Prophetic Pictures from Menomonie, Wisconsin
The pair imagined and photographed their friends in almost every career that turn-of-the-century America offered. Some classmates turn into heroes of the American West (George E. Thompson as cowboy) while others became East Coast snobs (Alice Tilleson as a New York socialite). Hobos and paupers share the pages with the Russian ambassador’s wife, an actress, a prima donna and a world-famous violinist.
Hansen’s pictures depict some bizarre scenes along with others that don’t seem at all far fetched today — heads detached from bodies during brain surgery, magicians duplicating themselves and a woman winning an international prize for the best book on mathematics. Other photographs prophesy his classmates in more common professions, such as cook, dentist, nurse or fisherman. Notably, no classmates were destined to become lumbermen or farmers, two of the most common occupations in Menomonie at the time.
