The Mystery of Two Girls and a Garage

Another charming photo of two young ladies. It must be summertime. They are wearing white or pale dresses with short sleeves. The bob haircuts suit them, I think. I'd love to know about that very grand house in the background. I wonder if it's still standing after all these years.

There are a few more clues below the photo. As always, give me a shout if you know who these people are.

Two girls, a garage, and a very big house. Do you recognize them?

The photo was peeled off of the page of a photo album. The paper residue is black. There is no writing on the back [naturally!] but the photo is stamped "Printed By Elizabeth Novelty Co." A partial stamped number is visible "79[obscured by paper residue]."

Advertisement from the 1917 Elizabeth City Directory. (1)
This is the first year they that
advertise photo developing and printing.

The Elizabeth Novelty Co., located at 215-217 Broad Street, first advertises developing and printing services in the 1917 edition of the Elizabeth Directory. In 1915 they are selling photographic supplies. So at some point between 1915 and 1917 they began offering printing services. That makes it likely that this photo was printed no earlier than 1915.

I have a few other photos with the same straight line border. You've seen two of them here. Those images bear the stamp of "Elizabeth Photo Service." They are all connected to Wallace B. Dixon.

 

 

 

 

For Further Research

• Did Elizabeth Novelty Co. buy out Elizabeth Photo Service, or vice versa? Or was this just a common border at the time?
• Although all the other photos that I've scanned so far, that have this border, are associated with W.B. Dixon, it can't be assumed that this is one of his photos as well. I'll have to be on the lookout for others. Pinpointing who owned the photo might help me figure out who these girls are.

Sources
(1) Elizabeth Directory 1917. Vol. VII. Price & Lee Company, Newark, New Jersey. 1917 Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Film image 37.