While in Seattle, my mom and I went through boxes and boxes of old photographs. We found an enchanting palm sized green leather album full of faded pictures. On the left is William Harrison, backwards since it is a tintype, probably taken in the early 1870’s. He had a sister Carrie, so she might be the girl on the right. See her wonderful crocheted vest? Most inspiring.
Below is a picture that hung on the wall my entire childhood. I spent hours and hours studying it mesmerized by the clothing and hairstyles. My great-grandmother Lulu Harrison is in the third row, second from left. She’s a younger half-sister of William and Carrie. She was born in 1871, in Ventura California, and moved to the Pacific Northwest when she was 2. This is the Denny School in Seattle, around 1885 I would guess.
I love the girl in the first row with the tasseled hat.
I love old photos. What a great post! It’s wonderful to be able to prove the fact that the impulse for making garments out of yarny goodness runs in your family. Thanks for sharing this!
Very nice MJ. We all come from someone, don’t we? That tasseled hat is fun, I wonder what color it was, and if the girl knit it, or if somebody else did.
Great family school pic! I have a family photo from a similar era taken in Maine and am now going to go see if I can see some knits in it.
i love old photos, esp this time frame into the 1910’s one room school houses.
I wish I knew more about these folks. My favorite pictures are of my grandma and her parents up in the North Cascades where they spent the summer in rustic shacks. At the same time they always looked glamorous. I’ve spotted some other handknits in some of the pictures. I will scan some more when I’m out west in November.
Vaguely reminiscent hat!
I keep thinking about the big tam Mary wears in Agnieszca Holland’s movie of The Secret Garden that I showed to my totally enchanted boys this summer.
Mary Jane!!!
I didn’t know (or remember) that you were a west coast girl. Ventura: Mike grew up two towns over, Ventura is a beautiful place. What a great treasure you have there!