The distinctively-patterned skirt on the 1900 avatar of JennyPennifer on the far right is remarkably similar to the skirt on the woman behind her and to the left a bit. Is it simply a coincidence, a fashion of the day, or some photographic effect?

Which would literally turn night into a nightmarish form of day. They're so bright.

We used to have WWII surplus arc lamp spotlights at our state fair that would send beams tens of thousands of feet into the air. Some idiot sold them to a company in Houston.

Is that a gas or electric light in the foreground?

[Carbon arc lamp. - Dave]

But I think I am descended from the lady in the far right of the photo with the huge black bow on her head and what I suspect is a perpetually quizzical look on her face. That snazzy skirt gives it away too.

Park and Tilford, founded in 1840, were ... well let's just call them "grocers." The actual history seems to be as involved as 220,877 newspaper hits might suggest. An importer of fine foods, after Prohibition they became known for a line of whiskies.

Note the Tammany Hall banner promoting the Democratic presidential ticket of William Jennings Bryan and Adlai Stevenson, who ended up losing the 1900 election to William McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt.