Mystery of the Glass Negatives - Solved!

We now know the name of the photographer and how the glass negatives ended up in my basement.

There were names written on the envelopes containing the 216 glass negatives from the early 1900s that I’ve been posting about.

The photo above was labeled “Ulysses.” A little research revealed his full name: Ulysses Simpson Grant McDermond. McDermond was the family in Glenside who sold my wife and me the house where I found the negatives.

Ulysses was born in 1864 during the American Civil War, so with General Grant leading the Union Army, his name was no doubt bestowed on many boys of the time. Lucky them.

Originally, I thought Ulysses was the photographer. And frankly, I loved the idea that I could call the collection, “The Photography of Ulysses Simpson Grant McDermond.” Had a nice ring to it.

But I was wrong. For two reasons.

Reason #1: Side by side comparison

There were two envelopes where the photographer identified himself with “me” and “I” in the remarks.

I was certain that the mustachioed man in the hat was Ulysses, but I wanted confirmation. So I posted the picture of Ulysses and the man in the hat side by side. I asked my Substack subscribers: Is this the same man? It was an overwhelming no.

Ray commented: Not the same guy. Nostrils, bridge of nose, and ears. Eyebrow shape. Even the way the crow’s feet leave the corner of his eye

Eileen said: Age or not, these ears belong to two different men. Also, there is an undefined something that you can always see in the eyes that lets you recognize a person as they change from younger to older age.

Ruth hit the nail on the head: If they're not the same man, surely close family.

They are not the same man. But they ARE family. And this is how I discovered the identity of the man on the right.

Reason #2: The signature

Below was the biggest clue to the photographer’s identity: the envelope his self-portrait was in. I noticed that his writing on it isn’t like it is on any other. That’s because he wasn’t labeling it. He was signing it. That’s his signature.

It’s hard to read. It needed a closer look.

I’ve gotten somewhat adept at deciphering his handwriting. The first letter was a capital “J.” Then maybe a capital “L.” I couldn’t make out the rest— until I saw that the last letter was a capital “D.” I figured that the squiggles in the middle were “mc.”

So the whole signature became “JLMcD,” which stood for John L. McDermond, Ulysses’ older brother.

John was born in Birchrunville, Chester, PA on December 1, 1854, and died on January 16, 1941, in Philadelphia. He is the photographer.

So, why were the glass negatives in my basement?

That answer was simple.

John was the father of Mordecai McDermond, who died in 1954. His widow Meta McDermond sold us the house in 1978. She’d lived there since 1908. Mordecai had most likely inherited his father’s negatives, and they were relegated to the basement where they were forgotten.

Family photo: Fanny Flounders McDermond (John’s wife), Mordecai McDermond, unknown male (possibly a cousin), John L. McDermond

With the biggest mystery solved, where do I go from here?

I want to put names to the unidentified people in the photos and figure out who’s related to whom. I’ve gone down the rabbit hole and want to see where it leads.

I wouldn’t say that John L. McDermond was an amazing photographer, but he did make some amazing images, and I want to share these with people who value the past.

I’d like to say that the people in John’s photos had lives that were just like ours are, but with different hairstyles, clothes, and fewer gadgets. But the truth is, their lives were much harder and at times, much sadder. Many had to deal with a child’s death at an early age. John and his wife Fanny had a daughter die at 11. Ulysses and his wife Emma had five children die. Emma herself died at 45.

I’d like these people to be remembered, and through John’s photos, I hope they will be.