Saturday, November 6, 2010

Glimpses of Life

The morning after the 1938 New England Hurricane. Hoohoo, age 13, in front, explores a downed tree with neighborhood friends.
UPDATE: For a look at three more post-hurricane photos in my blog, click here please!

Bucolic country scene, ca 1950, with Kaiser and garage in the background, handmade Adirondack chair and daffodils in the foreground. Huge granite boulders and ledges are strewn all over the Connecticut shoreline landscape. Ours had stone built-in patios bridging the natural stones.

Back to the Thirties for this impromptu picnic scene. Bathing suits can be seen hanging in the background, but the trees don't seem full, so this is probably an early summer day. This is cousin Minnie's home, she's in the center of the photo. Her husband, Yammie, is on the left, Hoohoo is on the far left. My grandmother is in back of Minnie. The water is perhaps a 100 yards down the hill from this vintage off-kilter photograph. Even though everyone was fairly comfortable in the later 30s, these photos always have a whiff of the Joads of The Grapes of Wrath about them. At least to me.

5 comments:

  1. As always, your family pictures are fascinating. Especially love the Kaiser!

    The post-hurricane picture is scary! Have you ever seen the home movies of Katharine Hepburn and her family digging through the wreckage of their house after the hurricane? They managed to find ALL of her mother's silverware! In my years summering on Fire Island I always heard stories from the old-timers about the Hurricane of '38 so I find all the lore surrounding it especially fascinating.

    Paul, NYC

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  2. the "old folks" always told a lot of hurricane stories when I was a kid. i didn't listen to them all though, lol. I have enough to do a chapter or at least a good sidebar about those days.

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  3. Those were some great photos of the hurricane aftermath. I could see them used in one of your creations 'Storm of 38'.

    Well you have an extra hour to work tonight, enjoy....

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  4. Love the closeness of the girls in the top photo even with the subject matter.
    The chairs are so wonderful standing out against the rocks and the structure behind.
    LOVE LOVE the table out in the yard..tablecloth and all! What do you suppose is between them and the house? Cosmos maybe? I can't really tell...such neat photos (I am such a looky lou that I LOVE it!)
    mare
    mare

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  5. CHURCH JUST GOT OVER. TIME FOR A SHOWER AND MAYBE SIT OUTSIDE ON THIS COOL DAY. YOU GOT TO LOVE A COOL DAY.

    GRANNY

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