You are here

Halloween Weird Photo Wednesday, October 30th, 2013

Halloween
skulls
snakes
Weird Photo Wednesday
Western History Collection
Photographs

Skulls and Snakes

Happy Halloween and welcome to this week's Weird Photo Wednesday! One of our colleagues found this photograph in the AVERY-MEAD FAMILY PAPERS, 1877-1985 collection, WH564. The photograph is not viewable online, but here is the information we have about the photo, though it does not give an explanation of what they were actually doing: 
"Franklin Capen Avery (1849-1923) assisted in surveying and platting the Colorado towns of Greeley and Ft. Collins; developed the Avery block in downtown Ft. Collins. His sister, Louise Avery, married Alexander Mead, Jr., a well known irrigationist and early settler of Greeley, Colo.  Their son, Edgar Avery Mead (1872-1961) was born in Ledyard, N.Y.; graduate of Colo. Agricultural and Mechanical College; rancher and Mayor of Ault, Colo. Edgar Mead enlisted with the 1st Colorado Volunteer Infantry Regiment and served in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War (1898)."
It seems like there was a bit of extra time on these soldiers hands! Make sure you check out the Digital Collections for more strange and unique photographs! If you like these blogs, make sure you like us on Facebook! And watch out for the ghosts and goblins! 

Comments

Submitted by uhane hele on July 19, 2020

And whose ancestors are being disrespected?

Submitted by JR on August 7, 2020

Hi Uhane, You bring up an interesting, and valid, point. This photograph appears to have been taken in the Philippines during the Spanish American War. Like so many of the pictures in our collection, this one doesn't have much context. Were these bones of indigenous peoples? Were they from a cemetery that was being moved? Did these men come across this mound of bones as is? We just don't know. But your point is well-taken, these bones were once people and all people deserve dignity in death. All the best, James

Add new comment