Friday, December 5, 2014

THREE SETS OF STAIRS...

It’s amazing what a Sepia Saturday prompt can reveal!
          I spent some time rummaging today, thinking that I might be able to find a photo of members of my family on stairs; imagine my surprise when I found these three shots (I actually found more, but these three were the best).

The first is of the Gould children of Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts. It’s a shot taken at the summer house in East Boothbay, Maine in 1900: Margaret and Howard are the youngest ones on the bottom step; the others (left to right) are Richard, Prescott, Allen and Gardner (my grandfather, who’s about 15 in this shot), the oldest. I’m not sure why Margaret is covering her ears; I just love their shiny shoes—Margaret’s with button laces. The boys all have short pants with stockings bagging at the knees, except for my grandfather, who’s old enough to be in long pants.





And then I found one of my father (Gardner, Jr.) sitting between his mother and his sister Shirley – again at the summer house in East Boothbay in, say, 1938-39; my father’s in baggy pants and loafers (such a fashionable look back then); his sister equally fashionable in tailored pants – just like Katherine Hepburn!




To finish the triptych, my brother, me and my mother on the back steps of my parents’ first house in Needham, Massachusetts; this is in 1950 or so. John’s all decked out in his cowboy shirt (with slide tie) and gloves; I’m in my bathrobe, recovering from the mumps!
          And that black-and-white cocker spaniel is Ferdinand, the wonderful dog who loved Oreos (see my post of November 23).




So here we are: three generations of Goulds, the oldest born more than one hundred years ago (1886); the youngest in 1946 and still going strong in 2014 (me).

Just think of all the stairs we’ve climbed!


(To see what other Sepians have found, visit www.sepiasaturday.blogspot.com)




26 comments:

  1. Nice pictures! A few steps is fine - good to sit and relax upon and whatnot. But the summer cabin we rented this past summer had 26 of them up to the front door! From the cabin's picture online we knew there was a flight of them, but we never expected it to be THAT long. Whew.

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    1. Oh, my goodness! That's way too many stairs; I'm impressed you've got that kind of stamina!

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  2. It is fun when a prompt takes you on a fun journey, even when it involves just a few steps.

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    1. Another reason I love Sepia Saturday...those journeys are so important,don't you think?

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  3. It looks like Ferdinand enjoyed being the centre of attention - he sure stole the limelight from you in that third photo!

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    1. He didn't mean to, I'm sure! I actually remember when this photo was taken, and I felt pretty awful -- went back to bed right afterwards...

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  4. That's a lovely relaxed and happy photo for 1900. Often people were much sttffer in those times.

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    1. I always thought so, too; I think that "stiffness" represents the long shutter speeds of cameras: people HAD to sit posed and still...or be blurry! The result was a kind of attitude of rigidity!

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  5. No one wore pants quite as well as Katherine Hepburn, but your aunt certainly displayed a similar air.

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    1. You're right on the money -- she certainly lived her life on HER terms!

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  6. My family had a black-and-white cocker spaniel when I was a baby. I wonder why that kind of dog is no longer popular.

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    1. I've actually been thinking of getting one -- not sure I've got the energy for a puppy, but am thinking hard about it. If so, it will happen in the spring!

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  7. A lovely century of family photos. You cocker spaniel reminds me so much of our pet Colleen. Their dark eyes are often difficult to pick out on their face.

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    1. There's something special about cockers, I think. They're still a little inbred here in the States, but if you get a good one, they're wonderful!

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  8. Wonderful finds - and spot with the theme. That little cocker spaniel is lovely.

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    1. Ferd was great -- he was a true "buddy" to me.

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  9. My daughter and her husband have just acquired another dog to bring the total up to 4. We lover all dogs and there are many cockers in our village. Three great photos, especially the first

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    1. Funny, isn't it -- we're either dog lovers or NOT, and those NOTS are pretty odd folks!

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  10. A three generational story! How wonderful! And stairs to boot!

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    1. I wonder if somebody can come up with a four/five/six generation series!

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  11. Margaret covers her ears and the dog shields your mump recovering face...nice trio of photos...stairs and mumps...does anyone get those anymore? I think not..

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    1. Boy, I hope not! I remember that it HURT to have mumps...there must be a immunization, yes?

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  12. Great finds. One of the best aspects of Sepia Saturday is the way it gets you rummaging in your collection.

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    1. I agree, Alan -- there's nothing like a good rummage!

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  13. Love those fashionable slacks/pants. What fantastic finds these photos are - particularly that first one as boundforoz says...so relaxed for the times.

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  14. Great pictures.
    I checked them out before reading your post
    and funnily enough, I also thought of Hepburn when I saw your aunt.
    Happy new year!!
    :)

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