Sepia Saturday 159 ~ A Trip to Sunset Beach

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.

This is part of a series of posts dedicated to the immigration story of Debs Webster and his family.

Today's Sepia Saturday photo prompt (at end of post) provides the perfect opportunity to share two photos from my Grandpa Debs Webster's 1952 photo album.  I would describe this album as a photographic travelogue about his family's emigration from Brazil to the United States.

The previous installment of the Debs Webster Family Immigration Story showed that Debs and his family had safely arrived in Glendora, California.  This is the city where their Sponsor, Mr. West and his family lived.  Mr. West kindly allowed Debs and his family to live in a house on his property.

It turns out that Mr. West also owned a beach house.  It was located on Sunset Beach, which is in Huntington Beach, California.  The two photos below show this beach house during an outing which included both the West and Webster families.

 




I asked my mom about these photos.  She couldn't remember exactly when this outing took place.  But, since the next photo in my Grandpa Debs' 1952 photo album shows the family at Thanksgiving, I think it's safe to assume they went sometime before school started for the kids.

The Webster family arrived in Glendora in August of 1952 and my mom started school that fall, so perhaps they had a little beach getaway sometime in August or on Labor Day weekend.  No matter when the trip occurred, it must have been so fun!

For those unfamiliar with Southern California, this map shows where both Glendora and Huntington Beach are located.

Googlemaps.com

Below is a photo from Wikimedia Commons showing Sunset Beach in 2009.

Sunset Beach 2009
Wikimedia Commons
Photographer - Regular Daddy

If you'd like to take a virtual trip to the beach, be sure to check out what the other Sepia Saturday participants have written by clicking HERE.


 


Thanks for reading!

Jana


Copyright © Jana Last 2013

Sepia Saturday 155 ~ Two Pairs of Overalls and a Dress - Circa 1940

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.

Today’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt (at bottom of post) challenges us to find photos with people in overalls or any kind of working apparel.

Jan Albert Iverson

and Siblings - Circa 1940

I'm sure these three cute kiddos were not about to head off to work.  It's much more likely they were headed outside to play.  This is a photo of my dad, Jan Albert Iverson, with his sister and brother.

My Dad's the one on the far left sporting the more traditionally-styled overalls.  They look like what I picture when I think of overalls.  His little brother, on the other hand, is wearing a different style of overalls.  They remind me of vintage bell-bottom sailor’s pants.  Aren’t they cute?

This photo was taken around 1940, so my dad would have been about four years old.

To see what other Sepia Saturday participants have written today, just click HERE.




Thanks for reading!

Jana

Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Sepia Saturday 154 ~ On The Road Again

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.
     
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.

Mexico City

L to R - Willis Webster, Debs Webster,

Carlota Webster Guerrero

Here’s a close-up view of the happy trio.

Mexico City

L to R - Willis Webster, Debs Webster,

Carlota Webster Guerrero

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.

Dr. Belisario Dominguez Bridge

at Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico

Vintage Postcard

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

Sepia Saturday 153 ~ Two Sisters and a Cactus

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.

The Sepia Saturday photo prompt (at end of post) is a photo of Lala Williams and Elgie Crook.  In doing research on Google.com about Lala and Elgie, I found out the following:  When Elgie’s mother died, Elgie was sent to live with her uncle J. Shelby Williams, Lala’s father.  Elgie and Lala were first cousins, but Elgie grew up as a sister to Lala.

The adorable photo of Lala and Elgie, cousins who were more like sisters, provides me with the perfect opportunity to share this sweet photo of my Great-Grandmother, Hilda Carlsson Gillberg, and her sister Hilma Carlsson Taylor.




Two Sweet Sisters
Hilda Carlsson Gillberg (left) and Hilma Carlsson Taylor (right)

I love how Hilda and Hilma are holding hands.   Sweet, sisterly love on display!  Unfortunately, I don’t have any information about when or where this photo was taken, but it’s so precious. 

Hilda and Hilma were the daughters of Johan Erik Carlsson and Karin Johnsson.  Both Hilda and Hilma were born in Sweden and immigrated to the United States.

Hilda was married to my Great-Grandfather, Carl Albert Gillberg, and Hilma was married to Charles Alvin Taylor.

To see what other Sepia Saturday participants have written about this week, click HERE.



Thanks for reading!

Jana

Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Sepia Saturday 152 ~ “What’s In The News?”

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.

Today’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt (at end of post) shows a library full of studious young men reading books. The photo I am sharing today doesn’t show a group of young men in a library.  Instead it is a photo of an older gentleman, casually dressed, sitting outside. It is a photo of my paternal Great-Grandfather, Carl Albert Gillberg. Why this photo was taken and who took it, I can’t say.  What I can say is that I’m glad the photo was taken. I found this special photo in one of my Grandmother Ingrid’s Books of Remembrance.

Carl Albert Gillberg
in Salt Lake City, Utah

Carl looks like he’s reading a newspaper. Wouldn’t it be fun to know what he was reading about? Unfortunately, there is no date for this photo. But there is a handwritten note underneath it, written by my Grandmother Ingrid Gillberg (Carl’s daughter). She wrote, “My Dad, sitting on the steps of our home on Grand Ave in Salt Lake City, Utah.”

I’m wondering if my Grandma was mistaken about this home being on Grand Avenue, because when I looked for Grand Avenue on Googlemaps, the only Grand Avenue in Salt Lake City is inside a cemetery.

(Since writing this post, Wendy Mathias of Jollett etc., informed me that there is a Grand Street in Salt Lake City. After checking this out on Googlemaps, this looks to be the likely candidate for where this photo was taken.  Thanks Wendy!)

This photo must have been taken sometime between 1909 and 1930. I surmise this because Carl immigrated to the United States from Sweden in 1909 and by the 1930 census he and his family were living in Los Angeles, California. Both the 1910 census and the 1920 census show Carl and his family living in Salt Lake City, Utah. So, sometime between 1920 and 1930, Carl and his family moved to California.

Carl was born in Stockholm, Sweden on January 8, 1882. He passed away in West Covina, California on May 3, 1963 at 81 years of age. He was a hard-working family man, and did his best to provide for his family. As part of my research, I compiled a list showing Carl’s known occupations.

Occupations for Carl Albert Gillberg:

Before 1909 - According to Canadian Passenger List - Tinsmith in Sweden
1910 Census - Laborer - Tending Mason
1920 Census - Baker at Bakery Company
1930 Census - Baker at Bakery
1940 Census - Vegetable Peddler - Private Truck

That last occupation in 1940 somehow makes me sad for Carl. But, this was during "The Great Depression" so times were hard for most everyone. According to the 1940 Census, Carl was engaged in Public Emergency Work, and was seeking employment. I wrote a previous post about finding Carl and his family in the 1940 census.

While Carl worked as a baker in Utah, he was able to bring home flour sacks which his wife, Hilda, used to make clothing for their children and quilts for the family. I wrote a previous post about this. If you’d like, you can read it HERE. These were humble immigrants who did the best they could to provide for their family.

This is a photo of Carl Albert Gillberg taken in La Puente, California in 1962, the year before Carl passed away.

Carl Albert Gillberg
1962

If you’d like to see “what’s in the news” with other Sepia Saturday participants, just click HERE.




Thanks for reading!

Jana


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Sepia Saturday 151 ~ "The Traveling Dentist" at Work

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.

Today’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt from the US National Archives (at bottom of post), is titled, "Photograph of Women Working at a Bell System Telephone Switchboard."  There are many directions I could have gone with this photo - women working, phones, switchboards, and more.  Today I decided to go with the general theme of "work.”

The photo below is of my "Traveling Dentist" Great-Grandpa Watson Emory (Frederick) Webster at work in a dental office.  Those cute little kids with him are my Grandpa Debs (far left), Edna Lillie (far right), and Carlota (in dental chair).

This photo was taken in Brinkley, Arkansas. It is dated January 10 – April 10, 1922.
   

Frederick, Carlota, Edna Lillie, and Debs Webster
at Dental Office in Brinkley, Arkansas circa 1922
Click to Enlarge

I find the dates interesting.  Why was he there only from January 10 - April 10, 1922?  And why was he in Brinkley, Arkansas?

My regular readers may have seen from my previous posts that I sometimes like to "break down" photos into smaller sections by cropping out certain areas of interest.  This photo has quite a few areas of interest to look at.

First of all, we’ll spotlight the people in the photo:

Here’s Great-Grandpa Frederick with dental instruments in hand ready to go to work! Notice the open window behind him? Nice view, huh?

Frederick Webster
Click to Enlarge

This close-up shows my Grandpa Debs and his big sister Carlota. These two were the only children of Frederick and Esther Webster’s five children who lived to adulthood.

Carlota and Debs Webster
Click to Enlarge

This is a very special photo of sweet little Edna Lillie, because according to my records, she passed away the next year in 1923. Wasn’t she a pretty little girl?



Edna Lillie Webster
Click to Enlarge

Next up we’ll spotlight some interesting items in the dental office.

According to the wall clock,  it’s about 10:45.  And from the sunlight shining through the windows, I’d say it’s about 10:45 in the morning.



Wall Clock
Click to Enlarge

Let’s take a look at the table by the window.  See all of the dental instruments? 



Table at Dental Office
Click to Enlarge

Could this be a suction bulb on the table?  If so, I wonder if this is an antique version of today’s dental suction tube they stick in your mouth so you don’t drown or embarrass yourself by slobbering all over.  When my kids were little, they went to a Pediatric Dentist.  At that office, they called the suction tube "Mr. Thirsty."  I wonder if this antique suction bulb was a 1922 version of "Mr. Thirsty."



Antique Dental Tool
Click to Enlarge

And here we have the dental chair.  Quite an antique by today’s standards!

Vintage Dental Chair
Click to Enlarge

After taking a closer look at this chair, I noticed a couple of fascinating features.  First, I noticed the hand crank on the side. Isn’t that interesting? I wonder what it was used for.  Could it have been used to recline the chair?  Any other ideas?

I also see that there are one or two levers, each with a flat top edge on them, extending from the back of the chair. I wonder if they were used by the dentist to lift and lower the chair.


Close-up View of Hand-Crank and Lever
Click to Enlarge

And no, I’m not trying to give you nightmares with these last two photos.

I believe this is the dreaded dental drill.  (Insert scary music)

Antique Dental Drill
Click to Enlarge

See the small motor, and the drill hanging down to the left?  I wonder if this dental drill from 1922 made the same unnerving high-pitched whirring noise as the drills of today.


Antique Dental Drill
Click to Enlarge

Well, this concludes our tour.  I hope you’ve enjoyed your virtual visit to a 1922 dentist’s office!  And hopefully the last two photos weren’t too distressing.  If they were, and you feel the urge to run screaming from the room, I don’t blame you.

But, before you bolt, take a deep relaxing breath, and check out what the other Sepia Saturday participants have written about this week by clicking HERE.




Thanks for reading!

Jana

Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Sepia Saturday 150 ~ Bullfights in Irapuato

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.

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.

Plaza Revolucion

Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico

Vintage Postcard circa 1955

Here’s a close-up view of the woman bullfighter.

Plaza Revolucion

Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico

Vintage Postcard circa 1955

     

And here’s the other vintage postcard.

Plaza Revolucion

Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico

Vintage Postcard circa 1955

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?

Plaza Revolucion

Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico

Vintage Postcard circa 1955

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

Sepia Saturday 149–Recife, Brazil ~ A Vintage Postcard

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.

Well, I'm taking you on a virtual trip to Brazil again today!  This vintage postcard of Recife, Brazil is a far cry from the somewhat sad scene of today’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt (shown at the bottom of this post).

It does, however, show a woman near a body of water.  But that is where the similarity ends.  This postcard is part of my Grandpa Debs Webster’s collection of vintage postcards.

Recife, Brazil Vintage Postcard

Back of Recife, Brazil Vintage Postcard

In case you are wondering just where Recife is located within Brazil, here's a map ~

GoogleMaps.com
Click to Enlarge

According to Wikipedia.org,

Recife (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁeˈsifi] ( listen), Reef) is the sixth-largest^[1] metropolitan area in Brazil with 3,743,854 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 5th-largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper was 1.555.039 in 2012.^[2]

Recife is located where the Beberibe River meets the Capibaribe River to flow into the Atlantic Ocean. It is a major port on the Atlantic Ocean. Its name is an allusion to the coral reefs that are present by the city's shores. The many rivers, small islands and over 50 bridges found in Recife city center characterize its geography and gives it the moniker of the "Brazilian Venice."

And now...sit back, relax, and enjoy the sights of Recife, Brazil.

To see what other Sepia Saturday participants have written today, just click HERE.




Thanks for reading!

Jana


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Sepia Saturday 148–A Visit to Corcovado

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.

Today’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt is a curious one.  It shows a group of men, two of whom are police officers.  It appears that one of the officers is handing what looks like a firearm to another man.  But, if you look at the building behind this group of men, you see a person at the window.  Hmm, What was he doing there and why was he watching this group of men?  We may never know.




I wasn’t sure in what direction I was going to go for today’s Sepia Saturday post, but once again my Grandpa Debs Webster’s 1952 photo album came to my rescue.  In this album I found this photo (below) showing two people at a window.  So ya, I'm going with the "person in the window" theme this week.

This photo is one of a series of photos from a visit to Corcovado. Before my Grandpa Debs Webster and his family immigrated to the United States, they made a trip to Corcovado, which is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Building at Corcovado

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

May 24, 1952

Atop Corcovado mountain stands the well-known 125-ft. statue of Jesus Christ, entitled Cristo Redentor, or “Christ the Redeemer.”

Corcovado Mountain Photo from
Wikimedia Commons  - Copyright Released
Click to Enlarge

Cristo Redentor
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Click to Enlarge

 

How does a tourist get to the top of this mountain?  One way is by the Corcovado Rack Railway.  And this is how my Grandpa Debs, Grandma Willis, and my mom visited Corcovado on May 24, 1952.

Here is a group photo showing tourists at the railway station.  I’ve labeled my grandparents and mom.  My Grandpa Debs wrote on the photo’s edge, “Upper Station” and “May 24, 1952.”

Group Photo at

Corcovado Upper Station

May 24, 1952

Here are a couple photos of the station -



Corcovado Upper Station

May 24, 1952

See the train coming?


Corcovado Upper Station

May 24, 1952

Cristo Redentor or “Christ the Redeemer”

Cristo Redentor or "Christ the Redeemer"

at Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

May 24, 1952

The following photos show fabulous views of Rio de Janiero and the surrounding area.

Notice Corcovado's observation deck where the tourists are standing?

View of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

from Observation Deck

at Corcovado May 24, 1952

See the city down by the ocean?

View from Corcovado May 24, 1952


Another amazing view!

View from Corcovado May 24, 1952


And still another awesome view.

View from Corcovado May 24, 1952



My mom and Willis Webster at the base of the statue of Cristo Redentor or "Christ the Redeemer."

 

L-R:  My Mom and Willis Webster

at Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

May 24 1952

And below is a panoramic photo taken by "The Lucky Toast" from Wikimedia Commons.  The description was in German.  The translation basically says, "Views of Rio de Janeiro from the Corcovado over Ipanema, Copacabana, Sugarloaf, Botafogo, Santa Teresa and the center.  At the top left is Niterói and Rio-Niterói Bridge."

I think it’s absolutely gorgeous!

Panoramic View from Corcovado
Wikimedia Commons
Photo by "The Lucky Toast"
Click to Enlarge

If you would like to see more photos of Corcovado as well as views of Rio de Janeiro and the surrounding areas, including a color photo of the building near the beginning of this post (first album photo above), please click this link:   Rio de Janeiro Photo Guide.  It's worth a look.  There are some beautiful photos at this website, including views at night.

And now, I will leave you with this short Youtube video about the statue, Cristo Redentor or “Christ the Redeemer.”

 

To see what other Sepia Saturday participants have written this week, click HERE.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

Copyright © Jana Last 2012