42 - U - A young woman in a dark colored dress standing on a porch with her left hand on a furry throw.
GN - 43 - U - A sleek, shiny horse hooked to a cart with one unidentified man at the reins.
GN - 44 - Identified by McClure and Johnson as "Tom and Sam Purviance's mother; uncertain if the man is the boys' father."Couple seated on a porch, she holds a baby and he has a 5 or 6-year-old standing near as well as a dog.
GN - 45 - U - Three school age teens holding their books.Girls wear beautiful plaid blouses.
GN - 46 - U - Likely a family group, maybe father (with axe nearby), mother, and 3 sons.
GN - 47 - U - Man and woman ice skating with beautiful scenery in the background.
GN - 48 - U - Toddler, appears to be the same child as in images 21 and 34.
GN - 49 - U - Partly identified.The lady, on the near left, was identified by Howard McClure as "Lulu Naylor who lived in what was the Glover Hotel;” He remembered her well from his childhood and said, "She sold AVON products."
GN - 50 - U - One woman and one man on ice skates, two other women in the image.Could be the same location as image 47; fence appears to be in both images; barn/buildings likely to the left of image 47.
GN - 51 - U - Woman standing in the snow.
GN - 52 - U - Location unknown, but when magnified shows that it was a Barnum and Bailey Circus tent.
GN - 53 - U - Toddler in a dog drawn cart with a young boy standing near.House appears to be the same as in image 008 and several other images.
GN - 54 - U - African American man holding the rein of a horse; not the same horse as in image 13; likely the same man.
GN - 55 - U - Family gathering on the front steps; appears to be the same house as in image 008 and numerous other images.
GN - 56 - One man identified was identified by McClure and Johnson, "man on the right is Samuel T. Purviance."Other three are not identified.
GN - 57 - U - Appears to be a brick school.No identification.
GN - 58 - U - The brick house appears to be in town, likely Smithfield, but no positive identification.
GN - 59 - U - Sampling of floral tributes to "brother" and a photo, likely of the deceased brother.
GN - 60 - U - Young adult man dressed in dark clothing.The house appears to be the house in image 008 and several other images.
GN - 61 - Identified by Howard McClure as the "Lizzie Elliott house in Smithfield.Lizzie was one of the two graduates in the first graduating class of Smithfield High School in 1885."Seven people are on the porch with a picket fence around the yard.
GN - 62 - U - A baby in an ornate Victorian pram and a young girl standing beside the pram.The children appear to be the same as in image 10; house the same as in image 008 plus several other images.
GN - 63 - Identified as a ewe (sheep) before being shorn.
GN - 64 - U - Young adults having fun.The ladies have beautiful blouses.This may be the same group as in image 022.
GN - 65 - U - Three ladies seated side-saddle on horses; picket fence in the background.
GN - 66 - U - Three young men getting a "pretend" shave and haircut by three young women.
GN - 67 - U - Presumably three couples standing on the steps of what appears to be the house in image 008 and other images.
GN - 68 - U - Lady on a bicycle with a village in the background.
GN - 69 - U - Young people putting cards (calling cards?) in a dish.
GN - 70 - U - Farmer/owner and cow standing in front of a barn.
GN - 71 - U - Multi-generational group; perhaps a family reunion.Picket fence in the background.
GN - 72 - U - Young calf beside a picket fence with a barn in the background.
GN - 73 - Identified as Evan and Ethel Purviance, brother and sister.She holds a doll; obviously winter, perhaps Christmas; the house appears to be the same as in image 008 and many other images.
GN - 74 - U - Two ladies and one man with their bicycles; a young girl standing nearby; house appears to be the same as in image 008 and many other images.
GN - 75 - Identified by the hard-to-see sign Class of 94 in front/center; same persons as in image 014.
GN - 76 - U - Freestanding, two-story house or store; one man in the photo; picket fence; location unknown.
GN - 77 - U - Drawing of a train with a religious theme; same as image 011.
GN - 78 - U - Two men standing near a tree in winter looking as if they may cut off a branch; picket fence in the background.
GN - 79 - U - Team of horses pulling a hay rake; men and boys stacking hay.
GN - 80 - U - Couple standing beside a horse and cart; picket fence and farm buildings in the background.
GN - 81 - There is no image numbered 81; somehow it was skipped.
GN - 82 - U - Partially identified by the sign on the table, "51st birthday of William F. Wood;” Could be "31st;" guests seated at an outdoor table with party food.
GN - 83 - U - Partially identified by McClure and Johnson; “Lady in the lower right hand side is Mary Sutherland,” Indoor photo of four young women with lovely lace curtains in the background.But, there was more than one Mary Sutherland in Smithfield.
GN - 84 - U - A nice house, in town, with 4 steps + the porch step, which makes it different from the house in image 008; however, when magnified the house in image 008 could be immediately next door as the porch pillars resemble those in 008.
GN - 85 - Identified by McClure, "The lady is Elizabeth M. Purviance, Samuel Purviance's wife, baby is either Evan or Ethel Purviance."See image 073.Organ in the background."
GN - 86 - U - Two men appear to be jumping over a picket fence; a house or barn seems to be in the background.
GN - 87 - U - Lady with an umbrella under her arm, standing beside a dresser.
GN - 88 - U - Two men, or a man and a woman in a cart pulled by a horse.
GN - 89 - U - Three ladies sitting side-saddle on fine looking horses.
GN - 90 - Identified as a chicken.
GN - 91 - U - Two men with hats; sheet background.

Stored with the glass negatives were two hard copy photos,
Photo 1, unidentified man; Filson Photography Studio of Steubenville.
Photo 2, written on the back of the photo: "Mary Shuty."

If if you know anyone in the photos or if you can identify a home or location, please contact the chapter by email. We are excited to be able to identify more photos and more history of the photos and the families and locations found in these precious photos.
jeffersoncounty1@att.net