Another Photographic Mystery Solved

Ubert Conrad Vincent
Sylvia Vincent

Yesterday after talking on the phone with my cousin Jacqui and posting the identities of the people in the formerly mystery photo, I decided to look online for a photograph of Ubert Conrad Vincent as an adult.  Instead I found a newspaper article in The New York Age from Saturday, May 7, 1927 with a photograph of him as a three year old.  As soon as I saw it I realized it was the same small boy in another photograph I had from my grandmother’s collection. It wasn’t labeled or dated, but my mother had written on the back “I don’t know who he is but he’s too pretty to throw away!” I hope this doesn’t mean she was tossing photos of those who weren’t all that pretty.

There was also an unidentified photograph of a little girl that is clearly the same little girl in the family portrait, Sylvia Vincent.

To tie this in with this Sepia Saturday’s theme, corner grocery stores, Conrad and Sylvia’s maternal grandfather was Victor Tulane who, among other businesses, owned a corner grocery store housed in the Tulane building on the corner of High and Ripley streets in Montgomery, AL. I offer several photos of the store from 1919 to 2004 below. For other fine photographs and stories about stores of all kinds and who knows what else click SepiaSaturday.

15 thoughts on “Another Photographic Mystery Solved

  1. Isn’t it wonderful that you were able to recognise him from the clipping? It looks as if he’s in the same ‘best’ clothes for both and that they may have been taken on the same day. The shot of him and the little girl posing for the photographer reminds me of my own twin grandchildren, who are about that age now. The difference being that in their recent school pictures they were encouraged to smile!

  2. More good detective work. It must be very satisfying to come up with links between the photos and newspaper cuttings.

  3. That must have been quite a wedding anniversary celebration. That was a real stroke of luck to find the matching newspaper photo.

  4. Love the 4 pics side by side, makes me want that building! Love old buildings coming back alive and being preserved.

  5. Those children are adorable. His suit looks like it's made from velvet. Such an unfortunate fabric for kids. I know having sat in a box of raisinettes at the movie theater while wearing my little velvet suit.

    Fascinating that you would find him in that article. Fortuitous.

    The building is also quite fascinating with the little tower. I can image it was a hit with kids.

  6. Wonderful – and the newspaper article is especially fascinating. Now that is what I call style – having three orchestras playing at your wedding anniversary party – including the famous Fletcher Henderson.

  7. They are a very pretty little pair. I'd have liked to have seen the Black Bottom 🙂 Jo

  8. They are indeed charming portrtaits, but what a building to have a corner store in. There aren't many that grand.

  9. as usual, great detective work and a smart post. i love his boots!! and the Tulane building itself, i would bring back the shades, and create a victorian porch for the side entrance like on the other side.

    so you mom had something against anonymous ugly people??? too funny!! i think it is good that she didn't discard this.
    :)~
    HUGZ

  10. And I hope too that she didn't throw away the nonprettyones… after a while though the old pictures pile up and no one knows who they are and…
    What a find, the matching article. You are doing amazing stuff here! Christine

  11. What an exciting discovery! Like finding the missing puzzle piece under the sofa. And having Fletcher Henderson play was VERY classy too! Don't you wish there was a recording?

  12. I guess my comment on your previous post was for this one, too, because of the newspaper finds.

    I had to chuckle at your thought that she might have thrown away some photos because the people weren't pretty.

    You have some of the best family photographs, Kristin.

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