Paternal Grandmother - Clara Lipke c. 1897
Mother -Delphine LaKoske c. 1929
Cynthia Grocholski 1953
There are occasions for formal portraits, and First Communion was one of them. Three mothers shopped for just the right summer white material and veiling, spent hours cutting, sewing, getting a 7 year old to stand still long enough to pin the hem. Prayers were practiced, hair curled. stiff dresses zipped and buttoned. After the service, a trip to the photographer and a stiff pose with few clues to a personality that makes succeeding generations study the details with great care. We try to pry the thoughts and wishes, optimism and concerns from the faces and the pose.
Clara lost her father about 3 years before her picture was taken. Delphine's family was about to step into the throes of the Great Depression. Cynthia was enjoying her childhood in a neighborhood filled with growing post war families , mom's who wore aprons in the kitchen, dad's who took the train to work, walked home from the station at 5:30 each day to be greeted by their children and escorted home.
It's Sepia Saturday! -Click HERE for more peeks into the past
.JPG)
10 comments:
Such a wonderful brief history of three generations! I ADORE Delphine's outfit!
What talent and loving care went into the construction of those dresses. I love the horizontal tucks on your paternal grandmother's dress.
A great collection of photographs - and descriptions to match. Such formal photographs add just as much to our understanding of people and their times as the informal ones. Thanks for sharing them.
Charming photographs. I like the way you've marked each one with a little historical/personal perspective. Very nice.
How lucky you are to have three such delightful records of past glory days...
Wonderful photos! And you've connected them in such a way that's both interesting and informative. Thanks so much for sharing them with us.
What lovely pictures :) Delphine was beautiful and her dress so pretty! 1920's outfits were so feminine.
What a lovely record to have of your ancestors.
Wonderful photos and by the by - excellent taste on your communion veil - I chose the same one - must have been the hot seller back in the day.
This is a wonderful set of photos, it's so interesting to see the different dress styles.
What a nice story to go along with the photographs! And that little Cynthia, she just looks so angelic, doesn't she? I wonder what she grew up to be?
Post a Comment