I need help identifying people in an old photo

iamthegreatcornholio · January 16, 2008 9:57AM

Does anyone want to help me play detective?

I bought this photo a while ago. It was from Walter Johnson's estate so he's easy to spot (2nd from left). I believe it was circa 1918, and the other guy I think i can identify is General "Black Jack" Pershing (6th from left).

I'm not sure who the other people are - does anyone recognize them? Any help would be greatly appreciated

EDITED TO ADD - From left to right here are the people identified and what they were doing in 1919 when I believe the picture was taken.

1. James Harbord, Major-General, US Army
2. Walter Johnson, Pitcher, Washington Senators (HOF)
3. Hank Gowdy, Catcher, Boston Braves
4. Charles Comiskey? Owner of the Chicago White Sox (HOF)
5. Knute Rockne? Head Coach of Notre Dame
6. John "Black Jack" Pershing, General of the Armies of the United States
7. Hughie Jennings, Manager of the Detroit Tigers (HOF)
8. Henri-Philippe Petain, General, French Army
9. Bucky Harris, 2B, Washington Senators (HOF)
10. Jacob Ruppert, Co-owner and president of the New York Yankees

detroitfan2 · January 16, 2008 9:59AM

Well rube is definitely the 5th one from the right. The second one from the right looks awfully familiar too, but I can't place him.

zep33 · January 16, 2008 10:00AM

second one from the right looks like Prince Charles

detroitfan2 · January 16, 2008 10:01AM

<<second one from the right looks like Prince Charles >

Bingo!

BigDaddyBowman · January 16, 2008 10:06AM

I could be nuts...and probably am..but the fifth guy from the left looks like Knute Rockne to me. Not sure why they would be in the same picture together...but they were contemporaries. Rockne living 1888-1931 and Johnson living 1887-1946...so its possible.

zep33 · January 16, 2008 10:07AM

possible tour to meet the troops in WW1 ?

was USO around back then?

lawnmowermanswife · January 16, 2008 10:09AM

<< <i><<second one from the right looks like Prince Charles >

Bingo! >>

I thought the same thing when I first looked at it. Don't know any of the others.

stown · January 16, 2008 10:14AM

Unfortunately, I have no Earthly idea but that's a really cool pic.

Thanks for sharing

SDSportsFan · January 16, 2008 10:14AM

Fourth one from the right looks like Hughie Jennings.

Also, the one on the far right looks like it could be Jacob Ruppert.

Steve

rajah424 · January 16, 2008 10:18AM

I think Prince Charkes is Bucky Harris.

SDSportsFan · January 16, 2008 10:28AM

Fourth one from the left...could be Charlie Comiskey?

Steve

iamthegreatcornholio · January 16, 2008 10:41AM

Wow, thanks a lot guys!

Bucky Harris and Walter Johnson were both on Washington in 1919. And the fourth guy from the right definitely looks like Hughie Jennings.

I'm not sure about Rockne or Comiskey - both of their faces from images I looked up from this era look chubbier than the guy's faces in this photo.

I don't think the USO was around back then. Some players were actually in WWI. Christy Mathewson comes to mind, but I don't think Walter Johnson was in the war. Why Walter was in a picture with the General of the Armies of the United States I have no idea...

SDSportsFan · January 16, 2008 10:47AM

The thing I wonder about is why does the guy third from the right look like Joseph Stalin?

Steve

BigDaddyBowman · January 16, 2008 10:48AM

Rockne became head coach of Notre Dame in 1918 so its possible that he would be in a WW! era photo with other sports greats.

HoofHearted · January 16, 2008 1:09PM

If I had time, I'd dig out my '61 Fleer cards to see if some of the faces match up. They look familiar...

ArnyVee · January 16, 2008 1:11PM

"I need help identifying people in an old photo"

I'd say that you are correct. Those ARE people in an old photo.

I just wonder who that guy in the background on the left is posing for? Private session?

Alfonz24 · January 16, 2008 1:32PM

I think the third guy from the right is Rollie Fingers dad.

Just kidding. Great Photo! To bad there is nothing on the back identifying the people, time or place of the photo.

GDM67 · January 16, 2008 8:14PM

Any chance the handlebar guy is Henri Petain? He's definitely wearing a French uniform, and I think he's too young to be Foch.

pomobileclk · January 16, 2008 9:26PM

The third from the left, next to Johnson, looks like Hank Gowdy.

sayheykid54 · January 16, 2008 11:31PM

The guy second from the left looks like Walter Johnson.... My mistake. I didn't realize he was already identified. Hughie Jennings is definitely in the photo on the right side.

RipublicaninMass · January 17, 2008 12:00AM

I thought that was also Cominsky

iamthegreatcornholio · January 17, 2008 10:26AM

Again a big thanks to everyone for being so helpful!

Pomobileclk spotting Hank Gowdy was a big break-through. I found this about Gowdy,

... but when World War I broke out, he became the first major leaguer to sign up. With the Ohio National Guard, he saw considerable action in France with the 166th Infantry Regiment, including some of the worst trench fighting in the war. When he returned in 1919, he got his old job as a catcher back, but not before going on a speaking tour of the United States, detailing his war experiences.

Thus Gowdy at least ties baseball to WWI in this photo.

Anyways, I added the identified people in the photo under it in my original post.

Also, on the back of the photo, there is a faint stamp. It reads, "This photo is supplied by International Newsreel, 226 William St., New York City..." There are two small pieces of paper glued to the back probably where it was fastened in Walter Johnson's photo album.

<< <i>The thing I wonder about is why does the guy third from the right look like Joseph Stalin?

Steve >>

Ironically, he's not much better than Stalin... maybe it's a mustache thing. The guy GDM67 helped identify is Henri-Philippe Petain. Read about what he did in WWII and you'll understand this comment.

Brian

WinPitcher · January 17, 2008 10:37AM

Brian LTNS!!

Guy in the middle is Pershing?

Steve

nevermind you already knew that, didn't see your list.

rube26105 · January 17, 2008 10:57AM

that 1st guy looks awful familiar,cant put my finger on it yet,has alot of ribbons on him,is a high up officer General or Colonel-big mac and patton were in ww1,i need to look at some pics,pershing dont have all of his on his unform ,just because nobdy could tell him too

iamthegreatcornholio · January 17, 2008 11:06AM

<< <i>that 1st guy looks awful familiar,cant put my finger on it yet,has alot of ribbons on him,is a high up officer General or Colonel-big mac and patton were in ww1,i need to look at some pics,pershing dont have all of his on his unform ,just because nobdy could tell him too

>>

That's what I thought too. I don't know a lot of military history, but it's odd that the first guy has more "stuff" on his uniform than the highest ranking guy ever. I've searched through wikipedia (not the best source - I know) for other WWI big shots, but have come up empty.

I was thinking about selling this when I had no clue who most of these people were, but now it's not going anywhere.

rube26105 · January 17, 2008 11:10AM

pershing would have that many too, he just dont have em on because nobody tells the top dog what to do,except the President

kinda reminds me of Macarthur without the pipe and glasses,looking for some ww1 pics of him-i dont know how high up he was in rank in ww1 offhand

Alfonz24 · January 17, 2008 11:22AM

Is the first guy James Guthrie Harbord. Looks like the picture in the link and it says that he was close to Pershing.

James Harbord

rube26105 · January 17, 2008 11:35AM

thats him, battle of the marne

i shoulda knew that,
too many generals in history to think of,
i sent a pic of it off to one of my buddies, he cant tell me for sure who they 100% (army guys)are in a heartbeat,hes a ww1 buff- i never realized comisky was that small if thats him?
that is petain and pershing and sure looks like harbord

iamthegreatcornholio · January 17, 2008 11:47AM

Wow, that might be everyone, thanks Alfonz24 for ID'ing Harbord!

too many generals in history to think of,did you positively id the french guy?,

I think it's him. Here's a pic I found of him

I'm still not sure about Knute. He's the only one that doesn't fit the WWI or baseball profile. But facially it looks like this pic of him

MeteoriteGuy · January 17, 2008 11:59AM

Here is a summer 1918 game with soldiers in attendant...not really related

Linky

rube26105 · January 17, 2008 12:09PM

the french guy is right for sure, i dont think that blackjack pershing?does he have a moustache in pic and a big eagle on his collar, i can really tell- if i could see their neck brass onthe sides that aremissing i could tell what outfit they were with and track em down easy

iamthegreatcornholio · January 17, 2008 12:16PM

Facially he looks a lot like Pershing, but he doesn't appear to have the mustache in the picture. When I bought this picture, the only two identified were Walter Johnson and Pershing so I always thought it was him although I haven't seen other pics of him without the mustache. Now that the first guy ID'ed is James Harbord and close to Pershing, I figured that gave it more credibility. Here's another pic of him

rube26105 · January 17, 2008 12:36PM

yeah i guess that is him now that i look at the ears and both views of his nose more close, no moustache is strange,blackjacks almost always is picked witha moustache-that is a great piece , were those 2 id'ed on the back of the pic or have any writing on it???, id get that framed and matted like my audie murphey auto ,that is a great crossover piece, baseball + army collectors-great pic up,at least it isnt ripped to pieces , i have alot of the old ww1 co pic ones that were rolled up ,and when you unroll them they just crumble the paper is so old

congats!!!!!!!
the rube-not the cloned rube, you have to look hard to tell its not me-people were thinging i was talking to myself last night

rube26105 · January 17, 2008 12:41PM

knute is the only one that dont fall in with the baseball theme now, the face is fatter in that pic could be him, but kinda dont fit the theme?

i dont think there is anyone else in the wold that looks like petian

love the handlebar moustache,he might have been rollies inspiration,yu dot see too many of those anymore,i always thought they were cool

iamthegreatcornholio · January 17, 2008 1:05PM

<< <i> were those 2 id'ed on the back of the pic or have any writing on it??? >>

The only markings on the back were a faded newspaper stamp. It reads, "This photo is supplied by International Newsreel, 226 William St., New York City..." There are two small pieces of lined paper glued to the back probably where it was fastened in Walter Johnson's photo album. I'm guessing it was once printed in a newspaper and then this original photo given to Walter. When I first saw the auction, it was presented as something like, Walter Johnson, General Pershing, and others. The other guys remained a mystery until I was cleaning my house and found and posted it yesterday!

I have a bunch of other wire photos, but none this old. My two favorites are one of Joe D and Marilyn on the Honeymoon in Japan and the other is a Clemente photo of him getting hit 3000 previously owned by Double Day and used in his biography, Who Was Roberto

I'll post a bunch of pics this weekend if anyone is interested.

Brian

stevek · January 17, 2008 1:19PM

Very cool.

You might be familiar with this website:

http://www.cycleback.com/

Dave is a nice guy and would probably be happy to help you identify some of those folks.

-

iamthegreatcornholio · July 4, 2009 8:21AM

Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who's helped ID'ing these people.

I think I'm going to list this on eBay as a fixed price with an OBO.... still deciding on the amount.

I need help identifying people in an old photo

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