Visiting the YMCA in SCOTLAND DURING WORLD WAR I

As soon as I saw the image for Sepia Saturday this week I knew exactly which photo I needed to feature. The problem…where did I put it?

This real photo post card is from a collection of cards that belonged to my Scottish maternal grandmother. There is nothing written on the back so I have no idea who any of these folks are. I am guessing it was taken in Scotland. Perhaps some of these people were friends of my grandmother; none of them look familiar.

There are a lot of stories here that we'll never know, but oh my it is fun to speculate.


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And thank you to all who have bought copies of my new book. I hope you enjoy it.

Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls

The FASHIONABLE YOUNG LADY in Ohio with Grandma?

The last shot in this series. We will not be seeing anymore shots of this young lady unless I discover a shot of her later in life that so far has gone right by me. I do adore her. She is worthy of a finely drawn character in a book.

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Tattered and Lost: The Quiet Art of Reading

The FASHIONABLE YOUNG LADY in Ohio with friend

A relative? A friend? Another member of the Bow Club for Girls?


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Tattered and Lost: The Quiet Art of Reading

The FASHIONABLE YOUNG LADY in Ohio

Did she love to dance? Was she graceful or awkward? Did she have a sly sense of humor or a mean streak? Was she often told she was lovely? Did she believe it?


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Tattered and Lost: The Quiet Art of Reading

The FASHIONABLE YOUNG LADY in Ohio

I adore this girl. I have four photos of her in Donald G. Schnabel's family photos from Ohio. Each of the photos is a RPPC; no information is written on the back of any of them. She is one of those mysteries that will not be solved. I do so wish I knew what she looked like as she matured. What became of her? What was her place in history?

I love her shoes.


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Tattered and Lost: The Quiet Art of Reading

Bob? How do you like the POI?

This is the same little fella who has been featured in the two previous posts. We'll now call him Bob. Or perhaps it should be Bob? to be more specific.



I'm guessing he's just sucking on his fingers, but I prefer to think maybe he's been dipping into some two fingered poi. Go for it little dude!
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Tattered and Lost: The Quiet Art of Reading

Devilish CHERUBIC smile

This is the same little unknown fella from yesterday. Bob? Bob…is that you? Or is it Donald? Unless someone is really good at reading facial features we'll never know.



Nothing is written on the back of this real photo postcard from Donald G. Schnabel's family album. Donald was one of nine children. One was named Robert. So maybe this is really Bob?
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Tattered and Lost: The Quiet Art of Reading

VIENNA by night

Not exactly the sort of tourist photo you send home to show lovely Vienna at night, but I'm sure it brought a smile to the recipient.


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Lovin' the fella on the lefts curlycue mustache. Imagine how much time he spent on that. Then again, maybe he had them made by a local barber and just stuck them on his face with wax when he wanted to feel especially dapper.
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Tattered and Lost: The Quiet Art of Reading

EVERYBODY look over here…EXCEPT FOR AGNES

Dear sweet Agnes, never one to trust strangers, or the uncle who frowned, or traveling salesmen who didn't bring her favorite flavor of gum drops. Yes, dear sweet Agnes who terrified many a teacher with her stare. Dear dear sweet Agnes.




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Available at Amazon 
Tattered and Lost: The Quiet Art of Reading

Ready for the EASTER PARADE

Well past this years Easter Parade, but definitely set for next years.


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One of these young ladies is Betty Schnabel's mother, Louise Bigelow Schnabel. I'm thinking the one on the right.

Surely makes my paper plate hat with the construction paper flowers look a little shabby.

The GHOSTLY PICNIC

This real photo post card is one of my favorite images from my collection. A mistaken double exposure or a purposeful shot? It is a ghostly picnic.

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I always think of act three from Thorton Wilder's play Our Town when I look at it.

The Stage Manager opens the act with a lengthy monologue emphasizing eternity, and introduces us to the cemetery outside of town and the characters who died in the nine years since Act Two: Mrs Gibbs (pneumonia, while traveling), Wally Webb (burst appendix, while camping), Mrs Soames, and Simon Stimson (suicide by hanging), among others. We meet the undertaker, Joe Stoddard, and a young man Sam Craig who has returned home for his cousin's funeral. We learn that his cousin is Emily, who died giving birth to her and George's second child. The funeral ends and Emily emerges to join the dead. Then Mrs. Gibbs tells her that they must wait and forget the life that came before, but Emily refuses. Despite the warnings of Simon, Mrs. Soames, and Mrs. Gibbs, Emily decides to return to Earth to re-live just one day, her 12th birthday. She finally finds it too painful, and realizes just how much life should be valued, "every, every minute." Poignantly, she asks the Stage Manager whether anyone realizes life while they live it, and is told, "No. The saints and poets, maybe – they do some." She then returns to her grave, beside Mrs. Gibbs, watching impassively as George kneels weeping at her graveside. The Stage Manager concludes the play, reflecting on the probable lack of life beyond Earth, and wishes the audience a good night. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

Did these young ladies and gentlemen mysteriously disappear following their gathering? Was there an accident? Perhaps a drowning from an overturned boat on the nearby lake? A vehicle overturned killing all aboard? Did they forever haunt the place where they last knew happiness together? We'll never know, but the image is certainly open to interpretation.

This is my Sepia Saturday contribution for the week.

IDA

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Sometimes you want to go WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME

This weeks Sepia Saturday, for me, is men at their gathering places. Places where they spit and shoot the breeze. Where they can scratch and not need explain why. I give you two images from my book Tattered and Lost: Telling Stories. 

I can't help but think of the theme song from the tv show Cheers:

Making your way in the world today takes everything you'vegot. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.Wouldn't you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same. You wanna be where everybody knows your name.

by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo

MINNIE GURR, graduating in 1915

Other than her name, Minnie Gurr, I have no information about this woman.



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UPDATE:  Thanks to Intense Guy, we have some biographical information about Minnie.

Minnie Gurr, born in 1890 (judging from the location) graduated from Georgia College was chartered in 1889 as Georgia Normal and Industrial College. Its emphasis at the time was largely vocational, and its major task was to prepare young women for teaching or industrial careers. And we find Minnie in the 1920 US census "teacher, public school" in Stone Mountain, Dekalb, Georgia. (SOURCE: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MJDC-S7H with some help from Ancestry.Com.)

Poor MOMMA

Poor momma was never the same after seeing the squirrel staring back at her from the toilet bowl.


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To his dying day father claimed he had never seen the squirrel before.

IRENE HORSLEY in 1914

No information about Irene Horsley other than her name. In this getup she looks like she should be playing a bit part in the Music Man. In fact, I'm not sure there wasn't a character in the movie that didn't wear this exact outfit.



I do wonder how old Irene was when this shot was taken. How long did girls wear these huge bows? To say the least, I'm glad it went out of fashion. I've seen some shots of girls far too old to be wearing huge bows in their hair.

It is possible Irene came from Nebraska because this shot was purchased at the same estate sale as the previous two images.

UPDATE: Thank you, Bulldog.

Irene Horsley wife of Claude A. Perry. Born November 29, 1896, died April 9, 1977. (http://nebraskagravestones.org/view.php?id=133923)

FUTURE FARMER of America in 1909

A future farmer of America? What did the future hold for this little fellow? Too young to have been in World War I, but he would have been in his early 30s when World War II began.

Anna Thompson was out and about mailing this at 7 AM on November 8, 1909. The message does not indicate her relationship to this boy, but she's certainly hoping it gets a response from Dena and Inez Chestem in Nebraska.




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I cannot decide what this little guys name is. Perhaps someone with a keener eye will decide what it is. I at first thought the name was Myrrle Clarence, but the double "r" seems strange. Any ideas?

Just imagine, in the not so distant future people will not even be able to read the handwriting on the back of this card because they will not have been taught cursive. It's a stupid choice being made by educators.

UPDATE: Thank you AnyJazz!

Myrole Clarence Thompson was born 9 Mar 1908 in Stevens County, Washington to Merville W. Thompson (1881- ) and Anna Isabell (Brutt) Thompson (1883- ). He had a brother Royall A. (1913- ) and a sister Zelma F. (1912- ). The parents were both born in Nebraska hence the card to friends there. I was also able to find Dena J. Chestem but her sister is shown in the 1910 Census to be Daisy. They were living with their father Olea A. Chestem in Decatur, Nebraska. He was born in Norway. In 1910 Dena was 14 and Daisy Inez was 11.

ESTHER LEWIS HOLMES in 1913

This is Esther in 1913. That's all we'll ever know.


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UPDATE: I dug out the photo and lo and behold there is a full name on the back. This is Esther Lewis Holmes.

LITTLE GIRLS with PARASOLS

A lot of little girls like parasols. They make them feel special. I think they also help to define their physical space. Beneath the parasol is their world and you may only enter if invited.




(SOURCE: Mother Goose, illustrated by Kate Greenaway)

To see more parasols visit Lost Gallery.

The THREE SOLDIERS

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