Familiar Faces, Forgotten: Genealogical Research Reveals Identities of Mary Powell Crew

Mary Powell was a beloved day steamboat who cruised the Hudson between 1861 and 1917. HRMM holds many historic photographs of Mary Powell and the dozens, if not hundreds, of crew members who made her journeys possible. These photographs live in HRMM’s archive and on the walls of the museum. Their faces have gazed back at us for years, but who are they? Many faces remain unidentified.

This lecture focuses on one particular 1908 photograph of Mary Powell crew members that currently hangs in the Mary Powell hallway at HRMM. A search for their identities using genealogical research methodology was undertaken and successfully identified multiple individuals. Join to learn about their lives, before and after Mary Powell, and how their lives were tied – in more ways than one – to the Hudson River. Tips on how to identify unknown individuals in photographs you may have in your attic will also be discussed.