EDITOR AT LARGE

We’re always combing through local online auction items from Portsmouth, NH and, mostly, it’s the same stuff over and over. But every now and then an item out of the ordinary. Take this late 19th century photography, for exaple. ANd look what someone paid for it.

READ MORE about Lafayetter Newell
SEE MORE Historic Portsmouth photos

Who was that boy with the long braided hair who posed in a Portsmouth, NH photo studio in the Victorian era? Let us know if you have a clue. The item appeared on Ebay and the photo was attributed to Lafayette Newell. We know Newell, and have written about him and posted scores of his photographs only. But this was something different.

Usually these photos sell for around $10 or less online, so we thought – why not pick it up and donate to a local archive. But at the last second the auction price shot into the stratosphere. The winner paid $203.20 (plus $2.50 postage) for the picture. We want to know why?

See Also by Newell: Boy in Dress

Could this be a young girl in boy’s clothing? Or was this really a boy with a girlish face and long hair? Sadly, unless someone out there has more details, we’ll never know. But we can’t help thinking about that Boston band the Barbarians and their 1965 pop hit. It went a little like this:

Are You a Boy, or Are You a Girl?
Are you a boy,
or are you a girl?

with your long blonde hair,
you look like a girl.

You may be a boy,
but hey,
you look like a girl..."

-- The Barbarians (1965)