30 thoughts on “My Grandparents Reading – Sepia Saturday #112

    1. I have so many more on my father’s side than I do on my mother’s side. I think the one family just had a brownie box camera so they only took outside photos.

  1. It’s interesting that anyone would even take a picture of someone reading. I wonder why the picture-taker didn’t say, “Look up and smile at the camera” like the rest of us tend to do!

    1. The Cleage photographers were students of the “slice of life photo” as opposed to the “smile for me photo “. These days I find myself telling my grandkids to just be natural and quit smiling like that.

  2. Wonderful photos. I agree with Wendy — our habit of “Say Cheese” wasn’t in vogue yet in the 40s.

    I also remember how men never took their suit jacket and tie off until bedtime. Sure glad that no longer is required! 🙂

    Peace…

  3. Ah, these are treasures. To have pictures of your grandparents is fine enough but to have them pictured absorbed in their reading is very special indeed.

  4. You are creating such a thread of family life for your children and theirs. You have the heart of a tender archivist. You curate with love. These are indeed precious.

    1. I’m seeing new things and making new connections myself as I do this too. I’m always surprised and pleased when one of my children makes a comment on one of my posts. Usually on fb or email.

    1. Mike, I think there are only a few photographs where my grandfather wasn’t wearing a suit and those were taken when he was in the country.
      Steph, you’re probably right. I never buy photos. I just go look through my collection again!

  5. How fortunate you are. Of course you have an amazing collection anyway. I have one photo of my grandfather reading his prayer book and one of my grandmother playing Canasta. Do you remember the card game Canasta? Had to have two decks of cards. Great SS.
    QMM

    1. I never played Canasta but I remember hearing about it. My card playing skills are limited to “War”, “Spades” and (at one time) “Poker”, and another one I can’t remember the name of.

  6. Kristin the pictures of your grandparents are beautiful. I wish I had known my Grandparents. I like the fact that they are not posed photos but photos of a moment in time frozen, giving us a chance to see them as they truly were. Thank you for sharing with us.

  7. These are wonderful photos, Kristin. Your comment about “slice of life” photos made me think about my own collection of old family pictures and realize that the unposed ones are the ones I love most of all.

  8. You always have such fascinating family photos. So many people just took posed photos. Your family took pictures of daily activities too, so you really get a sense of their lives.

  9. I adore these photos because they are not a “say cheese” snapshot. Both are really quite “poetic” and wonderful captures. Nice choice for this week’s topic.

  10. And those are not props added to give intellectual solidity to a vacuous portrait, it is so very clear that those are photographs of people who are actually reading and enjoying it.

  11. I knew you’d find something befitting with the theme.
    I wonder what she was looking at.
    She seemed so intent about it.

    And I like your reply that the Cleage were into “slices of life”.
    I also like that approach rather than forced joyfulness.
    🙂
    HUGZ

        1. I know. It just popped into my mind. I too like the slice of life much better. How many smiling, posed photos of a person do we need?

  12. Your grandfather looks as though he is relaxed and reading for pleasure, whilst grandma seems to be poring over a newspaper searching for something in particular. Both wonderful photos.

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