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Irish roots sensation: Is this Annie Moore arriving at Ellis Island?

Photograph appears to show Annie and her brothers arriving in the New World

By
ANTOINETTE KELLY
,
IrishCentral.com
Published Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 10:38 AM
Updated Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 11:27 AM
Read more: Ellis Island, Cultural Institutions and Parks, Parks and Historic Sites


Is this the real Annie Moore? Roots expert Megan Smolenyak needs your help figuring out if this is Annie Moore
Is this the real Annie Moore? Roots expert Megan Smolenyak needs your help figuring out if this is Annie Moore

Is this the real Annie Moore?

Irish teenager Annie Moore was the first person to arrive at Ellis Island when it opened on January 1, 1892.

This picture was found by Annie's great-nephew, Michael Shulman, at the National Park library at Ellis Island.

It appears to show Annie arriving at Ellis Island with her brothers on that fateful day back in 1892.

Roots expert Megan Smolenyak has launched an appeal for anyone who can verify if this is Annie Moore arriving at Ellis Island.

Smolenyak says she wants to find "smoking gun" proof that it is in fact Annie.

Shulman discovered the photograph among the donated items belonging to John B. Weber, who was the first Superintendent of Ellis Island.

Weber served only until 1893 so that increases the probability that the picture is of Annie.

Smolenyak also says there are other visual clues to imply that Annie is the girl pictured.

  • All three are approximately the right age.
     
  • They are dressed in the kind of clothing Irish immigrants wore at the time.
     
  • The three appear to have been singled out for the photograph.
     
  • "Annie" matches physical descriptions taken from newspaper accounts of the day ("bareheaded," "woolly sack (jacket) buttoned closely about her," "buxom")
     
  • The other travelers are wearing heavier clothes. Annie and her brothers were three of only eight Irish on a ship with 127 passengers who were mostly Russian.
     
  • The waiting benches appear to be in good condition.

 But, says Smolenyak, "Perhaps most telling is the fact that the girl bears a marked resemblance to the confirmed photos of Annie in later years."

However, Smolenyak says that "Ellis Island sources deny the photo is Annie and her brothers."

"They could be right, but the only substantiation I've heard to date is an assertion that the photo shows an anonymous trio of immigrants taken at the Barge Office in 1890. Those who have seen the photo at Ellis Island, though, state that while it's included with 1890 Barge Office photos, it stands out as being different from the others and is unmarked. And it there's any chance it could actually be Annie in spite of appearances to the contrary, I think it's worth checking and double-checking.

"Perhaps the same virtual team approach that unearthed the true Ellis Island Annie in 2006 will work again."

Shulman, who with his sister is one of Annie Moore's closest living relatives, says he wants to see the National Parks Service doing more on the sleuthing.

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Irish roots sensation: Is this Annie Moore arriving at Ellis Island? | IrishCentral


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Posted by RthrBHistCorr on Feb 09, 2010, 12:34 PM EST
It would be great if true, but the middle brother is supposed to be 11, the oldest boy looks older to me. Also the nespaper accounts, New York Times on January 2, 1892 , makes refence to prearranged plans to process the first immigrant and Annie being taken to a special desk, the special treatment doesnt' jive with the crowd of people in the background. One way to prove this: If there is a known Annie photo from later years and this one can be blown up and maintain quality, there are certain facial features such as the spacing and setting of the eyes, that don't change with age.
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Posted by Carroll09 on Feb 06, 2010, 05:45 PM EST
That's an interesting point, Kickstar - I don't know much about photography, but in those days having one's photograph taken was a big deal: it took time to set up the camera and the subjects had to pose (it was nowhere near as instant a process as it is today). The people in the background aren't very clear, but the three children are obviously attracting great attention- everyone's gaze is fixed on them. Of course, this doesn't prove that it's Annie Moore, but it certainly fits if she was the first person through & that she was presented with a prize.
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Posted by kickstar on Feb 05, 2010, 09:46 AM EST
I just thought of something else Annie was presented with a $10 gold piece a prize for being the first person through so go figure if they were giving away that kind of prize, Wouldn't a photo be appropriate ?.
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Posted by marmaure on Feb 05, 2010, 09:39 AM EST
They sure do look like members of my family. It is a strong possibility. In fact, she looks a bit like me when I was younger and the older brother looks like my cousin. Hope to hear more. Maureen Moore
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Posted by kickstar on Feb 05, 2010, 09:29 AM EST
If you save and blow the photo up (It will bear a little expansion) the people do look Irish but then who's to say One thing for sure things look very new in the room you can almost smell the paint.
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Posted by McClusky on Feb 04, 2010, 09:16 PM EST
I wonder if Annie was related to my Moores from Kilkenny.






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