Photo

Blasberg’s Grove, Hawthorne, NJ 1930

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Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post: I’m up and at it a bit late this morning – very welcome vacation days! Evidently I slept through a heavy and long rainstorm. I am writing this before I venture out to check for any damage to the more delicate flowers and plants in the garden – although in general they are grateful for all the water.

One of my New Jersey passions, developed in recent years, is collecting yard long and banquet style photos. I have mostly purchased New Jersey related ones (see posts from past summers here and here) and ones from seaside amusement piers (these in California here), although if I am being honest, I have another one to frame up of postal workers so there is some drift.

Currently for sale on eBay.

Today’s is a very real New Jersey theme, and full disclosure that my friend Larry Watson (www.larzfoto.com) did the initial research online. I sent the images to him as I know he shares my interest in these old photos and indeed he has some of his own that are family related.

From the damaged end.

Sadly, this photo is quite damaged and as I write it is pressed under some books upstairs to flatten it out. It isn’t so much the folds but the odd damage on the end, darkening part of it that is most troublesome. I bought it for $16 so I need to decide if I am investing (a not insignificant amount) in framing it or if I will tuck it safely in the flat files here for now. Still, I couldn’t not buy it and save it from the threat of demise. At least here it will at least be stored for future appreciation.

For all of that there are parts of this image I just love – the movement of some of the subjects, the sun shining. These men and boys are dressed up for this day in the country, likely imports from nearby New York City. As you will see, there is a lot of history attached to this photo. You all can weigh in on the frame or not to frame debate below.

My best attempt to show all of it.

Located in Hawthorne, New Jersey, I gather Blasberg’s Grove (or Blasberg’s Farm) was a popular locale for all sorts of outings – family reunions, weddings and community events. They entertained groups of hundreds of people at a time. Founded in 1910 it functioned this way for decades (not clear if it was also or previously an operating farm of some kind) until ultimately it was sold and subdivided into housing which bears the (somewhat ignominious) name of Blasbergs Farm Subdivision. Further poking does seem to point to fruit farming associated with the area in subsequent decades but not a lot of information there.

Clearly this is a sizable gathering. It is noted that it is the annual gathering of the Frank Vezzatti Assn. Light research shows that it was likely one of many political organizations – mysteriously called pleasure clubs in some of the research, which makes me think of something else frankly. There aren’t a lot of tracks about Frank Vezzatti except to say it was likely an Italian American political group of some kind in New York or urban New Jersey. Evidently loyalty of voters (notably men here although women had the vote – some younger boys got to go too) was perhaps ensured with food laden days in the country like this.

Worth noting that attire here is largely suits, ties and of course hats. Not really what we think of as clothes for a day in the country admittedly. Nonetheless, it is a documenting a glorious day! The sun shines through the trees and the light reflects and dapples on the ground.

The men, largely wearing (straw) hats, almost all in collared shirts and ties, frequently sporting jackets, all look at their leisure, many smoking cigarettes or cigars. One of the fellows front and center is blurred – that spot usually reserved for an honoree or important person so sort of odd that he is blurred, almost giving the photo a strange sense of movement.

Apologies for the late posting time today. Vacation intervened and an opportunity to take Kim to Asbury for the afternoon appeared and I left this unfinished. More about our adventures in Asbury next week!

Easter Greetings, 1908

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Pam’s Pictorama Photo Post: As we head toward the Easter season, this is one of a few seasonally appropriate items I have. The odd image doesn’t necessarily scream Easter, but there it is at the bottom of the card, Easter Greetings 1908 and the photographer’s name front and center although barely legible, G. Butney. It also says, Novato.

It would seem that Mr. Butney was a well-known (in the day) photographer in the early days of the 20th century, evidently headquartered in Novato, California. In July 1908, presumably several months after this card was created, he took a series of photos of a train wreck in Novato and turned them into photo postcards which he became best known for. (If, like me, you aren’t familiar with Novato, it is north of San Francisco.) It seems somewhat odd that photo postcards of a train wreck would be so popular.

For all of his sort of ten minutes of fame with this series of photos, there isn’t much left about Mr. Butney – no biography available, nor is his first name even evident.

Wreck on N.W.P. at Novato July 3 ’08. From the train wreck series that brought G. Butney brief local fame. Image via University of California.

It is a bit hard to see the connection between the train wreck photo and mine, but there you are. I assume mine was made as some sort of advertisement for his services and distributed earlier that same year. As an advertisement the difficulty reading his name at the bottom probably did not work in his favor – however, this very clever and eye-catching photo probably did. There is nothing on the back and it was never sent.

On close examination, it appears that each of these children really did pose with their head poking through this large homemade flower sort of collar. At first I thought it was photos collaged into the flowers, but I think not. It would appear that each flower is a separate photo or more likely negative, printed together into this image. It is quite a funny design and had to be more than a little work to execute. A careful examination shows some slight differences in exposure and printing – further contributing to my idea that they were each shot and printed individually.

There is an array of boys and girls, some smiling, others not – especially among the boys, although really, frowning might be evenly distributed. There is a range of age as well from toddler to a woman just to the right of Novato who appears to be an adult – his wife I wonder? Did he have a studio where he collected these over time as he took photos (Oh and just one more thing before you and Junior go…) or was there just a day or two of madness when he had a pile of kids come in? There are 26 (I think) separate images.

My other Easter treats are a bit less unique however I thought I’d share this one today, a tribute to the Ides of March and the spring season to come.

Picking

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Pam’s Pictorama Post: I recently bought this photo in one of my jaunts to the Red Bank Antiques recently. It is the kind of quiet photo that catches my eye sometimes and seems fitting for the house here in New Jersey.

This pair has been picking something although hard to say what, my first thought was apples. I don’t know if this a local photo – there’s nothing on the back for date or location. Those wooden buckets could have held peaches or even cherries just as easily. There is a nice rock fence behind them.

The woman’s dress puts this at the 1910’s or there abouts. She looks cool despite her layers of cotton. The man looks a bit warmer in his rolled up shirtsleeves and suspenders. I love the way the sun filters through the leaves. I think it will find its way to our guest room in anticipation of a friend coming at the end of the week.

I wrote a post about picking cherries at my grandmother’s house as a kid. (It can be found here.) Those cherries were cooked down into preserves that we would eat all winter.

Before and…
after!

A friend suggested peach picking this summer, but we have not attempted it. The peaches seem a bit off this year and as a result I have taken to cooking them down in an easy recipe shared by a friend.

I take all my overripe fruit and cut it up – today will be peaches, nectarines and blueberries. I sprinkle just a bit of sugar, spoonful (I am using regular but you might want to use brown), lemon juice and most importantly lemon zest. Pop it in a baking dish at 375 for about 45 minutes until bubbly. Yummy hot, but great in yogurt or over ice cream once you have refrigerated.