1920ca AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN wearing railroad cap and uniform (?) with children

Description

[AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN WITH CAP WITH INSIGNIA, JOB ATTIRE, RAILROAD PORTER?] PHOTOGRAPH AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN WITH CAP WITH [indistinguishable] METAL INSIGNIA WEARING VEST AND MATCHING TROUSERS
, cigar in mouth, posed with 3 children, black-and-white, 5-3/4” x 3-1/2”,
the man’s clothing with the cap with the insignia is obviously work clothing, resembling railroad porter’s or conductor’s clothing of the 1920’s period
, estimated time period is 1920s based on time period of other photos in the group this photo was with and clothing of the children including girl’s long single-piece dress and children’s high-button shoes, details of the insignia/emblem on the familiar railroad worker-type cap cannot be made out, but its general shape/form has upraised wings on either side, thus obviously suggesting transportation and with the vest and matching trousers indicating a uniformed railroad worker, the railroad company was probably Midwestern considering that confirmed locations of other photos this one was with are Indianapolis, Chicago, and Kansas City
/// PROVENANCE:
from a large group of late 19th to mid 20th century photographs of African Americans from the Midwest and Boston, some of which were authenticated to be photos of Sydonia Byrd and relatives, friends, and classmates of hers…Sydonia was a one-time romantic interest of the HarlemRenaissance poet Countee Cullen…they met when he was at Harvard and she was at the Boston Conservatory following her study of music at Oberlin…she came from a well-to-do African American family in Indianapolis, her father owned a barbershop
/// CONDITION:
photograph near fine with negligible wear.