Tag Archives: special occasion

Grannies on the Red Carpet, 2024

It’s not every day that older women can steal the show on the red carpet.  However, that was the case recently when Chang Li Hua and Yi Yan Fuei showed up in Hollywood dressed in custom Rodarte.  Vogue even took … Continue reading

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A Remade Sari Dress, 1971

I was ready to call this remake of a sari an unwelcome appropriation of traditional clothing.  A South Asian woman on my block who sold her saris before she died expressed a final wish that they not be cut up … Continue reading

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New Year’s Day at Ocean Beach in San Diego, 1918

Greeting the New Year with a dive into water is a tradition in many parts of the world.  In South America the water might be warm, while in Russia it is surely icy.  Although temperatures usually hover in the sixties … Continue reading

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Considering Mrs. Claus

A recent viewing of Miracle on Thirty-Fourth Street made me consider the fate of Mrs. Claus (or Kringel), the often forgotten partner of Santa.  Her history stretches back to the nineteenth century, but she is almost always left out of … Continue reading

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Christmas Tamales, 1960

If you are lucky enough to live in an area where people have come from Mexico or Central America, you might know about the Christmas tamale tradition.  Although this sweet or savory confection is made for many different holidays, it … Continue reading

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Thanksgiving Travel, 1951

The caption for this photo reads: “92-year-old great grandmother Mrs. C. C. Adams of Hooker, Oklahoma, reversed the old saying ‘over the hills to grandma’s house’ when she decided to take her first flight via TWA Skycoach to greet part … 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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Dress-Up Party, 1960s

This isn’t really much of a dress-up party, since the hostess isn’t wearing a costume and her guest only has on a Groucho Marx mask.  (You can still buy one!) Still, it shows older women having a lot of fun.  … Continue reading

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A Late Sixties Wedding

A sixties wedding!  The puzzle is to figure out who is marrying whom. The tall couple on the right might be the best choice, since the woman’s tiara is the biggest.  Would that make the shorter couple in the middle … Continue reading

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Labor Day Race, 1917

I thought it might be hard to find photos of women on Labor Day doing anything but dishing up potato salad, but I was wrong.  The Digital Pubic Library of America, one of my favorite sources, had many pictures of … Continue reading

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