SOOC - Historical 1945

Straight Out of the Camera - SOOC returns - since I am the photo archivist of the family, I have been sorting, scanning and filing many photo prints taken by my grandfather from 1920 until his passing in 1981. Here is a print that has merely been scanned but offers a profound look at an important event. The place is along 1645 Oregon Avenue in Steubenville, Ohio; the girl my Aunt Theresa with neighborhood kids; and the newspaper was the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which suggests the date I believe to be 15 August 1945. History in the making...

Whimsical Windows - Brigantine, Then...and Then

As the new moderator of the meme Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors, I often look back in photo memories. But what got me this past was my wonderful Aunt Terry (she is the much bigger kid here :) sent me an old post card from Brigantine New Jersey.

Nestled as a barrier island facing he Atlantic, this card is from the 1950s and is of the old, and probably long gone, Sea Gull Cottages (originally the Seaside). As a child, this brings back whimsical memories from long ago vacations - in 1961 when I was aged just six years.

Yep, the artwork on the postcard can be corroborated by the four pictures showcasing the vacation lodging at low tide. Thanks for the memories Terry! And please add your links and pics too :)

Whimsical Windows - Sibling Skyline

Toby hosts the fun architectural meme Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors, and we scout around to find the many interesting detailing we find, in any era. Here is in the New York City, borough of Manhattan and its always impressive skyline. I believe this to be from a rooftop in 1961. It is my father (the family lived in Bayside Queens 1960-1963), and sister Aunt Terry visiting, and a visit often usually included a tour of the city. I do not know the building (at UPI where my father worked on 42nd Street), but the spread out city below is amazing. Always...

Whimsical Windows - Old hotel by the sea

Grandma, 1946?

Dad and Terry, 1948?

Grandpa, October 1956

Grandpa and Terry, July 1969

Toby hosts the fun architectural memes, Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors. And we look for architectural gems from here, there or anywhere. Or any era - since Aunt Terry sent me a box of old prints last year, the scanning continues. One theme of vacations in the old Atlantic City, far away from today's glass and steel casinos, was the Traymore Hotel. Through many decades, Grandpa wanted to take family pictures with this as a backdrop...The old hotel was demolished in 1972, so the 1969 pose was near the end of the once stately backdrop. At least we have spanned the eras in pictures...

(With all the artifacts I have, there has has to be a book in this somewhere :)

Whimsical Windows - Tinsel

The holidays have been busy, but happily I am back for this week's fun Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors, hosted by Toby. In this view, the era is the mid-1950s, the place being my grandparent's home on Oregon Avenue Steubenville Ohio, the person my Aunt Terry. The windows here seem peripheral to the giant holiday tree.

However, in an FB exchange last week with Terry, the picture window has a prominent history as she advised:

"Grandpa did like big trees - and he loved displaying those trees in the picture window. I remember when I was little we had small living room windows. When it was decided to replace them, Grandpa insisted that the windows be simple plate glass so that everyone would be able to see his Christmas trees in full view. When the city busses drove down Oregon Ave. they slowed down so that passengers could gawk at the tree -- and everyone rode the bus in those days"

Further, the tree was a part of the lore in Steubenville it seems:

"And, yes, one year the tree was featured on page 1 of the [Steubenville] Herald-Star. The paper had been asking for several years to feature the tree but they wanted Grandpa to decorate it a week before Christmas. He would have none of that when I was small. But one year he gave in. It might have been this tree that was featured"

So the giant tinsel tree makes the window whimsical indeed!

Whimsical Windows - Oregon Avenue back then

Toby hosts the fun architectural meme Whimsical Windows/Delirious Doors - we look for portals of interest. Those who follow my blogs know that I often refer to the past for inspiration as I have scanned maybe 1,000 or more old B&W prints since I inherited the JB Scotch box of photos when he passed away in 1981. And last week, my Aunt Terry shipped a box of old pictures to me for scanning and archiving, and these two jumped at me. Taken in 1947 (according to the license plate), it is in front of my grandparent's house at 1645 Oregon avenue in Steubenville, Ohio. My aunt is a well-dressed girl and her brother, my dad, dressed in a very stylish suit. The house is as I recall as a kid, and it remembered it up to 1981. It sits in a neighborhood that I assume, or at least hope, is still lined by these neat row houses are just as I remembered...

Shadow Shot Sunday - Jersey Shore

The scanned and archived is for this week's Shadow Shot Sunday 2.The time is 1956, the place 23rd Street in the seaside island hamlet of Brigantine New Jersey. 

The house was small, guessing about 925 sq ft (86 M sq). It was one block from the bayside beach, three blocks to the Atlantic. Grandpa always lamented that he should have bought the house for vacations (the grandkids these days, looking for an inexpensive holiday today, would not have minded if he had :)

The cast today includes Michele (2-1/2 years), myself (1-1/2), Aunt Terry (14) and the timeless photo impresario grandfather (ageless). The playtime outside was provided by Terry, watching the kids at play while interlopers stopped by to chat...

After a day at play, the kids are dressed and hopefully winding down to slumberland, soon hopes the parental units. Grandpa was ready to chronicle the sleep ready children, the smiling kids equally...I chose to not crop out the date stamp on one picture - as if the era really needed description.

The home might have been small - but plenty big for toddlers...

The photographer is shown in the front of many long gone hotels in nearby Atlantic City sans casinos...

This was the casual gentleman dress with a wool sport jacket, plaid shirt (buttoned), wool driving cap and Exa SLR. Stylish and refined manor with a satisfied look that meant this family visiting to NJ was a great trip - with shadows inside and out. Thanks for this fun meme to all our hosts!

Whimsical Windows - Second hand memories

Toby hosts the fun architectural meme Whimsical Windows - Delirious Doors. We aim to find portals of interest, elegance and style. Not necessarily in that order...

I titled the post as I did as I was not more than four at that time, so have some knowledge of the players and place.The year is 1959, the date stamps on the prints. The subjects are my father, his sister Terry and their parents Ralph and Agnes, aka Grandpa and Grandma V.

The place is in St. Paul Minnesota at St, Catherine  University, my aunt's alma mater. For unique windows, I assume the top left is a chapel on campus or somewhere else in the Twin Cities.

My grandfather used a sophisticated (for the day) German Exa SLR. Despite the camera, he wasn't looking for effect, but for the memories of where they had been. So, he and Agnes were photographed in front of wherever it was. 

I guess these are dorms, with interesting styling details if mundane windows.

What I like are the 1959 details that are all over the pictures.

Such as his suit, tie, pocket handkerchief and hat. As for her, the coat is stylish, the hat...different! I suppose the fountain statuary is the namesake of the university; The vehicle, was a 1958 Ford Ranch Wagon. The scenes are made up of many subjects, the windows flanking unique people in a unique era...

See more portals of all types at Toby's fun meme!

Whimsical Windows - Bayside Style

Happy Birthday Michele...highlighting big sister Michele on her birthday!

For Toby’s Whimsical Windows / Delirious Doors, I return to the scanned photos. The door here is from an era, and posted a few times before. Delirious for sure, and whimsy galore… 

The date stamp says we are in April 1957 at our family, the place being our first apartment on 35th Avenue in Bayside, Queens, New York City. I'd say the building dates back to 1920-1925. Note the mail slot. In an e-commerce era, that may be considered a bit archaic, although I’d prefer nostalgic…

The are myself at two, sister Michele at three years. In the second, we add Aunt Terry at fifteen, and Grandma Agnes at what we define as ageless, and by herself a lady…

Michele and I were dressed appropriately nice for our first trip into the City (Manhattan) with Grandpa and the aforementioned ladies, in our new outfits. Being two, I do not remember the visit - the but many tall buildings surely left an impression. The look of the day is so well shown on the ladies – although, sitting down in those smart and slender wool outfits may have proven a challenge…

also posted as part of Tina's 29 Days