Photo Dating Clue

Back of Harcomb's photo
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

I discovered last summer, that I had two copies of the photo of my father with his dog Buster. This is a scan of the back of both photos.

The one on the right is my aunt Ada's handwriting. Notice it says he is seven years old.

The one on the left took my breath away. It is not my grandfather's handwriting (compared to his draft card), or any of my father's siblings. It must be my grandmother's writing. Wow.

My father was born in 1917 so that dates the photo at sometime in 1924. Using census records and the Westerly City Directories, I have made a quick list of where my grandparents lived.

1910: 170 High Street, Westerly [source: census]
1918: 7 Vose Street, Westerly (my father told me this is the place he was born) [source: WWI draft card, Thomas Broadfoot]
1920: 7 Vose Street, Westerly [source: census]
1920-1921: 7 Vose Street Westerly [source: Westerly City Directory]
1922-1923: 97 Bowling Lane, Bradford, RI [source: Westerly City Directory]
1930: 97 Bowling Lane, Bradford, RI [source: census]
1930-1931: 97 Bowling Lane, Bradford, RI [source: Westerly City Directory]
1936: 116 Bowling Lane, Bradford, RI [source: Westerly City Directory]

I can now estimate that both photos were taken on the porch steps of 97 Bowling Lane, Bradford, RI sometime in 1924. I have more city directory's to check to make a timeline. My grandfather died in 1937 and my grandmother died in 1934. This is probably why they moved from 97 to 116.