Don't Fence Me In (Unidentified Glass-Plate Image)

(Click on image to enlarge)
Image courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.

Unidentified friends or relatives, gathered under a shade tree on a summer's day. The focal point of their pose is that little book held by the women at center.

What's interesting is the transparent image haloed around her head. It may be the actual background of this scene; if you look at the far right, amidst all the overexposed glare you can make out the lines of a plank fence, which seems to continue in the superimposed image. A fence, then a road beyond it, and over the shoulder of the man standing at left, a utility pole with at least four crossbars.

But how did it all get superimposed like that? — just a double exposure? Maybe the camera's being in the shade caused the intense glare of the sun beyond to interact with the camera's curved lens somehow, to pick up and transpose part of the background. I don't know.

The center lady's miniature hat is quite unusual. It may be a joke.

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[Update — 5/4/2012]

Thanks to CK Melin, we have IDs on two of these people: Andrew Melin is seated at left, and standing in back (on both sides, since — as I eventually figured out — this is a double exposure) William Olson.

Also, by now I've seen Tekla Anderson enough that I believe I recognize her in this image, seated at right.