Today’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt (at end of post) shows a precarious looking wooden bridge over a river. There are a few people daring to stand and/or sit on that rickety-looking bridge.
The two photos of bridges I’m sharing with you today aren’t made out of wood and don’t appear to be rickety.
My regular readers may remember that my Grandpa Debs Webster and his family immigrated to the United States from Brazil in 1952. In the last installment of their immigration story, I shared my uncle’s memories of seeing some curious contraptions used as early air conditioners for cars at that time. I also found photos of these devices. For those who missed this post, you can read it HERE.
Well, just a short three years after my Grandpa Debs Webster and his family settled in the United States, he and his wife Willis were on the road again. This time they traveled down to Mexico. Debs’ only surviving sibling, Carlota, lived in Mexico City. The photo below shows Willis, Debs, and Carlota on what appears to be a bridge or roadway near or over water.
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Mexico City
L to R - Willis Webster, Debs Webster,
Carlota Webster Guerrero
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Here’s a close-up view of the happy trio.
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Mexico City
L to R - Willis Webster, Debs Webster,
Carlota Webster Guerrero
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While Debs and Willis were in Mexico, they traveled down to Chiapas to visit relatives there. They must have purchased this postcard while on this visit.
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Dr. Belisario Dominguez Bridge
at Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico
Vintage Postcard
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Upon closer examination of this vintage postcard, I noticed that I could read the sign on the top of the bridge. Here’s a close-up view.
The sign reads as follows -
1913 Puente 1931
Dr. Belisario Dominguez
Puente means bridge in English. So, this bridge must have been dedicated to Dr. Belisario Dominguez. I wondered who this doctor was so I did a little research. He was a Mexican physician who was born in Chiapas in 1863 and was murdered in Mexico City in 1913.
He served as a Senator from Chiapas during the Mexican Revolution and was killed because of a political speech he wrote following Victoriano Huerta’s coup d'état . Today, the Mexican Government awards the “Order of the Belisario Dominguez Medal of Honor” to eminent Mexican citizens who meet the criteria for this award.
Here's another close-up view from the vintage postcard. This time, I chose to focus on the car on the bridge. I thought I'd share this with you just because it's fun to see this old vintage car.
My Grandpa Debs and Grandma Willis took lots of photos and purchased several postcards while on their trip to Mexico in 1955. And I’m looking forward to sharing more of these with you in the future.
To see what other Sepia Saturday participants have written about, whether it be rickety bridges, water, vintage postcards and cars, or anything else for that matter, just click HERE.
Thanks for reading!
Jana
Copyright © Jana Last 2012
Jana, your grandfather led such an interesting life. He certainly didn't feel the need to be anchored in one place all his life!
ReplyDeleteHi Jacqi,
DeleteYes, grandpa did lead quite the interesting life. It's too bad he didn't talk that much about his past. I wish he had. I have so many questions now. Of course, maybe he WAS talking about his past with my mom and other relatives when they were speaking Portuguese. If that was the case, I wouldn't know, because unfortunately, I never learned Portuguese.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Two striking bridges and very interesting history of the one. But straying from that subject, I must imagine that Willis could have gotten a full twirl on that skirt.
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy,
DeleteYep, that skirt of Wills' looked like the stereotypical 50's skirt didn't it? All it lacked was the poodle! How fun is that?!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Jana, That was very interesting. I love reading past history that that are shared by other familys.
ReplyDeleteHi Betty,
DeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed this blog post. And I thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment!
Thanks for stopping by!
That is a very charming trio on that bridge in Mexico, Jana. They look very happy. I also note that political murders seem to be a long standing tradition there. Oh, and I share your interest in vintage cars. I'll come back to that subject shortly.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter,
DeleteYes, those three do look so happy don't they? I'm assuming that this was the first time my Grandpa Debs had seen his sister in a very long time. So it must have been a joyous reunion.
I have to admit that I don't have an interest, per se, in vintage cars. Like, I don't go to car shows or anything. But seeing these older cars in photographs and vintage postcards from my ancestors' time can be quite interesting to me.
Thanks so much for stopping by Peter! I really appreciate it!
The park they're in I think is probably Chapultepec Park in Mexico City. It's where Maximilian's castle was and what a coincidence. His wife's name was Carlota. Do you think that's why they had their photo taken there?
ReplyDeleteNancy
Hi Nancy,
DeleteWow! Thanks for the info! I wonder if this park is where the photo was taken. It's too bad my Grandpa Debs didn't write anything down about the location where they were when they took this picture.
Thanks again! And thanks also for stopping by! I really appreciate it.
The closeups are quite interesting.
ReplyDeleteHi Postcardy,
DeleteI'm glad you liked the close-up views. I think they are interesting as well.
Thanks for stopping by!
It's interesting to be able to follow your grandparents on their trip using their photos and postcards :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Jo,
DeleteI'm so glad my grandparents took the time to take all of these photos and purchase the postcards. They really are a family history treasures!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Apart from the trio in Mexico City (where I once led training courses) it's the surroundings of the Tuxtla bridge that interested me. You can see the dip (inclination) in the rock strata on the river side quite clearly.
ReplyDeleteHi Bob,
DeleteAh! Yes, I see what you are talking about with the rock strata along the shore. I've seen that very thing along a part of the California Coastline during visits there. I was fascinated by these rock formations when I saw them in person along the coast.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Grandpa Debs was quite a traveler! I like his merry smile in the photo. Dr. Dominguez (I notice the Portuguese spelling) sounds like a political hero, making a principled speech in the face of a coup d'etat. We need more such heroes. I'm always amazed at the mileage you can get out of photo close-ups. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteHi Mariann,
DeleteYes, Grandpa really did travel a great deal during his lifetime. Although not as much as his father.
It really is amazing how much interesting detail there can be in old photos, isn't it?
Thank you so much for reading and for your comments! I really do appreciate it.
That's what I love about the old photos - there's always a story within the story. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Boobook,
DeleteYes, and wouldn't it be fun to know the backstory about the photos we have?
Thanks so much for stopping by!
They look so happy! What a very interesting trip they had on the way from Brazil to the states; plus they seemed to have gotten a bunch of visiting in also.
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
Hi Kathy,
DeleteYes, they do look happy. It must have been so fun for Grandpa Debs to visit with his sister after so many years.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Wonderful photos of them and the trip. It was not common back then to take the photos or to keep these. The postcards will add a lot too. You are fortunate to have the "travelogue." Interesting research about Puente too
ReplyDeleteHi Pat,
DeleteI really am fortunate that my Grandpa took and kept all of these photos and postcards.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
How wonderful to have such a great collection of photograhs on your family and their journeys.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue,
DeleteYes, it really is a wonderful thing that my grandparents were so diligent in taking and then saving photos of their travels.
Thanks so much for stopping by!