Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Home is Where You Hang Your Hat

The word prompt for the 5th Edition of Smile For The Camera is Crowning Glory. Show us those wonderful photographs of hairdos and maybe even a few don'ts. Don't limit yourself to just hair fashion through the ages, got a great photograph of a hat, helmet, bonnet, or some other interesting headgear? Share!
I start with my great grandparents Herman and Annie (Blatt) Feinstein. The year is 1928, and the location is Cuba. My great-grandfather is wearing a fez with the word "Moolah" on it. As in the Moolah Shriners of the Moolah Shrine Temple. The Shriners is a masonic organization composed solely of master masons. My great grandfather submitted his petition to join the Shriners in December of 1927, so in this photograph he hadn't been a member for very long. He was born in 1886, so he was 42 years old. I don't know how to describe the hat my great grandmother is wearing.

Next up are my paternal grandparents, Melvin and Sissie (Feinstein) Newmark. Neither are wearing hats in this picture, nor can you see their hair. That's because both are wearing wigs. (Note: I'm not sure, but a toupee is officially only a partial wig, and I don't think there's anything partial about what my grandfather is wearing.) The year is 1975, and my grandmother is 61, and my grandfather 63.

Third up is a photograph of my Great-Grandfather Melvin Van Every and a niece, most likely Mabel Ruth Van Every Creamer. The photograph was taken in 1909. My great grandfather would have been 46, and Mabel would have been 28. My great grandfather has removed his hat, and it sits on the table. Mabel's hat is impressive.

I finish with my maternal grandfather, Martin Deutsch, in a photograph most likely taken in 1931 when he graduated from DePaul University Law School. He would have been 24. It's possible this is his high school graduation, but it is less likely.

No comments: