Friday, July 1, 2011

The Ladies from Milwaukie

The spelling of Milwaukie, Oregon often causes confusion, since the other Milwaukee (the more important one) is spelled with two E's.  But we like our little Milwaukie too.
Ruth Hudson sent this card to her mother, Mrs. W.J. Hudson, in Milwaukie, Oregon in 1912.
It was late July, and Ruth had gone to Chico, California, perhaps with some other girls from Milwaukie. They may have had some kind of summer employment.


Ruth's message reads:
Thurs.
Dear Mama: The Peckover girls have on the hats. Ruth has on the embroider dress. Grace B. has on the ribbons. Hazel Lillie is sitting beside Grace B. and Edith is sitting beside me. We are not making trays to day. Florence and I are going downtown soon. Tell papa and Paul to write. My, I wish that you could have some of the ice cream, watermelon and peaches that we have here. Well Bethel is doing dish so I must run and wipe them. How are you getting along with the work. xxx Ruth H.

Although you may not encounter ice cream, watermelon, and peaches, you can expect to find additional photos of other lovely ladies at Sepia Saturday this weekend.

25 comments:

  1. Did we work out which one is Florence? :)
    It's a wonderful photo and the message reads something like one of those logic puzzles.

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  2. I think Florence may have been one of the Peckover girls - but you're right, it's a puzzle.

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  3. Great picture. I wonder if the photographer took a front view too? Then you could stick the two together.

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  4. That's certainly an unusual viewpoint. Maybe the light was better from this side. The range of tones is impressive and so is the composition.

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  5. In the UK someone might ask, "Does my bum look big in this?"
    They are certainly not behind in coming forward.

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  6. Das ist ein tolles Bild. Ich mag die hüte und Frisuren

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  7. That is such an unusual angle and probably quite rare, As Bob suggests, ladies today prefer not to have their back views photographed.I suppose another caption could be ‘We are behind with our news!'

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  8. What a great card. It does read like a logic puzzle. I wish I had some of the watermelon, ice cream and peaches too. I think the view the photographer took gives us quite a different feeling then taking them from the front would. I like it.

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  9. That is a fantastic shot, love the intertwined arms which seem to keep the girls from sliding off their precarious perch!

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  10. Wonderful picture : the first thing I thought on seeing it was "I wish I had taken that". Good to be back and catching up with all these wonderful images.

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  11. I still don't know who is who, not helped by thinking the one on the end was a boy.

    The message reminds me of one of those logic problems: House 1 has a red door, house 2 has green windows, which house has a chimney?

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  12. This rear-view is interesting. The ladies were probably unaware of the second photographer, who no doubt blackmailed the sitters afterwards!

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  13. Wonderful card and a reminder of when food was seasonal. I think it tasted better then when summer was not air conditioned.

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  14. I bet they were laughing up a storm and trying to hang on. Wonderful photo and narrative. No one looks too stocky I bet they were all very young. Look at those hairdos. Love that photo.
    QMM

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  15. certainly a view back in time! I am familiar with Chico, CA where the summers can be hot and the watermelon and fruits must have tasted extra good.

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  16. Ice cream, water melon and peaches. Sounds pretty good to me! What an unusual card.
    Thanks for following....

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  17. See the six young girls from Milwaukie
    Not one of them was ever thought gaukie
    When asked for a pose
    They twiddled their toes
    And turned their backs ... how naughty !

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  18. Unusual photo - thanks for sharing it.

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  19. they looked like a fun bunch, the whole lot of them!!
    :)~
    HUGZ

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  20. Great photo!!! Love Brett's poem, too:) If I write a famous novel, can I steal Mike's line and put it in somewhere: I think it tasted better then when summer was not air conditioned.

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