Early photo of Son House surfaces

I dunno what interest this may draw but...
While watching the American Epic series this week, I was gobsmacked to see that a 1920's/30's photo of Son House has finally surfaced. This is no doubt from the collection of John Tefteller who, I've heard, may be in possession of another photo (or two) of House from this period.
In any case, this is a major artifact for certain of us & I feel it bears mention here.

 

Fabulous. What a dapper, handsome fella.

 

Badass

 

Great to see another photo of him.

However, I would have preferred to have been told that they found new good-quality recordings of him from the 1920's/30's. He is an incredible talent.

 

His alter ego in the background.

 

In fact, that very thing happened about a decade ago with the discovery of "Clarksdale Moan" b/w "Mississippi County Farm Blues." But this is the biggest news on the Son House front since then.

 

Wow, brilliant photo, and discovery! Appears to be in really nice condition. What's the backstory on the find?

 

This is great, but I'm confused. This has absolutely nothing to do with Sgt. Pepper!

 

I guess we do know for sure that that's him, eh? I just remember all the arguing and controversy a few years back when a new photo of Robert Johnson was supposedly found...

 

I would hope the folks putting together the series have done their homework. I know Tefteller is involved & has been rumoured to be in possession of material like this for some time. But I don't know the provenance of the photo &, therefore, cannot offer it as a true primary source.
On the other hand, that sure as hell looks like Son. And not just a little.

 

This is great. Still wonder if another Charley Patton photo could ever be located. Not to mention any photo of Willie Brown.

 

Yeah, I thought we weren't allowed to talk about anything else within a week of major Beatles news!

 

I'd settle for a copy of "Grandma Blues" or "Kickin' In My Sleep."

 

I now deem this thread cooler than the Beatles Super Deluxe Boxset..

 

Not so. If this picture was circulating in 1967 it could/should have been a contender for the Sgt.Pepper cover!

 

There was an article in one of the music issues of "The Oxford American" that mentioned that Mack McCormick had some previously unseen photos of some bluesmen, but couldn't or wouldn't get them out to the public. He died in 2015, so maybe some of his archive is getting out finally.

Mack McCormick - Wikipedia

The Collector: Mack McCormick's Huge Archive of Culture and Lore

 

No, but instead, there is a connection with the White Album and Abbey Road...

Mother Nature's Son House
Here Comes The Son House

 

Here Comes The Son House King
I'll Follow The Son House

but seriously....
Mt. Zion Memorial Fund: Preaching the Blues - 1970s Documentary
Mt. Zion Memorial Fund: "On The Trail Of a Delta Bluesman"

 

Sonnn's leaving House... (Bye, bye...)

 

Thank you for posting this.

Have the other people in the photo been identified? has the location been identified? what was the occasion, that Son House would be wearing a tux? is this a paper image, or a cardboard? it could be a 4x4 Kodak paper print. are the edges of the photograph shown in the original? is this sepia the actual tint? is there a stamp or any identifying marking on the back? if the woman's dress was not homemade, the photo could be dated to the nearest year by comparing her dress, shoes and the umbrella to store catalogs. more accurately, an examination of the paper, emulsion and edge markings could match the photo to the camera that took it and date it to within a year.

 

WOW! very cool!

 

Great find!

 

I've no idea. There is an associated American Epic book (American Epic: The First Time America Heard Itself: Bernard MacMahon, Allison McGourty, Elijah Wald: 9781501135606: Amazon.com: Books ) that may contain that info. I dunno.
Son is not wearing what would, even then & there, be considered a tuxedo, though he is dressed rather formally. He was, at some point(s), a preacher with a stable congregation & would therefore be commissioned as a respected member of his community. The presence of the young lady (as well as the parasol) leads me to believe that this may be a wedding photo. But, again, I have no idea... it's all conjecture.

Now back to our regularly scheduled Beatles thread.

 

Doesn't look like Son House to me