1966 King Frost Parade (01)

Something a bit different from all the family pics. This set of images is from the 1966 King Frost parade in Hamburg, Pennsylvania.

1966 King Frost Parade (02)

And this is "King Frost". Some of the images, including this one, are not of the best quality. This is partly due to the photo-shoot conditions. Dad was quite a bit away from the parade, it was dark, using a flash was of limited value, and the subject(s) were in motion. This was "in the old days", when things like the f-stop, shutter speed, and focal point all had to be set manually.

1966 King Frost Parade (03)

But the other difficulty came when converting these from color slide to jpeg. The scanner, even though it's designed to handle slides, has trouble with slides where the lighting is poor. It tends to say, "Uh-uh!". There are ways around this, but the resolution is crappy.

1966 King Frost Parade (04)

The parade queen.

1966 King Frost Parade (05)

There were several marching bands in the 1966 parade, one of which came all the way from New York. Again, photo conditions were terrible, so please excuse. Hamburg residents might be able to tell exactly where in Hamburg this took place by the neon signs in the background.

1966 King Frost Parade (06)

A typical "float" in the 1966 parade. The King Frost Parade is still held (every October?) in Hamburg, but I haven't seen pics of it in 40 years, so I don't know if its gotten bigger/smaller and/or more/less sophisticated.

1966 King Frost Parade (07)

The pink elephant. Are the kids to the left throwing snowballs at the floats? This is one of the few slides that the scanner didn't have any problems with.

1966 King Frost Parade (08)

Janet and Chuck's float in the parade. "Swamp gas" was a popular explanation of UFO's in the 60's. For some reason, the government isn't as keen on it nowadays. Maybe because of this 'sighting'. ;-)

1966 King Frost Parade (09)

Proof of the ET's (who are NOT swamp gas) evil intentions. They are seen here in the process of abducting Mick.

1966 King Frost Parade (10)

Good-bye, Mick! Sorry about your impending demise. If you get a chance, drop us a line from Mars, or wherever they're taking you.

Black Album 02a

This group of photos comes from an even older album. It seems to chronicle Dad's years from about 1925 thru the 30's. High school and his single years after that. This is obviously a Hamburg High School class picture. I don't know if its his entire class or not. And I don't see him in the picture (altho he might be there), so I'm assuming he's taking the photo.

Black Album 04c

Dad at a Boy Scout camp-out. Is the cat a family pet, or simply a stray that wandered into the Boy Scout camp? Quien sabe?

Black Album 05b

L to R, Aunt Hazel, Grandpa Ludwig, Dad, Grammy Ludwig, and Uncle John. Uncle Charlie Brownmiller was also there that day, so I'm guessing he's taking the pic.

Black Album 08c

There are lots of scouting pictures in the album. I'm wondering if the boy to the right in this pic is Richard Laudenslager. It is said Dad and him met thru scouting, but how far back? Is it possible they were fellow scouts as teenagers?

Black Album 08d

Another scouting pic. Might this be Uncle Bob? I don't know if he was into scouting or not.

Black Album 11b

A picture of where?? I'm guessing it was taken during a Boy Scout hike. I vaguely remember a sanitarium near Hamburg. This is perhaps it? Alternatively, there are a bunch pf pictures of Washington DC immediately after this, so maybe it was taken on the way there. Bottom line - I haven't a clue.

Black Album 12c

An awesome pic that I included on my webpage. The Capitol in the background, and vintage autos in the foreground. My theory is this is from Dad's senior class trip. If so, this is from 1933.

Black Album 13a

And this is Dad's graduation pic. But is it the backyard of 234 Washington St.? I don't recognize the seat in the background, but then again, this is a couple decades before my time.

Black album 17a

I'm pretty sure this is "the bungalow". Maybe when they first bought it. Janet Barr has written a most excellent history of the Ludwig family and the bungalow. Contact her if you want a copy.

Black Album 18a

The bungalow during a flood of the Maiden Creek. Which is weird, cuz in my childhood, I don't ever recall the Maiden Creek flooding.

Black Album 19a

Who are these ladies? I'm tempted to believe the girl on the right is Mom, but she doesn't match up with the pictures following this page. Anybody have a clue?

Black Album 19d

A self-portrait by Dad. Hey, kids are now doing this same thing with their photo-cellphones.

Black Album 20a

At the bungalow, but who is this? Maybe Uncle Charlie, but I don't associate him with glasses.

Black Album 22b

This dog shows up a couple times in the album, so I'm thinking he's "family". But this is before Smokey, so I don't know his (her) name.

Black Album 24b

Okay, I need help on this one. L to R, this is Dad, ??, Mom maybe?, and then Betty and Dick Laudenslager?? Or this could be five other people, for all I know. And the site is? Maybe a Hamburg swimming pool in those days.

Black Album 24c

From the same page. My best guess is that this is Dick and Betty Laudenslager. But I could be way wrong.

Black Album 25c

Well, again, I'm hoping this is Mom with Dad. If it isn't, then he's in a lot of trouble for keeping pics of former sweethearts in his photo album.

Black Album 26c

The last of this set of photos. I don't know who this little girl is, nor where the pic is taken. I'm thinking mid- to late 30's for a timeframe.
I'm about halfway thru this old photo album. I'll probably take a break from these for a bit, so look for the next set of pics to be from more modern times. A la prochaine, mes amis...

25b

Fresh set of pics from the old green photo album. This is Nancy, Tom, Smokey, and Mom. But I'm not sure of the location.

25c

Dad and Smokey. Gosh, that snow looks nice right now.

27b

Nancy & Mom. There were 3 or 4 photos shot at this location. But I have no idea where it is.

28b

Mom, Smokey, Tom and Nancy - but who's the German Shepherd? There are several pics from this site as well. I'm gonna guess it is the Maiden Creek, but I can't say whether this is at the bungalow, or just somewhere close to our house in Lenhartsville.

31c

A cool but strange pic. Not related to any other photos in the album. It could be Dad, but I'm guessing not. And maybe at the bungalow, and maybe not.

32b

A cool family pic, presumably in the backyard at 234 Washington St. I can ID most of the folks here. I'm pretty sure that's Aunt Sally, 4th from the left standing. But who are the others?

32c

A very nice pic of Janet, Hazel, and Ellen.

33b

Not sure who this is. See following pic for a clue. It might be Nancy, but chronologically, that's out of order in this album.

33d

Presumably, the baby from the previous pic. Is this Mom? Or someone else?

34d

Tom, Smokey, and Nancy. Location unknown.

35a

A school pic, I assume. Is that Mom in the upper left? I'm guessing Tom and/or Nancy is somewhere in this photo, but I haven't a clue where. Update : The teacher's name is Miss Clementine Cope. Anyone who wants to know the names of (most of) these kids, contact Ellen, who says she grew up with most of them. I'm impressed. When I look at my high school yearbook, I'm amazed at how many classmates I don't remember/recognize.
BTW, Ellen thinks that Tom is the boy with the zippered hood, in the middle of the third row. The two girls on either side of him are Carol Ann Oberholtzer and Ann Greenawalt.

36c

Well, this is Mom. But who are the kids? I don't think that's Tom, and the newborn is presumably the mystery baby from a couple pictures ago. This might be the house in Lenhartsville. Taken at the front corner of Granny Sawyer's side? And I don't remember those big trees in the front of the house. Maybe they were uprooted when the new sidewalk was put in. Cool classic auto in the left background.

38b

A better shot of the kids. Sheri and me? I'm guessing not. For some reason the boy reminds me of Earl Larry - a grandson of Granny Sawyer, IIRC. But I could be way off about this.

37d

Last photo from the green album. Nancy, Mom, Smokey, and Tom; but I have no idea where. The entire green photo album has been converted now. I'm guessing about 20% of the photos have been posted here. Anyone who wants a CD of all the images, and/or the (color) slides posted at this blog; send me an e-mail.