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Devil in the Details: Snowball Incident at 123 W. Lanvale St.

Starting January 2019, the content featured in our Aspect Ratio photography and film blog will merge with underbelly. Please look for series such as: “Devil In the Details” (see below); “Career Day,” featuring workers and workplaces of Maryland; “Age of the Auto,” showcasing all things related to road transportation; and “They Live By Night”—a celebration of night photography.

We know there are many gems hidden within our photography collection, but there is an extra level of appreciation when an image looks mediocre at first glance and then reveals itself to have fascinating, unusual details. While scanning a few photos for a patron, we came across an image we thought was perfect for our “Devil in the Details” series.

Two women standing in backyard with snow on the ground.

Backyard (?), 123 W. Lanvale St., 1895. J. Steuart Collection. Z7.1582.PP44, MdHS.

Upon closer inspection, you can see these women are not idly standing in the cold. The woman on the left, standing in a hunched position, is holding what looks like a snowball.

Woman in hunched position holding snowball.

(Detail) Backyard (?), 123 W. Lanvale St., 1895. J. Steuart Collection. Z7.1582.PP44, MdHS.

At the same time, the woman on the right seems to be caught mid-motion and mid-word displaying a level of silliness not often seen in historic photography. (Dan Goodrich)

Woman making silly face, possibly holding snow.

(Detail) Backyard (?), 123 W. Lanvale St., 1895. J. Steuart Collection. Z7.1582.PP44, MdHS.