Pages

▼

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Sepia Saturday: Cancer and Cats

The theme photograph for this week's Sepia Saturday is to the left - a machine that dispensed lit cigarettes.

I instantly thought of the collage I created several years ago containing a photograph from my paternal grandparents' honeymoon, a cigarette my grandmother probably received for her 17th birthday, and lines from both of their death certificates.

One would think with everything we know today about cigarettes, no one would smoke. But alas, that isn't the case.

On a lighter note, the theme picture features "Black Cat" cigarettes, so I also thought about this photograph of my maternal grandmother, and an unnamed companion:


While my wife and I both grew up in 'dog families,' we now have two black cats of our own.

8 comments:

  1. WendyMay 4, 2013 at 2:40 PM

    A very interesting collage, especially given that your grandparents' deaths are related to smoking. However, I do think it is "cute" that your grandmother saved a cigarette from a special birthday. And why not? I'm sure she never imagined that smoking could be dangerous to her health. Today we all KNOW the danger, yet many people choose to smoke anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  2. JohnMay 4, 2013 at 4:40 PM

    Yes, her generation didn't know the dangers. Now we do, and many choose to smoke anyway. I don't understand it.

    Of course, many today start young when the concept of doing dangerous things is appealing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. KristinMay 4, 2013 at 9:33 PM

    I don't get it either. Why do they even start with the knowledge available now?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Alex DawMay 5, 2013 at 2:32 AM

    Hmmmm. I too am lost for words when it comes to this question.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bob ScotneyMay 5, 2013 at 2:44 AM

    My elder boy has recovered from throat cancer he contracted 12 years ago so your post is a particularly graphic reminder of the dangers tjat so many ignore.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Brett PayneMay 5, 2013 at 4:05 AM

    Interesting collage with the associated ephemera. I have my great-grandfather's death certificate stating one of the causes of his death as carcinoma of the throat, caused no doubt by his pipe smoking.

    ReplyDelete
  7. KathyMay 6, 2013 at 3:04 PM

    I thought none of my children would ever smoke given that their only close relative who smoked (her grandfather) had lung cancer. But... while away at college she took up the nasty habit. She says smoking seemed the best choice of things she considered to handle whatever stresses she had in her life at the time. She's trying to quit and is down to very little smoking now. Your collage tells the sad story. I am sure there are many happy stories too.

    ReplyDelete
  8. anyjazzMay 6, 2013 at 5:39 PM

    The Collage is excellent. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comments. If you don't have an account to 'sign in' with you can still comment by selecting 'Name/URL' (if you want your name on the comment) or 'anonymous.' The 'URL' field is optional.

Note: Your comment will not appear immediately, as all comments are moderated.