Category Archives: Old Photos

Old Photos

Those Old Class Photos: Back to School Coming Up!

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I’m a retired teacher and for all but my last year of teaching, Back to School meant the Tuesday after Labor Day in early September.

My very last year, though, the 2009-2010 school year, the school board decided that the elementary school district (we were a K-8) had to align with the high school district, which wanted its fall semester to end before the Christmas holiday break.

That meant, for the first time ever, we returned to school right at the beginning of August. Many districts have made the same adjustment since then, although I’m not sure why because the air conditioning bills are sky high in August.

Aside from that issue though, I quite liked finishing school before Memorial Day since I was retiring.

It’s now that time of year and schools across the U.S. are beginning the new 2026-2027 school year next week, including here in Arizona.

One of the first “big events” of the school year is taking individual and class pictures, which brings me to today’s topic – vintage class photographs.

To begin, I have one suggestion that you should do immediately. IF you have any old class photos that didn’t come with names below each picture and no one has yet labeled them, do that IMMEDIATELY for each person you can identify or remember.

Here are several reasons why:

This vintage photo is Hobart School, Hobart, Kiowa, Oklahoma in 1904. This is very early in Oklahoma’s history as it wouldn’t become a state for six more years. My husband’s grandmother, Pearl Brasher, is the little girl in the second row from the top, second from left with the X that Pearl marked on her picture. However, all of these other early Oklahoma children are lost to history. Even the teacher’s name is not known.

Next, we have little Edward Stufflebean in Norman, Cleveland, Oklahoma, twenty years later in 1924, seen in the front row, second from the left:

Yep, you guessed it! Neither the name of the teacher nor of any other students is known. Ed only identified himself in the picture.

Finally, we have young Charles Adams Chadwick in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts in the early 1930s:

This class picture is a more modern formal style with individual photos assembled by class, but, again, the only person identified is Charles himself, top row, second from the left and the teacher isn’t in this grouping either.

One closing recommendation – If you have one or more class photos and are fine with just a digitized copy, consider donating the original photo to either a town library or local historical society even if you only know the names of one or two people. I’ve donated all three of the above photos and the historical societies were thrilled to receive them.

Artificial Intelligence, Old Photos

12 for ’26: Learning More About Old Family Photos Using AI, Part 2

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Today, we have two photos to examine, taken in front of the same school in Passaic, New Jersey, likely around 1920.

Again using ChatGPT 4o, I asked:

This picture was taken perhaps about 1917 in Passaic, NJ. Can you identify which public school is in the background? It is definitely not #10 School.

Answer:

Here’s what I found:

The building in your photo—with its brick façade, high windows, and classical stone trim—is very similar to Public School Number Two in Paterson (Mill & Passaic Streets). That structure, built in 1871, is a tall, Victorian Gothic, brick-and-stone schoolhouse with rows of high sash windows and significant stone detailing reddit.com+5theclio.com+5theclio.com+5.

Although PS #2 is technically in Paterson—not Passaic—the architectural style and window arrangement match much more closely than what we know of Passaic’s School No. 10. PS #2 also had a second iteration—an adjacent 1920s building—so both old and newer wings could appear behind the children .

Key similarities:

  • Two-and-a-half stories over a basement, with tall, evenly spaced windows.
  • Brick walls with stone trim around windows and between floors.
  • A classic Victorian schoolhouse look, unlike the simpler façade of Passaic’s No. 10.

Even if it turns out to be in Paterson, there’s a strong case you’re looking at one of the city’s grand older schools (PS #2) rather than one of Passaic’s. Passaic had several other schools then (like Columbia School or later additions), but none share the same heavy gothic-style brick architecture.

If you’re set on Passaic city, you might consider comparing to old photos of the 1907 “Columbia School” near Main Avenue—that one features similar masonry and large windows. But for now, Public School No. 2 in Paterson remains the closest match.

WRONG! I actually found an image of this school and identified it myself and it’s not #2 School in Paterson.

I have a second photo, which I added to my AI query:

This shows much more of the building, so I added:

Here is another photo of the same school building. It is definitely in Passaic. Can you identify it now?

Answer:

Here’s a sharper look at what you’re working with — a large, multi‑story brick-and-stone schoolhouse, complete with tall windows, prominent entry pavilion, and a decorative iron-wire fence — clearly marked Passaic, not Paterson.

Based on this image and historical records, it closely matches Thomas Jefferson School No. 1, located at 390 Van Houten Avenue, Passaic. Here’s why it fits:

Here’s the key snippet:

“Thomas Jefferson School No. 1 was the first free public school in the City of Passaic. It first opened its doors on October 3, 1870 … destroyed by a fire on October 5, 1921” passaicschools.org

So it seems clear now: your family photo was taken in front of Thomas Jefferson School No. 1 on Van Houten Avenue. A truly historic backdrop for your cherished moment. Let me know if you’d like help tracking down archival photos of School No. 1 before the 1921 fire!

Still wrong!

Next query: No, it’s absolutely not Jefferson School. Any other ideas?

Answer:

Here’s a fresh perspective—based on careful comparison to your photos and additional research, the school behind your family appears to be Passaic’s William B. Cruise Memorial School No. 11 (also known as Memorial Elementary School 11) at 390 Gregory Avenue, not Jefferson or school #10.

Here’s why it fits:

  • Windows & façade layout: Your photo clearly shows tall, wide rows of windows with stone lintels around a central entrance—this mirrors archival images and descriptions of School No. 11 ebay.com+12homes.com+12homes.com+12.
  • Location confirmation: A thread on r/newjersey—about identifying a skate spot from an old school building—pinpointed the same structure as “Memorial Elementary School 11” in Passaic reddit.com. “Update: Found it on google earth. It is indeed in Passaic. Memorial Elementary School 11.”
  • Historical naming: This matches the 20th-century designation William B. Cruise Memorial School No. 11, recognized locally and featured in the school district index reddit.com.

Given that your photo likely dates from the 1910s–20s era, it aligns well with the period when School No. 11 was active and sporting that architectural style.

Three strikes and ChatGPT 4o is out. It’s the old Wilson Junior High School #12.

This try didn’t turn out too well! Perplexity couldn’t correctly identify the building either.

Old Photos

Charles Angelo Iannetti (1887-1948): Going Home

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Charles Angelo Iannetti was born 20 January 1886 in Minturno, Italy, just north of Naples. He arrived in New York on 17 June 1901 per his naturalization papers and apparently made his way far north and settled in Rutland, Rutland, Vermont.

Charles was a tailor by trade and married Romilda (aka Ruby) Delliveneri, c1911, likely in Rutland as Ruby lived there, too, in 1910.

Charles and Ruby settled into married life in Rutland, where nine children were born to them, all in Rutland County, Vermont.

Children: (Iannetti)

  1. Edward V., born 14 June 1911; died 27 February 1991, both Rutland County, Vermont; unmarried
  2. Clotilde Olga, born 14 July 1912; died 20 March 2010, both in Rutland County, Vermont; married Guido Accorsi, 2 May 1940, West Rutland, Vermont. They were the parents of five children.
  3. Helen Barbara, born 12 November 1913; died 29 December 2011, Glenville, Schenectady, New York; married Mr. Howard, c1945. They were the parents of one son.
  4. Richard Joseph, born 19 May 1916; died 23 September 1983, both Rutland County, Vermont; unmarried
  5. Italo Alfred, born 4 July 1917; died 17 September 2002, both Rutland County, Vermont; married Audrey Mae Webster, 27 July 1959, Brandon, Rutland, Vermont, but divorced on 26 November 1980. They were the parents of five children.
  6. Americo Gilbert, born 4 July 1917; died 17 February 2000, both Rutland County, Vermont; unmarried
  7. Alfred Theodore, born 29 November 1918; died 2 April 2000, both Rutland County, Vermont; married Beverly Hoadley, 1 January 1966, Rutland County, Vermont. They had no children.
  8. Emily, born 2 June 1920; died 5 May 2018, Schenectady, New York; married (1) Dominick Mercoglan, 26 July 1945, Rotterdam, Schenectady, New York (2) Mr. Hickerson. Dominick and Emily were the parents of three children.
  9. Henry David, born 2 May 1922; died 4 April 2003, both Rutland County, Vermont; unmarried

What is amazing is that Charles and Ruby were both born in Italy and naturalized American citizens. They obviously raised their children to be Americans because all six of their sons were World War II veterans – members of The Greatest Generation.

However, four of those sons didn’t marry and have no known descendants. A fifth son married, but had no children, so only male descendants of Italo’s two sons carry the Iannetti name today. All of the Iannetti daughters have descendants.

This photograph of a very young man, Charles Angelo Iannetti, has gone home to a descendant.