The most intriguing photos in the family album represent people whom I have never met. Just a few of these images exist but are precious to me. They show just a glimpse of my mother’s grandparents, her uncle and his wife, and a few cousins, one of whom can be seen in a posed photo because he was a professional boxer.
Eddie Moad, my mother’s cousin.
All of those people were left behind when my mother, her siblings, and her parents left the poverty of Georgia and migrated north to Manchester, New Hampshire, in search of work in the mills.
My mother’s grandfather is seen here holding his son’s son, in Georgia. My great grandfather stayed behind when some of the family came to New Hampshire, and he later died in Tampa, Florida.
I am fond of the photo above because I remember the love my mother was given throughout her life, by her grandfather. He was crushed when the family moved north, yet felt too old to make any geographical changes. I wondered why he always wrote notes to my mother, in pencil. Just recently, my son remembered being told by his grandmother that her grandfather’s brother had worked at the National Pencil factory in Atlanta!
Her grandfather always called my mother “weency scrap” – that is how he wrote the words, in the short letters he mailed, scrawled on scrap paper. Later, my mother’s uncle would pick up the habit of addressing her in this manner, but by then she had children, so he would add … “and all the little weensey scraps.”
Another photo which I think is just “grand” is that of my mother’s grandmother.
This photo was obviously black and white, and was later touched up with color. I think she is beautiful.
My mother’s grandfather, when he was younger. Now I know where my brother’s red hair and blue eyes originated!
Without these images, I would have no clue whatsoever as to what my ancestors looked like. Photos can say so much more than words. Photo images tell it all. They capture “the moments of our lives.”
Rebecca Gorham and her son, Patrick, enjoy some fun at the seashore. photo by James Gorham. The two photos above are five generations removed from Patrick.
Just last year, at this time, we were expecting a new member of the family. Now, our grandson, Patrick, has stolen our hearts and is a healthy, growing boy, with bright blue eyes and a happy smile.
Yes, for those who were “there,” photos recall an event. For others, they are a chance to share the moment.
Patricia Cummings
