My long-time pal, Kathy, recently did a post recalling her family's Fourth of July picnics when she was a child. I don't remember my family having picnics on the Fourth, and actually only remember a few lunches which could possibly be called picnics because we ate them while taking drives for the day (people used to do that back in the day, take drives just to drive).
In my pondering, I remembered a picture I have of my mother's family taken at a picnic with friends. The year would be circa 1927.
First, notice how dressed up the men are--suits and hats! Mom told me some years ago when I asked her about the photo that the car was her family's. Grandpa Hansen is the tall man in the center. The man standing next to him in the straw hat was his older brother, Lawrence, and he is holding my mom who looks to be about two. Grandma Hansen is peeking around beside Mom, and that's Mom's brother, Richard standing in the front with his hand on the watermelon. The other people were family friends.
Apparently going on a picnic was a big deal, worthy of dressing up! Was this the Fourth of July? Grandpa and his brother had both emigrated to the United States from Norway in the early years of the 20th century and became citizens as soon as possible. The U.S. was good to them and perhaps they were celebrating the birthday of their new country. We'll never know; Mom is gone now and was too young to remember the details anyway. Looks like watermelons have been an integral part picnics for a long time though! ♥
This is a great photo! These historic images are meaningful to all of us as indicative of the way people lived. My family was still dressing up for picnics in the '50s. In fact, I think the men began to be casual before the women did.
ReplyDeleteI don't have many photos of Mom's family so this one is a treasure. Grandma hated to have her picture taken so this one is especially appreciated because her face is so clear.
DeleteWe Americans have become extremely casual, and partly that's good, and partly is bad. (People in their pj's in public? Not so good!) A Norwegian cousin and I are FB and Instagram friends and I'm always amazed at their lovely clothes in everyday situations.
I'm not sure we can find lovely clothes. Well, I see them in catalogs, but they're always pictured on tall, willowy people, and that's not my shape. Makes me leery of buying.
DeleteMy mother's parents had resources but no camera. My grandfather believed that a camera was where the expense began. Like you, I treasure the few pictures I have of my mother as a child. My Grandparents Dobson were subsistence farmers, but they had a camera that they used periodically. Of course, it's wonderful to have that record.