Some more old photos from the album. These are of my maternal grandparents, taken around the turn of the century...1900s.
My grandfather, Poppi as we called him, was an identical twin. Numbers 11 and 12 in the family...or was it 13 and 14? You lose track among such big numbers!
I love the clothes and the stares. I imagine their mother hastily tidying their hair, brushing their fringes to the side, adjusting the bows.
They were harum scarum young men. Imagine how hard to make them stay still. I love the skewiff belt buckles.
My Poppi is on the right below. Belted jackets were all the rage obviously. And bows.
I love the props and various chairs.
He grew to be an electrician. Working on the boats in Sydney Harbour during the War. He was a tease and a raconteur and had a heart of gold.
And here is the girl he was to marry. My grandma whom we called Mardi (on the right)
I love the interestingly shaped chair and the beautifully embroidered dress.
Note the carefully turned socks with elastic underneath. I remember doing that before socks had elastane.
She was a savvy business woman who ran a succesful sandwich shop at the law courts in Sydney for many years.
She made beautiful clothes herself, and used to trim hats professionally.
She lived many years on her own and used to support my parents' mission work by taking in any passing mission worker who needed a place for the night. We used to invade her house for months on end when we had leave every three years. We remember it fondly. And I can still remember how her house smelled...a distictive but pleasant mix of summer grass, musty old house and furniture polish.
I hope you enjoyed meeting my ancestors!
What stands out to you?
Love,
Jazzy Jack
I do so love old photographs and your ancestors are gorgeous. Twins run in my family, too. There is always one that is more rascally than the other. Looks like you take after that one. ;)
ReplyDeleteWe love your comments about our special people. The twins were 13 & 14th in the family ! D&M xxxx
ReplyDeletei can totally see you in the faces of the twin boys!!!
ReplyDeletei wish i had such gorgeous pics from the childhood of my grandparents. but. fathers side was to poor for pics - mothers side had lived in berlin and dresden during world war 2. - all albums are gone in the bombardement and napalm fire storm......
xxxxx
I love old photos, and those were all fantastic. I called my fathers father poppi. That was one big family, I cannot imagine raising 13-14 kids, 2 was enough for me.
ReplyDeleteThat was fun! I love old photos and ancestor stories. It's amazing how 13 or so kids was kind of the norm once, though not really amazing when you think of it. I want to crawl back into bed thinking of it. xoxo
ReplyDeleteThey look like a pair of Santa's helpers!!! SOoooo many twins! There aren't any in my family!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the introduction to your Ancestors, how fantastic that they had professional Images taken... so few of my Ancestors did and most on Dad's Side, who are Native American, had none or very few at all given they thought it took their Souls away. *smiles* What I notice is how Serious everyone is in turn of the Century Photos... so perhaps few were all that comfortable in front of the lens since it was all rather new and maybe even a little bit unsettling? *Smiles* I do Wish I could have seen what some of the Elders looked like, or those who passed before I was even born and will never know what they looked like. It is Wonderful to have those Images Frozen in Time thru the eye of the lens to pass along one's History. Happy Spring... Dawn... The Bohemian
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