My Glamorous Mother, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.
Photo# 9 Dorothy's Glamour Shot
After attending the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence taking a course in fashion design and
photography, my mother went to Hartford,
CT to work for Bachrach, a famous
portrait photography studio. I have no proof of this but I think that it was
between the years of 1940 and 1942. I think this portrait photo was taken
during or just after that time period. I have a huge copy (16 x 20) of this
photograph stored in a folder in one of the upstairs closets. I carefully
packed it and others when we moved. Honestly, what am I supposed to do with
these huge photos?
Scanning this photo shows me that this carte-de-viste was
probably carried in a wallet or in a small frame. It does show signs of wear.
Scanning the back proved to be interesting because it gives an "Since
1868" date of the company.
Mom told me the blouse was ivory silk and the skirt was
black and was probably sateen or velvet as it was hot to wear and took the
photographer a long time to adjust for the photograph. I would not have been
surprised that this is called a debutant pose and may have had it taken (as an
engagement photo) because my mother was engaged to another man before she met
my father. She told me his name and that she declined to marry him because his
aunt disapproved of their relationship and he did "drink too much". I
don't know if his aunt raised him or he just lived with her during this time
period. I do know his family was from Ohio.
Years after finishing college, RISD contacted my mother to
receive a diploma. The program she was in didn't offer a degree at the time, so
the college seizing the opportunity to make more money from alumni must have
decided to offer the diploma. Of course, I thought she had one all along so I
was quite surprised. The 1940 census, with information provided by her mother, said my mother completed one year of college.
This can't be right since she went to Lasell
College in Newton, MA
for a year. I have been assuming it was 1936 to 1937 and she boarded there.
Then, she transferred to RISD. I wish I'd asked for specifics.
This is how you find "holes" in your research by
going over information and talking to others about it. Thanks for listening.
Word Count 402
2 comments:
Hi Midge, Your late Mother was gorgeous! You certainly take after her. Design and fashion are truly glamor careers. Interesting about that diploma. Keep up the great work and fascinating family stories!
18I know exactly what you mean by these "holes". My grandfather served in WWI. I have newspaper clippings, a series a letters to his family, his purple heart and letter from the War Dept. I have articles of when he was working for the post office, and of earlier years when he worked at Endicott-Johnson Shoe Factory. BUT, I do not have any documentation of him attending the University of Colorado at Denver. Several times I had thought of writing to them, but do you think they'd have records from before WWI?
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