Mysterious 1870s Wis. photo sparks jokes

Associated Press ^ | January 5, 2007 | Robert Imrie

[SpringheelJack]

WAUSAU, Wis. - Who is that mysterious, elegant man? And why is he sitting on a dead horse? Such are some of the questions sparked by a black-and-white photograph taken in Sheboygan between 1876 and 1884 that has led to nationwide curiosity, speculation and jokes.

"It is just a funny picture," Prescher said. "He is sitting on there with a top hat like he had somewhere special to go and his horse just croaked in the middle of the road."

No one knows who the gentleman is, exactly what year the picture was taken or the circumstances surrounding it, said Beth Dipple, director of the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center, which has had the picture in its collection for at least 20 years.

Some of the ideas for what the picture depicts include the thoughtful — it was staged for a political campaign perhaps related to sanitation issues — to the bizarre — the horse is being helped to relieve "excess flatulence."

A Web site sponsored a contest for readers to write the best caption for the photo and about 100 were submitted, including: "Lay still old girl, FEMA's on the way."

Dipple said about all that's known about the picture is it was taken at South Eighth Street and Indiana Avenue between 1876 and 1884 — based on the bridge over the Sheboygan River in the background and the lack of railroad tracks that were installed in 1884.

The city had laws on the books that required people to stay with their dead horses until they were picked up and disposed of, Dipple said.

"Who knows why somebody would take a picture of it?" she said. "People had weird senses of humor then just like they do now."

[Sam Cree]

It's an old photograph, but do you think it has much artistic merit? OTOH, I'm starting to think that some of the alterations made by freepers improved the composition ;-)

[xarmydog]

The horse was the prototype of the Yugo.

[Salamander]

Hello, cousin....;]

[Thumper1960]

Looks like a demoncrat taking a rest from beating a dead horse.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Mention my name in Sheboygan!

LOL! Bob & Ray rule!

[Kenny Bunk]

Family tradition and oral lore is offered to help you folks clear up the "mystery" about this photo. That dapper gentleman is my Great-Great Uncle Twice Removed, Ole, He was always known as a snappy dresser.

The horse died after accidentally ingesting some left-over lutefisk at a St. Olaf's Day Celebration out there in Minnesota. Unfortunately, there was no antidote readily available, the akvavit having been consumed some hours earlier.

Uncle Ole was snapped while waiting for a taxi, and making sure no one stole the horse shoes. There were rumors of a Swedish plot, but there's no use flogging that particular ....

[Sam Cree]

Someone gave me a lutefisk lure for Christmas.

[Kenny Bunk]

Using lutefisk as bait is violation of every known Fish and Game Law in this country.

It is irresistible to every known species of fish, but causes lasting environmental damage. And please, don't leave it around where some horse might get a hold of it.

[Kenny Bunk]

The picture you mention was used as a frame filler behind an original Winslow Homer now hanging in the home of that other old Eli, John F. Kerry.

simply have a fellow bonesman ask Teresa for it and stop mucking about.

[Robert A Cook PE]

But the original exposure times were sooooooooooooo long that they often used wire braces (behind their heads and shoulders) to keep from moving.

It's really hard to keep smiling for that long, and when you could only afford 1 photograph - Why waste it on a "corny" picture?

Also - the long exposure times were why Civil War pic's were a almost always of the dead. No problem getting the killed to pose, and the dead were behind the lines after the battle, so shooting a dead soldier (again) would not expose the photographer to bullets
.

[Watery Tart]

A couple of questions, lowbridge:

1) Where is he in the Dallas cheerleader picture?

2) I have dialup, so I wasn't able to browse -- is there a photo of TG walking with Stalin and other folks, and they keep disappearing?

lowbridge, from a fan of your work... WT.
BTW, you owe me a keyboard for posting those Nigerian emails. We'll talk.

[lowbridge]

1) Where is he in the Dallas cheerleader picture?

Third row from the top, second from the right.

2) I have dialup, so I wasn't able to browse -- is there a photo of TG walking with Stalin and other folks, and they keep disappearing?

Not on my site.

[afraidfortherepublic]

My neighbor's mare died while birthing a foal (and thefoal died too). My husband had to help him dismantle the side of the stall and then remove the exterior door of the adjoining stall and then haul the mare out into the open in much the same way you describe. (The vet had already taken the foal to his establishment in an attempt to save him.) It was an all day job. I don't remember it smelling, however. It was still cool (Wisconsin) and the horses had not been dead long.

I just remember that my neighbor (a man) was sobbing at the loss of his brood mare and her beautiful foal.

[XEHRpa]

Excuse me, but do you happen to have any gray poop on?