The Hilton family, Sargent, Nebraska c.1887 (Photographer Solomon D. Butcher)
The Hilton family; near Sargent, Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. David Hilton, along with their eldest daughter. During a photography session, Mrs. Hilton and her daughter expressed a firm refusal to be captured in front of their sod house. Their rationale was rooted in sharing the pictures with friends and relatives back east. The prospect of being observed living in a dwelling constructed from soil was deemed embarrassing by the family members.
However, their reluctance extended solely to the sod house backdrop, as they were keen on being photographed alongside their recently acquired pump organ. To accommodate this preference, Mr. Hilton, along with the photographer, was tasked with relocating the organ. This involved bringing it outdoors for the purpose of capturing the desired images and subsequently returning it indoors once the photo was finished.
