I was going to write about last week in politics, a truly shameful and defining moment when Congress gave itself a raise but denied a hike in the minimum wage, but it all makes me a little ill. Instead of current events, let's do a little time travel.
My mother-in-law (that's her on the right in the spiffy little hat) never threw anything away. Anything. When we cleaned out her apartment last year it took days to sort through all the stuff. Lillian Vernon catalogs from the 80's packed together with newspaper clippings and family photos from the 1800's.
Yesterday, we opened a trunk we've moved around for years, one we've never opened because we didn't have a key. I broke the lock on this trunk stuffed with old newspapers, birthday cards, letters and pictures like this one.
This is a picture of Jenny with Jack Dempsey, the prize-fighter, in his restaurant on Broadway. Jenny had talked about this photo before, and wondered where it was. She remembers the picture being taken, having no idea who this big beefy guy was, just that he was famous.
As we open other boxes we haven't cracked in decades, I expect we'll have a few more surprises. Tomorrow, more treasure.
2 comments:
How completely cool!
My Uncle Adrian passed away a few years ago. He never threw anything away either. Anything. Ever. There were aisleways in his house between stacks and stacks of papers and photos 6 feet tall. Among other treasures, my mom found the original papers that eventually led to my grandfather's much-deserved inclusion in the history of the sinking of the USAT Dorchester in 1942.
Can't wait to hear about whate else you'll find!!
Love this picture. Wish I could make out the mural behind them better. Have we lost something with digital cameras? The atmosphere seems gone.
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