Last Sunday I purchased a small bin of photographs at the flea market. You can read about it here. For this weeks Sepia Saturday I'm going to feature a woman who probably once owned many of these photos.
Gertrude Helen Rich was born on December 21, 1885. At some point she married and her last name became Bowen. She was a schoolteacher in Nebraska, which is also where I believe she was born. She had a son named Arthur who was stationed in Germany after the war. They both eventually ended up in Phoenix, Arizona. That is all the biographical information I know about Gertrude.
This first photo was a "Souvenir of Our School Days" taken by W. P. Fritz in Fremont, Nebraska. On the back of a copy of this photo it says:
Mrs. Gertrude H. Bowen Graduation Picture Fremont College, Nebraska About 1905
On the back of this shot it says:
Gertrude Helen Rich (Bowen) second from the right, her friend Elizabeth Davidson third from the right, on a picture taking expedition with three high school boys on March 18, 1910. Near Springfield, Nebraska.
Click on image to see it larger.
On October 21, 1930 she received the following teaching certificate.
Click on image to see it larger.
On October 4, 1932 she received the following certificate in Arizona.
Click on image to see it larger.
On the back of this shot it says:
Phoenix, ArizonaJuly 1954Left to Right:Mrs. Gertrude H. BowenHomer Graves (her nephew)Arthur D. Bowen (Mrs. Bowen's son)Donald Graves (Homer's son)
Click on image to see it larger.
And finally this shot was processed in June 1961.
It fascinates me as to how many collections I have that once belonged to schoolteachers.
All this week I have been featuring photos from this bin which I call the Ten Buck Box. I will continue to feature even more images over the coming weeks.
UPDATE: I've added an additional photo of Gertrude here which is the oldest I have of her. It was taken in 1973. She died in 1974.
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My gma was a school teacher in Iowa. We picked her old home back around 1999 and 2001, its been sitting vacant since the 60s crumbling in but me and my sister scaled what was left of the stairway and the upstairs bedroom was just a sea of papers, we scooped up and brought stuff home, my Dads school work as a little boy, school boys and journals of students, all types of stuff. She was a hoarder. But so much paperwork she saved! I have various old student photos, dont know who they are, some chewed or the mold too! I need to do a post some day, I love all this, this stuff is so cool to see and glad someone else loves it too and will share the find with all of us!
ReplyDeleteLove the character in the 1961 shot - it speaks volumes...
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely-looking lady. How lucky to make such finds at a flea market.
ReplyDeleteAs the son of a schoolteacher, I can vouch for their habit of saving things. Even years after retirement, my mother still has an inventory of useful classroom material! Gertrude would love being part of your virtual bulletin board.
ReplyDeleteI love the photo of the picture taking expedition. Her hat seems inappropriate for such an outing-- unless she wanted to be photographed in it.
ReplyDeleteI really like the last photo of her standing in the rose garden, it makes me think of some of the teachers I had as a child that were so caring and patient.... the kind you remember all your life. :)
ReplyDeleteQuite a gorgeous and beautiful woman. She aged very well. Her love for roses - from her youthful photo to the elderly one is apparent. I love her smile in the 1961 photo. Very nice, thank you.
ReplyDeleteGertrude was lovely when young and also when she was older. It's great to see the progression.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely that you have photos of her throughout her life. And wasn't she beautiful!
ReplyDeleteIt is a lot of fun to get a box like this and slowly be able to sort through a piece together a life.
ReplyDeleteI think the first photo is interesting and unusual because of the long-stemmed rose draped over her should. It is a first for me. I especially like the 2nd photo. She seems to be sitting well away from the young man to her left (our right), doesn't she? Also, I find it interesting that she continued her education and got her teaching certificate after she was married. I think that was unusual for that time period. Good for her! And thanks for sharing. You do find such interesting things to share at the flea markets.
ReplyDeleteI have been fascinated by your extracts from your ten bucks box all week so it is especially interesting to read about the person who probably was responsible for putting the collection together.
ReplyDeleteA beatiful and imposing woman; I can imagine her as a caring teacher. A fine series of photos as she grew older.
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures, a great find
ReplyDeleteinteresting collection, but again, for it to fall in the hand of a stranger...
ReplyDeleteno offense to you!!
i love the second one as much as i find the first one... odd!! a rose on her shoulder? was there a significance to this?
:D~
HUGZ
I too love that rose on her shoulder and know I've seen this style before. A rose and full stem would seem to be something that would get in the way.
ReplyDelete