This photo of my mother, Doris and her sister, Mary V. Graham was taken in 1933. My mother was 10 years old and her sister was 13 years old. The photograph was taken on Belle Isle, an island park in the Detroit River between Detroit and Canada. You can see the river in the background.
They lived with their parents, Fannie and Mershell on Theodore Street. My grandfather worked at Ford Motor Co. at the River Rouge Plant. They had a dog named Bonzo. Their little brother, Howard, had died the year before from complications of diabetes and scarlet fever.
Darling picture of two sisters.
Beatiful pics!
Great picture. Thanks for sharing.
Your mother has such a sweet, shy expression in the photograph, almost as though she was sharing a secret with the photographer. Adorable.
I loved the photo and the story…
Thank you all for your positive comments. I think 1933 was an especially good year for their family photographs.
I just love the expressions on their faces. Beautiful!
Mysterious but charming smiles!
Two demure young ladies with just a hint of mischief in those smiles.
Photo reminds me of my mother and my aunt — about the same age difference! I love the white socks (remember those?)
A beautiful photo of your mom and aunt. But it’s so sad about their brother.
Nancy
I do remember white socks!
It was their second brother. The first one also died as a child. Very sad.
Love those shy smiles! Their family had a lot of sadness.
I can only imagine all the sniggles and giggles and secrets they shared. This was Wonderful!
I love the shy look on your mothers face. Her sister looks kind of blasé.
What a lovely photo! Oh how sad about their brother though.
A great photo of your mother and aunt they are lovely and they have the sweetest expressions.
A beautiful photo Kristin. The expressions are so natural and un-posed. So sad that the girls lost both their brothers though.
They were beautiful little girls. I especially like Mary V’s expression.
The death of their brother still tells in their faces – they seem reluctant to smile, as if it’s just too soon. Truly a lovely photo.
You seem to have an endless collection of wonderful photos, Kristin. Perhaps 1933 was a good year because of a new camera? A new photographer?
Or maybe they wanted to capture those moments because they realized how fleeting they can be.
They are so pretty in their white dresses with their little white socks. How sad that they lost two brothers.
Pretty girls, but where were the other [many] siblings?!?
🙂
HUGZ
My Graham grandparents only had four children and both the boys died before 1933. The Cleages were the ones with 7 children.
Alright!!
I was really tired I guess when I read this…
I thought she was child #10 and her sister #13.
Sorry!!!
😀
HUGZ
Ahhh. Just fixed that for any other sleepy head out there reading.
Oh, you really didn’t have to!!
How likely another sleepy francophone will make THAT mistake… I feel silly now!!
😉
HUGZ
Scarlet fever is much more common among children aged 5 to 15 years than other people. It used to be considered a serious childhood illness. However, modern antibiotics have made it a much less threatening disease. If left untreated scarlet fever can sometimes lead to serious conditions that affect human organs, including the heart and kidneys.:””.
Enjoy your day
<http://healthwellnesslab.com/index.php/
Yes, I know several children, including a granddaughter, who have had scarlet fever in modern times and suffered no ill effects.