Friday, August 30, 2013

SUSPENDERS, BRACES...

Here we are, the four of us together.
It’s 1950, I’m guessing; it’s probably Thanksgiving (or Christmas – I’ve got red bows tied around my braids...) and we’re here for dinner, I’m sure.

And...look at those suspenders! My brother and I both have them (not an exclusively male fashion statement, clearly), and even though we both look faintly uncomfortable, we’re holding our own.

Whenever I look at this photograph, I’m catapulted back through time to my paternal grandparents’ house in Newton Highlands (right outside Boston) – a tan house with brown trim that perched on the upper end of the avenue. It had an entry way, a dining room; kitchen and breakfast nook (with a black-and-white tiled floor that my grandmother washed in two stages...once for all the black tiles, once for all the white); an enormous living room with fireplace, plenty of couches (one antique horsehair one that pricked at the backs of your legs) and a couple of comfy chairs, and this bookcase at one end near the french doors.
I’ve got some of these same books in my bookcase; my brother has others.

My father’s wearing one of his ever-present bow ties; I remember the gray and yellow sweater vest my mother made for him (just peeking out from inside his jacket).
Above his head are photographs of his sister and her husband and an old daguerreotype of a Gould ancestor that now sits on a shelf here in Maine.

My mother’s black outfit is a surprise to me – she wore mostly bright colors, wild patterns – and this long, black dress may be a concession to her mother-in-law’s more restrained style. But she’s wearing lots of silver; and her smile certainly brightens things up! (She had a striking resemblance to Katharine Hepburn, although this photograph doesn’t do justice...)
          That lampshade above her head fascinated me. When the light was on, those geese seemed real; if I stared hard enough at them, they nearly flew out of the reeds and grasses. I was convinced, apparently, that they moved, and if I disappeared for any length of time, somebody would come to find me – I was always there, watching, waiting for that miracle.

It’s strange: I’ve got four cartons of family photographs and papers that go back two hundred years – photographs of generations of families in my line; formal and casual portraits of parents and their young children, parents with their youthful children, parents with their adult children.
And they’re wonderful...
...but I’ve always wondered why this is the only photograph I have of my family – of my parents and my brother and me – all together.
The only one.


To see what other Sepians have found, visit: http://www.sepiasaturday.blogspot.com

30 comments:

  1. You've set me thinking now; I'm not sure I have any either and I'll have to go on a hunt. It's probably because one of the four was usually the photographer. Nevertheless that's a wonderful photo and congratulations for scoring points on getting both ties and braces in the same photo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You may be right on that: one parent (or the other) taking the photo. But still, with all the family holiday celebrations, I'd think there'd be more of us all. I'll have to check with cousins, etc...

      Delete
  2. Really? Just the one? That's unusual since you're such a happy, smart-looking family.

    Do you recall either of your parents snapping photos? It's funny because as much as I love photography, I don't take many shots of people - especially family, and I don't collect many recent photos. Perhaps your parents were just of that mindset too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My father had a couple of cameras. His last one took slides, and we've got plenty of those of people I do not recognize; places I do not recognize...it's really odd, Kat. There are plenty of photos of all of us, but none when we are together...

      Delete
  3. I am entranced that you were watching the geese on the lampshade to see them flying. I wonder who started that story and got you convinced of the miracle...or is it a "miracle story" that I've not happened upon?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know how it started -- but I have a cousin who also remembers those geese...and how we were absolutely convinced they could fly away! It's funny what gets into kids' heads, isn't it? My instinct says it's my grandfather, who was the same one who taught us to watch ants...

      Delete
  4. Dear Deb - what a great post. I love your Dad's smile - so wide and genuine. Your mother is beautiful and I love the story about the lampshade. The things we remember. And yes, photos and the ones that remain are odd aren't they?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Alex! My parents are probably smiling at something my grandfather has just said to them -- he was known for saying the most outrageous things just before taking the photo...he said it guaranteed great smiles! Whatever he said, my brother and I aren't quite old enough to understand...

      Delete
  5. It's interesting the amount of information that can be elicited from just one photo. Your description gives a good family "snapshot".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's exactly why I love photos so much...the image of one second of time can evoke so many memories!

      Delete
  6. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Now that I think about it, I may not have any photographs of my parents, brother, sister and myself together, other than perhaps a family group shot on my wedding day, but it's not a very good shot, as my sister is looking down and I have shadow on my face. Apart from that, we never had any formal family photos taken. No such thing as a self-timer back then. You may only have one, but it's a goodie, and obviously brings back great memories for you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I removed one of your comments, Jo, since they were the same thing (are you using Google+?). Anyway, it seems to be a common fact -- a lot of us do not have photos of our families all together; lots of people have suggested that it's because one parent (or one sibling) is taking the photo...maybe so.

      Delete
  8. But what a fine photograph it is. Even to a stranger such as me, it is so full of objects, looks, and life - but to you it must be - and from your words it clearly is - so full of memories as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOTS of memories there (mostly good ones). One of the bad ones was that horsehair sofa -- it was absolutely brutal to sit on, especially in a little dress...

      Delete
  9. This post illustrates why I love old photos so much. Each photo has a story to tell.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's so true: the connection between photos and stories! And another magical piece of it is that it works for everybody -- I often use photos as prompts when I offer writing groups; I encourage participants to bring their own...it's been the start of many memoirs! Thanks for commenting...

      Delete
  10. A lovely family story and I enjoyed all the descriptive detail you gave.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What's that old expression? "The devil's in the details..." or something like that? I never really understood it, but to me, detail is the fiber of life -- detail is what gives meaning..agree?

      Delete
  11. Such an interesting story you weave. It's times like this I wonder, with less and less real photographs being made, to hold in one's hand, what will the years ahead bring?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sad about the loss of "real" photographs, too, Karen. And the amount of digital altering one can do means that what we are seeing is not necessarily at all what was photographed! It used to be that you had to get it "right" -- now you can right a wrong!

      Delete
  12. Our family is similar, not many photos of all of us together - Dad was always behind the camera. We've remedied that over the last couple of decades though - as we all got our own cameras and those cameras now have timers!
    I hope your search for more is successful

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If my parents were still alive, my brother and I would be sure to have a photograph taken. Sadly, my father died nearly 15 years ago, and my mother 3 years ago. I suppose we could Photoshop a couple of photographs to make a group picture, but...

      Delete
  13. Well I guess someone had to take those pictures,
    hence the eternally missing one in the family pictures.
    But it does make one muse about such things...
    At least, you got ONE!!
    :)~
    HUGZ

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And because it's the only one, it's very important to keep it safe! It's now in a frame, tucked up into a bookcase in my living room -- on display all the time...thanks for stopping by, Ticklebear!

      Delete
  14. I'm sure you're very careful with that photo. It's a treasure!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I put that photo in the frame so I could keep it out where I could see it: it's a huge connection to my past, and I'm definitely careful! There's something magical about photos: that absolute moment in time that has become, somehow, permanent! Thanks for visiting!

      Delete
  15. Washing the floor in 2 stages? I'd like to have seen that - wouldn't wanna do it though.

    Like you, there are not many photos of my family together, but more than one, I'm sure. My parents were not much for picture-taking anyway, so we have big gaps of time where seemingly no one did anything worth remembering in a picture.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She really did, Wendy. The squares were about 12x12 inches, and she'd get on her hands and knees, wash ALL the black squares with a rag, then wash ALL the white squares, then buff them with a chunk of terrycloth. Drove us all nuts, but she insisted. That was not her only eccentricity, either, but that's another post!

      Delete
  16. I remember that horsehair-stuffed sofa, designed for formal sitting only; no slouching or lying upon. In other words, not comfortable at all. And above that sofa was a huge portrait of Maj.John Allen Gould scowlling down at us chidren with eyes that followed us around the room wherever we went. Quite scary and un-nerving to youngsters!

    ReplyDelete