This much we know: Girl’s photo not taken in 1918

Published 7:23 pm Friday, December 26, 2008

We didn’t find out the name of the little girl in the photo that ran with my column last week. But we know this: the photo wasn’t shot in 1918.

For those who missed the column (we’ll rerun the photo this week) it was about how the Port of Everett would really like to know the identity of the subject, a cute little girl standing near the port’s marina.

The photo was dated 1918, the year the port was created. But readers made it clear that the photo was shot much later.

Jerry Solie, who lives at Mission Beach on the Tulalip Reservation, said his tip-off was the existence of the Everett Boat House in the photo’s background. As a boy, Solie said, he used to ride his bike to the pier in the photo nearly every day and go fishing.

The Boat House didn’t exist in 1918, he said.

Mike Scott of Snohomish noted that a vehicle in the right-hand corner of the photograph looks suspiciously like a Volkswagen.

Volkswagens, too, did not exist in 1918.

And then, of course, there were the saddle shoes the little tyke is wearing in the photo.

“Her saddle shoes were very popular with schoolchildren, both young and old in the ’30s,” wrote George Appellof by e-mail. “In 1918 she would be wearing a high-cut shoe, black in color.”

Karin Poage also keyed in on the shoes.

“Yikes, Mike, I’ll wager you a roll of butter rum flavor Lifesavers that the photo of the girl in saddle shoes standing on a dock in Everett was taken some time between 1948 and 1958, NOT 1918,” she wrote, also by e-mail. “I’m not a vessel historian, but those watercraft and that girl’s fashions look like what I remember from my childhood around these parts in the 1950s. Betcha you’ll hear from lotsa people about this one. Merry Christmas.”

Yes, Karin, I did.

Among them was Elise Sheehan.

“That photo looks like it is more from the 1940s or 1950s. Did little girls wear short skirts and saddle shoes in 1918. Also, if you look really close there are some cars way up on the dock that look like 1940 or so. Just my observation.”

Tracy Tallman also contributed by e-mail.

“Saddle shoes came into popularity in the 1950s, according to the Web site www.saddle-shoes.net/saddleshoehistory.htm. I don’t think a girl from 1918 would have had tights and such a short skirt. I looked over some school photos from the 1920s and the girls still wore longer dresses.”

Appellof also mentioned the clothing in general, saying that in 1918, he would have expected the coat to be black and of ankle length.

Right about now, I should be pretty red-faced because so many people saw things in the photo that obviously make it much later than 1918. I should have seen them, too.

A Volkswagen. In 1918?

That’s embarrassing.

It’s no surprise to me that a lot of my readers are smarter than I am. I’ve known that for many years.

What does surprise me was how polite and helpful everyone was. Karin even included a nice holiday greeting. Not a single person called me an idiot or anything worse.

In this day and age, sending a journalist a little shot of hatred with your e-mail is all the rage.

Thanks for not doing that.

Now, if we could just figure out who this little girl is, my day would be complete.

Mike Benbow: 425-339-3459, benbow@heraldnetcom.