Children's lives

 

#1

1913 - An adult aunt and children 5 years, 6 years, 7 years, 9 years and 11 &12 picking cotton on H.M. Lane's farm, Bells, Tex. Lewis Hine Photo

#2

1908 children in Galveston TX in back of what I think is Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Galveston TX. These would have been my uncles Elmore and baby Alex, who weren't Catholics.

#3

A smile on the face of this young one, not dated, nor identified as to place. But besides the necessities of life that surround her, I notice the touch of the window curtains made by her mother and a pair of scissors - a scalloped edge to that newspaper.

#4

Though this young lady sat still, the kittens had other ideas.

#5

Wouldn't you like to give this portrait of a family a caption?

#6

There's nothing more freeing for a child than a set of tricycle wheels!

#7

#8

Photo by Solomon D. Butcher - in Nebraska

#9

Gypsy Camp 28th July 1951. Gypsy children play happily in overcrowded encampment at Corke's Meadow, Kent, UK. Photo by Bert Hardy.

#10

By famed photographer L.W. Hine while traveling through the South, 1909 TN or NC.  "Recently widowed family."

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Freedom Monument Sculpture Park.  @ 10 million Black people had been enslaved in the U.S by 1865. Close to six million of those people died as enslaved people—and @ half of all enslaved children died before their first birthday.

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My personal comments:
From what I've read in research, and known from friends, all the family had chores to do, whether picking cotton or dusting the house, or helping feed the younger children, or helping with animals or crops. The children of today don't know what the generations before them did.

Many children would die from diseases or accidents. For instance one of my uncles pictured above died as an adult from a disease, while his older brother accidentally drowned as a youth.

Family planning, where a woman could choose when she wanted to (or didn't want to) have another child, has only been available widely in the more affluent western societies since the 1960s. The rhythm method was taught to women for many years before that so they could possibly control their own pregnancies. An unwanted pregnancy could be legally aborted since the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe V Wade in the US. Recent revocation of the Roe v Wade by the new Supreme Court decision means those women who become pregnant no longer have access to safe abortions if they wish to terminate a pregnancy in a lot of the United States. The laws are currently made by states, and are so stringent in some that anyone who helps a woman travel to get an abortion is also liable for jail and fines.

Children's play was much more unrestricted prior to when? the 1970s? the 1990?  the 2000's?  At some point a litigious society in the US made it such that no children were left playing alone on playgrounds, nor were the playgrounds just cobbled together with spare lumber and pipes. Children had to be protected at all times. And unfortunately there were those who preyed upon the innocent, which made this protective attitude necessary. And accidentally broken bones, which always seemed part of childhood play, were suddenly to be avoided at all cost.

But parents are hardy souls and keep coming up with safe and enjoyable pursuits for their offspring. My old generation has somehow survived all the pitfalls of see-saws, ocean-swing-arounds, swings and slides, and plenty of chances to skin knees. What, climbing trees? You bet!

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Sharing with Sepia Saturday

My topic on children is not exactly on the topic of Two-somes. But Sepia Saturday seems willing to look aside when we post other topics. Thanks, Alan! PS, I couldn't separate these two weeks apart in the suggested themes. Perhaps I'll find some brides or dancers for next week...

Today's quote:

Beauty is the purgation of superfluities. 

-Michelangelo Buonarroti, sculptor, painter, architect, and poet (1475-1564)  Only Michelangelo could say that, who chipped away at marble to find the figures he wanted.

Children will always play

Being born at the beginning of WW II, my life was somehow influenced by the drive to collect metal to be used in the war. So children's toys were not made of metal as much as before the war. I had a wood wagon full of wood blocks, and 2 small chairs, one a rocker. And a little wood cradle for baby dolls. I had been 4 months old for my first Christmas, and I'm guessing this is my second Christmas in Dallas TX.

I loved the nesting blocks (cardboard with pictures from fairy tales on 5 sides of each one.) I probably made some towers with both these colorful blocks and the wood ones which were to teach me the alphabet and numbers. It sure was fun to knock them over and see them scatter, and make a big sound.

My baby sister was born in February 1946, so this is before she turned one. I would have been around  4. We called the contraption she was in a "go-cart." No strollers then!

 

These girls are all cousins, and it was my little sister's frowning first birthday in a little swing. Standing behind her is the oldest cousin, Claudette, then myself in the middle, and Sandra in sweater on right. Claudette and Sandra were sisters who lived in Houston. We moved there about that time.

I was happy to get a doll (as usual) for Christmas when I was probably 8. (I think she marked the wrong date on this one.) Little sis also had a new doll. I'm thrilled to see what knick knacks my mother had on that non-working mantel.

Here are more Christmas dolls, and we girls have poodle skirts, with matching collars. I was 10 or more likely 11 (again her dates might be within a year or two.)

The big snow of 53 (St Louis MO) may have been 12 inches, or maybe that was another one. We got a sled, and learned what being cold felt like. Most children don't know when to come in out of the cold. But put mittens on a radiator, and that smell will remind us all of how our feet and fingers burned as they warmed up.

Fast forward 40 years, my son, Russ and his wife and their first 2 (of 3) children enjoyed a Florida beach. where her parent had a condo. I've played on beaches with them when one or another was buried in the sand for fun.

My father enjoyed a Lionel train set under our tree many Christmases. This one is at the Swannanoa Valley History Museum in Black Mountain. I enjoy seeing it in action, and it's available for many visitors to operate also.

Cherry Street (in Black Mountain NC) now has 2 empty stores, the toy store and the book store no longer are in business. I hope new businesses move in soon.

This is what I found this week of the old photos with children's playtime captured.

Oh, here's a new one.  

I wasn't there, but my grandchildren took part in a run, and their mom shared this cool photo of jumping for joy!

This is my submission to Sepia Saturday this week! Come on over and see what other playful activities might come up!

 

Some sepia toned images of children playing

From a childhood perspective...

Here the oldest girl is hanging from a trapeze while the other two girls are back to back on a shared ride, above the snow.

Sure, the boys are taking care of the baby in carriage, but also are off on an adventure...just look at those hats and staves, and an oldest one with something resembling a big gun slung over his shoulder.  But someone said to them, "line up and let me capture your image in this camera," and all of them did, though the dog wasn't particularly still and got a bit blurred.  But Junior in the carriage wasn't ready to fall out, just wanted the dog to come lick his sticky fingers!

So that's the inspiration I got from our prompt this week over at Sepia Saturday.

And so I look at some photos of my grandchildren playing...perhaps not quite as adventurous. These girls are daughters of my middle son.

A visit a few years ago - that's the youngest child playing baby in a manger (really, that's a little girl, not a doll) and her big sisters seem to enjoy posing as visitors from the East (it was Christmas time.)

Same baby girl was happy to go on her swing when a bit of snow hit the ground.  Just look at that hat!

This young man (my youngest son) in Indian Peaks Wilderness, likes to make photos more interesting by posing.

My oldest son and his daughter (quite a few years ago) overlooking some Theme Park or another.

I admit I "sepia-toned" these photos of children having a good time, even those who are young at heart!  I hope you have a good time too today!

Today's Quote:
Gratitude is exultation awaiting between the cracks of normalcy.  Frederic Potter