I think this photo could be of a maypole construction, although I cannot be certain. A young boy has shinnied up the pole to the ring, other children are standing under him and observing whatever it is he is doing. Being as the pole is in a clearing and has that ring around it, my guess is either a construction of the maypole or a disentangling of ribbons after the dance.
Or a circus tent. Now that’s a whole other direction….
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.
This great photo features a woman holding her violin and bow, sitting in a nice chair outdoors. I suspect the photo was done outdoors because of lighting. Early home cameras did not have fast enough shutters to capture all the light necessary for a good indoor shot, and didn’t have flash attachments to enhance the lighting. And so, we have many outdoor photos from the early 20th century.
Does anyone know what chord she is holding?
This photo dates from the early to mid 20th century or so and documents a time when farmhouses were still very common. This particular house is a two story affair but doesn’t appear to have been quite large – perhaps having a kitchen/eating/lounging area downstairs and two or three bedrooms upstairs. There is a smaller outbuilding off to the left but it could be a barn, cook house, or luxury potty, haha. Ok, not really a potty. The yard is overgrown with weeds which makes me wonder if the fellow standing by the porch just bought the property, or maybe is saying his last goodbye. I have no location or date for the photo.
To commemorate the beginning of the London Olympics, Sepia Saturday is celebrating sports! While my family loves sports and many of us have participated on various sporting teams, I can’t find a good old baseball picture. Instead, I found among the photos my cousin scanned some unidentified family & friends in Ocean City (presumably New Jersey). Based on the ladies’ bathing costumes and hair styles, this photo might date from the 1920s. Gents, wouldn’t you love to strut your stuff in one of these fine bathing suits?
This past weekend I was out playing 1860s, meaning I was at an American Civil War reenactment, selling booklets, teaching period crafts to children, and celebrating history. One of our most popular booklets is a reproduction of the 1860s unified rules of baseball. Prior to the 1860 convention, baseball clubs followed regional rules, or even created their own rules for their particular home field. This caused much consternation when a visiting team violated a local rule without even knowing it. With the popularity of baseball taking off, it was decided that unified rules were a good idea and would enable more fair play among teams. This led to more travel between cities and states and led to the formation of the National Association of Professional Baseball Players, American League, National League and eventually modern Major League Baseball. Some of the best debates in our shop have to do with who created baseball and was it an evolution of rounders or not! Rounders was a known English game consisting of bases, a ball and a bat or stick, played in America from the 18th century at least. Also, early baseball was claimed by Albert G Spaulding, but was it just because he created the first standard ball? Or, was it truly invented by Abner Doubleday, even though not attributed to him until 15 years after his death? Spaulding was a smart business man and decreed in his “official rules” of baseball that only a Spaulding ball could be used, claiming all other balls inferior. Hm, sounds like someone gamed the system to me.
I hope you will visit Sepia Saturday where you might find cricket (English baseball, haha), games, sports and who knows what else.
Who Were They? 