Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Sepia Saturday -- Hair

I'm late for Sepia Saturday, but found a few bearded men in the family pictures for the March 10, 2012 "Hair" theme. I also found the above picture of my maternal grandmother's sister, Dell Marie Whitfield who was known for her beautiful curly hair that easily formed long ringlets. This picture was probably taken around 1930.

Below is Dave Harness, brother of my great- great- great grandmother, Rhoda Harness Hubbell. We have a pair of very old photo albums from this branch of my father's family. We also have the two sheets of paper my grandfather wrote names on as he asked his grandmother who the people in the photos were. Unfortunately, there were blank spaces on the page, and some incomplete names, like "The Boyce Girl". But the entry for Dave Harness, says, "Uncle Dave Harness, my great grandmother's brother". Uncle Dave was born in Virginia around 1823 and ended up in Kansas.



For the third photo, we go back to my mother's side. The smallest child, standing in the middle of the photo between his parents is my great-grandfather, John Whitfield. He is the only one of my great-grandparents that I met. He died when I was twelve, but I met him when I was very young... I barely remember it. The bearded man is his father, Benjamin Franklin Whitfield.




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4 comments:

  1. Great photos. My great aunt Daisy had hair that made curls like that. Every morning her mother would curl her hair and on the way to school she'd pump water on it because she didn't want to be the only one at school with cork screw curls. The second man looks like he has a tale to tell! and the last photo, the man has a very neatly trimmed beard and a large family.

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    1. Kristin -- I have to find out Uncle Dave's story. I don't really know anything about him yet.

      Was Daisy's mother upset when she came home with her hair all messed up?

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  2. Interesting mix of the types of family photos. Curls and ringlets were amazingly fashionable considering the work required to make them. Uncle Dave (which helps to prove my theory on uncles - see my blog) has a great beard and the hat and garb give him the look of a buffalo hunter. The last group photo has a lot of touchup painting by the photographer. Is it possible it was a collage of several different photos?

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    1. I think the photo was just a poor quality image, and the studio painted in some hair, etc. I don't think the girls really had those short hairstyles.

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