Friday's Faces from the Past -- Unknown photo

  Some of my readers may have noticed this photo on the sidebar of the blog for the past couple of weeks.  This is yet another photo from my Grandma Nealie's (Nealie Drake Tapley (1895-1970) collection that I have no idea who the person is.  I have had several people try to help me with this, especially in trying to figure out what type of uniform the man is wearing.

   

  With the rise in the use of AI in genealogical pursuits, I decided to ask ChatGPT about the man in the photo.

  I asked, "Please define the year of the photograph and describe the man and his clothing in this photograph of an American living in probably Adrian, Georgia. How old do you think he was in the photo? What occupation might he have?"

  ChatGPT answered:

Estimated Time Period:

• This appears to be a tintype photograph, which was popular from the 1860s to the early 1900s.
• The clothing style and photographic backdrop suggest a timeframe between the 1870s and 1890s.

Description of the Man:

• He is wearing a dark-colored, collared shirt with a row of buttons, possibly military or work attire.
• A band or stripe on his upper arm may indicate a uniform rank insignia or mourning band.
• His mustache and hairstyle were commonly seen in the late 19th century.
• He is leaning against what looks like Spanish moss, which suggests a Southern U.S. location, possibly Georgia (as you mentioned Adrian, Georgia).

Estimated Age:

• He appears to be in his 30s or 40s based on facial features and posture.

Possible Occupation:

• The band and structured uniform suggest he might have been a military veteran, law enforcement officer, railroad worker, or a firefighter.
• If not in uniform, he could be a laborer, farmer, or tradesman, given the relaxed but proud stance.

  Those that helped me in the past had brought up firefighter, since it appears the man is wearing a uniform, and it didn't have any insignias indicating a military uniform.  But AI mentioned an occupation I had not even thought of - railroad worker.  Unfortunately, so far, I have been unable to locate any railroad workers among her immediate family members. 

  In looking at my grandmother's relatives, I found the following:

    Her father, William John Drake (1857-1927) would have been in his 30s and 40s between 1887-1907. However, he was a preacher and thus would not have been wearing a uniform.  

    Her uncle, Francis Richard Drake (1859-1933) would have been in his 30s and 40s between 1889 - 1909.  Unfortunately, I have no occupation information for him, but he was probably a farmer.

   Grandma's uncle, James Thomas Drake (1861-1959) would have been in his 30s from 1891-1901. Possibly during this period of time, he was the postmaster for Odomville, Emanuel County, Georgia. At this time, though, postmasters were not wearing uniforms yet.  Later, around 1910, he was the Warden at the Macon County Work Camp. And after that, he was a police officer in Adrian for 25 years.  However neither of those time frames line up with the predicted date of the photo.

  Her other two uncles on the Drake side were younger and therefore would not have been in their 30s or 40s prior to 1900.

  Grandma had one uncle on her maternal side and he, too, was too young to be in his 30s or 40s before 1900.  

  So I still have no idea who the man in the picture could be.  However, ChatGPT gave me some insights and things to investigate.  

  Do any of my readers have any suggestions on how to identify this man?  I would be most appreciative of any and all feedback.