Who Were They?

 

Here we have a fantastic photo, I just love it! It is probably an art piece or promotional piece from a theater or acting company. The photo itself is cut from a real photo postcard, but the stamp box was cut off so there’s no way of identifying a date range. The subject is posed in a traditional looking costume with gorgeous long braids and a little cap on her head. I imagine she was a character in a stage production. A thought about her braids…her hair must have been to her knees at least to braid up and still be so long!

When I was younger, we had “ethnic” days at school that featured European costumes, such as Austrian or Dutch, French and German. I recall my classmates with white aprons trimmed in colorful satin ribbons and cute little hats. When I saw this photo I was instantly taken back to that. I found the costumes fascinating and the history of each family’s journey to America even more interesting. My family has been here since Squanto looked out over Plymouth harbor and wondered what those large white birds were, so really we have no immediate ethnic history. Perhaps this is part of what fueled my deep interest in history as an adult.