Category Archives: 1940s

Regina Anderson Andrews and the Power of Libraries

As a lover of both libraries and theater, it perhaps inevitable that I discovered Regina Anderson Andrews, playwright, actress, salon holder, and librarian in New York City from the 1920s to the 1960s.  Anderson (1901-1993) was born in Chicago and … Continue reading

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Meet Bricktop, International Star

Born in West Virginia in 1894, Ada “Bricktop” Smith gained her nickname because of her red hair. Her family soon moved to Chicago, a center of African American culture, where she started performing full time at age sixteen.  She didn’t … Continue reading

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Dottie Quinn–A Life in Pants

I love being able to follow a woman’s clothing choices from youth to age, sometimes possible when I stumble upon a family photo collection online.  That was the case for Sylvia Dorothy Quinn, known to all as Dottie.  Her husband, … Continue reading

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Hats of Different Nations, 1946

More hats! Featured in the Chicago Sun Times in November 1946, this photo shows an election polling site at a hat shop on Rush St. in downtown Chicago. The owner, Mrs. Annette Conkey, took advantage of the occasion to show … Continue reading

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At the Beach, 1940s

Since Labor Day is fast approaching, the official end to summer in the US, I thought I needed at least one more beach photo.  This couple certainly looks to be enjoying the sun, especially the man with his sun glasses … Continue reading

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In the Chicago Bus Station, 1943

In 1943, the Office of War Information sent the young photographer Esther Bubley on a six week bus tour of the United States to document how people were living in wartime. Many of her photos show soldiers on the move, … Continue reading

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My Family, Post War

I discovered this treasure while cleaning out my mother’s house in preparation for her move to a board and care home. It features my mother’s family on the steps of their house in South Chicago. If asked, I think I … Continue reading

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Aging in Color: Ruth Adler Schnee

Famous textile designer Ruth Adler Schnee (1923-2023) died this month at the age of 99.  She is credited with bringing textile design into the world of midcentury modernism.  The daughter of an antiquarian bookseller and a Bauhaus graduate, her family … Continue reading

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Celebrating their 90th Birthdays, 1949

This celebratory photo marks the ninetieth birthdays of Effie Appleby and Amy Bigelow. Both were members of the Women’s Guild of the Pilgrim Congregational Church in Madison, Wisconsin, which threw a party in their honor. The photo description explains that … Continue reading

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Department Store Halloween Party, 1946

Halloween high jinks by adults is nothing new, as we can see in this photo of the Paris Company Department Store staff in 1946.  However, this fun snapshot does give us a fairly rare chance to see older women dressed … Continue reading

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