I’m fascinated by seeing photographs of people
as they grow, as they mature; there’s something magical about this aging
process.
Here’s two photographs of my great-great grandmother,
Roxanna Adams Wilder Sabin, 1832-1926.
The first shot is Roxanna at 1850 or so, just
before her marriage; the second was taken at Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts,
shortly before she died in 1926.
Here’s the story:
When Roxanna’s mother died, she and her
siblings were taken in by relatives (a common practice back in the early
1800s). Roxanna was placed with childless aunt who was, unfortunately, married
to a man who wasn’t particularly fond of children; he eventually tired of the
situation and took her to the Poor Farm and left her there.
The
entire community was outraged.
A man named Prescott Wilder rescued
her from the Poor Farm, took her home; he and his wife raised her. She grew up
as Roxanna Wilder, even though Prescott Wilder never officially adopted her.
Roxanna married Lucius Sabin in
1851. They lived in Ashburnham and Gardner, Massachusetts; they had four
children: Lucius (Lute) Wilder Sabin, Frances Taylor Sabin (my paternal
great-grandmother), Edwin Alonzo Sabin and Ethel Wheeler Sabin.
One of the things I love about these two photographs is the pose -- hand to the cheek, etc. I wonder if it was intentional?
To see what other people have found to match this young/old theme, visit Sepia Saturday, a blog that calls for others "to share their history through the medium of photographs."
To see what others have posted, visit
http://www.sepiasaturday.blogspot.com
What a sad childhood Roxanna had, but she lived to such a great age and must have witnessed so many changes and developments in society over nearly 100 years. I have a photograph of my great grandmother c.1890 and my grandmother c.1907, both with a hand to a cheek, so perhaps it was a favoured pose of the time.
ReplyDeleteFamily lore suggests that she had a wonderful childhood with the Wilders (it was her biological father who was such a jerk). And I think you're right about the pose (see Mike's comment below)!
DeleteThe earlier photo is remarkably fine. As a tintype or daguerreotype it was made in a reversed mirror image, so Roxanna's actual pose was identical with right hand to cheek. If you reverse the image with a simple digital flip, you might recognize more details.
ReplyDeleteSomewhere in the recesses of my mind I KNEW that, Mike...but had forgotten about it! It is, though, a remarkably clear photo, isn't it?
DeleteHooray for Mr. Prescott Wilder and lucky, lucky Roxanna! That first photograph of the younger Roxanna is very similar in both pose and framing to a photo I have of my paternal great great- grandmother, Lucy Chase Taylor.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was a common pose, Gail! Mike's comment (above) is interesting, too!
DeleteDeb, that second pose in later life with the roses in the vase beside her has always reminded me of a story told to me by my mother, her grand daughter. When my mother was a baby, she was being held by Roxanna one day when a bee circled around their heads. In attempting to swat the bee away from the baby, Roxanna accidentally hit one of the rose stems, and one of the thorns stabbed her finger. The tiny wound bled some and soon became infected, with blood poisoning starting to advance up her arm. Medical intervention cured the infection, but not before the finger became stiffened and bent for the rest of her life. The young children of the family were a bit apprehensive of this old lady with the crooked finger pointed in their direction (A witch, perhaps?)
ReplyDeleteAs a child myself, we had roses in our back yard, and my mother constantly reminded me to be careful of the roses. It was not until my adult life when she told me of this childhood story of hers that I put two and two together! The later pose does not seem to show which finger was affected, but I always look again to find it.
I remember this story too, Bob -- only it was Frances Taylor Sabin Gould who got stuck with the thorn (not Fan's mother Roxanna). She apparently had a "deformed" finger the rest of her life!
DeleteDeb, that second pose in later life with the roses in the vase beside her has always reminded me of a story told to me by my mother, her grand daughter. When my mother was a baby, she was being held by Roxanna one day when a bee circled around their heads. In attempting to swat the bee away from the baby, Roxanna accidentally hit one of the rose stems, and one of the thorns stabbed her finger. The tiny wound bled some and soon became infected, with blood poisoning starting to advance up her arm. Medical intervention cured the infection, but not before the finger became stiffened and bent for the rest of her life. The young children of the family were a bit apprehensive of this old lady with the crooked finger pointed in their direction (A witch, perhaps?)
ReplyDeleteAs a child myself, we had roses in our back yard, and my mother constantly reminded me to be careful of the roses. It was not until my adult life when she told me of this childhood story of hers that I put two and two together! The later pose does not seem to show which finger was affected, but I always look again to find it.
That first photo is stunning. Rich textures and a gorgeous face. I wonder if in life she often took that pose across the table from someone, hand to chin. Did she stare at her eventual husband like this and completely make him tongue tied?
ReplyDeleteSomeday I'll post a photo of her husband, Lucius -- a carpenter/woodworker by trade; a Civil War veteran who lost a thumb...
DeleteSo we know he wasn't all thumbs after meeting her. I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist.
DeleteI'm giggling and snorting over this! Good one!
Delete