Happy Mother’s Day: mothers and babies
Okay, who are these three dark beauties?
A hint: one of them is the very first picture you’ve ever seen on this blog of neo-neocon, sans apple. Not that you’d recognize me, of course. Even my own mother might not recognize me from this photo.
My own mother, you say? Of course she would. Ah, but she’s here too, looking a bit different than she does today—Mother’s Day—at ninety-five years of age. Just a bit; maybe her own mother wouldn’t recognize her, either.
Her own mother? She’s the one who’s all dressed up, with longer hair than the rest of us.
The photo of my grandmother was taken in the 1880’s; the one of my mother in the teens of the twentieth century; and the one of me, of course, in the 1950s.
Heredity, ain’t it great? My mother and grandmother are both sitting for formal portraits at a professional photographer’s studio, but by the time I came around amateur snapshots were easy to take with a smallish Brownie camera. My mother is sitting on the knee of her own grandfather, my grandmother’s father, a dapper gentleman who was always very well-turned out. I’m next to my older brother, who’s reading a book to me but is cropped out of this photo. My grandmother sits alone in all her finery.
We all not only resemble each other greatly in our features and coloring, but in our solemnity. My mother’s and grandmother’s seriousness is probably explained by the strange and formal setting; mine is due to my concentration on the book, which was Peter Pan (my brother was only pretending to read it, since he couldn’t read yet, but I didn’t know that at the time). My mother’s resemblance to me is enhanced by our similar hairdos (or lack thereof), although hers was short because it hadn’t really grown in yet, and mine was short because she purposely kept it that way (easier to deal with).
My grandmother not only has the pretty ruffled dress and the long flowing locks, but if you look really closely you can see a tiny earring dangling from her earlobe. When I was young, she showed me her baby earrings; several miniature, delicate pairs. It astounded me that they’d actually pierced a baby’s ears (and that my grandmother had let the holes close up later on, and couldn’t wear pierced earrings any more), whereas I had to fight for the right to have mine done in my early teens.
I’m not sure what my mother’s wearing; some sort of baby smock. But I know what I have on: my brother’s hand-me-down pajamas, and I was none too happy about it, of that you can be sure.
So, a very happy Mother’s Day to you all! What would mothers be without babies…and mothers…and babies….and mothers….?
[NOTE: This is a repeat of a previous post.]
Happy Mother’s Day, and Happy Babies Day!
😉
If your Great Grandfather is say about 60 years old in that picture, that would put him being born somewhere around 1820 something. The history he saw.
I have had conversations with my 90 year old Grandfather who tells second hand tales from the American Civil war. He spoke with Civil War veterans in his youth. There is one he refers to as “Uncle” so and so- don’t recall the name right now…probably his great uncle rather than first uncle. Those links like that to the “distant” past amaze me.
One of them really is a tale- told by a returning veteran. My grandfather still laughs about it. One of the old veterans tried to claim he got caught between two Union army units and had to run a gauntlet of fire just to escape. Claimed everything but his cuff links got shot off.
Then my grandmother speaks of a time when all the males were off to war. (this was passed to her- she is 90 also) Some suspicious men came looking around the “community” so some of the women dressed as men and walked around to give the impression the women and children were not alone. There were bands of raiders that preyed on the women folk in those days when the men were gone.
Being an adorable little girl runs in your family, Neo.
Wow ! Dominant genes.
Male off spring have a tendency to display a predominance of mother features, in their face and hair, your son must be quite handsome. Lucky him, HMD.
Hey i know you. You were the nice lady in the tire store the other day. Lol…Happy Mothers Day Neo!
Uh Oh! I see myself slowly allowing me to become another emasculated respondent amonst the many you already have.
Suddenly the butter has been left out with the wrapper on and it is now warm and gushy.
Your needs may be satisfied by this but not mine. I’m outta here!
Happy Mother’s Day to us!
Not following you Gary. Maybe you could elaborate.
We’re all full of ourselves to one degree or another. That’s part of things.
Altogether now: “Aww….” No seriously, cute pics. And isn’t it funny how kids were forced to dress like professional adults in the olden days?
You were such a cute lil young’n!
BPT, I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time in my life scrutinizing European portraits and I was completely captivated by Neo’s grandmother’s attire. Clothing aside, the resemblance is remarkable. Happy Mother’s Day to those so blessed as to to be moms!
I just love looking at old photographs. I like your great grandfather’s expression, certainly not a scowl like in most older photos we see.
Happy belated Mother’s day.