The older I get, the more I enjoy delving into my family history and especially looking at old photos. I like to enlarge them and search into the details and find familiar things. For instance, these three photos. At the top: Thanksgiving 1962--my mother's table. Middle:
Christmas 1951--my grandmother's table. Bottom: Thanksgiving 2009--my table. Do you see a familiar theme throughout? (Unfortunately the top photo is not in color and the juice glasses are empty but I have no doubt that they were filled with tomato juice or "V-8.")
I often start our traditional holiday meals with a glass of tomato juice and knew that my mother did also, but I had no idea my grandmother did until I studied this photo. I also see a centerpiece vase which is in my mother's house now. And I notice that my grandmother's water glasses are undoubtedly Fostoria, very similar to the ones she gave my mother. And lastly, it is interesting, though not evident here, that the Johnsons Bros. "Old Mill" pattern on my table are/were owned by all three generations. They are all now in my cupboards.
All history, but especially of my family, fascinates me. We can learn so much from the past, and as we do, understand more and more about ourselves in the present.
See Little Red House for more Monday Mosaics.
Lovely post and mosaic about your family traditions. It is great that you have such wonderful memories of your family.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful that you have family traditions and photos to document it!
ReplyDeleteI love family history too. I did a comparison from the 1940's house my dad lived in to the way it looks now for my mosaic this week.
ReplyDeleteI am blessed to be the keeper of the photos for my family now that our parents are gone - and it has been such a blessing to search thru and find all the treasures.
What a special collection you have here. Thanks for sharing!
Oh what fun! It's so nice to see those traditional American family gatherings. Thanks for sharing at MM. :)
ReplyDeleteThe older I get the more I'm interested in things such as this. You have strong family ties and that's a wonderful thing! :)
ReplyDeleteI like looking at our old family photos too and enjoyed yours.
ReplyDeleteFamiliy dishes that are passed down must be so special, we never had anything that was worth passing on I guess.
I loved reading this post. It is so fun to see what wonderful traditions are still being honored.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely family history.
ReplyDeleteThis is a sweet post. Imagine having the same set of dishes for 3 generations, and pictures to prove it. I have many copycat dishes like my grandparents' but not the real thing. I love going back into the family history, and write about that a bit in Rustique Gallery. Thanks for visiting me there!
ReplyDeleteSherry
What a nice glimpse of the past.
ReplyDeleteI certainly wish there were more of this type of gathering for me to look back on. :(
Thanks for sharing.
Claudia
Wonderful family gathering photos! I love the your tradition of starting with tomato juice (v-8) !!
ReplyDeleteI love to read and hear about other people's traditions and family history. Thanks for sharing - wonderful mosaic.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun to see comparisons. I will need to look up some photos of Grandmother's later tables to see if any exist with her newer china which I have. A side note - I'm the baby in the picture!
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