Several months ago I commented about the photo of an Italian laborer I had seen in a book called The Italian Americans. I had a discount coupon several months back and bought the book, but just scanned it today (since I want to put the book where it belongs!). The notation says "Street Types of Chicago--Character Studies" and on the bottom "In the employ of the gas companies."



This is the same job my grandfather (Dad's father, my "Papá) did for the Providence Gas Company for so many years. I can imagine I am looking at a younger version of my grandpa, who was a little more stocky and so far as I know, had a shorter clipped moustache (from what I can remember from the old wedding pictures in the dining room of what is now my uncle's house). Look at the high-waisted trousers and the worn leather suspenders! They worked hard, at least twelve hours a day six days a week.

This is a bit more recent. The photo was a bit blurred and I can't correct it that much without it looking extremely grainy. I was able to straighten it and get out some creases. This is 1958.



I would have been about 2 1/2. Looks like summer due to Mom's sleeveless blouse. The color of the house back then was a pale yellow. Check out "those damn Venetian blinds" as Mom used to call them; eventually we got shades. Right behind Mom's left elbow is the cedar bush that was later transplanted in the back yard. I think my godmother or godfather took this photo. Their house is in the background. It was a light grey back then with the area around the cellar windows painted a dark green. In front of the house they had a big catalpa tree that I called "the cigar tree" because its seed pods looked like giant string beans or long cigars. In the spring it had white blossoms that looked like old-fashioned ladies bonnets. We girls would put them on our fingers and pretend they were a crowd of women going to church.

Labels: family, memories, photos

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 1:02:00 PM

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