Tag Archives: lace

Burning the Mortgage, 1915

Posted on November 4, 2021 by Lynn

Photographs often document big moments in life—the wedding, the baby, the new house.  A tradition in Black churches is to mark the end of mortgage payments, the moment when property finally belongs to the residents, with a mortgage burning ceremony.  … Continue reading →

Posted in 1910s | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Great Grandmother Caro Visits America

Posted on October 22, 2021 by Lynn

Reader Davrie Caro sent photos of a special family gathering in San Diego.  His great grandmother, second from right in the photo above, visited the United States for several months in 1992-93.  The photo above shows a surprise birthday party … Continue reading →

Posted in 1990 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Mary B. Talbert, Feminist Icon

Posted on February 12, 2021 by Lynn

Why isn’t Mary B. Talbert (1866-1923) better known?  I discovered her through a feature on black women suffragists at the Digital Public Library of America.  However, suffrage was just one of her causes.  She was involved in the anti lynching … Continue reading →

Posted in 1910s, 1920s | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

On the Go, 1938

Posted on May 14, 2020 by Lynn

What trips have you given up this summer?  I had two planned, one to see my daughter in the Boston area and another to visit an old friend in England.  As a financially stable woman nearing 70, I am in … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Graduation Day

Posted on May 9, 2020 by Lynn

As I continue thinking about things we can’t do now, I bring you this photo of what must be a college graduation day.  My guess is that it comes from the mid to late 1950s.  The photo is an old … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Girl Group, 1940s

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Lynn

This lineup of women with great legs comes from a Chicago antique store.  Perhaps this is a family gathering of mothers, daughters, aunts, and nieces.  The skirt lengths and cuts indicate that this photo was most likely taken in the … Continue reading →

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Avon Calling, 1940

Posted on July 15, 2019 by Lynn

As someone who started historical research with a card catalog and a pencil, I am continually amazed at how much is available on line. Although it is surely not complete, a good bit of the Avon Company archive is available … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Rookwoods, 1907

Posted on June 14, 2019 by Lynn

Sometimes you find astonishing information on the back of old snapshots.  This one turned out to be a treasure.  It reads: “1907–Miss Helen Culver and Miss French at their home Rookwoods, Lake Forest, Ill.  Back entrance.”  Imagine my delight when … Continue reading →

Posted in 1900s | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A Uniform for the Old–A Lace Collar on a Black Dress

Posted on March 5, 2019 by Lynn

Last week’s photo reminded me that the black dress with a lace collar served as a kind of uniform for the old in the first half of the twentieth century.  The outfit combines two elements deemed necessary in any older … Continue reading →

Posted in 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Visiting the New York World’s Fair

Posted on February 26, 2019 by Lynn

The New York Public Library has a huge digital collection of photographs and documents from the 1939-40 New York World’s Fair.  Among the photos, you can find not only the expected ones of striking buildings, but also hundreds of shots … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, 1940s, General | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments