Huntsville Prison Rodeo 1953, my Grandfather with Linda sitting between his feet, my Uncle Cecil Grandmothers Oldest Brother. Uncle C was sitting next to Dale Robertson and I am absolutely sure there is another photo of Dale since he was well known in the 50s. He died in 2013 and he talked to my Uncle for a very long time because Robertson was a native Oklahoman, and my Uncle Cecil had lived in Oklahoma City for many years before the depression hit. So all of them had a lot in common to just meet each other in Huntsville Tx. I was sitting on the right of my Grandfather but my Grandmother must have taken the photo. I remember the rodeo having attended several years until we all got older. About Robertson, he was a WWII veteran like my Grandfather and fought in Africa and Europe and was wounded twice. I feel pretty sure they all found a lot to talk about.
The reason just about every boy you see in these old old photos wearing shoes two times too large was because they cost too much to buy new shoes every time the boy out grew them. A pair of oversized shoes would last twice as long.
I wore Jeans with knee patches to school, might as well, a new pair wouldn't last long without a patch. Also got my shoes resoled and heeled because back in the day leather was real tough and last forever. I had to beg my Grandmother to buy me a pair of Buster Brown high top military boots with the two buckles. Those boots lasted a long long long time. Only problem was they wouldn't allow me to wear them to church.
We wore flip flops and brogans. Also, penny loafers were worn a lot then. Brown and white or black and white oxfords I think it was.
This is a photo in the middle of WWII of my old airfield in South Vietnam. It was built by the Japanese and was a bomber base. One ragged hangar was still left when we took over in the early 60s and was gradually upgraded, occupied by the Marines, Air Force and finally Army. My first unit was on the empty end of the strip which is clearly shown, and my second unit the 121st would be that group of buildings to the left of the photo which is North. Amazing I lived long enough to see this photo and what the airfield looks like today. There was an American pilot shot down and captured over saigon and survived in a prison camp until the end of the war. He was also shot down over North Vietnam and also survived. I forget his name but not the story because it is truly a miracle he went thru so much and returned home alive not once but twice.
Two photos, our old home in the early 50s Houston. I was in second grade at Berry Elementary only two blocks from the house. I stopped and talked to the owner about a month before I left Houston again and moved back here in La. He had bought the whole property which had an garage apartment in the rear, then added on to the house all the way to the back of the property. My old bedroom on the back porch is gone now, not gonna cry about that because it was one cold room. The black n white is me and Linda, my Aunt but we were raised as brother and sister. She is in an assisted living home in Arizona near Phoenix but the town is named Surprise Arizona. Really pretty place and my brother and mother was living there when the brother died. Mother moved to Las Vegas and there is where she died with complications of an infected knee replacement decades old. I can remember in the black n white the morning John Glen made the first round the earth space ride. It was really big news and the school had a special audio visual session when school opened. Lord the place has changed, except for the big Pecan tree and those wild bamboo stalks taller than the house. My grandmother tried everything in this world to get rid of those bamboo stalks but you just can't get rid of them. I know that house must be 80 years old or more. It and the bamboo will outlive me at least another 50 years or more ?
About two blocks from the Blvd. I have known about this great rejuvenation project where rich people all bought up the Heights. I saw some 12 years ago that had sold for over 150,000. You could have bought the place we lived in for 7000. New homes in 1953 were selling for 7000 built by Suburban Homes. Our first home was new and that was exactly what it cost then. No grass, my folks planted it and believe it or not that old place is 74 years old and still there, the doggone ditch has never been closed by the city. You would think they made enough from property taxes to close that ditch. Someone made an extra room from the old garage. When new it had a closed back porch that had our new wringer washing machine. I have good pictures of it then and love to look at it now and see that all the neighbors of that time have new homes on their old property. My Grandfather drove a gasoline delivery truck with a long trailer Crow Flite and he would stop for lunch if he was in town. The truck and trailer was almost as long as the side frontage of the property. Some of the photos have flower pots made from the nail kegs that was used to build the house. Heh My Grandmother loved to plant those little Christmas Tree Peppers and make hot sauce for the dining room table.
Me in 1950 1950 The original photo had a cloths line full of washing in the background but hubby edited out ( years ago) using photo shop
My husband had feet problems so bad they put him on a fork lift instead of on the line at the factory where he worked. One day we went to the Red Wing shoe outlet on a trip and I actually measured his feet. He had been wearing safety shoes waaaaayyyy to big for him. His mother instilled in him to do that. I had to convince him that that was part of his foot problem. His feet were not going to grow into his shoes anymore!
Good morning to all- Looking at all of these black and white photos is very interesting to me. I learned photography back in the black and white chemical darkroom days. I have spent years of my life in the total dark feeling around for chemicals, loading cans, film rolls- it was a very good way to come to understand the requirements of old time photography. I made a little money at it, too. I will admit, I do like the digital photography systems very much better. No nasty chemicals, no long periods in the darkroom, no very limited number of shots to be had before the roll of film was used up- and I can send photos to be published with the push of a button instead of waiting weeks and weeks to get photos to magazines in the mail. Old black and whites are nice, but I do like today's photography much better. you all be safe and keep well- Ed
I had photography in Jr High, not many schools had the course. We all had our own photo which we done all the work, at the end of the course.
I recently found this black and white photo of my father ( last man on the right) and his buddies, when he served in the CCC during World War II. I particularly like the way they framed the photo with trim. Below is a copy and paste about the CCC. Roosevelt established the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. The CCC or C's as it was sometimes known, allowed single men between the ages of 18 and 25 to enlist in work programs to improve America's public lands, forests, and parks. Considered by many to be one of the most successful of Roosevelt's New Deal programs, the CCC planted more than three billion trees and constructed trails and shelters in more than 800 parks nationwide during its nine years of existence. The CCC helped to shape the modern national and state park systems we enjoy today.