I’m working on a little story for you. In the meantime, I thought I’d share a little song and ask you to help me check my eyesight.
Today’s musical selection is What a Difference a Day Made performed by Dinah Washington.
On to my eye exam. I saw this picture in the Library of Congress. The girl in the photograph reminded me of my friend’s little girl, who is about 7 years old.
When I read the description of the photo, I got thoroughly confused. The picture is labeled Mrs. L.J. Balsan, otherwise known as Consuelo Vanderbilt (1877 – 1964). The metadata says the picture was taken between 1915 and 1920, which was after she divorced the ninth Duke of Marlborough and before she married Lt. Col. Jacques Balsan in 1921. That would put her somewhere between ages 38 and 43.
LOC
I’d dismiss it as an error, but the Library of Congress is usually pretty accurate. And the dress looks more in keeping with the 1910s than the 1870s. People age differently, I know, but is it possible this is a 43-year-old woman? No, I’m sure this must be a picture of someone else or they misdated the picture. If not, I must be aging in dog years!
old spirituals 
Your eyes are fine. That’s definitely a little girl!
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Is it possible this was the only photo available for Mrs. L.J. Balsan? On a side note, at a few memorials that I’ve attended, the picture enlarged at the front of the sanctuary was of the deceased person as a child and not a picture of the person at the age the person died. Maybe Mrs. L.J. Balsan or her family preferred this picture?
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I haven’t seen that but it seems like a likely explanation! It is an adorable picture, I could see why she liked it.
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I would say it’s a child. The dress is something a child, not a woman, would wear.
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Historic photos of Consuelo Vanderbilt depict a woman who had a youthful appearance her entire adult life. Despite her youthful look, the photo of Consuelo Vanderbilt in this post is definitely her as a young girl not a married woman.
There are many photos of Consuelo Vanderbilt on the internet as a married woman and mother of two boys. She was married to Winston Churchill’s first cousin, Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill for a number of years. He was close friends with Winston Churchill and his first cousin. Winston Churchill’s mother, Jeanette “Jennie” Jerome, was an American born in Brooklyn, New York. Thus, her father was the maternal grandfather of Winston Churchill.
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The town Jerome, Arizona is named for their family. It’s a fun place to visit!
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