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Wesley & Myrtle Hamilton

Updated Jun 26, 2025
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Wesley & Myrtle Hamilton
A photo of Wesley & Myrtle Hamilton, my great grandparents. I met Myrtle when I was a child, she passed away in the mid-1980s.

Oliver Weston "Wesley" Hamilton -- 1882-1945
Myrtle Ruth Kearns Hamilton -- 1895-1984

My father and brother and nephew all carry the middle name of "Wesley" in honor of this man. Zooming in on Oliver's face, my daddy has his eyes. The couple married in 1910 in South Dakota (pap was a railroad man). They divorced in the 1930s.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
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Stylish couple, 1910's(?) South Dakota. Can you see divorce in their future?
Photo of Frances K. DeDura Frances K. DeDura
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04/07/2017
Who could predict a divorce? Sometimes it takes years and other times only takes a few months, but in 1910 it was a shameful experience to have to divorce, but usually all the blame goes to the woman. Things haven't changed much since then.
Photo of Brenda Lichty-Steedley Brenda Lichty-Steedley
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04/07/2017
My widowed great grandfather married a divorced woman who had pierced ears & danced! They must have married some time around 1900. They were married until his death.
Photo of Patsy Jacobs Patsy Jacobs
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04/07/2017
You know the photographer just didn't poke a button and it was instantly done. Sometimes people had to sit for a photograph quite a long time, or stand and some were not even allowed to smile so I would have probably had the same look on my face.
Photo of Sarah Elizabeth Flood Sarah Elizabeth Flood
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04/08/2017
At that point, exposure times were instant, but I've had a long-exposure (ten seconds) photograph done myself, and it's not really that bad if you just keep your face relaxed.
Photo of Helen Norvell Helen Norvell
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04/07/2017
Love these old photos
No way, thesr old photos took a while to snap as folks grew weary from holding the pose!
Photo of Penbutnopencil Photography Outdoors Penbutnopencil Photography Outdoors
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04/07/2017
Very true Jean!
Photo of Sarah Elizabeth Flood Sarah Elizabeth Flood
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04/08/2017
Not in 1910. The "snapshot" was invented in the 1870s. Nobody was holding poses for a long time forty years later.
However, the fact the new invention is not available to everyone due to costs!
Photo of Sarah Elizabeth Flood Sarah Elizabeth Flood
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04/09/2017
I'm pretty sure it was available to professional photographers. Wetplate is expensive. Much more expensive than other methods.
Happy you know it all!
Photo of Sarah Elizabeth Flood Sarah Elizabeth Flood
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04/09/2017
Not all. Just have a passing interest in the history of photography.
Plus taking selfies?
Photo of Donna Dee Donna Dee
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04/07/2017
That is not an original photo. Fake.
Photo of AncientFaces AncientFaces
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04/07/2017
Why would you say that Donna? It's a family photo, the owner's grt grandparents.
Photo of اراندا سي سي اراندا سي سي
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04/07/2017
Without seeing the comments and the aggression between all. It took my attention, The pic doesn't look old it give me this impression. Don't want to offend anyone, but certainly that mustache looks fake
Photo of Raffaella Iosue Raffaella Iosue
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04/08/2017
This photo is not fake. Perhaps it is the device you are using that alters the clarity of the picture.
Photo of Sarah Elizabeth Flood Sarah Elizabeth Flood
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04/08/2017
Had a boyfriend who had a mustache like that and I can confirm it was definitely not fake.
Definitely not fake.
Photo of Tammy Silvey Myers Tammy Silvey Myers
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04/07/2017
Beautiful picture
Photo of Tammy Silvey Myers Tammy Silvey Myers
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04/07/2017
People need to stop being rude. It's NOT cool,not funny and certainly not attractive
Photo of AncientFaces AncientFaces
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04/07/2017
Diane - I think it's the fact that the photo was called fake. Perhaps not exactly rude but not nice.
Photo of Tammy Silvey Myers Tammy Silvey Myers
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04/07/2017
I am sorry but I feel it's very rude to blurt out that something is fake unless you have evidence to back your claim up. Perhaps I should have said nothing.
Photo of AncientFaces AncientFaces
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04/07/2017
No, Tammy - you're right. Too much using of "fake" nowadays! :)
Photo of Esther Evans Esther Evans
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04/07/2017
I can't quite figure out why someone thought it was fake?? The condition?? I have several photos taken in the first decade of the 1900s....if they are taken care of, like mine were, they look great !!
Photo of Tammy Silvey Myers Tammy Silvey Myers
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04/07/2017
I think it's the clarity of the picture. I really don't know
Photo of Denis Kucharski Denis Kucharski
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04/07/2017
This photo is real.
Photo of Kelly Miller Ortiz Kelly Miller Ortiz
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04/07/2017
She looks a lot younger than him. Their clothes are awesome!
Photo of Amanda Reeves Amanda Reeves
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04/07/2017
According to the dates provided, he was 28 and she was 15!
She was a lot younger. Died in 1984.
I think this is 1900/1905. Her hair style and her clothes.
Photo of Mark Gonzalez Mark Gonzalez
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04/07/2017
But then again not everyone kept up to date with fashion back then.
yes, but the people who had access to have a photograph yes... (sorry my english)
Photo of AncientFaces AncientFaces
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04/07/2017
Could be - the blouse and other features made me question my own guesstimate . . .
She has the classic "gibson girl style", previus 1910´ fhashion
Photo of AncientFaces AncientFaces
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04/07/2017
Agata Maibach She does - and she has great hair! ;)
Yes!!!!
Photo of Brenda Lichty-Steedley Brenda Lichty-Steedley
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04/07/2017
If a person likes a certain style, even when it is no longer in style, they may stick with it. Or it may be the only style that they've seen in the magazines they have seen. Or they could have dressed like this for a special occasion. We don't know because, we weren't there.
Most definitely 1910-1911. It's my great grandmother. They married December 1910 and had their first child in late August 1911.
Photo of Annette Friedel Annette Friedel
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04/07/2017
Young gal!
Photo of Richard Matte Richard Matte
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04/07/2017
Hand on the shoulder sign of soumission
Plus who is sitting and who is standing!
Photo of Sarah Elizabeth Flood Sarah Elizabeth Flood
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04/08/2017
This was an extremely popular pose for decades. I'm not sure where you're getting that interpretation.
I learned through costuming that the younger the person the more up to date their clothing is likely to be. Older women tended to hang on to their clothes and when there are different periods of clothing in a photo it is likely that the older styles will be on the older women. Of course, that would depend on whether or not the subjects were wealthy enough for everyone to wear the latest fashions.
2x great grandparents.......ITALY. Probably from 1870's because I know when family started coming to America 🇮🇹🇺🇸
Photo of Richard Matte Richard Matte
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04/07/2017
Photo of Terri Allen Terri Allen
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04/07/2017
Nice picture
Photo of Joanne Fonseca Joanne Fonseca
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04/07/2017
Looks like she's wearing a witches hat on..lol!!
Photo of Joanne Fonseca Joanne Fonseca
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04/07/2017
Did you look at her hat?...Oh and thank you for your criticism...Robert Downey Jr is cute isn't he?
Photo of Jane Garnett Jane Garnett
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04/07/2017
The clothing is quite stylish for the time period. I have family photos similar, in good quality too. And one never knows what goes on between two people in a marriage.
Photo of Bill Buschgen Bill Buschgen
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04/07/2017
Both look a bit disturbed.
Photo of Dan Baril Dan Baril
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04/07/2017
DIvorce was not very common at this time. People didn't feel relationships were the human equivalent of fast-food, back then. Just sayin'...
Photo of Davina Green Davina Green
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04/08/2017
The article says they got divorced.
Photo of Penbutnopencil Photography Outdoors Penbutnopencil Photography Outdoors
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04/07/2017
Fantastic image, I've taken the liberty of cleaning the image up of the nasty marks
I love it! :)
Photo of Patsy Jacobs Patsy Jacobs
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04/07/2017
I really like this picture. She has a strong look. He is stern and I love his derby and handlebar moustache.
Photo of Denis Kucharski Denis Kucharski
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04/07/2017
Photo of Stephanie Ramos Stephanie Ramos
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04/08/2017
Did you edit the color of the pic?
Photo of Denis Kucharski Denis Kucharski
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04/08/2017
Yew
I really like it with the blue/purple. Wesley has blondish hair so that suits. ❤
Photo of Regal Cruz Regal Cruz
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04/07/2017
They appear to be at war.
Photo of Barbara Weston Gute Barbara Weston Gute
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04/07/2017
.....Love pictures like this.
Photo of Donna Freeman Donna Freeman
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04/07/2017
My husbands great grandparents got divorced after the Civil War. Maybe because he was never home.He was a scout in Nebraska for the Government of the day, ,also had lots to do with the pony express.
Photo of Catherine Oexman Catherine Oexman
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04/07/2017
Wondering what she's hiding behind her skirt!
Photo of Amanda Reeves Amanda Reeves
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04/07/2017
so she was 15 to his 28!!
Photo of Lisa Bolig Lisa Bolig
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04/07/2017
Love that hat!!
Photo of Charlotte A. Mack Charlotte A. Mack
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04/07/2017
Nice photo and I feel as if she was a strong woman.
I love this ladies belt buckle. It's quite a piece to own during this time period I'm sure.
Photo of Nancy Atchley Nancy Atchley
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04/07/2017
Love her hair
Photo of Gale R. Gough Gale R. Gough
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04/07/2017
Look at her hands and his hands (especially the right hand which is more visible). These people look as if they did a lot of hard, manual labor.
Pap was a carpenter. Grandma didn't work outside of the home but she had a ton of kids.
Photo of Anne Graham-Oscard Anne Graham-Oscard
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04/07/2017
"Lips that touch liquor shall not touch mine!"/"Man! Could I use a drink?"
Photo of Jan Mortimer Jan Mortimer
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04/07/2017
Why does the guy get to sit?
Photo of Sarah Elizabeth Flood Sarah Elizabeth Flood
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04/08/2017
Popular photography pose. A guess? You get to show off your dress better in a standing pose. Also, one standing, one sitting fits better into a photograph and women are generally shorter so the standing person isn't towering over the sitting one.
Photo of Diane Ritchie Diane Ritchie
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04/08/2017
So happy looking...... I dont think
Hm... the man's sitting, his wife's standing. So old village tradition! (Too beautiful woman for the man, by the way, so, yes, I see divorce in their future.)
This is my photo (or my family's that is). It was stored in a photo album for quite some time and then scanned in high resolution. I can assure all of you, it isn't fake. Grandma Myrtle was 15 at the time they married and they fudged her age for the registrar and said that she was 16. As mentioned, they married in December 1910. Uncle John was born August 23, 1911, so since they are childless in this photograph, it was likely in that time frame. Myrtle had a child in 1911, 1912, 1914, 1916, 1919 (my grandfather), 1921, 1923, 1925, and 1926. I'd have divorced him too. ;)
This is my photo (or my family's that is). It was stored in a photo album for quite some time and then scanned in high resolution. I can assure all of you, it isn't fake. Grandma Myrtle was 15 at the time they married and they fudged her age for the registrar and said that she was 16. As mentioned, they married in December 1910. Uncle John was born August 23, 1911, so since they are childless in this photograph, it was likely in that time frame. Myrtle had a child in 1911, 1912, 1914, 1916, 1919 (my grandfather), 1921, 1923, 1925, and 1926. I'd have divorced him too. ;)
They look wonderful to me! Did they divorce???? Tha flaws in this picture are easily fixable.
There you go!
Photo of Diane Dizacomo Diane Dizacomo
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04/07/2017
Photo of Joanne Fonseca Joanne Fonseca
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04/07/2017
Lots of Love..you seem to be in a real critical mood today Sugah..
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People tagged in this photo

Myrtle (Kearns) Hamilton
Myrtle (Kearns) Hamilton was born on December 2, 1895 in South Dakota United States, and died at age 89 years old in December 1984 in Cumberland, Allegany County, MD. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Myrtle (Kearns) Hamilton.
Age in photo:
Oliver "Weston" Hamilton
Oliver Hamilton was born in 1882 in Ohio United States, and died at age 62 years old on April 13, 1945 in Allegany County, MD. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Oliver "Weston" Hamilton.
Age in photo:
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