George Coe (?) - c 1884 - page 30 of Charles Joslin Call and Elizabeth Ann Coe's Photo Album

 

The twenty-fifth photograph in the album is identified as George Coe (?).  Assuming it is George Coe, the question then becomes which George Coe was a close enough relative to Elizabeth Ann Coe to be included in her photograph album. It was taken in Rochester, Monroe County, New York in 1884. 

Elizabeth Ann had three close relatives named George - her uncle, George W. Coe (1831-1906), and her two cousins George Albert Coe (1862-1951) and George Ellsworth Coe (1863-1905). The photograph shows a young man, which would rule out George W. Coe. George Ellsworth Coe lived in Michigan all his life. He married in Michigan in 1884. So while it is possible this is a photograph of George Ellsworth Coe taken on a visit to relatives in Rochester, I think it unlikely. 

The most likely candidate for a young man named George Coe to have his photograph taken in Rochester in 1884 is George Albert Coe. He was born on 26 March 1862 in Mendon, Monroe County, New York, the son of George W. Coe and Harriet Van Voohis (1831-1908). Growing up, the Coe family moved frequently as George W Coe preached in different locations.  In 1865, the family lived in Clarkson, Monroe County. In 1870, they were back in Mendon. In 1875, they lived in Avon, Livingston County, New York. In 1880, they lived in Victor, Ontario County, New York. 

In 1884, George Albert Coe enrolled at the University of Rochester. At the time, his parents were living in Penfield, Monroe County, just a few miles outside of Rochester. George also studied at Boston University where he received an M.A. and Ph.D. 

George Albert Coe married Sarah E. Knowland (1864-1905), the daughter of Joseph Knowland and Hannah Bailey on 3 September 1888 in Alameda County, California. After teaching at the University of Southern California for two years, the Coes moved to Berlin, Germany where George completed his education in 1892. 

After returning to the United States, Coe taught at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois from 1892 -1909, at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City from 1909-1922 and then at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City from 1922-1927. 

Sarah Knowland Coe died on 24 August 1905 in San Francisco, California. George Albert Coe died on 9 November 1951 in Claremont, Los Angeles County, California.

There is a biography of George Albert Coe on FindAGrave that discusses his religious and psychological philosophies. It is located at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/175073342/george-albert-coe

There are three photographs identified as George Albert Coe on Ancestry that can be used as a comparison with his photograph to aid with identification. The first comes from the photo album of Olive (Coe) Sperry, older sister of George W. Coe.   It is identified as George Coe, son of John Coe. There is no John Coe with a son George Coe who was closely related enough to either Olive Coe or Elizabeth Ann Coe to appear in their photo albums. The other two photographs (here and here) are photographs taken much later in life. The original source of these two photographs has not been identified.  There is a strong resemblance between the man in this photograph, and then men identified as George Albert Coe in the other photographs. 

The back of the photograph indicates it was taken at the studio of A.E. Dumble & Co, 44 & 46 State Street in Rochester, in 1884. 

Albert E. Dumble had photography studio at 44 State Street between 1875 and 1895. The back imprint covers most of the card indicating it dates from between 1887-1900. The words "instantaneous process" date the photograph between 1884-1895. And 1884 is printed on the back of the card. 

The style of George's jacket and tie, and especially the prominent tie pin in the knot, date the photo to the mid-1880s. 

So based on the information about the photograph, and the known location of the three possible George Coes in 1884, this is probably George Albert Coe. 

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