Sunday, March 29, 2009

ancestors

Yesterday I went into the loft over the garage to begin sorting through some of the things stored up there. I found four of these ancestor photos. They are about fifteen inches tall. Maybe more. Mom had them hanging on her bedroom wall in Connecticut, then when she moved up here they went into the loft. All four are of her relatives. This one was my great-grandmother.


I was named after her. Mom kindly labeled all the pictures which is very helpful. I plan to hang them on the walls of my future home. Today has been rainy and lazy. I have accomplished little. Oh wait, I did wrap and box the last of my Grandmother's dinnerware set. Six boxes. And I wrapped and boxed these four portraits.

29 comments:

Annie said...

Cool photo. Packing does not sound too lazy to me :-).

~Babs said...

SO helpful that your Mom had labeled everything.
There used to be a portrait in the oval frame like this on my Grandmother's wall. I have no idea who got it,,,, or where it went, but I hope someone is caring for it, like you are this one.
Packing is hard work sometimes. Not just physical,,but it can be stressful on the head.
I was lazy today,,and some days are just good for that!

kj said...

it was a lazy rainy day, suki. i'll bet you are percolating...
:)

marianne said...

What a great found!
So clever of your Mom to label them. We have a lot of these old pictures but we don´t have an idea who they are........
Good that you that them with you!

patti said...

It's kind of a funny feeing to see these people that we share genes with, who we never knew, but who must have been like us at least in some small way. A lovely thing to have.

patti said...

Sorry that would be 'feeling' oops!

Mim said...

very smart to have labeled them. You sound like you are really getting ready to make a move. Have you decided where yet???

soulbrush said...

i adore these old photographs, oh yes they will look splendid hung again. where to??? any decisions yet??? can't wait to hear all about your new adventure suki. 'one door closes and another door opens'.

Unknown said...

Ancestors! So fascinating, so if I read well, her ancestors came from Switzerland?
And I wonder what your new home will be and where....
love
Andrea
(here it's cold and sun is shining)

Lisa at Greenbow said...

How wonderful to have a picture of a long ago relative. Packing is not a lazy endeavor. You deserve a lazy day anyway. Cheers.

ArtistUnplugged said...

It is so helpful that your mom labeled everything. What priceless photos. I have one of my grandfather when he was 3 with his mom who past away shortly after the photo. It is in a same almost identical. I learned after going through my parents things that I should label my things. Packing is alot of work! I enjoyed your video posted Saturday!

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

Packing IS work. Sorting IS work. Nice she labeled everything as most of my parents and grandparents pix were not. So to me they are worthless. I can see the resemblance in your name sake.

sukipoet said...

Annie, true packing, even in small segments, is work but in some ways it doesnt seem like it. But still it makes me tired.

Babs, Mom was great a labeling, for sure. And I do benefit from her care. I may be the last family person to cherish these photos unless my son does after me.

KJ i can only wait and see

Marianne, I also have smaller pictures of ancestors, lots of tintypes and photos of soldiers in the Civil War who are relations.

sukipoet said...

Patti, yes it is. I saw a tv clip of a young violinist who practices in front of an entire wall covered with pictures of her ancestors. I thought that very moving.

Mim, my goal is to pack all that I can as completely as i can. I have no place to move to though. but i want to be ready. also i can take these things to a storage unit.

soulbrush, i have made no decision. making decisions is very very slow for me. meanwhile that means i must bear with "not knowing."

sukipoet said...

andrea, one side of the family came from Switzerland. French Switzerland. Maybe that's where I got my craze for things French. The rest were British.

Thanks Lisa. I lay on the couch and watched a movie on TV. Really, I should have taken a nap. Even today I feel a bit groggy.

sukipoet said...

artist unplugged, i am not as good as mom at labels. however, i did go through a few old photo albums with mom and wrote down who the people were. my own photos though remain unlabeled.

Cris, oh my. you see a resemblance?? Hmmm. She and all these guys are so grim looking. But I do think the shape of the face is similar. Thanks.

sukipoet said...

artist unplugged, i am not as good as mom at labels. however, i did go through a few old photo albums with mom and wrote down who the people were. my own photos though remain unlabeled.

Cris, oh my. you see a resemblance?? Hmmm. She and all these guys are so grim looking. But I do think the shape of the face is similar. Thanks.

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

I think it's the eyes Suki. There's something there. Not totally you but something.

Tess Kincaid said...

Ancestral photos are such treasures! I need to work on labeling more of mine. We have a whole stack of unidentifieds from WT's side. So sad that all those who knew them personally are long gone. They're names will most likely remain a mystery.

Lynn Cohen said...

Lovely portrait of grandmother. They will look wonderful in your new home. I have some old ones too should post sometime. I love one especially where all the women (dad's sisters) made their own dresses, all long and very detailed.

Mary Richmond said...

fun to find these old family photos, isn't it? one side of my family marked and labeled things but the other didn't. i have a whole book of old photos and not a clue who most of them are....sort of sad. it has got me labeling things as i put them away for my own children....

San said...

Suki, your great-grandmother appears to be a woman of substance. You are lucky to have these ancestors' images, and your mother's thoughtful labeling. I have an envelope of little snapshots of family members, and my own mother labeled those. I treasure them and want to frame them someday.

Blue Sky Dreaming said...

Your new home will reflect your family connection what with the framed photos and your grandmother's
dishware. Sorry it is all packed in boxes...I would love to see the pattern.

Teri and her Stylish Adventure Cats said...

Oh, how wonderful and centering knowing that those photos will hang in your new home...like a circle of life where ever you may be, your family with you...

My dad always had a dark room and took many photos of us (me and my 3 brothers) and my mom and grandparents. I love looking at those photos, sort of remind me of an old Bogart movie (as many were taken in Persia)...I have a few hung on the stairways and enjoy them and smile, though many are still stored away awaiting frames and time and a place to put them...

Teri said...

Wow Suki, those are really treasures and gosh, all the dates! wow. I'm happy you are going to use and enjoy them.

The Clever Pup said...

I love, love, love old photographs and family tales. I can sort through pictures, family trees for hours. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Do you know this website? I didn't type in the full record.
www.familysearch.org
1880 Census: Monroe, Fairfield Co., Connecticut
Henry W. ROBINSON - Head - 46 - Mason
Martha P. ROBINSON - Wife - 35
Willie H. ROBINSON - Son - 8
Samuel B. ROBINSON - Son - 5
Susan J. TONGUE - Niece - 14
Agusta E. TONGUE - Niece - 5

Seems Susan's mother Emily was a widow, age 37 was living and "keeping house" with William B. Beardsley, a farmer in Monroe, CT.

Jude said...

What a wonderfulmum, labelling the photos, we have so many that have no names on..

Anonymous said...

Seeing the writing on the back of the photo gave me huge pleasure as someone who used to spend hours each week on the family genealogy. Blessings on the heads of every one of our ancestors who were thoughtful enough to write down names, dates of birth, places of birth.