Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family
history through old photographs.
This week’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt depicts children
at play in the garden. Their wicker
furniture is out on the grass, not protected by a brick patio or wooden deck as
is the custom today. Wicker was truly “lawn
furniture.” Judging by the photos handed
down to me, my great grandmother Mary Theresa Sheehan Killeen Walsh had one
piece of lawn furniture: a wicker
chair. Count ’em. One.
The chair provided a good spot for picture-taking.
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| Helen is holding her nephew John Holland, my great-grandmother's first grandchild. I'm not sure who the other girls are, but Helen captioned this "The Gang" - 1918 |
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| Helen captioned this "Nora the Cook," but was she really a cook? It looks like Helen's oldest sister Aunt Lil. Maybe it's a joke?? |
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| Helen captioned this "Brothers" but I don't know who they are. |
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| Helen 1918 |
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| Helen Killeen and John Holland 1918 |
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| Helen Killeen captioned this "High Notions" about 1920 |
To see who else is playing in the garden, please visit
Sepia Saturday.
©
2014, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.
What always surprises me about our old sepia posts is that I look at pictures of other families from many different lands and I see the same faces and the same settings (wicker furniture and all). We all have so much more that unites us than could ever possibly divide us.
ReplyDeleteEver the philosopher! But I've often had a similar thought as I visit others -- that their family could be my family.
DeleteHow great that the family gathered around the same chair, and it seems to almost always have been in the same position!
ReplyDeleteGood eye -- the chair does seem to be in the same spot with the same background.
DeleteThat wicker chair saw a lot of use! What a clever theme . . . thanks to Mary Theresa Sheehan Killeen Walsh, her one wicker chair, and her penchant for having photographs taken in or around it! :))
ReplyDeleteThe chair looks rather sizable -- could hold quite a few folks for a photo.
DeleteThe Family Photo Chair.....looks like a Family Tradition. Also, a chair of multiple uses as a ladder and prop for the cook! Great pictures...perfectly applied to the Saturday prompt.
ReplyDeleteSue at CollectInTexas Gal
It was a good prop.
DeleteHelen and her gang. She sounds like a fun person. An interesting group of photos.
ReplyDeleteApparently Helen was quite the social one in the family.
DeleteI wonder what happened to the chair.
ReplyDeleteI would guess it was sold or passed on to someone after my great-grandmother died. I know that the Helen's oldest sister and her brother sold the house rather quickly.
DeleteI wonder what became of that chair? I guess it was beaten up and tossed out. Wouldn't it be great to have?
ReplyDeleteIt would be a fun chair to own. But I imagine by the time Mary Theresa died, the chair would have been viewed as old fashioned and therefore a piece of junk to throw away. Just my guess.
DeleteThe brother in the chair looks huge! I always enjoy your stories about Helen Killeen.
ReplyDeleteHe does! Must be a weird perspective.
DeleteYour wicker chair is like our Knott's Berry Farm photos. While we don't always take pictures of other places, it seems to be our photo spot. Great photos of the wonderful chair and of course, the people too.
ReplyDeleteI guess one day people will look at my photos and wonder what we found so great about the fireplace.
DeleteYou're right about outdoor furniture actually being kept under cover these days. I wonder where your chair sat when it wasn't being used for photos.
ReplyDeleteThere was a porch -- maybe the chair was there. Or maybe in a garage??
DeleteHelen sounds like she was a lot of fun!!
ReplyDeleteThe only wicker furniture I have in my family album can be seen in studio shots with my grandma.
Pretty safe, I daresay...
As "an old lady" Helen was bubbly, welcoming, funny, social -- so I imagine she was a lot of fun in her younger years too.
DeleteMarvellous - whenever anyone sat in that chair, they must have felt a photo opportunity coming on!
ReplyDeleteHa - yep. "Oh, let's get a picture."
DeleteI am guessing that the chair might have been moved to a good spot in the lawn especially for picture taking.
ReplyDeleteIt must have had good lighting over there because I see the same tree and building in each one.
DeleteWhat a history in that chair!. A great "take" on this week's theme/
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue.
DeleteI like Helen's captions. I'm with Tickle as the only wicker in my family seems to be in studio shots.
ReplyDeleteMy studio pictures have some wicker chairs too, mostly rather fancy.
DeleteThe same chair in each photograph! What a hoot!
ReplyDeleteTruly!
DeleteI love Helen's captions!
ReplyDeleteIt must have been THE THING to do because another aunt did the same thing with her photos. I'd prefer names to captions though.
DeleteHow great that Helen thought to caption her photos. Very entertaining, even if later no-one knows for sure who they are looking at. That chair would be a cherished family heirloom.
ReplyDeleteExactly -- I'd appreciate some hints, Aunt Helen!
DeleteNew chair, comfortable chair? Favorite chair, for sure! I think it's fun and funny that the chair features in so many photographs.
ReplyDeleteI would guess "comfortable" -- or maybe even "only." I hadn't noticed how often the chair was in Helen's photos until I went looking for something to meet this week's challenge.
DeleteThey were good strong chairs weren't they - not like the plastic outdoor chairs these days! Couldn't put 4 people on one chair now could you!?
ReplyDeleteGood point!
DeleteA wicker chair makes a great prop (in both senses in the last picture!).
ReplyDeleteOh groan ~ you're too funny, Marilyn.
Delete