Grand Island Business College

Location:
Like a historic version of Where's Waldo, the UFO Team has been looking for Benjamin Richard in this group photo. Unsure of where he is in the photo, we can only speculate that's he is actually in it. It could be any number of other individuals that make this particular photo important, but without any clues, the UFO Team is stumped.

Description:
This large group photo is of the Grand Island Business and Normal College in February of 1907. Somewhere in this group is likely one Benjamin Richard. The UFO Team has been unable to locate him.

The photo itself has sepia tones to it and is pre-matted on a larger piece of cardboard. The cardboard and photo show signs of serious wear and scratching. The read of the matte also shows signs of mud wasps.

Unique Marks:
Front - A red embossed logo in the center of the matte - "Studio Leschinsky Grand Island Neb."

Rear - Green oval sticker in the center - "J. Leschinsky, Photographer" and "Grand Island, Neb." around the outside of the sticker with "This picture was or should be framed at our studio where you can obtain the best in hand cameras & Kodak supplies" in the center.

History:
The photo appears to have been taken on the steps of the Courthouse in Hall County, Nebraska.


The Grand Island Business and Normal College was founded in 1885. Outside of that, not much else is known about the photo.

The photography, Julius Leschinsky, was a prominent photographer in the Grand Island area and the Western United States. His gallery operated out of 113 East Third Street in Grand Island, Nebraska. He has taken photos of Presidents and expanded the culture of Grand Island by opening an art gallery. There is a wonderful, but short, biography of Mr. Leschinsky here.

Photos:










References:
-Buechler, August F. and Robert J. Barr. History of Hall County Nebraska. Page 634. Retrieved on February 7, 2008 from http://books.google.com/books?id=lOwGAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA634&lpg=PA634&dq=j+leschinsky+grand+island+nebraska&source=web&ots=d_O5LXOyBR&sig=fOwGcpvLXvhExyBFk0nNh_2oyuM. - Historical and Descriptive Review of Nebraska. Volume II. Page 122. Retrieved on February 7, 2008 from http://www.rootsweb.com/~neresour/OLLibrary/hdrne/pages/hdrne122.htm.
- Lawrey, Roberta. Grand Island Public Library - The Presidential Groundbreaking. Hall County History Paper. Volume IV, Number 5. May 1984. Retrieved on February 7, 2008 from http://www.gi.lib.ne.us/teddyr.html.
- Nebraska State Historical Society, Retrieved on February 6, 2008 from http://www.nebraskahistory.org/images/histpres/nebrasko/hall-courthouse.jpg.
- Patterson, Homer L. Patterson's College and School Directory of the United States and Canada. Page 137. Retrieved on February 6, 2008 from http://books.google.com/books?id=VqEVAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA137&lpg=PA137&dq=grand+island+business+and+normal+college&source=web&ots=ehovkCj50h&sig=WwLZikpBkXXhXo90GM5udslUMVc. - Numerous facts were gathered from the private Richard Family Estate collection. These facts span numerous sources of information and contain genealogical data, photos, and newspaper articles.