Historic 1916 Portrait of the McKeever Brothers

This photograph from 1916, titled Ebbetts - Robinson, McKeever Brothers, captures a significant moment in early 20th-century America. The image, produced by the Bain News Service, features the McKeever brothers, who were likely involved in a business or community endeavor with Ebbetts and Robinson. During this time, the proliferation of glass plate negatives marked a shift in photography, allowing for detailed and clear images that documented everyday life and notable figures.

Glass plate photography was a dominant medium before the advent of roll film, offering sharp images that brought subjects to life. The clarity provided by this technique allowed contemporary audiences—and modern historians—to explore the lives of people from a century ago, creating a vivid connection to the past. This photograph stands as a visual testament to the eras social fabric, encapsulating relationships and activities that defined life in the early 1900s.