Time on Our Hands:  Class of 1923

 

This class is posing in the Fall of 1923.  In their midst is a young lady named Margaretta Zimmerman who evidently owned this photo for a while.  This is a motley crew.  Only seven are girls in this entire group.  Looks like maybe 5 older girls and two younger.  I am guessing that Ms. Zimmerman is the girl in the front row wearing a dark sweater. Is that what you think?  

Why are there so few girls?  Were there just fewer girls in this community or was it considered unnecessary for girls to go on to school after a few years?  It looks like maybe a high school to me, with the younger ones in front and the older ones in back.  So only two younger girls.  That is a very small number to choose your best friend from!  

The five older girls look studious, well behaved and well groomed.  I think that in their age group there are only 2 or 3 boys.  They all look pretty serious about being up there in the back row.  

In the middle of the picture is a jumble of boys.  Short pants, overalls, work shirts, colored shirts, white shirts, sweaters and two jackets.  Wild hair and groomed hair.  Ties, no ties, scuffed shoes.  What a job!  

Why do you suppose that one boy is off by himself on the steps to the left?  I think he should have been down front at the end.  Maybe he was trying to escape to the privy?  Well, he never made it!  

The boy in the dark jacket in the middle of the front row has a sourpuss face.  He reminds me of a boss I had once who considered it a good day if he made one of the women in our office cry.  This boy needs to lighten up! Behind him and to the left are two boys with windswept hair and mischievous smiles.  There's something going on with the feet back there.  I suppose they are up to something that gave them great joy but it's hard to say what at this point in time!  

My mother was 3 when this picture was taken.  Three and a half.  She started school the next year just after turning four.  Many in this class would be the ages of her brothers or sisters, all but one of whom were older than she was.  Just a few more years until the Depression.  I wonder where all these young people went? Where did those shoes carry them?  Did this teacher prepare them well?  What kind of work did they do?  Did they marry and have children, become ministers, doctors, teachers, postmen, farmers, businessmen?  Did they own homes, land, a business?  Was one of them a banker?  Was one of them a dirt farmer?  

On this day, it doesn't really matter.  All the future was theirs the day this picture was taken.  

Craft:  Texture and Collage

My sister-in-law, Kim, is an artist.  She recently taught a class in collage at a local store.  This is my collage from that class.  

It was such a fun afternoon!  Being small in number, we were able to talk and share as we couldn't have done if our group were larger.

Our first assignment was to choose a color for the board and add it atop the texture that Kim had applied to the board before we arrived.  I loved this pretty aqua color so I chose that, covering the board with it and then painting black at the edges and in toward the middle to add depth.  

I am a hesitant painter.  Not bold!  My black coat is light and not very dramatic.  It would have been better, I think, had I made it more emotional or outrageous, but still I was conveying the song of this sweet little bird so maybe we're fine with this light grey edge.  

The poem I cut from an old book is glued at the left under the bird's tail.  It's title is "A Lament".  The words on the music at the top are "blushed to say he kissed me".  The bird is a cut-out as are all the other icons, including the limb which was cut free hand from a piece of brown paper by Kim.  I painted the musical notes.

The title of the piece is Tweet.

Tweet now sits atop a ledge in my office at home.

Time On Our Hands:  Boys' Class Roosevelt School

Well, here are the boys from Roosevelt School.  I think this one must be in a city because there are enough boys of one age to fill a frame.  I love the little bow ties and dress shirts, slicked back hair for some of them.  For the most part the pant legs have been rolled up though one dark pair in the front fits perfectly, and then a little left of center one boy has very baggy pants of some kind.  Not sure I have ever seen anything like them.  

I always thought the kids in these pictures were clowning around and making faces but I examined this one more and think maybe they are squinting from the sun.  Heads are tipped down and eyes are squeezed almost shut.  

Exceptions exist.  The last boy on the right must be a movie fan.  He is deep into his Frankenstein pose.  He's quite convincing.  

The young man in the center of the back row looks strangely familiar.  Like Orsen Welles, maybe?   

So now the most popular boy...hmm.  I think it might be the one with all the golden curls, three from the end on the right, front row.  He is very cute, tall and lean.  Or maybe it's the banker in the middle in the tan vest and trousers.  

I am not worried about who the biggest cut up is.  I know he is Frankenstein.  He gave himself away for all posterity the day he posed for this picture with such enthusiasm.  

What year is this?  It could be as late as the 1950s but I am not sure.  Bow ties were in then and corduroy (mr. popular is wearing cords).  I don't think it's as late as the 1960s.  Any ideas?  

Cool, too, are the big schoolhouse windows and the window boxes with something just beginning to show it's little green head there.  Long sleeves with sun and little plants starting to grow.  It must be spring at Roosevelt School!  

Time on Our Hands: Bare Feet

Lots of bare feet in this photo.  The original is very small so this one is kind of blurry.  It started out at only 3 1/2 by 3 1/4 so you see my problem.  I  love it but have to use a magnifying glass to see details.  

There's a batch of 6 or 7 little boys in the front that are just adorable and look so tickled with themselves and this new adventure.  Hands in pockets, grins in place.  I have a feeling there might be a frog in one of those pockets, don't you?  

On second thought, the boys might have been told to put those hands in their pockets just to avoid the mischief that tempted them while standing still on the steps.  Even the bigger boys are doing it.  Hands all around in overall pockets.

With the girls it's dresses, smiles and high button shoes or, for even some of the girls, a simple bare foot look if all she's doing is going to school.  

It's a sunny day.  The school yard is dirt, but the children all look well fed, clean and happy.  I see some spunk in this group.  The teacher (is that her up there in the left corner?) probably has her hands full with the fun-seekers but I'll bet her days are rewarding with so many happy children to spend each day with.  

I wish I knew when this was, where it was.  Would love to hear the stories of this class.  

Craft:

making iPad 

cases 

Last Christmas I decided to make iPad cases for my two nieces.  I had these pretty red silk "place mats" which were small--about the size of an iPad is it turns out.  They had rich brocade strips running down the center.  I thought I would use one for the front, one for the back and one for the flap.  I found vintage men's ties in the same shade of red and bought those.  I had some lighter red material that would work fine for the lining and some antique buttons that were just for decoration on the flaps.  

 Here I have the back attached to the flap and I am pinning in the lining with pockets for iPhone and pens.  Does anyone use a pen anymore?  The tie you see draped across is the shoulder strap.

Above is the finished bag for one of the girls.  The antique buttons are sewn to the tie that lies over the flap.  It is the end of the tie that is used for a shoulder strap.  Below is the second bag.  They came out so pretty.  I was very happy with them.
Now I am not so sure they are practical or that they will ever be used but they are super attractive to my eye and the girls seemed to really like them.  It was a fun project and took me only one day....AFTER I spent about 2 months planning!

Acting Up In Class

This picture is probably from the very early 1900s.  Those big ribbons in the back row were very popular when my Aunt Rose was a little girl.  She was born in 1910.

The reason I bought this photo was because of the two girls wearing black in the middle row.  They could be related but I thought they looked like best friends who dressed alike.  On second thought I think they are really sisters because if they were friends they would stand together, wouldn't you think?

Once I got to studying this photo I found so many things I loved about it.  "Acting up in class" is at the right end of the same row as the girls, three from the end.  What is that boy up to?  He looks like he is about to drop dead! His posture tells me that he is fairly proud of his ability to stick out his tongue.  I wonder what his mother said when she got hold of that picture, the one and only picture of him she had for the entire year probably.

I love the little girl leaning half behind her brother at the left of the front row.  What a cute little thing she is, wearing her coat all day when everyone else seems quite warm.  There is another little one hiding behind one of the girls in black.  Is this a family?  The girls in black, the hiders and the boy in left-front?

Off to the right is a boy in what looks like a prediction of 1970s black turtle neck and jacket.  He looks very polished.  Except for those creepy hands!

The teacher in this photo looks like a first time teacher.  She can't be much older than her students.  If she were not a bit taller and standing off a bit by herself I would have thought she was one of them.  So young to be off working.  I wonder what drove her from home?  She probably lives with one of the families in the district.  Things were so different then.  The parents built the school, hired the teacher, put her up, supplied the students.  It was very local.  Very Local School Board!

The three girls in the top row are the cream of the crop.  They dress nicely and are sharing some kind of giggle.  They are so lucky for their time, going to school to the ripe old age of probably 13 or so.  They may end up being the very next school teachers.

Who would I want to hang out with in this photo/in this school?  I would choose the boy in the front row at the left who hides the little girl in her coat.  He looks like a lot of fun.  Always have been attracted to those boys who cause trouble.

Craft

I bought this box at a garage sale for $1.00 last weekend. It's a box that originally came with silverware in it and was at one time lined with red velvet.  The box itself was made of stained wood.  It was in pretty sorry condition!

My husband and I were able to prime it and paint it with a quart can of $1.00 reject or mismixed cream colored paint.  Two coats.  It dried overnight and I sanded the edges in the morning.

In the meantime I/we went to the hardware store and bought some new hinges.  At the craft store we bought some artist board to frame the lining.  I happened to have this gorgeous upholstery fabric from a decorating shop that closed last year in Portland.

Mr. G helped me with the lining. He cut the artist board in ten pieces--one each for the bottom inside cover and the top inside cover.  Then there were 8 pieces of varying sizes for the inside edges, top and bottom.  We cut the fabric just a bit big and glued it with all purpose glue to the artist board and then just kind of crammed it in place.  It held!

He screwed in the new hinges and I put the handle back on.

For the finishing touch we modpodged the cover of a greeting card on the top.  It says, "Those who wish to sing will always find a song."  There are two yellow birds depicted from a painting by Nick Wroblewski.  You can find his work at artiststowatch.com.

Every year we have been together Mr. G and I have accumulated a small ceramic bird figurine of two match birds.  This year we got our sixth one.  The birds on the cover of our box remind me of our little collection.

The box will be used for storing jewelry in small black boxes.  You know the kind.  The ones you wait and wait for.  I am so lucky that I have quite a few.  Thank you, Mr. G!

Twelve Girls: 1937

This obviously looks like country, doesn't it?  I love the bike on the porch.  Wonder if it's the teacher's or maybe the photographer's?

The kids in this one look clean and well dressed.  No one without shoes, at least in the front row!  

The twelve girls here wear dresses.  I have several where the girls wear overalls.  Maybe this place or time is a bit more modern and/or upscale than some I have. In fact I am sure it is.   

The brunette in the middle is surrounded by boys, stepping forward even from the closest girl in the picture.  She is beautiful, the one you want to be friends with.  She will always be treated well, don't you think?  

The little one kneeling on the right is a cutie.  Lots of curls and a big smile.  Why is she crossing her arms?  Shy?  There are a lot of average girls here, though to their families I am sure they aren't average.  I wonder who is the brainiac.  I am guessing that would be the one to the left of the teacher.  

Of these 12 girls, I wonder which will be mothers, which will have careers?  Few with careers is my guess though some may be teachers or nurses.  Most will be farm wives, housewives, and the like.  Sewing, cooking, keeping chickens, raising kids, but at least these girls will be able to read, keep the books and write notes to their children's teachers.  

The boys are always so fascinating to me.  We have here one young man who is dreaming of flying to the moon, can't keep his eyes off the sky.  He loves being outdoors or he loves clouds -- not sure which!  In the front row is a set of twins near the left with their little high button boots.  Their hair parts naturally on the left but one is required to part on the right to keep them from being confused for one another.  It doesn't sit very well.  His hair is all whacky!

I have an idea who is the most devilish boy but no idea who is the most popular.  In some pictures you can tell, but in this one most of the boys are really not much into the idea of interaction with the camera.  Let me know who you think the trouble maker is in this class.  

And now the teacher.  Women in those days seem to look older than they were.  This one looks middle aged but my guess is that she is only 30 or so.  She must have some organization skills if she can keep these kids in line.  That is one batch of kids, all at different levels.  Do you think any teacher you know today could deal with this class/schoolhouse full of kids???  Without help?  

Time On Our Hands

Time On Our Hands: Thoughts of Another Time


I collect group pictures of children from the past.  Whether in school, at a club meeting or some other event, I love to study them, their faces so full of promise, lined up haphazardly and looking hopefully into the camera's lens.  They seem to be throwing nets out to the future to see what they might glean.  I wonder what they would say to me if they knew I was watching them in the schoolyard so many many years later.  I would like to share these photos and what they bring to my mind.


Dedication


My site is dedicated to my father, Roy, who taught me the meaning of the word "craft".  He was a man always interested, always full of questions and always willing to try to fix or build or maintain.  He grew up amidst the tall trees of a national forest, in a time when keeping your hands busy wasn't a choice but a necessity.  If your hands weren't busy, you would starve, freeze or both!  Most people my age say of their fathers, "He could fix anything!"  That was a special thing about many boys who grew up in the 1920s and 30s.  They had to chop and haul wood to stay warm, they had to fix their toys and, later, their tools or do without.  They grew up able.  My own father grew up to be an engineer.  He really could fix anything.  I'm sure of it.

In the fall of 2003, the year I moved to the Northwest to be nearer my aging parents, I wrote this poem about my Father.

My Dad

My dad was around when I was born. 

He was around as long as I can remember.

He was tall as a tree and stronger.

He could lift me up over his head.

He taught me things like how to hammer,

How to mow, change a tire, clean a fish,

And how to be brave.

He taught me a lot by example:

A good work ethic, kindness, 

That it isn't nerdy to be polite,

And that love is patient.

He keeps teaching me even today.

He is 82.

He teaches me that I am nice, that I have

Goodness in me and that I really can be patient

By letting me practice on him.

He believes he will be with us after death.

He told me.  I know it must be true. 

My dad believes in the goodness of craft,

The wisdom of using one’s own hands,

The importance of making each day count, 

And being accountable for each day. 

My dad has soft hands and a sweet smile.

His hair has been white for a very long time.

I love my dad very much.  

I hope he knows.  

I hope he knows that his strength has helped me

Through a lot of valleys and hard climbs.  

I knew he would always be there.

My dad.  

What a guy.

Then later, when he passed away,  I wrote this poem for his funeral program.  

I took a walk with an angel

Last night, under a silvery moon.

I said to the angel, “Please tell my father

That I will be seeing him soon.

"Please tell my Dad that I love him;

His soft hand I feel in my own,

His heart still beats in my heart,

And I’ll never again feel alone.

"Please thank my father for loving me,

For teaching me so many things—

For patience, his guidance and example

And the shower of joy sharing brings.

"I remember he taught me to whittle and fish

And the importance of being polite.

He said I had goodness by nature,

That inside each of us glows a light.

"This light will shine on forever.

He told me, that’s how I know.  

On dark days his star shines upon me,

A twinkle is his sweet hello."

And then the angel left me

In the light of that shimmery moon.

I trust that he found my father

And starlight will comfort me soon.

I miss Dad every day.  Here he is, saying Hello, or maybe Goodbye.  Either way, he is surely watching over me.  I hope you enjoy my site.  


I would love to have you visit my other blog.  It's a special spot where I post things I have written including stories, poems and essays.  Come on by if you have time!
http://mrsgslifeinparadise.blogspot.com


Thanks for visiting today!