Volume 1 of the Orphan Photos Chronicles focuses on Harry Ernest Hosack. With only one old photograph with a name inscribed on the back the author has uncovered the story of Ernest's short life and of the people he left behind. Was Ernest a "masher," or was he a "young man of education and promise" – or both?

This volume also tells the stories of the women in Ernest's life – Anna Dick, and Minnie Kempf. Ernest's daughter Madeline Kempf Hosack and her husband, Walter J. Baker, are also included. The stories range from 1850 Ohio to 1950's Manhattan, featuring hotels, high society, and first class ocean voyages.

For the family historian who wants to tell an ancestor's story but has only one photo – or none at all – this book gives an example of what can be done using only resources available on-line to create a richly illustrated story that evokes time and place.