Sepia Saturday is a wonderful opportunity to share old photos. This was started by my prolific blogging friend and poet Kat Mortenson aka (Poetikat). There you will be treated to wonderful photos and stories posted by many bloggers. This is my second contribution. (You do not have to tint your photos sepia - just post)
Here are some unique and nostalgic photos featuring both sets of my grandparents. My Uncle Paul Harrison is pictured here in his Jesuit robes (second from right).Pictured from left to right are my mother, Rose Harrison Murphy, an unknown Jesuit, Grandma Anna (Smyth) Harrison, Grandpa Walter J. Murphy, Sr., Grandma Anita (Reilly) Murphy,Brother Paul Harrison and Grandpa Joseph Harrison. (the harse tief holding a new form of amusement).
Grandpa supposedly stole a horse or a cow from his Kilkenny Ireland family to purchase passage to the US. He later became a chauffer for Theodore Roosevelt.
Anna Smyth Harrison hailed from (Manchester, UK) and booked passage on the Titanic (second class). Something happened and she supposedly "missed" that boat.
I do know that Joseph and Anna met in or around Jersey City, NJ. They married and produced nine children. One became a Jesuit, perhaps a penance for the horse incident.
Bottom picture Brother Paul is in the center with his mother Anna and my mother, Rose. (I am thinking I might be a bun in the oven here). I will therefore guess the date as Spring, 1959.
15 comments:
Wonderful photos, Neetzy! Your mother was so elegant and classy looking with her fur stole, long gloves and pretty dress.
I must correct you about the origin of Sepia Saturday. I am not the one who came up with the idea. It resulted from a blog-post dialogue with the charming Alan Burnett of the News From Nowhere blog. If I can find the actual post with the conversation, I'll come back and post it here.
Kat
P.S. I can really see Sharon in your mom's face in the bottom photo.
Oops! Forgot the link:
http://newsfromnowhere1948.blogspot.com/2009/11/theme-thursday-relatively-late.html
Okay, here's the first mention of "Sepia Saturday" on Alan Burnett's blog. If you read the comments (look for my first one, then Alan's and then my second one at the bottom of the list) you can see how it came to be.
Kat
P.S. Neetz, you really should sign yourself up on the SS website, so others will read your terrific posts.
The link got messed up.
//newsfromnowhere1948.blogspot.com/2009/11/theme-thursday-relatively-late.html
Okay, Okay. I always mess up these joint blog attempts, but Sepia Saturday is wonderful. I did post through Kat's blog finally. (I hate rules because I tend to mess them up). Thanks Kat. Thanks for your patience. Check out Alan Burnett's blog. He is wonderful!http://newsfromnowhere1948.blogspot.com/2009/11/theme-thursday-relatively-late.html
Loved hearing of the the harse tief turned chauffer for TR! Only in America. Wonderful post.
Fabulous photos and a fascinating story! Wow, so much family history (gotta love the horse theft). I too love the outfits on the women -- the handbags! the shoes! the furs! (The men in the black robes haven't tried very hard to accesorize though.) Very cool to have these old color photos -- it really brings everyone to life (along with your stories of course).
Beautiful photos....BTW your grandfather & my granpap share a legacy--mine stole a cow to get $$ for passage to America from Poland. I wrote about him a week or so back on Sepia Sat. Maybe that was common? In the first photo especially, they look like very prominent important people!
Lovely pictures and post. Grandpa Joseph Harrison looks quite a character.
Your two photos are very good and interesting. I like the era that they were taken in with the period dress. Good post.
"Grandpa supposedly stole a horse or a cow from his Kilkenny Ireland family to purchase passage to the US. He later became a chauffer for Theodore Roosevelt".
That is a classic Sepia Saturday paragraph : such a rich story in just a few words. It makes you want to go away and write a novel about it. Thanks so much for joining in with Sepia Saturday and for the fascinating story.
Thanks Willow! Only in America is right! All of this was told in stories. The Teddy Roosevelt job was authentic. We'll never know if it was a horse or a cow!
Katie,
These old photos are fun. O to be there conversing with the photographed. Grandpa Harrison died when I was seven. He used to tell me stories all the time. (I agree with the black robed guys - some silk ties or scarf would be nice!)
Pat,
I've heard horse from some and cow from others. It is all oral history! It makes for some interesting family conversations! I don't think any of them were "prominent", but they were nicely dressed.
Martin,
My Grandpa Harrison was a huge character. He was also a boxer and great story teller. All that with an Irish brogue.
L.D. The period dress is quite fun! I think we should all return to wearing hats!
Alan,
Thank you for your comments and for Sepia Saturday! I've been snooping around on it and looking for my one photos to post. I have a limited quantity on hand, but I'll try to contribute when I can.
Wow, Neetzy! What an awesome story and such great photos. Your mom sure was stylish.
More, please!
Thanks Dive,
Now I do believe my parents found me in a basket on the doorstep!
Now THAT last comment is TOO funny!
Kat
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