Fossen/Widdows Biometrics
Note also that both the instrumentman and Widdows have downturned noses, whereas Fossen's has a slight upward turn.
At first I thought it was Fossen, but after comparing the gaiters that Widdows is wearing in both photos, I'm saying it's Widdows.
As to the doubt of Widdow's wearing gaiters in both photos; in the second photo, on Widdow's left (not the viewer's left) ankle, you can see where the gaiter has curled up a bit towards the medial side and the sun's reflection on it makes it appear white. You wouldn't get that specific sort of curl up in a boot. Only the end or bottom of a gaiter would look like that because of it's termination near the top of the laces. I believe he is wearing the same gaiters in both photos.
Kent, the shoulder to chin distance is a dead giveaway.
Fossen/Widdows Biometrics
Good analysis, Kent. I stand corrected, I believe.
Look closely at the "boots" of insturment man. They look like brogans with leggings. Now look at Bill Widdows' boots in the lineup and John Runge's. Widdows' boots look different than the lace up boots of Runge. You cannot see the laces on Widdows' boots as you can on Runge's boots. Widdows' boots look more like brogans with leggings. Based upon that I think the instrument man is Widdows.
Peter Lazio
OK. You've convinced me.
Photo details
Wow, I can’t imagine Fossen or Widdows have had this much attention paid to them since their respective funerals. Here are details of faces and boots I clipped from the photos:
Widdows boots in Pilot Butte Inn photo (gaiters are more evident in this detail than the group shot):
I-Man's Boots:
Fossen’s face:
Widdows’ face:
I-man’s face:
Thanks to all for trying to parse out the details of these photos. I don’t think enough attention has been paid to Widdows’ ears in the Pilot Butte Inn photo vs. the I-mans ears (huge in both cases). I think this is the key element in identifying Widdows as the I-man, although the I-man does look tallish in the chaining photo.
For comparison in the Pilot Butte Inn photo, Bob Gould was 5’7” tall and as I understand it his son Jarvis was about the same height if is any help with the height perspective in the chaining photo. If you knew what the length of the transit scope was, you’d have a good measuring stick for the I-man.
In my book Widdows, Fossen and Runge were like the “Tinkers to Evers to Chance” of local surveying. Sure, Gould was the coach, but these 3 guys are the ones who were chaining, cranking angles, finding and setting corners. There are scores of old fieldbooks with these 3 as the crew spanning the 1910s through the late 1930s. All star crew.
Photo details
The diameter of the vernier on that transit would be handy for scale also...
Photo details
Indeed Kevin. They have one of Gould's old transits down at the Historical society so I think I'll drop by this weekend and see if it is similar to this one.