Monday, February 11, 2008

HIstory


While trying to figure out what to blog about, I ran across this picture my brother sent me a couple of years ago. The guy with the arrow pointing at him is my grandfather (mother's side), Samuel J. Thier, (January '01 - November '77). I believe this shows a group of laborers who worked on the 6th Avenue Subway line which would make him about 35 years old in the photo.
I have no idea who anyone else in the photo is, including Mr. Coat & Tie, Boss-man type in the back left.

For some reason, I have my grandfather's wallet. Contents: Florida Driver's License (expiration in 1981), an undated deposit slip to a checking account at Marine National Bank ($265.09), a receipt from his cardiologist ($75.00), a receipt from Winn Dixie The Beef People, ($1.49), a "Conditions of Admission" to Baptist Medical Center (11/29/77), an undated picture of me and 10 other "grandchildren" (I'm guessing '74 or '75 by looking at the picture; my hair is way below my shoulders). a "Permanent Voting Registration Identification Card" (D), a Health Insurance Card (valid 7-1-66) with my grandmother's name hand-printed in (Runny).

Any point to this? Nah. I think its a neat picture. He looks happy to have had a job.

4 comments:

Jim Wright said...

I love pictures like this.

I especially love the pictures of soldiers from around the end of of WWII. They were so damned young. Strong and full of hope and you have to wonder what happened to them, where they went, what they became.

One of the things I love most about the movie Band of Brothers was the final episode where the Damien Lewis voiceover tells you what happened to each of the members of Easy Company.

When I look a picture like this one, I wonder the same thing. Who were they, what were they thinking in that moment, what were their dreams, what became of them?

Nathan said...

I love that my grandfather and at least one of the other guys are holding miner's lights. No helmets? No Gloves? And I'm pretty sure that the subways were built (mostly) as open trenches and then covered over.

Where was he going that he need the lamp? (Nobody looks all that dirty either.)

It's also an image of my grandfather totally at odds with my memory of him. From earliest memory, he was a really old guy (I was born when he was 50), who was exceedingly gentle. I don't think I ever imagined him doing any kind of manual labor.

Nathan said...

Actually, he's have been 59 when I was born. What's ten years?

Random Michelle K said...

That's a great picture.

I just spent a couple hours going through old pictures of my grand parents and great grandparents.

Some of my favorite pictures are of my grandfather in his AF uniform and my great-grandfather in his Navy uniform, getting ready to serve in WWII.

My aunt also had postcards written my by grandfather, including one addressed only with my great-grandmothers name, and the address "Luke, MD"

I love looking at old family pictures, and trying to see the individuals I know in the young children and adults in the photographs.