This 1895 photo of a girl holding her sister’s hand seemed normal—until the results of the restoration were revealed.

Someone had carefully positioned it to hide the worst signs of death. Someone had gone to great lengths to make it look alive. Marcus focused on Lily’s face now. The tears were barely visible in normal resolution, but unmistakable in this magnification. Lily had been crying when the photo was taken. The corners of her eyes were red.

Tears were visible on her face, beneath the powder. And something else. Something written on the plate beneath the photo. So faint that it was invisible without digital enhancement. Marcus adjusted the contrast and sharpness. The words appeared, written in pencil, in a child’s handwriting.

I promised Mother I would hold her hand forever. I kept my promise. On June 12, 1895, Helen immediately began searching for historical information about the Davies family. Finding information from 1895 was a challenge, but the Boston Historical Society had extensive archives and links to genealogical databases. Helen found it within two days.

The Davies family lived in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. His father, Robert Davies, was a wealthy textile merchant. His mother, Eleanor Davies, came from an old Boston family with a rich history. They had two daughters: Lily, born in March 1884, and Rose, born in September 1888. Rose Davies died on June 3, 1895, at the age of 6 years and 9 months.

Cause of death: scarlet fever. Lily Davies died seven days later, on June 10, 1895, at the age of 11 years and 3 months. The cause of death was also scarlet fever. The photo is dated June 1895, meaning it was taken between Rose’s death on June 3 and Lily’s death on June 10. Helen found the death certificates in the Massachusetts State Archives.

Both girls were buried on June 11, 1895, in the family vault at Mount Auburn Cemetery. A joint funeral service was held at Holy Trinity Church, but the burial records contained something odd. Rose’s funeral note stated, “The funeral has been postponed due to family reasons. The body will be on public display at the family home from June 3rd to 10th.”

Rose’s body was kept at home for seven days before the funeral. In June, in Boston, where weather forecasts predicted temperatures that week would reach around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius), Helen came across an article in the Boston Globe from June 12, 1895. Tragedy struck the Davy family—both daughters died of scarlet fever. A prominent Beacon Hill family, Robert and Elellanar Davies, mourn the devastating loss of both daughters within a week.