In this photograph, taken about 1890 by Marie Kendall, children gather on the porch of the Kendall house on Greenwoods Road to watch an itinerant organ grinder who has wandered into the village. A popular form of entertainment, the organ grinder would travel from town to town, hoping to earn a few dollars or a meal and lodging for the night. This organ grinder was apparently well-known in Norfolk, for his name, Ellison, is inscribed on the back of the photograph. He carries a barrel organ strapped over his shoulder and, as with most organ grinders, he has a capuchin monkey whose role was to attract attention, do tricks and collect money from passers-by. You can see the monkey tethered to a string and standing on his hind legs at the edge of the porch.

—Ann Havemeyer

Photo courtesy of the Norfolk Historical Society.