Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family
history through old photographs.
This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt suggests any number of
alliterative possibilities including brushes, bellies, British bobbies, bums,
and beards. Unfortunately – or not – I
come from a long line of clean-shaven men.
But there are a few memorable beards.
There is a DISTINGUISHED beard:
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| Billy Long, the father of neighbors of my great grandparents in Shenandoah, VA |
Some GOAT beards:
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| My 2X great-grandfather James Franklin Jollett |
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| 2X great granduncle John Wesley Jollett |
Some GRIZZLEY beards:
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| Unknown -- I suspect he is a Davis, maybe my 2X great grandfather Mitchell Davis |
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| Family of Daniel and Lydia Kohne |
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| Family of Adam and Caroline Kohne my husband's great grandparents (the littlest girl is his grandmother) |
And even some FAKE beards:
I don’t know where I had been – grocery store probably,
but this is the scene I came home to in August of 1993.
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| Left to right: Kim age 10, Jordan age 12 Meghan age 13, Zoe age 10 |
Masking tape beards and rolled paper cigarettes always
make a game of cards more fun. (And for
the record, the beer was NOT opened, thank-goodness.)
Whether the idea sprang from boredom or mischief, those girls
set the bar high on creativity.
For more beards and maybe some bellies and bobbies, get
your bum over to Sepia Saturday.
©
2014, Wendy Mathias. All rights
reserved.
A find collection of beards. But i particularly liked the Kohne family groups who appear to be such hard-working families who got their descendants off to a good start.
ReplyDeleteThe Kohne photos draw me in -- in some ways they seem very rough, especially those barefoot boys. Yet they posed for a photo, so there was obvious pride in the family.
DeleteHi Wendy, I love that last photo it shows what a creative family you have. Your older family photos are also wonderful, so many spectacular beards. Most of the men in our family are clean shaven, such a shame as there is nothing nicer than a good beard! Have a great weekend, Barbara.
ReplyDeleteI was rather surprised I had so few beards to choose from.
DeleteYeah - some funny girls!
Love the kids playing at beards, and I hope the tape didn't sting too much coming off!
ReplyDeleteI must remember to ask them that.
DeleteThat last picture was a scream! If I were you, I think I might have been just a little afraid to be gone & wonder, warily, what I would come home to?!! What fun & how rewarding to have kids who know how to have fun with imagination!
ReplyDeleteI laugh every time I look at that picture. I also congratulate myself for having the presence of mind to grab the camera.
DeleteHa, ha, ha. That's a funny collection of photos.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed!
DeleteI am impressed with that you have all those old photos of ancestors with beards and even the father of neighbors of your great grandparents.
ReplyDeleteYeah, having a photo of the grandfather of my grandfather's childhood friend is puzzling. It makes me wonder about the etiquette and customs of exchanging photos back then.
DeleteFor someone boasting a family history of a "long line of clean-shaven men," you certainly were able to produce quite a variety of bearded subjects--with a little help from your friends, of course ;)
ReplyDeleteWell, you know how modest I am ;-)
DeleteYou made this bearded guy chuckle, Wendy, especially with your title. The Kohne family photos are fantastic images that are unlike the usual period family photos and yet so alike each other. Presumably they are brothers, but taken where?
ReplyDeleteActually Daniel is Adam's uncle, but they were not that far apart in age. Adam's father was the oldest brother, about 15 years older than Daniel. They lived in Hardy County, West Virginia. Aren't these photos wonderful? They look rough-and-tumble, and yet the girls look clean and well-dressed. The older boys in Adam's photo are very dressed up yet the kids are barefoot.
DeleteHa ha, love the beards. The final photo is a real classic!
ReplyDeleteTruly. I'm sure it'll continue to prompt a lot of laughter when the girls look back on this photo one day.
DeleteI’m not a huge fan of beards but these are all fine specimens. The Kohne family groups are interesting. They were a thrifty family; both photos show that a bale of fabric has been used for more than one member of the family.
ReplyDeleteI noticed the fabric too - I'm sure none was wasted.
DeleteThe girls are hilarious. James Franklin looks like he just thought of something funny. That small beginning smile is endearing. I love the way beards come and go in fashion. Almost all our under 50 family members sport facial hair of some kind. In a decade, clean shaven, they'll look back and wonder why they thought it looked good. Wonderful post.
ReplyDeleteIsn't James Franklin cute? He has a sweet face.
DeleteThat photo of your kids is a hoot! And seriously Wendy, seeing those other photos makes me wonder if we are "kin." I've got some very similar pictures of my ancestors.
ReplyDeleteIf not kin in fact, certainly kindred spirits.
DeleteDavis looks like Frazier Crane's brother LOL....and I love all the photos, especially those little girls :) I really need to scan one particular photo and sent it to you...it is one of my husband's grandmother's side of the family from the 1860's...there was a family of 7 sons, each with a beard bigger than the father's. When a son turned of age to fight in the Civil War, the family sent him to Utah, which was only a territory at the time. They were good Mormons and had other family living in UT.so it was easy.
ReplyDeleteHappy Weekend!
Please send the photo! The escape to Utah sounds a bit like the boys heading to Canada during the Vietnam years.
DeleteA great collection of beards there, especially Daniel Kohne's.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's a winner.
DeleteThat first Kohne family portrait is an absolute beauty. I feel like I'm there!
ReplyDeleteWith the two girls holding flowers, I wonder about the occasion for that photo. I thought wedding but there's no groom.
DeleteGreat photos...all with stories to tell. Loved the 'Old Family' photos...women in Aprons, dresses made of the same fabric (Daniel & Lydia) photo and guys with 'Bows' tied around their neck...never saw that before. Those barefoot boys look like they were about to be shot....a traveling photographer no doubt...who certainly didn't say "Cheese" but 'Boo'. Oh, and the Beards were note worthy, too...loved the title. The Dynasty Bro's would be proud to make your Virginia Clan...especially since they seem to less popular these days. We will likely see them advertising razor blades when clean shaving comes back in style.
ReplyDeleteThe barefoot boys are a sharp contrast to the well-dressed older brothers.
DeleteI don't think Daniel or Adam either one would have been much of a "Cheese" sayer.
You have such a wonderful collection of photographs and, as usual, did not disappoint with your beard display!
ReplyDeleteI guess I have more beards than I thought.
DeleteOh my gosh, that last picture is awesome! You found a lot of beards to show us.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Wendy ...
Kathy M.
I love that picture! Hugs backatcha ~
DeleteMagnificent beard collection made fun by the kids at the end - but dangerous with those 'fake' cigarettes.
ReplyDeleteYes, all sorts of questionable behavior right under my roof.
DeleteI love the beards! I've never thought about my ancestor's shaving habits but I probably will now. And the last picture - priceless!
ReplyDeleteWell, pull out those old pictures and let's have a look.
DeleteKids do love to have fun with fake beards...just recently got a pic of grandson "looking just like Grandad" with a soap beard. I think grizzly beard man looked a bit scary!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, I forgot about soap beards. We used to do that as kids too.
DeleteJust wondering what you classify as a 'grizzley' beard - is it a natural looking one, as opposed to being trimmed and manicured? Great collection of photographs.
ReplyDeleteOh, I was looking at those wild-looking, unkempt, out-of-control beards as grizzley. No?
DeleteI'm chuckling. As I was admiring all your photos of bearded men the thought crossed my mind, "no bearded ladies." And there they were at the end of your post! What wonderful family photographs you have, Wendy.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of German blood -- I could provide a photo of one great-grandaunt who supposedly had a beard, but I don't see it in her photos.
Delete