Still doing research on this, so I don’t actually know myself, and I might never.
I think it’s a yorkie.
If you mean the dude, then he’s obviously a bearded napkin-lapper. Or a mix of Asian and white.
What a great picture! I love that they have their dog in the picture with them.
It’s really hard to tell, maybe western European.
Looks like a typical denizen of the North Pole to me.
The man looks African-American to me. The woman might be as well.
It’s interesting how many different reads this picture generates.
How can you tell that he’s from America?! 
It could go any which way - there’s a very broad nose, but the top of the head reads white to me. I dunno.
I don’t think they are African or Asian. Most Asian men can’t grow that type of beard. The picture looks like it is from the late 19th-century or early 20th. Also, the clothing (and especially the woman’s dress) looks occidental, not oriental. Also, the foreheads and shape of the mouth seem more Caucasian than African. I read somewhere that Caucasian mouth-shapes are more perpendicular than African mouth-shapes (sorry, no cite).
Also, I think that camera technology in the 19th-century had fairly slow shutter speeds, which is why everyone looked so stiff. It seems to me that a dog would not be able to be held tightly very long, so it almost points to a faster shutter speed, which would place the picture into the early 20th.
I had a great-grandfather who had a full beard like that. I saw a picture of him taken in the 1950s.
Very interesting exercise … please post more info when you have it.
German settlers in South Dakota.
Her eyes and mouth dont look european to me. They have broad noses. I note that she lacks a wedding band on her right hand. He is broad shouldered and has big hands, somewhat suggesting manual labour. His shoes seem polished.
The smudging and tearing seem to indicate some sort of emulsion photo. Its likely that the film was insensitive to certain colors which is making it hard to tell. For example, look at their eyes compared to the dogs. All seem light, which is very unlikely in a dog like that.
I think they are former slaves, photo taken mid 1800s.
Very interesting siding on the home behind. Would you call that clapboard? If so I wonder if that lends a Dutch possibility. I’ll just go w/ Northern European in the American midwest about 1880s or '90s.
I see Austrian, Dutch, Swedish, or possibly as far east as Lithuania, Beloruse, Ukraine-ish. They eyes and cheekbones on the woman have that germanic/eastern european look. Not so much southern influenced with montenegro/turkey/greek, but more northern but not quite russian.
Definitely a puppy.
So far as the date of the photograph. . . If these people are in my ancestral line (not yet confirmed, though), I’d put their DOBs around 1860. Thus, I would suspect early 20th century. IMO, the woman has some resemblance to my great-grandmother, but maybe I’m just seeing a resemblance because I want to. I might post a photo of her later. So. . . I’m really wanting these to be my great-great-grandparents.
Arrrgghhh!!!
I hate certain photo links are blocked here at work and this photo is getting the best of my curiosity.
Can someone embed the photo in an email and send it to the address listed in my profile? Please!?!?!?
Her broad, square-ish forehead suggests Germanic descent to me – German, Dutch, Nordic of whatever type, maybe English.
I’m pretty sure the man isn’t black. He seems to have pretty straight hair.
I’m getting a definite Pete Postlethwaite vibe. I don’t think his nose indicates African descent.
Walter White author of “Rope and Faggot: A Biography of Judge Lnych” was an African American with blond hair and blue eyes. So it can be hard to tell at times.
http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/media-detail.aspx?mediaID=37
African American Scott Bond in the above link.
His African American wife, Magnolia.
http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/media-detail.aspx?mediaID=7105
African American lawyer Scipio Africanus Jones
http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/media-detail.aspx?mediaID=6115
Odesio
I’m pretty sure these people are ancestors of Amy Madigan…
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200710/20071016_madigan.html
