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Part of my MOVE project for 2020 is to get through the MOUNTAIN of bins, boxes, plastic bags, envelopes, photo boxes full of five generations of photos my family never bothered to label or sort.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
I think this is my dad and his sisters, circa 1935-ish in the middle of the Depression and a big Wisconsin snow.
They were compulsive photo takers/and so far many are multiples.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Great Grandparents in early 1890's, Denmark.
Some are formal photos...this is an engagement/wedding photo.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
We also have photos of my husband's Bohemian Czech family, this is from the 1880s who came to Wisconsin in the 1850's.(centerfront and right) the rest are their six grown children.
Hubby has tons of relatives and photos.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
1910-11 in Denmark. They all came to Wisconsin, several times, a long story.
My great-grandparents' came from Lithuania and Denmark
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Farm outside Lokken Denmark.
Early 1890's. Everyone here stayed in Denmark.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
So, I have photos from there-pre1890's, and from every trip they took back.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
My mom on a steamer to Denmark 1929 (she was 7)
My parent's photo stash isn't any better.
My Dad took a brownie camera to WWII and boot camp, he was stationed in New Guinea, Philipines, Borneo, and finally Australia with a Portable Medical Corps, the precursor to M.A.S.H. units.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Dad is 3rd from left.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
So I have all those from the war, unlabeled. I can trace his units movements from Army records...this could be Luzon, Philipines, or Borneo, or New Guinea. The surgical hospital followed the action.
I have business photos of: telephone operators,
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| oldnewgreenredo |
1943 Long Distance Operators, from an old photocopy?
no source My mom worked with these ladies, in 1941-2.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
service stations and an Omar bakery truck,
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| oldnewgreenredo |
our family's fish market, opening in1922
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| oldnewgreenredo |
1964 Local Kringle Festival at the fish market. My grandmother in costume.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
My Mom--1964, a 'Fisker' woman...!
I also have photos in restaurants, and of dairy trucks, and fishing boats.
More than that, every birthday and holiday.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Mother's Day 1955 my grandmother made all these dresses for my cousins.
Easter 1956--yes, that is a turquoise/navy Hudson vehicle.
EVERY HOLIDAY,
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| oldnewgreenredo |
My 11th birthday (on right) with the cousins at the kid's table, my poor cousin center was 14...how humiliating! I was 5 foot 5-135# with size 10 feet. I was an Amazon in 5th grade.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Every Anniversary (25th for my Grandparents)1955
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| oldnewgreenredo |
about 1984 for another family Birthday at the local Dania Hall.
Grandparent's 25th Anniversary formal party with music--1955
and ALL the
graduations, confirmations, baptisms and a few funerals.
Yes, photos of people in their coffins, sent home to the 'old country' and the same coming back. I'll spare you those.
Some bring back pleasant memories and some sad...
1962
My 14th birthday and my first pair of heels, stockings and lipstick.
Some are just silly...
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Some are just silly
,,,and some are inspiring.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
How about the 'we should have...,' photos?
My dad spied an early box 'camper' at a vacation expo in the 1950's. So he decided to make a pull-behind trailer with a tent on it. Always a handyman, he built one of his own design in 1954-5. I remember it consisted of a 4'x8 foot plywood box, with a two fold-out doors, 2'x8' that were the lid---which became bunks, with some nifty side supports. My bed was another board supported between the two crosswise on a separate piece of plywood,
2'x4' I was only 7.
Dad bragged it was made from only 3 pieces of plywood.
An old smelly canvas tent was supported by a center pole, with the bottom cut out..and tied around everything. It all just worked.
We were quite the hit of the campground with our little gray trailer and moldy tent.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Here is the first camping trip---on St.Germaine Lake in N.Wisconsin for two whole weeks in 1955, I think. We were plagued by rain, but we were off the ground and dry!
We had to put all the food and coolers in the car at night (bears and raccoons) and their 'little' paw prints were all over the tables each morning.
However,
my mom was a person who had to do everything correctly.
We had cloth tablecloths and napkins--a double dishpan for a sink, a folding (cardboard and wood) card-table for the kitchen.
The fire supported a huge kettle of hot-water for all her ceramic dishes. She even brought a dish-rack to drain them. Long story short---her professional set-up was health conscious, however the soapy hot water softened the table top which was supporting the legs. It caved on the uneven ground. All the dishes collapsed into a heap of shards. She was horrified--with all the broken crockery on the ground. A passing fellow camper stood and watched.
His comment---"I betcha, it's the first time camping?"
A large portion of our meager vacation funds went to a set of Melmac dishes(my mother hated them), purchased new in town just for camping.
This whole story came from looking at that one photograph....!
And there are thousands, more to move on to!
My dad always said he 'shoulda' patented the trailer design.
Now, we have online files/photo applications and sorting systems at our finger tips...blogging has helped at least record some of these photos and their history.
Well, what have you found in
your familys' photos?
Thank you for any and all comments.
Finally I am able to reply to comments by using Chrome. So all you Mac users who have upgraded to Catalina---this might help the glitches on Safari Blogger!
Join me at these fine blog parties:
Talk of the Town
Vintage Charm
Wonderful Wednesday
All About Home
Tuesdays At Our Home
Over the Moon
Tuesday Turn About
Talk of the Town
Vintage Charm
Wonderful Wednesday
All About Home
Tuesdays At Our Home
Over the Moon
Tuesday Turn About
Well, this is just TOTALLY delightful, Sandi, and a great idea. You're inspiring me to do something similar, as I've been scanning piles (and piles and piles) of photos, as you have. I've found some fun ones, too (and thrown out dozens!) Thanks for a nice start to the day.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jeanie! I just went through 6 shoe boxes, and this was a little bit of everything. Now I have to go back and start cross referencing them! Then scan or purge. Anything prior to 1920 will probably be scanned as they are yellowing and deteriorating. Have fun, can't wait to see secrets from your crypts! Grins and Thanks for stopping!
DeleteWow Sandi these pictures are amazing to have and great you are preserving them and the memories. My mom worked for the phone company as an operator too.
ReplyDeleteKris
Hi, Kris, you know there weren't many jobs that were acceptable for young women in the 1940's. After two years at the telephone company, Mom got in a car with 3 other gals and headed to California to work for the war effort in the Hughes Airplane Factory!. I'm hoping to find those photos! Thanks, for stopping by, Sandi!
DeleteOh, Sandi, how lucky you are. I have a few photos but I would love to have a record of my family in pictures. I have lots of memories but not much to back them up. Your mom sounds like a woman after my own heart. When we go camping (motorhome) I refuse to use paper dishes. It is so much fun to set a pretty table when you are "roughing" it, I think. My dad also built a 5th wheel on the back of a flatbed truck. It was quite something, but no pics..I loved seeing them all and you were quite the cute 14 year old. I was 5'7" and very skinny. I thought I was an amazon too..Happy Thursday..xxoJudy
ReplyDeleteHow fun that we share some of the same experiences, Judy. Grins...! Thanks for your visit!
DeleteWow Sandi, that's an absolute treasure trove! How wonderful to have such a well-preserved photographic record of family life, dating back over a century too. I particularly like the one of your Mom on the steamer in her little hat and woolly cardigan, clutching her skipping rope. So sweet!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how a little black and white image can conjure up such vivid memories - all the excitement and fun of that long ago camping trip complete with new-fangled trailer-tent and kitchen sink! I love looking at old family photos. Thank you for sharing yours.
Aw, thank you Dorrit....my mom was on her way to Denmark 2 years after her mother died, leaving my grampa with two little girls ages 5 and 7. They were going to meet a 'new' mother...my grandfather had a girl in every port when he was a young merchant mariner.
DeleteMy soon to be grandmother was engaged to someone else...and grampa thought the girls would 'soften her up'...LOL! And so it did!
I love all of your great photos!How precious and treasured!Blessings!
ReplyDeleteThank you for enjoying them. I think I will try and do a story now and then. Everyone seems to like these posts. Thanks for visiting!
Deleteoh I love all these old photos, Sandi. the prom dates are hilarious!
ReplyDeleteLOL, yea, that one really cracked me up---! Prom was a evening to 6am event(they locked us in) and then after a few hours you were supposed to go to a lake party around noon. Well, it was pouring rain---and this is what happened, while my girlfriend and my mom and I were discussing all the fun we had! Grins....!
DeleteLove these old photos and the stories to go along with them! It seems like my grandfather made the back of a truck into a camper somehow but I don't really remember the whole story..
ReplyDeleteHi, K. Make sure you write down what you do remember, maybe someone else in the family will recall from your notes. Memories are triggered, perhaps you will remember more...thanks for stopping by! Sandi
DeleteGreat pics!! I have tons of photos , both mine from 42 years of marriage and my Mother's old pictures and some when I was a child that I need to organize and catalog. I started some of it last year but then I had my surgery and now I have been so busy that I have not gotten to it. I chuckled when you mentioned that I was lucky that I retired because you did not think I would be able to do all that I do and still work...I did do everything that I do now and also worked...I have to admit that I have no idea how I managed to do both!!! Thanks so much for stopping by!!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Deb
Photos are really crazy---they bring up the best and worst of times. And, glad you are thriving in your retirement---I know we do---do too much when forced to. Now, I'm not as busy and 'choose' to do what I want to..instead of feeling 'having to...!" Grins, Sandi
DeleteGreat post. Photos can really revive memories, and help you understand the lives others have experienced. Here are some photos from when my dad was in WW2. Treasure and cherish your photo task.
ReplyDeletehttps://jeanneselep.blogspot.com/2010/11/veterans-day.html
Oh, wow, Jeanie. My dad wouldn't talk much about the war either. Only time he went into any details was when my father-in-law visited at the cottage---the two had parallel WW2 experiences, one seeming to follow the other---so they were comparing experiences. Apparently the only way two people who have experienced the same things could. We all stood in the background, since neither father had ever said much, before, and simply listened. I have maybe 2-300 photos of the war---I just wish I knew where they were and whom the other individuals in the photos were. Thanks for sharing, I did a similar post about the war and my dad a few years back. https://oldnewgreenredoblog.blogspot.com/2017/11/ready-for-november.html https://oldnewgreenredoblog.blogspot.com/2017/11/ready-for-november.html
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