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.

353. 1942 Flood (b)

Well, I don't know many places with railroad tracks in Hamburg. So by default, I'm guessing this is behind the Gerbers' house.

354. 1942 Hamburg Flood (c)

I'm not sure where this was taken. I think he was trying to show the rushing water, but that makes the buildings hard to identify. At least the water's not too deep here.

355. 1942 Hamburg Flood (d)

Somewhere on South Third Street. It looks like the water is about knee-deep here, judging from the pedestrians. But it's almost up to the porch floors of these houses. So I guess these homes didn't have as many steps going up to the porch, compared to those on Washington Street.

356. 1942 Hamburg Flood (e)

Grandpa didn't list where this was taken, but it looks like an alley somewhere. There's a bunch of water spewing from the drainspout at the far left, so I think it still was raining pretty hard.

357. 1942 Hamburg Flood (f)

He didn't list this location either, although it should be easy to place - wherever Schlenker's auto dealership was. Not too much water here.

"Atlantic Gasoline" must be "Arco" nowadays. And hey, I do remember that license plate design. IIRC, Pennsylvania used to always use the same template. But they'd just reverse the colors each time they came out with a new set of plates.

358. 1942 Hamburg Flood (g)

There's more water here, although the man at the left seems to have it pretty much out of his shop. "Tydol" is a name I don't recall. Was it a brand of gasoline?

359. 1942 Hamburg Flood (h)

A blurry pic, although Grandpa does identify this as being at 3rd and Washington. There seems to be a church in the background, which may help to determine which direction this is.

348. Charles & Doris Wedding (a)

Hey, this is my Mom and Dad's wedding! It's funny, but I don't ever rccall seeing photos of it until this album. I wonder if this is the same church as for Janet and Chuck's wedding.

349. Charles & Doris Wedding (b)

Heh. I like this pic. A little bit more of Grandpa's "special effects" photography. I can just "feel" that rice stinging my Mom and Dad.

350. Doris & Charles Wedding

One last photo from the wedding. This one caused some confusion. Liz noticed that the "maid of honor" is wearing a veil, and concluded that this was actually a double-wedding. I have to admit, I've never seen a bridesmaid with a veil. Maybe this is a bygone custom.

Anyway, my Mom assures me this is not a double wedding. So who are the these other two people?

351. Bob in Navy Blues

This is a repeat from an earlier photo. I'm not sure why it's in this album twice. But I think it's a great photo, and well worth posting a second time.

341. Grandparents & Baby

Grammy & Grandpa Ludwig with Janet perhaps? And maybe at the bungalow? I like this picture - happy, beaming grandparents, proud to have their photo taken with their grand-daughter..

342. Hazel and Baby

Hazel and either Janet or Ellen, I think. It was cold out - Hazel has gloves on. And her coat has patches of fur at the shoulders.

343. Photo of a Photographer

That's my dad taking the photo. We saw his photo a few months back. IIRC, this is Grace, holdng John; and a friend of hers. Can't remember now if the boy to the left is Tom, or is related to the friend.

344. In The Sandbox

Another picture from the sandbox day. Take your socks and shoes off, Janet. Sandboxes are more fun when you can squish cool sand between your toes. :-)

345. Walking Away

I'm gonna guess that this is Grandpa Ludwig, maybe with his camera in his hand. Not sure who the lady is to the left.

346. Ten Women

Here's one to work on - name the ten ladies in the picture. I can't name any of them. I'm guessing this is at the bungalow, cuz of the pavillion off to the right.

347. Child with Ball

My guess is that this is Janet. I'm not sure of the "where".

We're getting close to the end of the third (and last) old photo album of Grandpa's. There's a few pictures from my parents' wedding; a second shot of Uncle Bob in his navy blues; and then some more photos of the flood of 1942. After that, I have about 20 loose pictures from Janet, and a few more pics from my Dad's collection. So if anyone has some other photos they'd like me to post, let me know.

335. Going for a Ride

Everyone's bundled up on a nice, wintry day. Is this Grandpa Ludwig or Grandpa Brownmmiller?

336. Hazel with Baby

I wonder if this was taken at the same time as #335. Is that the Washington Street shed across the street? If so, then this was most certainly taken at 234.

337. Janet in Jammies

Well, I'm pretty sure this is Janet, but where is this taken? At the bungalow? If so, that bungalow had a lot of room. Probably someplace else.

338. Whatta smile!

Hmm. Janet? Or someone else? Whoever it is, this is one of those "Kodak moments" - catching a baby with a beautiful smile. This is the same high-chair as in pic #334, so I'm thinking this is Janet.

339. Child outside

Another cute photo. In the backyard somewhere, I think. Is that a blanket on a clothesline in the background? And maybe the house in the background gives a clue where this was taken.

340. Little Dutch Girl

A little Pennsylvania Dutch girl - either very serious about posing, or not entirely pleased about having to stand still. I think that's a noise-maker in her left hand. I'm not sure what's in her right one. The toy duck at her feet is probably a pull toy; and maybe that's another pull toy just off to the right edge of the pic.

I wonder what the buildings are in the background. They don't look like houses to me. The one in the left background looks huge - a church or a museum maybe? And the one in the right background seems to have a smokestack.

329. Grammy & Baby

Grammy Ludwig and a baby at the bungalow. We'll call this set of photos the "comfy kiddies" segment. I'm taking these in the order they appear in the photo album. I think Grandpa liked to take photos of his grandchildren.

330. Reaching Baby

I'm not sure who this is and where this was taken.

331. Ellen in Hammock

Ah! Sitting in a hammock, eating a chocolate-chip cookie. Does it get any better than that?! I doubt it.

I wonder who the lady and little girl are in the background.

332. Baby in Carriage

Another contented kiddy. I wonder who it is. John maybe?

333. Janet in the Maiden Creek

Okay, if I can't have a hammock and a popsicle. I'll settle for wading in the Maiden Creek, in the shade of the old iron bridge.

334. Janet in High-Chair

The last of the "comfy kiddies" group of pics. I'm guessing this is Janet.