What clues are hidden within a photo - Ancestors in 52 Weeks

 Another prompt by 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. It's run by Amy Johnson Crow.

Information on the Topic

This week's theme is "Favorite Photo." This should be a fun week! Tell the story of a favorite photo -- who is in it, when and where was it taken, and why was it taken. Remember, it doesn't have to be a sepia-toned Victorian era photo. It could be a photo you took last week! (We are part of our own family history, after all.)

Back in 2014, my father and stepmother sent me a pile of pictures from his albums. These contained most pictures I had never seen before. Most of them were not dated, so I had to estimate the pictures based upon what was in the pictures. 

One of them was of my grandmother who looked very young and happy. Its one of the few pictures I have of her that she's smiling in it. However, it wasn't until I started looking at certain aspects, or clues, of the picture which made it so unique and one of my loves.

My grandmother, Jean Schmitz. Credit: J. Fitzgerald

If you look at he picture, it looks very interesting because of Jean smiling. I wanted to know where the picture was taken. I knew it had to be either in Linden, NJ (lived in 1930) or in Manhattan, NYC (lived in 1934) because those were the areas she lived in when she was around this age. 

However, once I magnified the picture in areas, it gave you clues to the year, location and even the year it was probably taken. 

Area 1 - The Far Left Background

Credit: J. Fitzerald

The main clue was the car in this part of the picture. I'm thinking it must be around the model of a 1931 Pierce Arrow Model 41 or something around that age. Remember I'm not an expert but its around the 1930s. 

The next clue was the house architecture. To me, it looks very similiar to the Hancock House, Lower Alloways Creek Township, NJ or the Thomas Cowperthwait House in Moorestown, NJ . Circa 1930s. Its got the same type of roofline and the sides are straight down and the Hancock House even has 3 windows across the top of the porch. 

Area 2 - The Building Behind Grandma

The clue is right there in the picture - Community Center. I went searching for the Community Centers in or around Linden, NJ because my grandmother grew up in the area, her parents lived around that area and it wasn't too far from public transport so even if she lived in NYC, she could still get there. 

It took some researching but in 2017, I was in Facebook and one of the posts there showed a building just like the one my grandmother was standing in front of. I contacted them and found out that they used to give classes for pregnant and new mothers and other housekeeping classes. 

Then I visited the area in Google Earth. Then compared to what I saw against the picture. Wow! Bingo! 

                    Credit: J. Fitzgerald

 

Credit: Google Earth 

If you look at the way the road is, the roofline of the place behind my grandmother, the stairs, where the trees and sidewalk is - it all matches. 

 Further, if you look at the sidewalk, it matches the angles in the picture to what Google Earth shows. 

Look at the sidewalk - how narrow it is and how it bends to the right. 

Picture credit: J. Fitzgerald

If you look at the left side of the triangle part of the sidewalk in the picture (left) you can see the sidewalk has been straightened but its still fairly small. Its about the same length away from the building in the back as well. 

At the bottom of the picture, you can see in the corner where it looks like the bottom was squared off like in the current picture, but now they know how to do curves better. 

Picture on right credit: Google Earth

Area 3 - Grandma

The last area I looked for clues was at my grandmother. As I already mentioned, she was smiling and there aren't too many of these where she is smiling.

First clue is the clothing. The hat and hair do is the 1930s because it looks like this which references those in the 1930s. Then you have the skirt and belt (which is hard to see in the picture but  you can see the circle of the clasp in the color photo below) which again are referenced in clothing patterns like these. Then you have the shoes she's wearing. If they had a bow on the toe they would be the flats worn in the 1930s like the shoe in this picture (last on right side). Could it be she asked for one to be made with no bow? That I will never know, but again the shoes were around in the 1930s. 

The last clue is where she has her right and resting - on her lower back. Women do this when they have back spasms during pregancy like in this picture. My grandmother, when she was younger, was very skinny due to the conditions when she was growing up in Poland before coming to the US. She was always on the skinny side. If you increase the picture, you can see she does have a thickened waist. 

I know for a fact, my father in was born in August 1934, so this picture would have to have been taken sometime around April-June 1934 as she was still pretty small for any woman carrying a child, but not at the point where she was uncomfortable and having a huge stomach. 

If I was to put all these together, I would say this picture was taken April-June 1934 and taken at 605 S Wood Ave, Linden, NJ. She was probably there to get advice on her pregancy or for a checkup. 

Sometimes pictures can tell you more about what's going on than what you thought. When I first looked at the picture I thought it was a nice one of my grandmother, but what I didn't realize is my father is in the picture as well - you just can't see him as he's still to be born. Its great to see what my grandmother looked like pregnant. 

Credit: J. Fitgerald       Colorization My Heritage

It wasn't until 2020 when My Heritage came out with the colorizing of photos. This was one of them that was brought to life with the new technology. 

A-Z Blogging Challenge - The letter L is for Linden, NJ (Wojtkowski/a) or La Guardia!

In 2017, there was a challenge. I heard about it from jillballau blog and more information can be found out about it on the A-Z Blogging Challenge (which was at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/) page itself. However, as I was testing links I found the A-Z Blogging Challenge link is no longer working *frown*

Many people had done this challenge in April 2017, but I’m a rebel and do things when I have time, so I’ll do mine now. I’ve been working on it over many days, and was hoping to get it all done before posting BUT it’s taking me a lot longer than I expected. I’ll do a few posts now and work on the rest. 

I know I have about ½ of this challenge done in draft format, so not too bad.  J

What can I say – I’m an original. So, here I go…

The letter L is for Linden, NJ (Wojtkowski/a) or La Guardia!

When my grandmother and great grandmother arrived in the US via Ellis Island, my great grandfather lived in New Jersey in various areas. Within a few months of my grandmother and great grandmother arriving, they lived in Linden, New Jersey. 

Linden, NJ to New York, NY Map from Google Earth

She went to school and they moved around this area. In fact, my great grandparents lived in this general area the rest of their lives and are even buried nearby. 

A note from my grandmother's Naturalization file regarding her schooling.

My grandmother moved in New York City, Manhattan, for a few years where she met my grandfather. I think this was during the Prohibition (1920s), when she was a cigarette girl. 

What my grandmother looked like working. Credit

She loved to tell the story of how the cops would do a raid of the bar and she used to go into telephone booth and lay on the floor with the box above her head. Because she was so small, 4 foot 10 when she passed, they used to just walk right on by her. Remember this was in the time of prohibition and they were usually selling alcohol in some shape or form usually. 

Anyhow, after she met my grandfather they moved back to Linden. My father grew up in this area until he was about 10 give or take a few years. 

My grandmother in Linden, NJ in 1930s
in this family picture copyright J. Fitzgerald

This was on Linden's website until late 2018. Its the same building my grandmother was standing in front of in the 1930s.

The way my grandmother is standing with her hand on her waist, you can tell she's pregnant in the picture. According to Linden's website, they give different classes to the public in the building, so I think she probably came here for a check up or for a class. 

My father, who my grandmother was pregnant with in the above picture, lived his early life around Linden. NJ. Below is him in front of a fire hydrant.

My father during Linden, NJ summer late 1930s.
Copyright J. Fitzgerald

My grandmother and great grandfather used to travel back and forth from Newburgh, New York to Linden, New Jersey, after my grandparents and father moved away. 

Where does La Guardia fit into this?

You are probably asking about La Guardia fitting in as I mentioned this above. 

Well, my Great Uncle Stanley had married a woman by the name of Mary. They were living in Linden, New Jersey. Anyhow, remember how I was saying the family traveled from Newburgh, New York to Linden, New Jersey? 

One of these times, Great Uncle Stanley and Mary were coming up to visit my grandmother and ended up in a really bad car accident. Mary was killed. 

This happened in La Guardia not far from where the airport is. 

A map showing Elizabeth (on lower left) to LaGuardia (on upper right)

This may look far from Elizabeth, but many freeways lead you directly to that area, so it doesn't take long - you just have to make sure you get on the right freeway! In fact, to go up to northern NY, you must come this way to get the freeway to go up that way. Its quicker. 

Once again, I stumbled onto this information. I was looking through city directories to find out more about my great uncle's. I found one which listed him with a Mary and I asked my father about it.

US Directory listing my Great Uncle Stanley and Mary in 1957.

This is when I was told about Great Uncle Stanley being married to Mary. My father can't remember her last name. I think I might have figured it out, because of a census which listed Stanley, Mary and her family they were boarding off. However, I cannot say for sure it was them. 

This is how and why La Guardia is mentioned as well.