In Alan's introduction to this week's Sepia Saturday, he writes:
"This might take you back to the days when getting a car was such a big event in life that you would instantly drop your kids, your pet dog and your Great Aunt Sophie and rush outside with your camera and take a picture of the car."
Having searched my grandparents' albums for photos of cars, I can only come to the conclusion that for my grandfather Gustaf, the car was no more than a means of transport, of little interest in itself. He was obviously far more interested in great aunts, kids and dogs! I can't find a single photo of the car (their first one bought in 1947) even though it obviously brought about quite a big change in their lives. I know they loved going for outings, visiting friends, having outdoor picnics, and exploring an extended area around where they lived. But the photos are all of the people and the places; not the car itself.
Moving on to my dad's albums, he seems to fit Alan's description better...
My parents as newly-weds, with their first car (which I know they named Patrick). (1954)
Their second car, which I think they bought in connection with Little Me entering the world, in August 1955 - followed by a very wintry winter. Here dad obviously did leave wife and kid in the car and rushed outside with his camera to take a picture! (Only a few months old, I assume I must have been lying in some kind of cot in the back seat. Special car seats for babies were still unheard of back then.)
Photo from a family outing the following summer (1956). My grandparents in the foreground, and I suppose the other car must be theirs. My mum and me (in a stroller) in the background.
In dad's album I also found these photos below that he snapped of an unusual accident he happened to witness. Not sure if he actually saw it happen, or passed by after. Judging by the crowd gathered, my guess is on the latter alternative.
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Oh that accident is leading me to many questions...what about the bicycle that was hit? and exactly what is the back end stuck up in the air landed upon? I can't discern if there's a wall, a fire-plug, or whatever. But it certainly doesn't make a bit of sense to me! Loved seeing the parents and their cars! My father was one of those who loved his cars, but I don't remember that they had names until my sis and I had our own and started giving them names.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, I don't know either, but I think perhaps a railing and possibly the base of a flag pole (?) may have been involved. (The pole seems too tall to be a lamp post...)
DeleteI have the same questions as Barb. Whatever the cause it took a lot of force to put that car in that position, so I can understand why your father thought it deserved a few photos. After my dad retired from the army he got a job as a driving instructor and insurance inspector for a company that provided special services for businesses that kept fleets of vehicles like taxi and trucking companies. He took thousands of photos of strange accidents like this in order to document the details for insurance claims. Recently I found a collection he made of hundreds of these photos in large 8x10 format. There are pictures of overturned cement trucks, crushed taxi cabs, twisted dump trucks, crane trucks hung up under a bridge, etc. I've saved them because taken together they would make a novel art installation.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an unusual collection indeed, Mike. The photo prints in my dad's album are very small, only 5.5x8.5 cm, so hard to make out the details.
DeleteMy Grandma Louise (my Mom's Mom) had a two-tone (turquoise & cream) 1953 Chevy she named "Betsy". She loved that car. I remember riding with her once when we were coming down a hill toward a curve to the left and we slid off a bit into the gravel on the side of the road. Grandma patted the dashboard of the car and said "Slow down Betsy!" and I remember thinking "Slow down BETSY?!!". Anyway, as always, I enjoyed your post with all the pictures of family, and the pix your Dad took of the accident does make one wonder what happened. I hope whoever was riding the bicycle was okay!
ReplyDeleteGail, I hope so too, even if the odds don't look to good. Alas there is no story to fill in the missing details.
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