Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to
share family history through old photographs.
This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt is circus wagons, one
of which advertises birds, beasts, and reptiles. Oh my!
Whether my ancestors anticipated the circus coming to
town is a mystery as there is no photo to document such an occasion. But judging by the number of photos taken at
Ocean View, it is likely they caravanned to the beach every summer.
The photo album belonging to my great aunt Helen Killeen
Parker is a record of the beauty of an unspoiled beach pre-1920, the zany
antics of flappers and sheiks, and the pure joy of youth.
Among the memories captured in sepia are
BIRDS
 |
| I am not sure why Helen's friend is duck hunting in a sailor suit. |
BEASTS
 |
| Helen Killeen (Parker) and Unknown with a dog |
and
REPTILES
 |
| Thank-you ,Helen, for this brilliant caption. "Beach Lizards" |
Oh my!
Join the caravan and travel over to Sepia Saturday where
a virtual menagerie promises to amaze and delight.
©
2014, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.
Oh, I don't know, it seems to fit...sailor-beach-ducks...it's the shotgun that would have me running down the beach. OMGosh, the Beach Lizards is a priceless photo. Look at those suits and caps. Your Aunt Helen's a fun gal.
ReplyDeleteSue CollectInTexasGal~Today's Post~
Friday Faces...Confederate Cousin
Hi Sue. Yes, the pictures give me a whole new way of looking at Helen, who was always an "old lady" when I knew her. Sweet, but an old lady just the same.
DeleteThis one will be hard to beat with your very specific and witty references to Birds, Beast and Reptiles - what a gift!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marilyn. I admit, I was pretty pleased to find one for each category because there are NO circus wagons in my photos.
DeleteGotta love those beach lizards!
ReplyDeleteHave a great Friday. ☺
If it hadn't been for that funny caption, I would have had no contribution for Sepia Saturday.
DeleteHave a wonderful weekend!
Sorry not to see in your post one of those wonderful US caravans I use to see in the ads in National Geographic when I was a kid...Airsteams I think. It was something I measured my opinion of US life on !
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, Airstreams - the silver bullet. But you'll have to look elsewhere. My parents did not rough it - EVER. I had to join Girl Scouts to get a taste of the great outdoors, sleeping under the stars, cooking over an open fire. And it's funny to see what others are posting about "caravans." We call them "campers." To me, "caravan" is a verb.
DeleteYou did it again Wendy! Very fun post.
ReplyDelete:-) Very Kathy-esque, don't you think?
DeleteI can remember Ocean View as a quaint and slightly seedy resort in the late 60s when city people took to the bay shore in the summer to keep cool. I don't remember many beach lizards though.
ReplyDeleteAnd the sailor was a Petty Officer 1st Class according to his insignia. Usually there are no ducks on the beach or even the bay, so he might be holding a sea gull.
You're right about the absence of ducks. Now I'm wondering why he would be hunting a sea gull, except as target practice. My other thought is maybe this picture wasn't taken at a beach but along a river -- Helen had several pictures of friends camping and canoeing.
DeleteHow elegant are those "Beach Lizards"?
ReplyDeleteThat first photo is great too with a real "Board Walk".
The Beach Lizards were far more elegant than the nickname assigned.
DeleteBeach lizards! That's funny!
ReplyDeleteThat pose, with the people on their bellies, propped up on elbows, needs a name. I have wondered about that for a long time. It is a common pose that I find in abandoned photographs. The elbow pose? The belly pose? Nothing seems really right.
And don't forget the chin resting on clinched fingers!
DeleteThe "beach lizard" phrase made me think of "lounge lizards."
ReplyDeleteI wonder where their legs are. Maybe up like in this picture?
http://chuckman1920sarcadecardbeauties.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/photo-for-arcade-card-pin-up-woman-in-dress-like-bathing-suit-and-wrap-like-cap-lying-with-elbows-on-ground/
I would guess that pose is right. In another photo taken from a different direction (and with less sand in the picture!), they are close to that, some of the girls anyway.
DeleteLooking at the photo of the sailor with gun and bird and reading Mike's comment, I wonder if it was a sea gull if they ate it. I never heard of hunting sea gulls.
ReplyDeleteI certainly hope they didn't eat it! UGH! I've never heard of hunting sea gulls either, but maybe he was just doing target practice.
DeleteI have never heard of gull hunting either, odd...the lizard gals are my favorite...certainly ahead of that weird TV series where the aliens disguised as humans peel off their skins and show their true lizardness...nice trio of photos
ReplyDeleteEw - I hate movies like that. Too creepy for me. Can you tell I'm not a fan of reptiles?
DeleteThree fine photos which combine nicely for this week especially the Beach Lizards.
ReplyDeleteThank-ya, Sir!
DeleteI Love How The Lizards Composed Themselves!
ReplyDeleteHA -- yes, they're cute!
DeleteBeach Lizards, except for the era bathing suits and hats, could be a bevy of girls hanging out any place, any time. They looked so familiar. Great post.
ReplyDeleteI agree - a timeless view of beach fun.
DeleteWhat better pastime for your shore leave than to go duck hunting.
ReplyDeleteI suppose so. But where did he get the rifle/shotgun/whatever?
DeleteI'm sure I've mentioned to you before that my maiden name was Helen Killeen. Her name of course jumps off the page for me. Love all the photos but "Beach Lizard" is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteYes, I remembered Killeen was a family name but didn't realize YOU are Helen Killeen. I'm sure it is startling to see your own name in someone else's blog. Did your Killeens arrive in the US in the 1880s and live in New York?
DeleteExcellent, yes I love the beach lizards as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks -- makes for a good punchline, anyway.
DeleteHaha - the sailor suit duck hunter. What a great pic. Actually, they're all great pics! By the way, what does "Beach Lizard" mean anyway? I've never heard of that term before. =)
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what Helen meant by Beach Lizard. She probably made it up.
DeleteGreat sense of humor,
ReplyDeleteand lovely pics.
Maybe the guy was on leave only for a short time?
:D~
HUGZ
I LOVE the beach lizards photo! It really made me smile. Thanks, Wendy
ReplyDelete