Grandfathers

[jemhouston]

One post-retirement project is scanning the pictures and slides I brought back from Iowa. Thought I was done, found more.

The pictures of both grandfathers taken from the 1930s through the 1950s have one thing in common, they're not smiling. I have one picture of maternal grandfather smiling, but that's the only one.

Have you seen pictures taken during that time frame of your grandfathers smiling? I'm curious.

[Micael]

One post-retirement project is scanning the pictures and slides I brought back from Iowa. Thought I was done, found more.

The pictures of both grandfathers taken from the 1930s through the 1950s have one thing in common, they're not smiling. I have one picture of maternal grandfather smiling, but that's the only one.

Have you seen pictures taken during that time frame of your grandfathers smiling? I'm curious.

My maternal grandfather smiles in one photo I do believe. My paternal grandfather doesn’t smile in any and my dad (born in 1941) has been and remains very reluctant to do so either. I think that in their case it’s some conditioned convention of ”this is how you should look when posing for a photo” thing.

Point in case, my dad:

[gtg947h]

So we actually have a bunch of pictures of my mom's side, going back to the early 30s. Outside of formal photos like wedding pics or portraits, my grandfather (born 1924) is usually smiling. There's even some of my great grandfather (grandmother's side) smiling, with the phot dating back to the 30s when my grandmother was little.

[Nik_SpeakerToCats]

Been a while, but my father mentioned that early 'plate' cameras' limits often required their subjects' immobility, as if for an oils' portrait 'sitting'.

Also, um, before NHS dentistry, showing teeth in a smile could be embarrassing...

[Micael]

Remembered I have photos available of a great-granddad on my father’s side and of a great-granddad on my mother’s side. They’re representative of their general non-smiling deameanor when photographed, based on other photographs.