governorsisland

Photographed on Governors Island in New York harbor, May 25, 1911. Henry L. Stimson had been appointed Secretary of War in the administration of President Taft just a few weeks earlier. General Frederick Dent Grant (son of President Grant) was commanding officer on Governors Island, where he lived with his family. This occiasion was the annual lawn party sponsored by the Army Relief Society, which raised money to succor widows and orphans of officers and enlisted men of the Regular Army. The Lawn Party:

See

for a similar picture, also with Sue Spiller, although I would not be certain about the two pictures having a woman in common. But it does seem likely that these women are telling fortunes to raise money for war relief. And since the next picture is on Governor's Island, this could also be there. The War Relief garden party on Governor's Island would appear to be an event that took place annually for several years, at least:
1914, see NYT of 5/27/1914
query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9500E2DC1F39E633A...
1915, see NYT of 5/27/1915
query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F05E7D91338E633A...
1917, see NYT of 6/7/1917
query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F03E7DE133AE433A...
This last piece mentions both Miss Sue Spiller (as Princess Ismah) and Mrs. T. Q.[sic] Donaldson.

Mrs. T.Q. Donaldson is almost certainly the wife of Major General Thomas Quinton Donaldson, who was stationed at Governors Island as Assistant Inspector General during the first three years of WWI. www.arlingtoncemetery.net/tqdonaldson.htm His widow was Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson Donaldson.

Is this picture flipped? The stars should be on the left not the right.

Another from the May 1908 public field day at Governors Island. The PFC in front has the daytime signal flags. Behind him (and ready for "night work") is a Colt Acetylene Flash Lantern. The acetylene generator and carbide cannister is not yet connected. The signal flags are NOT semaphore flags (the poles are too long). They are used to send morse code. A long sweep overhead was a dash, a short sweep to one side was a dot.

4 of the 6 soldiers are in Signal Corps Uniform. The 2 on the right are in the uniform of the Coastal Artillery - the one in front showing the insignia of a second class gunner.

The tall sergeant in the rear wears the cap insignia and chevrons of a Master Signal Electrician. That flasher is NOT going to malfunction in front of all the VIPs.

No heliograph here, despite the "Tag". As Seuss. says, the displayed device is a signal lantern, specifically a Colt Acetylene Flash lantern, used primarily at night (hence the title at the top of the photograph: "Night Work".). The heliograph used mirrors to reflect sunlight, and were used during the day - there IS a heliograph on display in the accompanying photograph "Day Work", which can be viewed at the Library of Congress, here: www.loc.gov/item/2014680520/ This signal lantern ("Field Lantern" is depicted in Fig. 18 (page 111) of: Manual No. 6, Manual of Visual Signaling of the U.S. Signal Corps, by Captain D. J. Carr, Washington CPO 1905. The heliograph is depicted in Figures 8 & 9 (pp. 76 & 77) of that same manual. There was a Colt Acetylene Flash Lantern on display at the museum at Fort Huachuca, AZ, when I was there last. The 1905 manual gives the brightness of the field lantern as 1,900 candlepower (p. 112), vs. the millions of candlepower from the mirror-reflected sunlight of a heliograph.

Seuss. Here's a photo of a Colt Acetylene Flash Lantern on display at the Fort Gordon Museum. If you click on the thumbnail image below, then scroll down below the photo to the comments, you'll find links to more information about this device. Much of the material is in this thread:
www.treasurebunker.com/forums/index.php?/topic/3804-us-si...