The MassMu research team is compiling information gathered while on the trip to Ravenswood.  We thought we would share a few interesting numbers from our Ravenswood research trip.

Number of photos from the Massillon Museum's permanent collection: 1,895
Number of identifications gathered from citizens of Ravenswood: 94
Number of photos taken by MassMu research team: 1,023
Minutes of video taken by MassMu research team: approx 455
Number of photographs brought to the team to scan: 862

Thanks to everyone who shared their information and photographs during our research visit.  Please feel free to continue sharing information and photos  on the Henry Clay Fleming Photography facebook page.  We left a copy of our Massillon Museum photos at the Jackson County Public Library (Ravenswood Branch) for people to continue identifying photographs and sharing information, so please stop by and check them out!
                                -Mandy Pond

Here are just a few photographs showing the wealth of information we discovered while in Ravenswood.

Thanks to Erin Pustay of the Massillon Independent for sharing writing about our journey! Read the full article here:

http://www.indeonline.com/newsnow/x897603647/Massillon-Museum-project-sets-out-to-put-stories-with-faces-in-old-photos

Alex, Mandy, Andy and Brian visited Bob Staats at his place of business on Walnut Street this morning.  His office occupies the former residence and studio of Henry Clay Fleming.  Although nothing of the inside and very little of the outside resembles the building as it was in Fleming's day, it was satisfying and somewhat magical to walk through the doors where the people in the Museum's negatives, decked out from head to toe in elaborate fur coats and extravagant hairdos or casually donning overalls and straw hats, entered more than a half century ago. 

Andy Preston made a fascinating discovery this afternoon - watching him unravel the mystery was a treat!  Barbara Nicholas, a Ravenswood resident who has been active in this phase since the town hall meeting, had suggested on Monday evening that we look at Ravenswood High School yearbooks.  We had never thought to do that.  Taking her advice, we borrowed some annuals from the local museum.  Upon thumbing through them today, Andy stopped at an image of Eunice Chambers in a 1925 yearbook, and his "a-ha!" moment was born!  He said he recognized the picture, and immediately began scanning the binder containing our hundreds of Fleming images.  He stopped at an image of a previously unidentified woman who was undoubtedly Miss Chambers.  But, that's not all!  The image of Eunice in our collection is the exact same image that appears in the 1925 yearbook.  This discovery proved that Fleming did, in fact, take some of the senior pictures, thus confirming his reputation in the town.  We did discover a match yesterday to a girls basketball team photo from the 1924 yearbook and a portrait in our collection (stay tuned tomorrow for posting of images!); but we hadn't found any evidence until today of his taking formal senior portraits. 

This evening we had to say goodbye to the library that served as our home-away-from-home for the past several days.  It has been an incredibly successful week in Ravenswood.  We have learned a great deal about both Henry Clay Fleming as well as life in beautiful 4,000-person town.  Those who share their memories of growing up in Ravenswood do so with a fondness that instantly brings a smile to their faces.  Memories of the past inspired Bill Fleming, great nephew of Henry Clay, to spontaneously sing the 1942 Ravenswood High School alma mater this afternoon.  As Bob Staats told us yesterday, "life is good in Ravenswood."

We have numerous people with whom we have yet to make contact.  Our work will continue long after our return to Massillon.  But we feel as though this trip has been a great success.  Working with the individuals who care most about preserving their town's history and the legacy of its town photographer, the Massillon Museum has begun to establish a proper history for Fleming and his negatives. 

Video by Brian Donovan

The MassMu research team set up the scanning and filming stations today.  We had several people bring us their photographs, including yearbooks from Barbara Nicholas, photographs from Maxine Landfried, Dan Fleming, and others.  Emily was busy taking notes and scanning photographs and looking up historic information.

Alex and Andy interviewed Henry Clay Fleming's grandson, Dan Fleming, while Mandy filmed and Cristina took careful notes.  Dan shed some light on the importance of the Flemings in the founding of Ravenswood.  He then led a small team to the Pioneer section of the cemetery, as well as on a tour of the banks of the Ohio River.  Of particular interest was the ferry landing along this section of the river.  Fleming noted that the river was very much the lifeline of the town.

Margy, Andy, and Brian toured the Ravenswood Museum, viewing archives and exhibits relating to the area.  The rest of the team worked to cross-identify subjects among the Museum's collection of glass plate negatives, and helped visitors to identify others.  Having only identified a handful of subjects in the Belle Johnson photographs during our Monroe City visit, we are exuberant about the fact that dozens of those in the Fleming negatives have been identified in only two days.  This is likely due to the fact that a majority of the Fleming images in our collection date to the 1920s, and are therefore easier to identify than the Johnson images we own, many of which date from 1895-1900.  We saw some of our first Fleming prints today!  Up until yesterday, we had only ever seen the negatives.  On loan from the Ravenswood Museum, these prints are free from any of the damage that characterizes the Massillon Museum's negatives.  They are another piece of the puzzle, and help us to better understand Fleming's aesthetic as a photographer.

Tomorrow we are planning to film some of the sites that were important to Henry Clay Fleming and his family.  Of great interest is our visit to Fleming's studio at some point in the afternoon!  We have several more interviews and scanning sessions scheduled.  Although the Library is closed on Wednesdays, the staff has volunteered their time to stay open for our project, and director Suzette Lowe will be helping us in our scanning efforts.  We cannot thank them enough for their generosity and cooperation.  Stay tuned - more exciting discoveries will surely be made tomorrow!