James Leon Hennesy’s store in Washington Parish, Louisiana.
Original photo.
My restoration. The face of one of the young women had been scratched out (it even looked as if it might have been deliberately scratched out) and I replaced it as the faces in that section are so undefined that there is no possibility of identifying them.
A descendant of James Leon Hennesy has written a litle of her memories of James Leon’s stores. She describes one of the stores as having been the “company” store for the Simmons sawmill. She gives the Bogalusa-Franklinton Highway as a place name, but for which store I don’t know as he is noted as having had “stores.”
This is a fascinating shot. Apex Red Shoes are advertized (for men, $4 and $5 dollars) made in New Orleans. Arny’s drink, 5 cents, is also advertized (name on every bottle).
James Leon Hennesy is standing in the far right window. No one else can be identified and the picture gave no indication of photographer or date. The two men in the cart appear to be brothers. None of James’ children by Lucy (now dead) appear to be in the photo. The woman in the window opposite James looks like she would be a wife, seeming to have a certain sense of entitlement about her and it is suggestive of ownership, James in one window and her in the other. Is she Lucinda Pounds? The dating on the photo could be anywhere between 1906 to 1914, my guess leaning towards 1910. But about 1910, Lucinda would have only been 23 and this woman looks older. Lucinda and James are supposed to have married about 1920 and guesses have been made the photo was as late as about 1920, but I have a difficult time imagining this being post WWI. I suppose it could be but I don’t believe James looks in his late 40s here, and it’s difficult to imagine at least the young women in the photo not dressing more to a 1920 aesthetic. I do believe this is pre war.
Some close-ups from the photo.
The man and woman in the cart.
The men in the cart on the right.
The individuals in the doorway.
James Leon Hennesy in the right window.
The woman in the left window.
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