Tuesday, January 1, 2008

January Theme Day: Picture Of the Year

My brother, sisters and I got together after Christmas in New Jersey. One of my sisters had a big box of old family photos going back at least 67 years, many of which I had never seen. She made a CD for each of us of all the best ones and gave each of us a small box of images from our own childhoods.

The treasure was pictures of our parents from their early years together. They were married in 1940. Jack and Ann look happy in these pictures, very much in love. We think the one on the right is from their honeymoon. Three of their four parents were immigrants, hers from Poland, his father from Ireland and his mother first generation Irish-American. Her parents both died within days of her birth in the 1918 flu pandemic. He left the premier Catholic boys high school in New York City in the 20s to go to work on Wall Street, where there was money to be made, even for the most junior clerks.

My mother had chronic medical problems that were eventually resolved. I didn't arrive until 1950 and then, bum bum bum, four of us in eight years. There were more difficult times later. He outlived her by 21 years. But together they must have done many good things for their children. We are all still in our first marriages, all of us are college graduates and three have graduate degrees, all are prosperous. We are grateful to them.

These pictures and others like them, just presented to me, were my pictures of the year so I thought I would share them with you. If you'd like to know what I think was my best blog picture this year, click here - maybe the best portrait I've ever made - followed by this one, a musician of exceptional clarity, one who has vision of his sound.

TOMORROW: Water skiing in the Mississippi River in January. Strange but true.

29 comments:

ft. lauderdale daily photo said...

I love these photos of your parents. What a nice tribute on this ever of 2008.

lv2scpbk said...

What a wonderful pick.

I couldn't decide and am leaving it up to the votes. I narrowed my down to seven. Yikes! Hate to say I just couldn't pick one. Come take a look and put your vote in.

Isadora said...

So we are the same age but born in Budapest - 1950 was a very dark period for Hungary during the Stalin era. My mother is still alive, living on Cape Cod with my brother - but I suspect we have very similar backgrounds.

Thank you for sharing and wish you and your family a very happy new year!

Ming the Merciless said...

Such an interesting family history!

And yes, you "kids" did well so your parents must have done something right.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Jilly said...

Photographs that really mean something. Yours are wonderful.

I liked your other choices too.

Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year.

Anonymous said...

Photography is a slice of time. You can share it but nobody can get the memories except you. That makes them all special.

I do like your photography.

Thanks for all of your visits to my blog in 2007 and I hope and pray you have excellent health and are very happy all the days of your life but especially in this new year 2008.

Happy New Year from Patty and me.

Daniel Chérouvrier said...

Smart persons. We both are happy to be proud of our parents.
Best wishes to you.

Daniel Chérouvrier said...

Addendum : nice photo of a "carny", may be what we could call him in French "forain" which as "foreigner" ( foranus).

Olivier said...

c'est un très bon choix, très nostalgique, bravo. Mes meilleurs voeux en cette année 2008.

It's a very good choice, very nostalgic, bravo. My best wishes in the year 2008.

Gerald (SK14) said...

super choice for the theme
happy new year

Jim Klenke said...

Great picks. Happy New Year.

~tanty~ said...

Happy new year and the theme day.
Wish you all the best!

Southern Heart said...

I love this choice! And lovely photos...

Happy New Year,

Andrea

Janet said...

A great American story and tribute to your parents! They did well, and so have their children. Thanks for sharing, and Happy New Year!

Eric said...

An interesting and personal choice for theme day. I like your inspiration. Bonne année de Paris et thank you for taking part in the City Daily Photo community.

Rob said...

II'd say you made a perfect choice. to remember and honor your parents.

Wishing you a happy and safe new year in 2008.

Felicia said...

Awesome photos. Old photos are so interesting and give us some insight to the people and the times. I like seeing the fashions from the past. Thanks for visiting me in San Diego and best wishes for 2008!

• Eliane • said...

These are precious pictures. And a great commentary. Your Mom is very stylish on the picture on the right. Look at those jodhpur pants!
Happy New Year from New York City - I must have missed you by a hair! May 2008 be full of satisfaction and happiness.

Anonymous said...

Great Choice, a good reminder for us all of what photography is about after all and how it will outlive us all.

Have a wander full New Year!

Neva said...

I Like old photos...nice story....

Lynette said...

Great monthly theme day photo. Thank you for sharing.

Steve Cuddihy said...

Awesome choice!

Happy New Years to you and yours in 2008!

Slinger
Twin Cities Daily Photo

pusa said...

great choice! happy new year

Unknown said...

Happy new year from Tokyo!!

Unknown said...

Happy Near Year 2008 and long life to your blog !

Carlos Lorenzo said...

Happy new year 2008 strangetastes.

Kate said...

I missed this blog on theme day but I'm glad that I often surf backwards to check out what I may not have seen. I'm certainly glad that I did this today to find these wonderful pictures and great tribute to your parents.

Joy said...

This is a very sweet post. Thanks for sharing this.

I look forward to visiting your blog more often this 2008. And you're welcome to mine, too! For some reason, my link was not included in the participating blogs for the 1st of January 2008 theme day. Sorry I wasn't able to visit your blog sooner. I was in transit the whole of yesterday. I am now back in Norwich after the most fantabulous time at home in Manila.

Happy New Year to you and everyone you hold dear!


joy
The Goddess In You
Norwich Daily Photo
Your Love Coach

Lothiane said...

Thank you so much for sharing the photos and the story of your parents. Very touching... I really enjoyed this post!