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Last week I wrote about Yvette LaGonterie’s mystery photo and the possible link to the Underground Railroad. The clues dated this photo to circa 1900.
I wondered if the man’s collar was actually a clue to his profession. Could that be a clerical collar?
That one little question led to an identification. This family has a name!
Yvette’s ancestors Anna and Edward Powers lived in Brooklyn by the 1890s and were active in St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, when the pastor was the Rev. George Frazier Miller. During his time at the church (1896-1943), four generations of Yvette’s family knew this man. The relationship extended from her great-great-grandparents to her mother.
Yvette found a photo of him on the University of Massachusetts website. It confirmed the identity. Rev. Miller was one of the founding members of the Niagara Movement, the predecessor of the NAACP.
He was a important person in the community and obviously someone the Powers knew quite well. That’s why this family picture was in with their photos.
Next week, I’ll be back with more on Yvette’s family and this photo.
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