When I first found this photograph, I knew who some of the people were, but I had to ask my mother about the rest. I love this photo, because it shows a very young Gramma Alice (my mother) as well as my Grandma Pat, my uncles and some other relatives I never met. And I also love how my grandfather titled it – Ten Brewers and Aunt Mary Selden – as though Aunt Mary was the third wheel. She was my grandfather’s mother’s sister. My people are George & Pat Brewer and their kids Chuck, Alice & Ed. Here’s what my mom had to say about the people in the photo:
Top row – Grandpa George (the eldest of the three brothers) Uncle Frank (Francis Brewer, possibly the middle child)
Middle row – Aunt Esther (she belongs to Uncle Frank); Ed Brewer (between Aunt Esther and Gram); Grandma Pat; Grandma Brewer (Caroline Elizabeth I think); Me (Alice) between Grandma Brewer and Aunt Mary Selden (Grandma Brewer’s sister)
Front row – Sally Brewer (Daughter of Frank & Esther); Chuck Brewer and finally George Brewer (son of Frank & Esther)
The photograph was taken on the lawn of the family home in Westfield PA. The kids don’t necessarily all look like cousins – Sally had bright red hair!
The photo was taken around 1939 or 40, I think. Uncle Ed was born in 1937 and he looks like he’s around 2ish here. I also love that my mother was holding her breath and holding a broom for some reason, plus Uncle Chuck is holding what looks like a scythe! Children do funny things, and it’s always nice to see your parents being the normal, funny kids they were.
This is my proud Sepia Saturday post! Please click through to view other wonderful photos from around the world.
Who Were They? 
This is TOO COOL! Please give me a copy.
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There is such a marvelous collection of expressions on all the faces, especially when you click and enlarge the photo. You are so right about the ability of such photographs to transcend the generations and parent as child and (eventually) child as parent.
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A great group photo. It’s a shame that we have no such photos of my family or my wife’s; her sister is a redhead.
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A scythe and a broom? What a mystery! And I’d love to know why your mom is holding her breath.
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I think Chuck is holding a badmitten racket. and i think they all look like cousins! we never look like our family to ourselves ;-)
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Looking at it closely I think it’s a badminton racquet too. I guess I didn’t perceive the other half of the frame at first.
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This is a great family photo! I also think it’s a badminton racket and not a scythe. Your mom is adorable. Are all the females sitting in the middle row wearing glasses, including your mom? I think they are barely visible – which (in my opinion) is exactly how glasses should be! And about the title, I almost think having Aunt Mary Selden mentioned by herself elevates her. Great post!
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I don’t think Grandma Brewer is wearing glasses in this photo, although I believe she might have worn them. My poor mother was so far sighted as a child that her parents noticed she *didn’t* pick up things and put them in her mouth. She couldn’t see them, poor girl. She has worn glasses as long as she can remember.
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I’m glad this photo has everyone identified and is in the best possible hands –
It looks like both boys have a badminton racket – I’m sure they were enjoying the family get-together!
And goodness… Westfield, PA is upstate from me and is an “eye-blink” town (you blink your eyes and you miss it!) Main Street, Church Street and a couple tree streets (Elm and Maple) and perhaps 4 others are all there is… Makes me wish I lived there! I know I would have had nice neighbors.
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I was mistaken and it’s in Westfield NY, not PA. The house is on Brewer Place. Brewer Place wasn’t all that long at the time, maybe long enough for the house and another across the street. We drove through Westfield once, on our way from Erie to Niagra and drove past the old house, but someone else lives there now. It’s the former home of the great Francis Brewer, who in conjunction with Jeremiah Drake discovered oil at Drake’s Well, as well as Emerson Brewer, urologist/WW1 surgeon, and a few other Brewers of local celebrity.
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P.s., Grandma Pat looks a lot like my mom used to…
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Alice is a riot!! too much perfume around her little nose? impatient to go back to play?? who knows??
:D~
HUGZ
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It is a great photo of the family. I am glad you got them identified for the future generations.
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New visitor here-agree on Badminton Raquet. Did not notice anyone seeing that there is also a “toy broom” (our word for small broom) identical to that held laying on ground in left of photo. This suggests some sort of “lawn game” to me…tho I know of none, there might have been such a thing.
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