Women and Education in Photo History, Part 3

Eighth Grade Graduation: Mattie Mae Hance

8th Grade Graduation, Mattie Mae Hance, Unknown Photographer; Image 4"x6"; Collection of the Author

This 4"x6" warm-tone collodion print of Miss Mattie Mae Hance has been in my collection a long time. I don't remember if I was drawn to this one because of the painted backdrop, or the woman's attire (dressed like a bride for 8th grade graduation), or even that I thought she looked a little bit like me. But all these are important about this image.

I used to collect portraits of lone women, like this one, but stopped a decade ago, feeling the studio-portrait was too simple a subject to concentrate on. But there are so many interesting things to be seen!

This 4" x 6" studio portrait of Mattie Mae Hance was probably mounted and glued into a cardstock frame, but that was removed long before I bought her.

It turns out, her name is unique enough that it was easy to find her maiden name. Mattie Mae was born in Sept of 1908. Let's say she started her 8 years of school the September she turned 6, making her 13 years old in this photo, and dating the image to 1921. Mattie was a resident of Erick, Oklahoma. This graduation image likely marked her end of school.

She married George Gish (1899-1972) in Jan 1924, at 15 (he was 9 years older). She was the youngest child of 8 children, who all predeceased her. She had 2 children. Her oldest son, George Gish, died in WWII, at 20 years old. Mattie lived to age 90, dying at Lake Chapala, Mexico in 1999. A quick Google reveals this is a popular destination for American retirees. Ancestry.com even shows her social security checks being mailed there!

A detailed examination of the image reveals some fancy details. Her wrist watch is an interesting design, with a large face and bracelet-like band (and it was 4:05 p.m.!). Her corsage is a large fern leaf and a single flower, maybe a chrysanthemum. She also has a folded ribbon corsage of some kind on her belt-sash. She has a very hip 1920s hair-do, and VERY long earrings (oh la la). He left hand ring finger is also sporting what appears to be two solitaire rings, and another ring on her pinkie. Was she already engaged? Was she choosing between two suitors?

(I haven't found much about her husband yet, other than he was a machinist on the railroad and a wrestler.)