This gelatin dry plate negative was taken by Oliver E. Aultman (1867-1953) on a family trip to Macksville, Kansas in 1908. The image depicts Charles Fox Aultman (1842-1918), Oliver's father, with his second wife, Roxie. Both sit in wooden chairs that have been placed outside. Charles Fox wears a collared shirt with suspenders and trousers. His legs are crossed and he holds a folded piece of paper in his left hand. Roxie wears a patterned cotton dress and a knitted shawl. She holds a ball of twine in her hands. An unidentified article of clothing--possibly a bonnet or small bag is visible in her lap. Trees are visible behind them.
The Aultman Studio (Trinidad, Colo.) operated out of Trinidad from 1889-2000. Oliver E. Aultman founded the studio and was its chief photographer until his son, Glenn Aultman (1904-2000) took over the business in the early 1950's. Otis Aultman (1874-1943), Oliver's younger brother, also operated at photography studio in the Trinidad area from 1892-1907. Several of his images are included in the Aultman Studio collection. While the Aultmans mostly produced studio portraits of Trinidad's residents, they also shot images of landscapes, streets scenes, mining operations, buildings, and local events. This photograph is part the Aultman Studio photograph collection (Ph.00500).