Lost Faces, Forgotten Stories: Can You Help Solve the Mystery of This Vintage Photo Album? Tommy Seay

Tucked inside a timeworn photo album are a handful of unmarked black-and-white photographs—each one quietly holding onto a story. There are no names, no dates, just faces staring back through the decades. But one newspaper clipping may hold the key to uncovering who they are.

The photo album was made by Harlich.

It all begins on the first page: six photos of women dressed in fashions that hint at the early-to-mid 20th century, and one image of two men standing in front of a tree, holding a baby. Scrawled faintly on the back of this photo is a single name—Thelma.

Unidentified men with a sweet baby.

The next page offers another clue: a man in military uniform standing on parched ground, while another man in overalls lingers in the background. Nearby is a portrait of a woman with soft curls and a thoughtful expression—her style suggesting the 1940s. She's featured again in another photo labeled “School Days 1940–41.” There’s something familiar in her face, and it appears she might be the thread that ties the album together.

A moment in time for a military man.

Then, a few more snapshots: an older man in a suit, proudly holding a birthday cake with candles. A happy couple poses on the porch of a home. None of these photos are labeled. And after that—the rest of the album is empty, a silent witness to memories lost to time.

But among these few pages, a single newspaper clipping stands out.

Tommy Seay of Dickson, TN

It’s about Tommy Seay from Dickson, Tennessee, who was entered into a national high school literary contest in Jennings, Missouri. The clipping notes that Tommy was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Seay, and he had won the Tennessee state championship in humor.

After digging through historical records, I believe this article refers to Charles Thomas Seay, known as Tommy, and dates to around 1949. Several articles confirm his achievements in speech contests, giving us a solid lead—and possibly anchoring the rest of the album to the Seay family of Dickson, TN.

Now, here’s where I need your help.

If you are a descendant of the Seay family, or know someone who might be, this album could be part of your family’s untold story. These photographs deserve names, and the people in them deserve to be remembered. With your help, this lost chapter could be reunited with the people it belongs to.

Please share this post—let’s bring these faces home.

📬 If you have any information about the Seay family of Dickson, TN—or recognize any names or faces—please get in touch.

Let’s solve this beautiful mystery together.

I am a direct descendant interested in this artifact.