October 11, 2017 Classic Photo Explanation: “Close Shave”

Last week’s Classic Photo, “Close Shave” featured a sheep being sheared and prepared for what looked like a county or state fair competition. We’ve heard back from one of those people pictured in the photo, and it was indeed a fair that they were at.

Bunting, decorations, and lots and lots of clipped wool – last week’s Classic Photo features both the shearers and the sheared.

Robert Heggemeier was the man who contacted us, saying that he is directly in front of the animal, a purebred Hampshire Sheep. The other people in the photos are also Heggemeier’s family members.

The man standing with his head just barely peeking out from behind the sheep’s head was Robert’s brother, the late Bill Heggemeier. Kneeling down behind the sheep, wearing glasses is Robert’s nephew, James Heggemeier. Finally, the woman shearing the sheep is James’ wife, Jodi Heggemeier.

The photo was probably taken sometime between 1975 and 1980, and guessing from the decorations, Heggemeier said that he was told that it was at a Louisville, Ky., fair, after he initially thought it was at an Illinois State Fair.

There would have been a lot of fairs that it could have been taken at though. Heggemeier is 86 years old now and no longer shows at fairs, but he stated that he had shown sheep from California to Pennsylvania and at numerous places in between. He showed animals from 1945 all the way through 2000.