Sepia Saturday provides bloggers with an opportunity to share their history through the medium of photographs. Historical photographs of any age or kind become the launchpad for explorations of family history, local history and social history in fact or fiction, poetry or prose, words or further images. If you want to play along, sign up to the link, try to visit as many of the other participants as possible, and have fun.
When I saw the prompt photo, I thought of a photo that should exist, but doesn’t seem to. I don’t remember having such a photo, but I thought I might find it in a newspaper online. My search was not successful.
When I was a little girl, living in Ottumwa, Iowa, my mother worked in the catalog department at Sears, Roebuck and Co. My mother was an attractive woman – I compared her to the young Queen Elizabeth last week. 🙂 Sometimes her job at Sears also entailed dressing in a costume for some promotion, or sitting on a float – that kind of thing.
The Sears store had a large display window facing the sidewalk of Main Street. When I was maybe four years old, and probably near Easter, Mom and I acted as live mannequins in the window. I’m sure we wore dresses, but I have no memory of style or color. My mom was standing – I visualize her to the front and left of me. I don’t remember if I stood or sat, but sitting makes more sense for a young child that you want to remain still… I guess. Or maybe a sitting child would fidget more?
All I really remember is how fun and funny it was to have people stop and look at us through the window, trying to figure out if we were real people or very realistic mannequins, and watching to see if they could catch us blinking or making a small movement. There should be a photo!
As I searched through the old newspapers, I found my mom in this ad.
Do you think people read that as,”Yes, I know what happened”?
I don’t know what I wore that day, but this outfit is pretty cute and would have been perfect for a display window.
Me
This is my (very late!) contribution to Sepia Saturday. Please look at what others have on display here: Sepia Saturday.
Sepia Saturday provides bloggers with an opportunity to share their history through the medium of photographs. Historical photographs of any age or kind become the launchpad for explorations of family history, local history and social history in fact or fiction, poetry or prose, words or further images. If you want to play along, sign up to the link, try to visit as many of the other participants as possible, and have fun.
Four women sit in a convertible that is outfitted with two small American flags. The women wear hats. The head and hat of the woman in the passenger seat is visible above the windshield. The woman in back on the right has light-colored hair parted on the right. The woman in the driver’s seat wears a hat set back on her head. Her dark hair is styled a bit back from her face and is parted on the left. She sports a light-colored and tailored outfit. She faces the camera.
The light-colored car is stopped on a residential street. The car displays a sign: Jerry Smith’s Motorcycle Sales … Service Hedrick Y Fremont, Iowa
A flatbed trailer is hitched to the car and bears a sign: Motorcycles Lead In Highway Safety. Three banners complete the display on the side of the trailer: Safety Award American Motorcycle Assn. The middle banner is dated 1952. Dates on the other banners are not readable. A woman and a man sit astride motorcycles atop the trailer. They wear matching hats.
Queen Elizabeth II and her Lady-in-Waiting arrived at a reception in Brisbane in 1954.
That’s my mother sitting in the driver’s seat looking a bit like the Queen, don’t you think? Mom’s mother-in-law, Abbie Webber Smith is in the passenger seat. And the two “ladies-in-waiting” are a good friend of my mother on the left, and Mom’s sister Wilma on the right. I don’t know the identities of the people on the motorcycles.
Jerry Smith was my dad. He sold and repaired motorcycles and was also a professional racer. The car, signs, and trailer appear to be an entry in a parade. I would guess the parade was in Ottumwa, Iowa – lots of brick streets there; it is my mom’s hometown; and is only 20 miles or so from the location of dad’s business. He would certainly want to advertise his business to onlookers at a parade in the nearest city. But he chose to do more than just show off a couple of bikes and the name of his business. He hoped to encourage sales by promoting motorcycles as female-friendly and safe – not the stereotypical image of outlaw bikers portrayed by Marlon Brando and others in the movies.
I would date the photo 1953-1955. I was born in the fall of 1953 (we can’t see Mom’s belly in this photo) and my parents separated/divorced when I was about two.
I hung around Dad’s business during my visits and the wings on the hats made me think they might be an emblem from BSA motorcycles, although they are not the only motorcycle maker that uses wings as part of their branding. I found a matching hat for sale on eBay. Unfortunately, the seller’s description is not definitive as to date or brand – BSA or BMW?
accessed from eBay: Vintage Motorcycle Hat 1960s 1970s Cap AMA Pin Patch BSA BMW Victory Buco Rope 1
Dad sold both BSA and BMW motorcycles and I just have a hunch this is BSA – a British bike – fitting to honor the Queen this weekend. BMW, a German bike, tends to have checkerboard patterns as part of their branding. But – just my guess.
I think the motorcycles are probably BSAs as well. This 1953 BSA Gold Star looks similar to the bike on the right. But the pipes of the one on the left? My google search turned up zilch. I’ll guess it is also a BSA. Maybe one of you knows vintage motorcycles and can chime in.
This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday on this Jubilee Weekend. See what other bloggers have created here.
I have been absent from Sepia Saturday for a few weeks. I committed myself to a series that I don’t seem to have my heart in at the moment – plus I have been going about it all wrong. And there have been the ups and downs of life. It was a nice break to just respond to the prompt photo without trying to make it fit my self-imposed restrictions.
One of the (several) sad things that happened recently is the unexpected death of a genealogy cousin I never got to meet. He died a week ago and the anniversary of his birth is today. Brian Schneden’s grandmother Blanche Coates and my grandmother Eveline Coates were sisters. Years ago I found a letter Brian wrote to my grandmother apologizing for his delay in returning some family history papers to her. I think he was a teenager at the time. His name was unfamiliar to me. At least we had the internet by then and I was able to find an email address for him. He generously shared photos and information with me over the years and we got as far as becoming Facebook friends. We wondered when we would have the opportunity to meet and thought about how great it would be to take a trip to our common ancestral home in Durham, England. In fact, last Sunday, I found what looks like it could be our great-grandfather on a ship passenger list arriving in the U.S. in 1884. I thought I would message Brian to get his thoughts. Less than an hour later, I saw a report of his death on Facebook. Scraps of paper and seemingly unimportant letters can be gold to those of us who have the genealogy bug; the generosity of those who share family photos and information is a treasure; and, as we all know but don’t like to admit, life can be unknowably short, so don’t delay.
His side job – apgen.org:
Brian H Schneden has over 30 years of experience in genealogical and family history research. He works extensively with families of Germanic and UK origin and specializes in Schleswig-Holstein. Of particular interest to him is the region of the former republic of Dithmarschen.
In addition to traditional genealogical research, he also assists clients with needs in the areas of DNA, the construction of family health histories, and forensic genealogy.
He was a Charter and Founding Member of the “American Schleswig-Holstein Heritage Society” (ASHHS), Davenport, IA, and Genealogical Co-editor of the “Scott County, IA Heritage Book” project.
His current projects include the “DNA connection”, families of “Die Republik Dithmarschen, der Bauernrepublik,” and continued research within his own genealogy and family history.
As a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), he abides by the Code of Ethics set forth by the organization in accordance with prevailing professional standards in genealogy, and the Code of Ethics adopted by the Board of Certification of Genealogists. He also holds membership in the National Genealogical Society.
I hope the ancestors are celebrating your birthday with you today, Brian, and revealing all of the family stories and secrets we have been searching for.
I shared a photo of my grandmother Eveline Coates’ high school graduating class in Mystic, Iowa a few weeks ago. Along with the photo and her diploma, a couple of other mementos were saved. One is the program for the Junior-Senior Banquet in honor of the graduating Seniors. It was interesting to see how World War I seemed to be the overarching theme of the festivities. I decided to take a deeper look at what her life may have been like during the 1917-1918 school year. There was a lot going on, a war and the beginning of an influenza pandemic to name the two biggies. See: Eveline’s Senior Year: Part 1 Eveline’s Senior Year: The Draft and a Carnival Eveline’s Senior Year: A Look Around Town Eveline’s Senior Year: Musical Notes
The prompt photo for Sepia Saturday this week features a heavily carved chair circa 1900.
Old Chair In Reykjavik Museum, Cornell University Library Collection : Sepia Saturday 619 Prompt Image
How to make a chair fit with the theme of Eveline’s senior year? I looked for photos that might have been taken inside her home. I didn’t find any, but there are a few photos of people sitting on chairs. There are also photos of people outside her home. They were taken not long before or after, if not during, Eveline’s 1917-1918 school year and provide another glimpse into her life during that time.
I’ll start with a photo of Eveline holding her youngest sister, Nellie. Eveline and Nellie both had February birthdays – Eveline born in 1901; Nellie born in 1912. Nellie would have been about six during Eveline’s senior year. She looks a little younger here, I think. I wonder if the photograph was to commemorate their February birthdays?
Eveline and Nellie Coates, circa 1915-1917
Below is Eveline’s brother Leonard (“Lindy”). He was born in March of 1910, so he would have been about eight during Eveline’s senior year. He might be a little younger in this photo, but close enough. The dog is tied to the handle of the wagon where Lindy sits, holding a long stick.
Leonard “Lindy” Coates
Eveline’s older brother, John, had his photo taken in uniform while sitting in a carved chair. John registered for the draft during the summer of 1917. This photograph was likely taken not long after Eveline’s graduation in 1918.
John Coates, 1918
That’s the end of the photos of family members sitting circa 1917-18. So we will move outside. I have shared this photo of Eveline’s parent’s before. The backdrop of a painted house with white trim is consistent in other family photos. It must be the family home.
Joseph and Mary Harris Coates
Eveline’s sister Marjorie was born in 1906, which would make her about twelve in 1918. I’m going to call this close enough. Her hat looks the same as the one Lindy wore in the earlier photo.
Marjorie Coates
These are not all of Eveline’s siblings, just the ones I found photos of around this time in her life. It must have been a busy house with at least eight of the nine living siblings at home. As the oldest girl, it would fall to Eveline to help with the chores and the care of her younger siblings.
Eveline kept some photos of friends and neighbors.
Bernard and Mary Reinscop, neighborsMarion and Eveline Morlan, neighborsMaggie Train
As I looked through old newspapers, names of other Mystic residents appeared repeatedly – motoring to Centerville or attending a club meeting or a party. Eveline’s family very rarely made mention. They never seemed to go anywhere with anyone. Until …
Centerville Daily Iowegian and Citizen, Centerville, IA, 21 Jul 1917
Eveline had a party! She hosted her class. At the covered bridge. In the middle of the week in July.
Finding this made me inexplicably happy.
Unfortunately, I have not seen any photo that records the events of the day or who was there. Although her graduating class was small, they would not all fit into one car. The names Fenton and Ford do not appear on a list of classmates, so the drivers of the cars must have been family friends who offered to drive those who did not live within walking distance. There is one photo of Eveline with some girlfriends.
Top to bottom: Unknown, Eveline Coates, Unknown, Alice Tingle, Unknown
I only know the identity of the two girls leaning left – Eveline and her friend and classmate Alice Tingle. I think you can tell which one is Eveline by her hair! All of the girls look like they could be incoming high school seniors and there is water, so it’s possible this photo goes with the newspaper reference to a party, but their long sleeved dresses make me wonder about it being July. Eveline and Alice attended normal school in the summer of 1918, so this photo could have been taken with friends there. In any case, they look like they are having fun – and at least one of them is sitting. On something.
This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday and my family history. Get comfortable in your chair and visit other Sepia Saturday bloggers here.
