Who are the corn huskers?

This is another of those interesting photographs that end up in the historical society collection with minimal (or no) information attached to them.

In this case, there's a note in pencil on the back that reads, "Corn Husking at Dr. Maloney's farm Nov. 6, 1933." Also, someone has tentatively identified the young woman with the big bow on the neckline of her dress (and four big dark buttons on the bodice) as "Helena Bradford?"

"Dr. Maloney" may have been John H. Malony (no "e"), a dentist who opened his practice in Chariton ca. 1924 but later practiced, until retirement, at Corydon. Born during 1878, he died in 1955 and his buried in the Chariton Cemetery with his wife, Orpha, and daughters, Ruth (Malony) Thomas and Helen (Malony) Talboy.

Corn-pickers and giant combines weren't available in Lucas County during the 1930s, so corn had to be husked by hand --- and this looks like a husking "bee," when neighbors got together to harvest corn with the men generally doing the field work and women providing the meals.

We'd love to know more about the photo and the identities of the women and men in it --- so if anyone sees a familiar face here, leave a comment. Right click on the image and open in a new window to enlarge.