51. State Street Group

Are these friends or relatives? I think that's Grammy in the right-center background, in the dark dress with the white lace frill. But what's that hanging from the wall behind her?

And perhaps that girl in the center-foreground is holding Hazel. The guy in the foreground is one of Grandpa's buddies - he shows up in most of the guy group photos. And the dog that normally holds still so well is moving a bit in this pic.

Finally, there's a modern-looking brick building behind the back fence. I wonder if that's State Street back there, and this photo is actually taken in the backyard.

52. Hazel

A nice 1909 picture of Hazel. I'm not sure what that piece of furniture is in the left background - the crib perhaps?

53. Tow Path

Another photo from the Tow Path stroll. The path itself here looks a lot less used than in the earlier photos. You get a nice view of the hillside across the river. I think that's a road running along the other bank as well, complete with telephone poles. And a building or two at the far left - but not enough to be able to identify it.

54. Hazel

Another 1909 photo of Hazel. And we get to see the rug on the floor, and a pillow back against the wall. Plus a rocking chair and maybe a night-table to the right.

55. S. 4th Street Neighbors

This picture was taken the same day as Photo #46. Grammy & Grandpa's neighbors on South Fourth Street. Cute bows in the little girl's hair; and cute bow-tie on the little boy. So again - is this "everyday casual " dress-code, or is this "Sunday Go To Church" clothes?

45. Washington Street - 1912

A blurry picture. I'm thinking that's Hazel on the far right. And the lady who always smiles is on the far left. And the other four are?

Grandpa lists this as being on Washington Street. So is this the front of "234" prior to the full porches being added? Or is it the side door of the house, close to the backyard?

46. South 4th Street

Oh cool! I think this is a good photo of the house Grammy and Grandpa lived in when they were on 4th Street. You have to enlarge it like crazy, but if you do, you'll find Grammy on the porch of the fourth house from the left. One of the boys sitting on the steps in front of her is from the neighbor family. I have no clue who the other boys is.

Then to the left of her are the rest of the neighboring family. Don't worry - Grandpa took a much closer picture of them this same day.

As for Fourth Street itself - it has a curb, but no pavement. And the street isn't paved yet either.

47. Girl at Reservoir

Another very nice picture by Grandpa on the 1912 picnic at the reservoir. This girl shows up in the other photos from that day. Presumably a relative. I wonder who she is.

48. Grammy & Hazel

A great picture, even if Hazel didn't quite hold still long enough. There is an accompanying photo to this - with Grandpa and Hazel - which will show up in a couple pages in this album.

49. Centerport

The only photo labeled "Centreport" in this album. Grandpa spells it "Centreport"; but on Google Earth, I found a "Centerport" out near Shoemakersville.

This is 1908, so Hazel has just been born perhaps? My best guess is that these are either Grammy's or Grandpa's parents, posing proudly with their grand-daughter. And it looks like they live on a farm.

50. Grandpa & Hazel

This is the "twin" of picture #48. Hazel's holding more still for this pic.

39. Four Ladies

Four ladies, bundled up in their finest furs and hats, hopefully on a cold winter's day. Grammy's second from the left. Nobody's smiling today.

And there's another good image of the house across the street being reflected in the neighbor's door.

40. Young Couple

Don't they make a good-looking couple? I wish I knew who they were. I could be fooled into thinking this is a recent photo, except for that tie the guy is wearing. Well, and his slicked-back hair, too.

41. Another Couple

They show up in other pictures. She might be the third-from-left lady in photo 39. I can't figure out what he's wearing in his lapel.

42. Grammy & Hazel

Hey, this is a lot easier now that I know Hazel is the eldest child and Bob isn't born yet! This is a different stroller from the earlier "tow path" photos.

There's a cool iron bridge in the background that may help locate where this pic was taken. We'll see it again, closer up, in a later photo in this album.

43. Hazel & Bob

A lovely photo of Bob and Hazel. Bob's about a year old here. I wonder if Grandpa made that chair. It looks like Bob might have a piece of candy cane, so this might be around Christmas.

44. S. 4th St. - 1909

Is this Grammy? It's hard for me to tell, since her hair is covered. You have to enlarge this image like crazy, but on the right, that's a family pic in a modern-looking woven frame. And on the left, that's a Prudential plaque. I think Grandpa was a Prudential agent. I also think I've seen that plaque before. If I can find it out on the Internet somewhere, I'll post it here.

xx. Prudential Plaque

Found it !! If you google-image "Prudential Gibraltar", you'll find this image on the first page. And the site gives a nice history of the picture.

34. 6 Men on a Rock

Grandpa lists this as being "South Fourth Street", although I don't see any 'street' here. It looks like it's in the same vicinity as the "nimble cow" photo.

35. Ringing Rock Park

Another photo from the day at Ringing Rock Park in Pottstown. The same people as the first one, so that must be Grammy Ludwig on the far left.

36. Six Men & A Dog

This was taken the same day as Photo 34 was. The dog's the same as in Photo 26, but the men were dressed differently in that one. I like this dog's ability to sit perfectly still while the picture is being taken.

If you want to know what the scenery was like behind the photographer, it was lots of trees. They show up in the reflections in the windows.

37. Two Girls

Two girls presumably in the backyard of the house on South Fourth Street. I'm guessing the younger girl on the right in Hazel. So who is the older girl on the left?

This picture had some crud on it at the bottom, which is why the older girl's feet look hidden. Also, the photo gives a rare glimpse of what was in the S. 4th St. backyard and beyond. It looks like a garden, and then a hoouse (to the right) and maybe a barn (directly in back of the girls).

38. Drinking Buddies

Oh, I do like this photo!

This is the what makes me call the man on the left Grandpa's drinking buddy (although he's probably also a relative).

I'd call this a moonshine still, but I'm pretty sure this is before prohibition. Plus, there's the covered food for the picnic on the table in the background. So I guess this is how one took beer to a picnic in 1912. The six-pack of bottles/cans hadn't been invented yet.

28. Grandpa & 2 Kids

Is this Grandpa? Maybe, maybe not. Liz says he has the "Ludwig nose" so I guess so. If you compare this to Picture #12, he sure looks ...ummm... a lot more tired here.

If this is Grandpa, then I guess its Bob on the left, and Hazel on the right. I'll let others confirm/disprove that, based on their birth years.

What else? Let's see; the neighbor apparently left the Sunday newspaper spread out on the porch. And if you want to know what "across the street" looks like (behind the photographer), you can see reflections in the glass in both doors. Last but not least, I'm not sure what the 'bracelet-thing" is on (whom I presume to be) Bob's right forearm.

29. Grammy and Bob?

Another definitive photo of Grammy Ludwig. C'mon Grammy, crack a smile! I presume the child is Bob.

Both this and the previous pic are labeled as being "South Fourth Street", but the walls are quite different. Brick in the former; siding in this one. Maybe this is the back porch. Oh, and I wonder what that handle is to, hanging down next to the door.

30. Family Photo

Oh what a fantastic photo! I'd give anything to know who everyone is here. That's Grammy standing behind the bundled-up girl, and she's even smiling!

Janet, is the bearded gentleman in the center foreground my great-grandfather, Mandon 'Poppy' Ludwig?

Neither little girl matches up year-wise to be Hazel. I wonder if this is a collection of relatives. If so, from whose side of the family?

31. Double Exposure

More early-1900's Photoshopping by Grandpa. Here's a deliberate double-exposure, that's excellently done. He even got Grammy to smile for the second shot.

Grandpa lists this as being taken at Lorane, Pennsylvania. Which can be found on Google Earth. Down to the southeast of Reading IIRC. Based on other photos still to come, I'm guessing Lorane may have been where Sally and Ed Kressley lived.

Awesome photo, Grandpa! You were born a hundred years too soon.

32. Eight guys

Another shot featuring what I presume to be Grandpa and his buddies. He lists this as being in Hamburg, but doesn't give a road or place. Those poles in the background remind me of what I used to see along railroad tracks.

Grandpa is fourth from the right. I'm starting to recognize some of the other guys from previous group pics. But I wonder who the younger guy is at the far right?

33. Rolling Rock Park

The second photo from the 1910 outing to Rolling Rock Park in Pottstown. There are now six people in the pic, two more from the previous shot. I wonder who the older gentleman is in the center?

The place reminds me of the Blue Rocks. I find this kind of terrain interesting. Mostly wooded area, yet with large areas where the rocks seem to have scraped through to the surface.

21. At Ringing Rock Park

Four folks (I almost missed the guy at the top) at Ringing Rock Park in Pottstown. I never heard of the place; does it still exist? Looks like a neat place to climb around on the rocks.

The ladies' hats are cool. Once again I wonder if these were what you'd wear on any given outing, or if this was a special occasion - Easter or something like that.

The lady in the center might be Grammy Ludwig. As we'll see in later pics (and the earlier '4 ladies' photo), she doesn't smile much when she poses for the camera.

I'd be tempted to call the little girl Hazel, but this is 1910, and I this girl is too old for that to be true. So maybe she belongs to the lady on the left.

22. "Tow Path"

Okay, here's a definitive picture of Grammy from 1910. Presumably with Bob. The facial expression seems to match of the lady in Photo 21. Grammy was born when? - in the 1880's? If so, this is a 20-something photo of her.

I still don't understand the 'tow path'. Did it end here? If this were England, I'd say this is a river lock, used to lower boats from higher water in the background to lower water in the foreground. But that dam looks pretty 'permanent' to me.

Besides, there are telephone poles in the background, which makes me think there's a highway just beyond the top of those steps.

23. Two children

If Hazel is in this 1911 picture, I think she'd have to be the baby. Which means I have no idea who the older girl is. Maybe she's the same girl as in Picture 21.

Note the 'pavement'. Wooden, not concrete. But raised a bit, so maybe they're sitting on bricks?

24. Grandpa's Favorite Self-Portrait

This was his closing photo in the earlier album. Now he gives it a year and a place. It's a fantastic photo - in sharp focus, and it has a nice balance to it. I feel like this is the way he wants to be remembered. Young, dashing, self-confident, and smiling.

So what's more to say than listed for the last time we saw this? I still like the socks, but I hadn't noticed those "bow-ties" before (for lack of a better description) on his shoes. Are they part of the sock, part of the shoe, part of the shoelaces, or a separate fashion item?

Oh yeah, and he's not wearing a wedding ring. Okay, neither do I, so I can't talk. Maybe I get my discomfort with jewelry from him.

25. Six Men & A Cow

I like this pic! I'm thinking Grandpa is third from the right, so again, either the camera's on a tripod with some sort of timer; or else someone else is taking this photo.

The cow adds a surreal touch to the image. I don't see any fence to keep her in. I hope she's smart enough and nimble enough not to come tumbling down the slope.

Grandpa labeled this as being "South Fourth Street". I wonder if this refers to the location of the photo (but I don't see any street or houses), or simply to where he and Grammy were living at the time.

It would be fun to know exactly where this site is, and to take a photo of it now, 99 years later. I'll bet there are no free-roaming cows there today.

26. Five Men & A Dog

Another great pic! If that's Grandpa, second from the right, then this wasn't taken the same day as Photo 25, since he's now wearing a dark suit.

The cow has been replaced by a neat little dog. Part weiner dog; part south Hamburg.

Grandpa doesn't list a place (other than Hamburg), so I wonder where this is. Is it the Schuykill River, or a pond? And if they're standing on a bridge across the river/pond, then where do those two planks go to?

The second guy from the left is carrying a rifle. So was this a hunting excursion? Maybe, but no one else has a firearm. And once again, that's mighty formal attire to be traipsing around in the woods looking to shoot something.

27. Tow Path

Last pic for tonight. Maybe the same baby as before, maybe not. If not, then this is Hazel.

We get a good picture of the Tow Path. I'm a little surprised it isn't just simply two wheel ruts. It's rather narrow, ain't? Definitely not a place for an automobile.

Still more picturesque trees in the background, across the river. If you blow this image way up, you might be able to barely make out some farm buildings in the background, across the river. Maybe. This photo was in relatively poor condition, which makes it hard to see much detail. I greyscaled it to try to help increase the contrast.

16. Boy in Rocker

This was taken in 1910, so I assume this is Bob. I like the doll he's holding, and I like the pendant around his neck.

17. Five at the Reservoir

Is that Grammy at the far right? Maybe, maybe not. Whoever it is, I think she's holding a baby, and the baby isn't staying still. The lady in the center (I think) will also show up in photos labeled "Pine Street".

18. Hazel?

Well, this is 1912, and the baby here seems younger than the one in picture 16, which was taken in 1910. So I'm guessing this is Hazel.

19. Group at Reservoir

About 22 people to try to identify. Probably taken the same day that picture #15 was taken, so if you identify everyone here, you're well on your way to identifying everyone in that photo.

I'm thinking Grammy is in the front, fourth from the right, maybe holding Bob. Or maybe she's the lady in front, on the very left, although I think that's less likely. The lady on the far right in the front again has a nice smile for the photo. And Grandpa's 'drinking buddy' is in the back row, fourth from the left.

20. Group at Reservoir

Another pic from the 1912 day at the reservoir. The occasion can now be deduced from the covered food in the left background. It's a picnic!

This seems to be a "toasting" pose. Several of the people in the act of drinking, and a couple more with a cup in their hand.

Is that Grammy on the front left, with a little girl (Hazel?) in her lap? Or maybe she's one of the ladies standing on either side of the 'drinking buddy'.

There is an "eerie" part to this photo. The lady in the white blouse and gray skirt, standing in the center, and with a blurred face, looks like a dead ringer for Grammy Ludwig. Except that its her "1940's-1960's" look. Not 1912. so maybe her ghost came back to be in this pic. I vaguely remember something like that happening in the photos on the wall in "The Shining".

11. Three Men

Three men, on the bank of the Schuykill River in Hamburg. With a neat covered bridge in the background. Is the man on the right Grandpa? If so, then he either has someone else taking this picture, or else he set up a tripod.

Everyone's in a suit, and wears a hat. Did they dress up for the picture-taking, or was this the way anyone dressed when they went out for a walk? I think the latter was true.

12, Grandpa & Baby

Grandpa and a baby. In 1909, so this is Bob, I'm guessing. I don't know the birth-years for Bob and Hazel.

13. Tow Path

1910, a year later than the previous picture, so this is the same baby. I get the feeling this was Grammy, Grandpa, and Bob; out for a stroll along the "Tow Path".

14. On the Tow Path

Presumably taken the same day as the previous photo. This also makes me think people dressed quite formally when they went out for a walk.

I assume that's the Schuykill River to the right. Now, exactly what was a "tow path"? I know there were barges pulled by mules in the early 1800's, but was that still true a century later?

One last thing - what a picturesque background! Those trees look like someone painted them into the photo. I imagine they've long since been cut down for a subdivision, or something similar.

15. At the Reservoir

27 people to try and identify! We'll give a free DVD to anyone who names even half of these people.

In the front row, is the sixth adult from the left Grammy? Or maybe she's the next lady to the right.

The man to the far right in the front row, is someone Grandpa knew well. He'll show up in a couple more pictures. The heavy-set lady to the extreme right in the carriage is also someone close to Grammy and Grandpa. FWIW, she always has a smile on her face. Is one of the little boys in the front Bob?

I like the carriage. The horse didn't quite hold still long enough while the picture was being taken. Do you think this was someone's "family transportation", or is it something you'd rent in order to carry a whole slew of people to the reservoir?

While we're at it, where is the reservoir anyway? I presume this is somewhere close to Hamburg. One last thing - Grandpa labeled all pictures taken here as being at the "Resorvoir". I took the liberty of re-spelling it.

05. Xmas Tree - 1913

Christmas 1913. The pictures have changed on the right-hand wall. I'm thinking that's Hazel in the pic on the far right.

06. Xmas Tree - 1914

Christmas 1914. And for the first time (that I can tell), Grandpa has added a railroad to the display. There's a new picture just to the right of the top of the Christmas tree. Or else, the display was put in a different corner of the room.

07. Xmas Tree - 1915

Christmas 1915. My dad was born the past summer. The picture of Hazel has been moved to the left of the tree. I like the ceiling light in the left-top of this pic. The piece of furniture on the extreme right confuses me. It looks like a cabinet, yet you can see a lot of wallpaper in its center. Maybe its a grandfather clock.

08. Christmas (undated)

Grandpa didn't date these last two Christmas tree pics, so I'm a little hesitant to call this 1916. It is different from all the previous years' displays though. This one has Santas on the chimneys of both houses.

It's obvious Grandpa really enjoyed putting these displays together each Christmas. That got passed on to my dad. I remember him and Tom putting a lot of effort our displays - drilling holes to add Christmas lights inside each building; running gobs of wiring beneath the platform; and setting up an "O" scale electric train that you could actually "drive" with a control box. That "O" scale train was bigger than the "HO" scale trains that most everyone else had in the 50's and 60's.