Today’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt (at bottom of post) shows men in hats playing the Irish sport of "hurling." I don’t have a photo in my collection showing this unique Irish sport. But I did find these two vintage postcards showing men in hats at a sporting event.
The two vintage postcards I'm sharing with you today are from my Webster Grandparents’ collection. In 1955, Grandpa Debs and Grandma Willis Webster took a trip to Mexico. Why a trip to Mexico? One very important reason was to visit Debs’ sister, Carlota Webster Guerrero, who was living in Mexico City.
While they were in Mexico, my grandparents visited Irapuato, which is a city in the state of Guanajuato. Again comes the question, why? Why visit Irapuato? Well, it turns out my "Traveling Dentist Great-Grandpa Frederick Webster" and his son, Debs Webster, once lived in Irapuato. For those new to my blog, Frederick Webster was my Grandpa Debs’ father. It looks like Grandpa Debs wanted to visit where he had once lived, however briefly, as a child.
The two vintage postcards below show many men in hats. And they show the sport of bullfighting. And while I've never actually been to a bullfight, I’m quite sure I’m not a fan of this sport. I just don’t like the whole concept of it. But, for some reason my grandparents bought these postcards in 1955. Who knows? Maybe they attended a bullfight.
The interesting thing about this first postcard is that it looks like the bullfighter is a woman.
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Plaza Revolucion
Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
Vintage Postcard circa 1955
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Here’s a close-up view of the woman bullfighter.
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Plaza Revolucion
Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
Vintage Postcard circa 1955
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And here’s the other vintage postcard.
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Plaza Revolucion
Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
Vintage Postcard circa 1955
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Here’s a close-up view showing lots and lots of men in hats…and a woman with a bonnet too! Can you spot the bonnet?
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Plaza Revolucion
Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
Vintage Postcard circa 1955
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To see more posts of men in hats, sporting events, random bonnets...or anything else our super Sepia Saturday participants have written about, just click HERE.
Thanks for reading!
Jana
Copyright © Jana Last 2012
I'd never thought women could be bullfighters, but apparently it was possible. I really don't like this 'sport' and never watched it.
ReplyDeleteHi Prenter,
DeleteI'm with you on the "sport" of bullfighting. I've never seen it and don't intend to.
Thanks for stopping by!
Jana, your title today caught my eye right away! It gave me this small world feeling! My husband's dad spent some time in Irapuato, too, between the time of his WWII service in the Navy in the Pacific, and the beginning of his service in the Air Force after the war. He served as a medical assistant in Irapuato during that hiatus. While I don't have any pictures from him during that time, we've received a couple of his letters home from his time in Irapuato detailing all he saw when there.
ReplyDeleteSee what I mean? Small world! Wonder if your "traveling dentist" great grandfather ever met up with my father in law...
Hi Jacqi,
DeleteWow! How interesting! I kind of doubt they ever crossed paths because the timeline I have for my great-grandfather puts him in Irapuato during the 1920s. It really is a small world though isn't it?
Thanks so much for reading and for your comments! I appreciate it!
Oh this post was perfect, and the woman bullfighter I truly enjoy most of all. What an excellent photo too!
ReplyDeleteHi Karen,
DeleteYou're comments are so kind! Thank you so very much! I'm glad you enjoyed this post and the vintage postcards.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Reminds me of this book:
ReplyDelete"The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup" a collection of essays by Susan Orlean published in 2001 by Random House.
Who knew there were actual real women bullfighters. Talk about
trail blazing!!!
Hi Helen,
DeleteHmm, I've never heard of that book. And yes, it was interesting to note that the bullfighter in the first postcard was actually a woman! And this was back in 1955. Like you said, "Who knew?"
Thanks for stopping by!
I used to lead training courses in Mexico - usually in Mexico City. I turned down an invite to a bullfight as I was not prepared to see an animal being tormented.
ReplyDeleteThese are interesting postcards nevertheless showing part of the history of bullfighting.
Hi Bob,
DeleteWow! So you've been to Mexico. I don't blame you for turning down the invitation to the bullfight. I wouldn't have wanted to go either!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Judging by how jam packed the stands were, the sport was indeed popular. It's a wonder the woman in the bonnet wasn't asked to take off her hat so other people could see!
ReplyDeleteIt does look crowded in those stands doesn't it! Talk about claustrophobia!
DeleteAnd I was kind of surprised to see a "bonnet" in amongst all those mens hats.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
I was in Mexico in I believe 1969. But fortunately I didn't see any bullfighting there, just many very old American cars. In Cataluna, Spain bullfighting is now prohibited.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter,
DeleteHmm, I didn't know that bullfighting is now prohibitied in Cataluna, Spain. I'm glad for that!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
I can't help but love many of the styles and fashions of the 50s and farther back - like men's hats. And women's hats. I was wondering about the clothing on the horse in the 2nd postcard. Protection or just fashion? Interesting postcards!
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy,
DeleteI really don't know about what the horse is wearing in the second postcard. But I know what you mean about men's and women's fashions of the past. Wouldn't it be fun to wear hats again?
Thanks so much for stopping by!
What a treasure, to have so many great photos. I believe that I see the large bonnet, and I definitely see the brave and elegant woman bullfighter. Are these people connected to the family who was touring Utah and had come from Brazil? I agree about bullfights: I am like the title character in "Ferdinand the Bull" who would rather sit under the tree and smell the flowers. Either that, or Bugs Bunny in a bullfight, outwitting the bull with no bloodshed.
ReplyDeleteHi Mariann,
DeleteThanks so much for stopping by! And I'm with you about being like "Ferdinand the Bull!" I forgot about that. Cute! And Bugs Bunny in a bullfight! Classic!
These photos are actually vintage postcards that my Grandparents bought while they were in Mexico in 1955. And, you are right, they are the same family who came from Brazil.
Thanks so much for stopping by! I really appreciate it!
I'm not really in favor of bullfighting, but it would be exciting to watch it sometime.
ReplyDeleteHi Postcardy,
DeleteI'm not in favor of it either. But they are interesting postcards.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
I think my parents must have thrown out any postcard as 'junque' because we couldn't find any in their boxes of stuff'n treasure. Sigh. I love these postcards however - and think it would make a great story: the woman bullfighter... her relationship with the various arena staff, with macho men... Hmmm, this is sounding interesting!! Thanks for posting, Jana! Very interesting postcards.
ReplyDeleteHi Celia,
DeletePerhaps your parents neve collected postcards in the first place. For some reason my grandparents did and saw them as valuable, since they kept so many, including postcards from friends and relatives. I have thought of creating a separate postcard blog but I don't know if I could keep it up along with my genealogy blog. :)
Thanks so much for stopping by! And for your kind comments!
Nice postcards! I've never been to Mexico, and I've never seen a bullfight. I googled Irapuato, it looks like a nice place to visit.
ReplyDeleteHi Rob,
DeleteThanks! I've never seen a bullfight either. And I actually don't have any desire to do so, but these are rather interesting postcards from my grandparents' collections.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Regardless of whether one is a fan of bullfighting, this is an amzing series of photos from an historical point of view.
ReplyDeleteHi Little Nell,
DeleteI agree with you about the historical nature of these postcards. They are rather interesting, even though I'm not a fan of bullfighting.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
These are great postcards. I particularly enjoyed the one of the female bullfighter. Who knew?
ReplyDeleteHi Liz,
DeleteThanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the postcards. The postcard with the female bullfighter is quite interesting.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
I never knew that women were bullfighters, Jana. The things you learn while reading Sepia Saturday blog posts!
ReplyDeleteHi Yvonne,
DeleteI'm not sure I knew about women bullfightes myself! And yes, both reading and writing Sepia Saturday blog posts is quite a learning experience, isn't it? I know I've learned new things when I've read other Sepia Saturday blogs too.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
It never occurred to me that a woman would choose to become a bullfighter. I wonder what her back story is.
ReplyDeleteHi Meri,
DeleteHmm, yes, what was her back story? And what caused her to decide to be a bullfighter?
Thanks so much for stopping by!
I'm not a fan of bullfighting, by any means, but I can see how it would be a big tourist attraction.
ReplyDeleteI found the bonnet! And another lovely lady with a nice hat, as well.
Hi Kat,
DeleteCongrats on finding the bonnet! And bonus points for finding the other lady with a hat too!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Wow - equality of the sexes in Mexico in 1955! Well at least in standing in front of a one ton angry bull with horns!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big fan of bull fighting either but I found your post and photos very interesting.
PS - I also found the bonnet, after I enlarged the photo!
Hi Teresa,
DeleteI wonder if this woman bullfighter was the only female in this sport at the time, and if there were any women bullfighters before her. In any case, I wouldn't want to either participate in or watch the sport. And congrats on finding the bonnet!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Found 1 bonnet and 13 hats...
ReplyDelete:)~
HUGZ
Hi Ticklebear,
DeleteAwesome! I hadn't actually counted the men's hats.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
You got me wrong here.
DeleteI counted 13 women with hats.
There more women in there than you presumed
and some are coiffed.
:)~
HUGZ
Ah! I stand corrected then! :) Wow! You're good. I didn't even notice any other women's hats. I only saw two. Excellent detective skills!
DeleteI'm a true visual!!!
DeleteCan hardly remember a thing I hear,
but I have photographic memory.
It does have its perks!!
:)~
HUGZ