This photo, printed in Albany, N.Y., came to me from Germany. I’ve identified the handsome fellow as Silas Ballin. I was told the Yiddish/Hebrew (?) writing underneath his name means “groom”. Was this photo taken on Silas’ wedding day? Another detail that caught my eye was his extravagant tie pin. At first I thought it was a symbol of some sorts. But I came to the conclusion that it was a custom-made tie pin bearing his initials SB. That young man certainly appreciated expens
