Day 4 - Stories of Yesterday

April 4, 2020

Ultimate Blog Challenge

Continuing to stay within the Genealogy theme that I've chosen for the April 2020 Ultimate Blog Challenge, I want to share my thoughts on vintage photos. 

Vintage photos  - tell a story...in fact, all photographs tell a story. Trying to determine what the story is, that’s up to us. 

My mom's family (Gordy)

Anyone who knows me knows that I love photographs, especially those from days of yesterday. In other words - the ones from my grandparents and beyond.

If you were to look at my family tree, you would see what I mean - as I have photos all over it. I honestly think this goes back to my granddad's black and white portfolio of still images he used to capture with his camera. (I wish I knew what happened to it. I'm sure during one of my moves - it either was misplaced or left behind). It makes my heart sad...

I can see the images clearly as if I was looking at them. I recall a large, fuzzy keychain - black in color. Next to that, was a large set of ivory-colored dice. Both were placed in the middle of a Billiard's table There was another photo of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was breathtaking...in black and white. I had never seen anything like it in my life I recall as a young girl. There were many other photos like the two I described in his portfolio. If only, I could recreate them or better yet, find that portfolio!!!

Looking at the picture above, what kind of story do you think it tells us? Could it be saying, they are a  cohesive family unit; or a loving and happy family, or maybe it's telling us that their children all have hopes, dreams, and goals or it might even be saying, here's a father and a mother who work hard to provide for their family.

Honestly, I'm not sure about any of those things I described. I don't know much about my mom's family when she was growing up, but I do know this - in this photograph, my mom - had a grasshopper down her dress. I recall her telling me this story over a year ago. As she was describing it, I burst out in laughter. C'mon, mom - - how on earth did a grasshopper get down your dress? We both were laughing so hard; I don't think I ever found out how that grasshopper got down her dress.

Continuing to look at the photo above, I've often wondered what my grandparents were like. I've thought about their children's upbringing and often wondered if my grandfather was a nice man. I didn't know him as he passed away a few months before my birth.

I knew my grandmother. She and her second husband raised me until their deaths.

My Granddad, Granny and Me

I'm sure you can figure out what kind of story this photo might be saying of my Great Grandparents

It's a C E L E B R A T I O N. A milestone in life...

My Great Grandparents (Chenault)

Yes, that's right. They are celebrating their Golden Anniversary (50). As you see in the photo, the date is July 1973. I was 10, almost 11 years old at the time of this celebration. They are my grannies' parents. Sadly, I don't remember attending the party. (I don't think our family went). They lived over eight hours away from us. 

Stories...photographs...details. Do you ever actually stop and consider the details in a photo or the stories that they are in them? As a crafter, I'm all about the details when I am creating a scrapbook layout or a journal of some kind. Especially if I'm using a photograph. I create my layouts from within the photo itself. What does that mean? In other words, I draw from what I see. I want to bring the photo to life in the layouts or pages I create. I want the person who is looking at the page to see the details that they may otherwise have missed in the actual photo. For instance, a few days ago, I shared this photo - remember? 

The story I got from these two photos (who are great grandparents of my husband) was amazing. Celebration of unity. Coming together as one. Embarking on a new journey as husband and wife. The list could go on. The details that captured my eye when I saw these two photos in the layout above -were the veil the bride was wearing and the strand of pearls on her tiara. Details...a story. I'd love to learn more about this couple just by seeing these photographs. 

Another grandmother of mine is the little girl

I don't know much about the women in this photograph other than my grandmother (she is my adopted dad's mother). I'm drawn to the lady standing in the back. Her look, her hair, her glasses, her dress. I don't know what it is...but it has always resonated with me. Thinking about my dads' sisters, I see several of them favoring each of the three older women in this photograph. My great grandmother, my great-great-grandmother and (not sure about the lady in the dark-colored clothing. (There isn't any resemblance to me and my children though, because this dad is my adopted dad). I can't wait to work on this photograph (a copy I might add) into a Vintage journal filled with photos and nothing but stories to tell. 

In closing, I'll leave you with a few other photos I have in my folders waiting for them to come alive with the stories, they tell in scrapbook albums or a vintage journal that I'm going to create. 

my dad, son of the grandmother above

John Hough, 1719-1797

My 4 x Great Grandmother, Ingram is her last name

the Hospital I was born in, 1962

My Great Grandfather and his brothers.
He is the one standing in front of the window and the one in the Golden Anniversary photo

My Great Mother and her children.
My grandfather (mom's dad is the boy in the front)

My 3 x Great Grandparents (Chenault)

I'd love to know the story of this photo

Mom

My Great Great Grandmother, Lydia Ann  Brown Rasberry Martin

My Great Grandfather and his family, my 2 x Great Grandparents, (Chenault)

My dad's mother

Dad is the second from the left

What kind of stories are the photos telling you? I look forward to reading your comments. 

Heart to Heart Soul Creations

H2hsc2020

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