A post card currently for sale on Ebay.

The postmark appears to be dated 1916.

The photographer's initials are apparently "G.W.S." -- anyone know who "G.W.S." was?

[Click the photo to open the IMGUR site, then click the photo on IMGUR for a larger view.]

Schlichting. I know next to nothing else, but I know he has in the postcard photographer pool

They (the photographers) bought each other out and sometimes pirated shots anyhow, it's sometimes hard for even serious collectors to know who really took the photograph.

I have what is probably a 1st issue pirated stereo view by Haynes (It's an obvious Haynes Yellowstone stereo view) but the copy is clearer than any Haynes version I can find

Interestingly enough, I know that DF Barry was in town and have never seen a postcard shot taken by him. I gave a very faded stereo view by Barry of Ft Keogh and the officer's kids to Amorette and the MCPC and have never seen it or anything else by Barry reproduced in postcard form

There was a drug store where the 600 cafe is now? Interesting. G.W.S appears to be left-handed, not that that narrows anything down.

Richard Bonine wrote:

There was a drug store where the 600 cafe is now? Interesting. G.W.S appears to be left-handed, not that that narrows anything down.

Possible but they "scratched" the photo info into the negative in reverse, so had to write backwards when doing so.

Dave Roberts wrote:

Schlichting. I know next to nothing else, but I know he has in the postcard photographer pool

Dave, I also thought of Schlichting, but Amorette Allison recently wrote a Miles City Star "Heritage" page article about Albert J. Schlichting. His initials were not G.W.S.

Is that a blemish on the post card or is there a long plank-like thing sticking out over Main St from the rooftop on the left?

I would guess a flagpole for the parade the next day.

Lots of Main Street buildings had flagpoles on top. They occasionally got struck by lightning and went out of fashion. The building on the right, which the arched corner entryway, is the 600 Cafe. That wonderful entrance was remodeled away many years ago.

The Great Western Sugar Company (GWS) was known to employ a number of photographers all over the Midwest. Many would do various stuff like that. After a bit of research there are a number of these photos, many of Miles City and a number of the whole downtown area. No other mentions of a known photographer in the area with those initials. There was a G.W. Stanton but wasn’t a photographer.