Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family
history through old photographs.
This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt features men at work.
This photo postcard of the employees of the Seaboard Supply Company shows that
workplaces are often happy places, especially when an employer regards his
workers as family.
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| Mr. Lee front and center Helen Killeen Parker second from right on the front row |
There is even a child in the picture.
The back of the card speaks highly of the boss, Mr. J. W.
Lee.
“Every time I look at this picture I only wish I could go
back over the wonderful times I had. I will never forget the Seaboard Supply
Co. and Mr. J. W. Lee for the good time he gave us. May God bless him.”
The card is not signed, let alone addressed. Maybe it was
sent to my grandaunt Helen Killeen Parker who worked there for a while. Or
maybe she wrote it herself in reflecting on the past. However, there are 2 X’s
at the bottom of the photo; the one on the right is beneath Helen’s picture.
The X on the left denotes someone I don’t know. Maybe she sent the card.
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| Helen is second from right |
The second photo card is probably from another year. That
is Mr. Lee with Helen to his left. Why were these women singled out for a
photo? Maybe they were the secretarial pool.
What was Seaboard Supply? In 1930, Helen was a
stenographer for a plumbing supply company. I’m assuming that was
Seaboard. Seaboard is a common name in
the Hampton Roads area where we live. There was the Seaboard railroad headquartered
in Portsmouth, and the name has been attached to roads and businesses nearby. But there are national companies with the
name Seaboard too. So whether Seaboard Supply was one of those or simply a
now-defunct local business is a question left to be answered.
See who else is working at Sepia Saturday. Ladders and
hard hats are optional.
© 2015, Wendy Mathias.
All rights reserved.
That last picture is great! I can really see what Helen looked like as a young lady. Man, I see Leo's kids' faces in her face!
ReplyDeleteThe ladies look so Downton Abbeyish!
I missed all of your history, photos and postcards while I was without a computer. Makes me want to dig through my old albums from my grandmother.
ReplyDeleteTGIF!
The good old days when people liked their work and appreciated the employer! Can you imagine anyone wearing a white suit like Mr. Lee's today? The photo of Lee and the four ladies is great. Is the other lady with the x, the woman on the far left in this photo. Helen looks splendid in this shot.
ReplyDeleteOh I do hope you can figure out what the company actually was...though with so many of the same name it is challenging. Since I did a temp office job at a plumbing supply place, I can say there sure weren't many men in suits there...so this seems to have been an outfit with a lot more employees who wore business gear, or maybe they did that just for the photo.
ReplyDeleteThe picture of Mr. Lee with the four ladies is great. They might very well have been his secretary and steno pool, but they look like they were dressed up for a special occasion - the ladies all in their cloche hats. Mr. Lee is holding his straw hat on his knees. Was he not wearing it in the photo out of respect for the ladies, I wonder. Too bad though, because I think he would have looked rather dapper wearing it. I wonder if he cocked it off to the side, or wore it straight on? I'm guessing the former. His expression gives just the hint of a bit of a devilish personality. :)
ReplyDeleteI could not for the life of me remember why Seaboard Supply seemed so familiar, but just now remembered that when I lived in London in the 1970s I got my electricity supply from Seeboard (South Eastern Electricity Board!)
ReplyDeleteWhatever industry Seaboard were in, it seems that Mr Lee was a great boss and his employees thought highly of him. He looks like a kindly soul with his young ladies around him. Jo
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine people today writing this about their bosses? Of course today people would just write something snarky on FB and then regret it later when the boss calls them into the office.
ReplyDeleteLovely shots.
It sounds like an interesting adventure is afoot in discovering all about this! Cute child in the first photo and that last photo is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy seeing the fashions from years gone by, Great photos.
ReplyDeleteA great example of when a business was run as a family.
ReplyDeleteTry looking at trade directories for the period, and I think you'll find your answer. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteFirst photo: If the lady wearing the white dress in the back row swapped places with the lady wearing the dark dress in the front row it would be more balanced :)
ReplyDeleteI love the last photograph of the boss with his bevy of cloche-wearing beauties. Is that Mr Lee's hat on his knees?
ReplyDeleteI love the hats in the second photo!!!
ReplyDelete