Saturday Snapshots {October 10, 2009}

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. “ ~ W.T. Purkiser



{Only the names (Leroy, Allen and Cleo Rumier) of these three are listed as background information surrounding this portrait studio style shot, yet their assorted degrees of smiles and smartly styled clothes tells us much about this handsome young family.}



{While mid-October may seem a tad early to start thinking about snow, the lower than average seasonal temps around these parts this month have already got my husband and placing friendly bets on when the first snow day of the year will be (I’m leaning towards November 5th, he thinks we’ll see snowflakes before Halloween). The caption on this vivid candid photo from 1950, reads, “Saying hello To Grandpa Reed after being snowed in for a week”, and features four relatives surrounded by massive snow banks as they head indoors. What I adore most about this wonderful “slice of everyday life” shot, is the cheerful expression on the little girl in the red coat and hat’s face as beams a smile for whomever is coming to answer the door.}



{A lone woman, identified simply as Polly Parker, stands with one of her arms outstretched in a pose that reminds me a tad of Rosie the Riveter. A perception that is no doubt enhanced by Polly’s work overalls and determined, steadfast gaze.}



{One look at this marvelous colour photo, chalked to the brim with fantastically iconic elements of a 1950s childhood, and you can’t help but want to exclaim, “Well howdy, there partner!”}



{Two impeccably well dressed young women hold over-sized clutch purses and sport lovely, wide brimmed hat atop their beautiful hairdos, in this undated and unidentified photo that I’d guess to be from the 1940s.}



{A dark haired man lights up a cigarette in this black and white shot, the unique overhead angle that it was snapped from adds a great deal of interest to an otherwise seemingly commonplace activity.}



{Four family members sit eagerly around the table (with what may have been makeshift seating, it looks as though the brunette and child are sitting on a sofa) as a man carves into a piece of roast meat, each of them ready to tuck into their Thanksgiving 1947 meal.}



{A happy, smiling group crowds around two people who seem to be engaged in playing some kind of party game, in this fun shot from 1943. Don’t you just adore the fellow to the left of the photo holding a camera and smoking a cigarette? I wonder if he too was able to capture a shot of whatever the couple here were up to.}



{In her neatly pressed uniform and adorable, pert waitress’ hat, Yvonne, cuts a lovely figure as she stands behind the counter at the soda fountain where she works. (How charming are the hand written signs behind her, one of which informs patrons that the establishment will be closed for “Xmas”?)}



{A trio of beautifully dressed gals (identified as Aunt Martha and cousins Roxie and Gail) share a living room chair in this lovely family snapshot from 1953. Don’t you just love how the little one on the right is too deeply engrossed in her book to look up the lens? That could very easily have been me as a child.}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}


When I look at photos from the past I am often struck by how seemingly Spartan (by modern standards) people’s surroundings seem to have been. Rooms weren’t (necessarily) decked out with wall-to-wall furniture and the latest decor trends, families still gathered around the table everyday and shared meals and wonderful conversations instead together, and people seemed to beam with a sort of ingrained – and perhaps inherent – felicity that is scarcely seen on the faces of most today.

I believe that those who came before us were, in general, better at appreciating the simple joys and at understanding just how blessed they were, even when the going got tough. The emphasis in life was less about possessions and keeping up with the Jones and more about appreciating the people that constituted your world. Each of these points a valuable lesson I strive to apply each and every day to my own existence.