Unknown folks (a)

An assorted collection of pics from the 1930's album. All featuring people whom I have no idea who they are.

Unknown folks (b)

27 scouts, so this is probably kids from several troops. At a camporee, maybe?

Unknown folks (c)

Another pic from a scouting event. Goodness, I haven't seen one of those old fruit baskets in decades. Do they still make/use them?

Unknown folks (d)

Another fellow scout-leader, perhaps? That alien-looking blob in the lower left must be a defect in the photo. I still think this scout troop had awesome tents for camping. When I was in Boy Scouts, it was strictly pup tents.

Unknown folks (e)

This girl shows up in several pics from the 30's, but I don't know who she is. That may or may not be my dad behind the shoe. Good luck on identifying anybody in this set of pics.

Scouting (01)

Some scouting pics, probably from the 1930's. Good luck on identifying anyone here. The boy standing third from the right looks to me like Dick Laudenslager, who was also a scouting leader in the 1950-60's. But Sheri tells me she doesn't believe Dad knew Dick from these younger days. And I'm lousy on ID'ing people anyways.

Scouting (02)

Breakfast on a camp-out. That's a box of shredded wheat on the table. The only kid "in uniform" is the one on the right. Was the Hamburg troop number really "1"?

Scouting (03)

This looks like the supply tent. Very kewl. A much more elaborate tent that when we had when I was in Boy Scouts. I'm not sure what that structure is on the far right of the pic. A well, maybe?

Scouting (04)

Well, wherever it was that they went camping, it had a pleasant lake (pond?) to go boating on. The car in the background helps to date this photo.

Scouting (05)

Splashing water at the photographer. BTW, I'm getting to the end of the pics that Sheri sent me, so posting is going to become a bit more infrequent. Most of what is left in this album are scouting photos.

Anyone who wants to send me more Ludwig family photos, feel free to do so. I'll scan 'em, and send them back to you asap. There are 500+ photos posted here, so it's been quite the pleasant trip down Memory Lane for me.

Ye Olde Swimming Hole (a)

This looks high-schoolish, so I'm guessing its in the early-to-mid 1930's. The women's suits don't look too much different from today, but the men's do. I think this is in a river, cuz of the canoe in the background, and the rocks jutting out in the foreground. BTW, that third person from the left is...

Ye Olde Swimming Hole (b)

...a guy. I wouldn't've guessed that from the back of the swimming suit in the previous picture. I'm thinking these are some of Dad's high school friends, plus a dog in the lap of the third person from the left in this photo. The dog is a bit clearer in the previous shot.

Camping (01)

There are a slew of Boy Scout pics in this album. most of which are from camping trips. I'll post a bunch of them in the hope that maybe a couple of the kids can be identified.

My best guess here is that the canteen-sipper here is my Dad. The tent is kind of a raised pup tent. This appears to be a hot summer's day.

Camping (02)

This looks like the end of a camp-out. The tents are being struck, and the last order of business will be to police the area and pick up all the litter. The car in the background helps to date this photo.

Camping (03)

Another camping shot. I think this is from a different camp-out, because these are your run-of-the-mill pup tents now. Which is what I was used to, a generation later, when I went camping in the Scouts.

This is another warm summer day. The pants are long, but under-shirts or no shirt is the norm. It's interesting to note the variety of expressions on these boys' faces. Overall, I'd say they're waiting for something, and are kinda bored.

A-hiking we will go...

Maybe this is what they were waiting for. Probably not though, since these guys all have sweaters/jackets on. We'll offer a prize for anybody identifying the location here. All you have to go on is the house ahead. I'm feeling a bit confident that I won't have to come up with a prize.

a backyard somewhere (a)

Here's a couple of my dad's photos from an unknown backyard. I imagine he took these to show the blooming flowers. Of course, I first think of the backyard at 234, or the Gerber's backyard. but the houses in the background here don't look familiar.

a backyard somewhere (b)

Is that the broom factory there in the background? The slanted roof in the left part of this pic doesn't ring any bells.

Who Where When

This picture was on the same page as the two backyard blooms pics. Is this Grandpa Ludwig? If so, who would be the other person? Not Grammy; I can't imagine her in white slacks. And where would this have been taken? The ground looks too uneven for both 234, and even the bungalow.

New Pavement

This is our house in Lenhartsville, and I'm sure the purpose of this photo was to show the new pavement in front of it. Which undoubtedly led to a new porch for our house. And then a widening of the street.

I'm not sure why the light pole in the background is still out in the street, while the one in the foreground is right smack in the middle of where the next segment of the pavement will go. Perhaps the line of light poles didn't run exactly parallel to the fronts of the houses on this street.

The most intriguing thing to me in this picture is the smudge pot in the street in the foreground. I remember those things. Little boys can't resist touching them, and the result was always yucky blackness all over one's hands, arms, and face; which usually meant an unplanned bath.

So tell me, just what the heck is the purpose of that smudge pot?

House Renovation

If you swung the camera to your left in the 'new sidewalk' picture, this is what you would have seen. Apparently there were some serious renovations needed when my folks moved into this house.

That fence in the foreground was still there in 1993. When we lived there, the tips of it were painted white, and the rest of the fence was painted green. I think.

That sawed-off tree was long gone by the time I was playing outside. But there were two other trees, maples I think, just off to the left of this photo. And a short (5' tall or so) Christmas-type tree on this side of the fence, which had gotten a heckuva lot taller when we were there in 1993.

IIRC, across the street in the background, was (eventually) where someone stored some for-sale earth-moving machines. And behind that (again, eventually) was the Lenhartsville baseball field.

Showers Steps (a)

Here's another place I've vaguely heard of, but have no idea where it is - Showers Steps. Not sure if "Showers" needs an apostrophe or not.

Showers Steps (b)

It looks like a cool place - up on a hill looking down on some fields. It reminds me of places like Hawk Mountain, keeping in mind that I haven't been on Hawk Mountain in probably 50 years.

Showers Steps (c)

The notes on the back of this photo lists it as being at "Bethel", in addition to being at Showers Steps.

The "extra boy" in these pics is David Livingston, who appears in a lot of pictures with Tom and Nancy. Including some taken in Lenhartsville that I'll post sometime soon. I have to say that I have absolutely no recollection of him.

Ice Skating (a)

Here's a couple nice "brrrr" pictures as we all wait for cold weather to arrive. I know where this is - a small pond at the "bottom" of Stoudt's Ferry Bridge Road in Riverview Park near Reading.

The girl in the white parka in the center of this pic is Sheri. I remember that coat. I'm gonna guess that the tall girl to Sheri's right (our left) is Julie Aulenbach, although that's a guess only. Also, that might be Doris on the other side of Sheri.

This pond was a favorite ice-skating place. Much more fun (and free!) than an indoor rink. Of course, the drawback can be seen here - after a snowstorm, you had to get the new-fallen snow off the ice first.

Ice Skating (b)

Here's a pulled-back shot of the pond. It looks like they've gotten most of the snow shoveled off by now. IIRC, this is pretty much all of the pond - it doesn't go much further to the left, and you can see the far right corner in this pic.

If ice-skating wasn't your cup o'tea, that rise in the background made for some great sledding. Only one problem - the best slope (as far as a lack of trees goes) is off to the left of this photo. Unfortunately, the slope quickly emptied into the stream that feeds this pond. So if you were going to sled, you usually had to purposely bail out at the end in order to avoid ending up in the "crick".

Fairmount Park (a)

Sorry for the medical delay. The three old photo albums and assorted pictures from Janet are now all posted. So it's back to some of my Dad's shots.

Fairmount Park (b)

These photos (slides, actually) are simply listed as being taken at "Fairmount Park".

Fairmount Park (c)

I have no idea where Fairmount Park is, and I have no recollection of being with my Dad for this photoshoot. There was a heap of sailboating going on, obviously.

Fairmount Park (d)

Looks like a nice park, though. Green, shady, etc. I can guarantee you that this isn't anywhere in Arizona.

Hazel & Charles

Oh, is this ever a great photo. On a lake (maybe?) near Schwenksville (where's that?). I think the "928" in the upper right stands for 1928, as that would make my Dad 13 years old in the photo. I'm guessing his glasses are in fact a pair of Hazel's. They're both quite well-dressed for an afternoon of rowing. I wonder who took the pic. Charlie Brownmiller, perhaps?

Doris and John

Another nice photo. Doris & John at a church somewhere. Janet's guess that this is at their 1947 wedding seems likely.

New Hamburg High School

This is a great aerial (I presume) photo from 1962. Janet notes that the old Hamburg High School is in the background. Alas, I have no recollection of either high school, so I can't orientate myself in this photo. Would Washington Street be somewhere in the background?

BTW, I sorely miss a forest covering a whole mountainside, as is seen way in the background here. After being in Arizona for almost 40 years, I really would like to go traipsing through the woods again.

Joe Reading To Chris

Janet lists this as being December 1964. Bill's high school picture is in the background, and this is at 234 Washington.

Now my question is - exactly wherer do those two windows look out to? My guess is that the right-hand one looks out onto the fron part of Grammy's back porch. But then the left-hand window would look out onto the narrow way between 234 and the big red brick wall of the next house down, and I don't remember any windows facing that direction.

Grammy - Christmas 1962

Here's a cool picture that I've never seen before. I'm not sure where this photo was taken. There's not a lot in the background to key on. Maybe the chair to Grammy's left will help.

There's some backwards writing along the top of the picture. I'd try to tell you this is some satanic incantation (similar to the alleged backwards masking "seen" by some in rock and roll records), but I doubt you'd believe me. Instead, it's simply the ink from the notation on the back of the photo bleeding through to the front. Another good reason to get your photos converted to digital.

Halloween - 1960

I'm assuming this is at the King Frost Parade. The kid behind the chipmunks has a number on his sleeve (102), and that looks like a majorette on the left fringe of the photo. Kudos to anyone who can name the un-costumed boy just behind the "We Want Alvin" sign.

Hazel & Bill (1947)

Finally, a picture where I'm sure of the baby's identity! It looks like Bill's pinky finger is sticking straight out. Wasn't that a sign of an alien being in some old TV sci-fi series? "The Invaders" maybe. I can't remember anything about that show, except that it was in b&w, and the hero always figured out who the aliens were by their little fingers.

Where was this picture taken? It looks like a wall behind Hazel and Bill; then a house (or houses) "up the hill".

Hazel & Charlie

Hey, I recognize that fireplace! This is in the front room at the Brownmiller house. To the right of this (IIRC) was a floor lamp and a long sofa. To the right of that was the entrance to the room from the front hallway. Maybe.

To the left of this fireplace was... um... well, the entrance to the dining room where there was always either good food or a rousing pinochle game. There was probably more to the left than that, but hey, food and cards are the things I remember.

I really like this photo. Two people who not only love each other, but also like each other's company. And it looks like someone also really enjoyed "doing up" the house for Christmas.

Aunt Sallie Newspaper Clip

Sorry for the lapse; I've been working on two slideshow side-projects. Here's a newspaper clipping, courtesy of Janet.

I love this pic. This is the way I remember Aunt Sallie - feisty, and with a sense of humor. I hope to be this way when I'm 94.

Bungalow

Here's a nice shot of the bungalow from a distance. Not sure where the Maiden Creek is relative to this shot.

Esther Ludwig

Hmmm. I'm drawing a blank on this lady. This was taken in 1979, so in theory, I should've crossed paths with her at one or more Ludwig get-togethers in my youth. So where does she fit into the family tree?

Grammy & Grandpa

I think I remember this photo from Janet's bungalow write-up. I know there was at least one picture of Grandpa in there, cuz that's when it hit me that I had absolutely no mental image of him. I've developed quite a relationship since then, not only with him, but with a whole bunch of kin from the early 20th century.

Hazel's High School Class (as is)

Isn't this a neat pic?! It isn't difficult to pick out Hazel in the group.

Other people in the pic (identified by Janet) :

Rusty Machmer (third man from left)
Donald Keiser (in center, with Kramer hair-do)
"Spec" Wagner (tall one, 7th from left)
Mr. John Land (man on right, the principal)
Evelyn Wertley (tallest girl)
Marian Smith (3rd girl from right)

Hazel's High School Class (grayscale)

Here's the grayscale version of the same pic. I'll let Janet and other Hamburgians give more details about the pic, the class, and the High School library in the background of this pic.

I will give one tidbit (courtesy of Janet) : Hazel was valedictorian of her class! That beats my mediocre 52-out-of-251 high school standing. ;-)

360. More flood (a)

Photo Album #3 closes out with a set of pics that we've seen before. But we'll post them again for the sake of continuity.

361. More flood (b)

Actually, they're very slightly different. For starters, they're larger than the ones we saw earlier.

362. More flood (c)

They're also cropped oh-so-slightly different than the first set.

363. More flood (d)

My mom says she thinks that's her and her Dad on the Gerber's front porch.

364. More flood (e)

Here's the one that tipped me off re the different cropping. The girl's head at the upper far-left is not in the earlier version of this pic. So did Grandpa do his own developing and printing?

This finishes the third and final photo album of Grandpa's. I for one have learned gobs about his and Grammy's earlier years. It was indeed, a different world back then.

352. 1942 Flood (a)

Some more pics of the great flood of 1942. Grandpa lists this as being on State Street. If I had to guess, I'd say we're looking "down" (south?) State Street, maybe roughly across from 234. If so, then behind that truck is where I vaguely recall the Hamburg city Christmas tree used to be put up. Maybe.

The man on the far right is interesting. His feet are blurred cuz he's in motion, sloshing thru the floodwaters. But his face is remarkably in focus. Weird.