by Elaine Heavey, Director of the Library
The MHS houses hundreds of photograph collections, mostly family photographs containing posed portraits and candid photos like this one. In some cases, a family member meticulously labeled every photo, letting us know whose images have been captured for future generations to see. Other collections are not so well documented, leaving us to guess who, where, and when.
Take this photo of two young children, maybe seven or eight years old. The hooded coats say it is a cool day—perhaps a mid-fall day like today. The image is a bit timeless. When was it taken—1890, 1920, 1950? Perhaps a fashion expert could guesstimate by examining the style of the coats, but I like to let my imagination run wild when looking at this photo. Who are these kids? Are they siblings, cousins, friends? Where were they and what were they doing on the day the photo was taken? And then I create a future for them—based on my musings on the first few questions.
This has long been one of my favorite photographs held in the MHS collection as it could be a captured moment of any two kids on any day—and I can tell myself a new story each time I look at it.
Yet as I thought about writing this post, I had to admit that in this case, we know exactly who the children are and when the photo was taken. So, I broke the spell and did some research. Thanks to a notebook kept by photographer Marian Hooper “Clover” Adams, we know she snapped this photograph of Helen and Adelbert “Del” Hay in Cleveland, Ohio on October 24, 1883.
Del and Helen were the two eldest of John and Clara Hay’s children. Clover and her husband Henry Adams were close friends of the Hay’s. On a visit to the Hay’s home Clover snapped this and other photographs of the Hay family. So, I now know who the kids were, that they were siblings, and that they were playing near their home in Cleveland on the day the photo was taken. But what was their future? That took a little more research.
Del’s story was tragically short. Following in his father’s footsteps he embarked on a diplomatic career upon graduating from Yale. He served as U.S. Consul in Pretoria during the Boer War, and shortly after his return to the United States was appointed assistant private secretary to President McKinley. He accepted the post, but he died on June 24, 1901, after falling from a hotel window in Hartford, CT, a week before his post was officially slated to begin. He was 24 years old.
Helen lived a long and active life. She published several volumes of original poetry; operated Greentree Stables, raising several hall-of-fame horses and winning twice at the Kentucky Derby, twice at the Belmont Stakes, and several other major races along the way; and engaged in several philanthropic endeavors, including the creation of the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation which supports post-doctoral research in bio-medical science. Helen Hay Whitney died at the age of 69 in 1944.
Even knowing all this now, I will still let my imagination create stories for the two kids in the photo each time I have a chance to view it. But I am grateful to Clover and her notebook for giving me the chance to uncover the true story as well.