The original source photo is the property of 1950 North School student Ron Abbey of Simcoe, who appears in the picture. Ron lent us his photo to scan. Ron also provided the nucleus of our student identifications. Other identifications, provided by other site visitors, are credited on the appropriate web pages.

We appreciate the efforts of all who have identified students, but identifications should be considered tentative until confirmed.
 
The original photo showed a few minor signs of age and other imperfections, which may be obvious on a few of our enlargements.

The original print measures approximately 8 inches by 10 inches. There are 32 people (students and staff) in the picture.

The photographer was Harold B. Stewart (1911-2004) located at the time at 24 Robinson Street, Simcoe. Harold was Simcoe's leading photographer circa 1950-1970. An archive of his work was donated to the Norfolk Historical Society shortly after his death.

Students in this photo were presumably born circa 1935-1937. They remember WWII veterans returning home, doctors making house calls, and horse-drawn home milk delivery. They witnessed the introduction of television, air conditioning, rock and roll music, jet aircraft, suburbs, satellites, and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. 

For the last four decades of the 1800s and the first three decades of the last century, Simcoe elementary school students attended "Union School" later called "Central School" at the top (west end) of Young Street. During the depression, two new elementary schools were built, one in the North Ward, then one in the South Ward. Central School was demolished to make way for the American Can plant which was coming to town. North School and South School were in turn closed in 2000 and eventually torn down, joining Union School in memory only.