Sunday, April 3, 2011

Photo Number 497

This week we will look at some group photos.  The first one is from blog reader Al, he has shared with us before.   Al is a deltiologist..he collects postcards. 
All Girl Band
This photo was taken in Brantford, Ontario, Canada in 1928.  In this case two of the young ladies are Al’s Aunts.. Maude and Rose.  Someone (not Al) marked the girls names right on the photo, in this case it is probably a good thing..there can be no mix ups.
All Girl Band back Maude Thompson age 17, Laura Coleman age 16, Irene Bland age 17, Rose Thompson age 18, Hazel Baer age 16, Gladys Bland age 19.

I love the photo, it depicts a time when young gals wore their hair in finger waves and their skirts at knee length and anklets with their shoes. An all girl band!  Can you imagine living on the same block as these gals..what wonderful music they must have played.

Thanks Al for sharing your wonderful photo:)

Update from Wanda:

I just want to thank you for taking the time to post those wonderful old pictures.
I was doing some family research and stumbled upon the all girl band from Brantford Ontario.

The two Bland sisters are my mothers older sisters, Irene and Gladys. They came to Canada from England in 1913 and settled near Brantford. Gladys passed away only a few years after that picture was taken. She was only 26. Irene passed away in 2003 at the age of 91.

I believe Irene’s first husband had the last name Thompson so he could have been related to the gentleman who provided you with the photo considering the Thomson girls in the picture are his aunts.
It’s a small world.
Thanks again
Wanda


More from Wanda:
We discovered a bit more information since yesterday.
When Gladys died in 1936 of pneumonia she was married to a man named Jose Akins and had two young children. Apparently the little girl, Iris, was put up for adoption in Brantford shortly after. We just found an internet posting on an adoption forum from about 12 years ago from her brother Douglas trying to locate her. I certainly hope he was successful. My late mother was the younger sister of the two Bland girls in the picture and I remember her talking about it with great sadness.


11 comments:

  1. This is a wonderful postcard! I think having a postcard with an actual relative in the picture (let alone two!) would be really neat!

    I wonder if any of them continued with their musical ambitions throughout life. I bet the "Bland" sisters were anything but bland.

    Thanks Al for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice to have this of family and there friends.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a fabulous photo. I would have loved to have heard them play.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful ensemble with likely beautiful music. I wish I could find dresses like those...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wonderful post card. I have a few old photos of people I don't now. I must confess I've been looking at your blog for awhile. Today at a yardsale, I bought an album full of pics of people I don't know. I'm thinking it will be fun to try to figure out who the people are. See how your influence has rubbed off on me. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  6. ancient one..way to go rescuing the forgottens! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a treasure. It is a proud moment for them to have themselves photographed with their instruments and I guess you can call it a band. Creative name writing on this one.

    ReplyDelete
  8. @ ancient one, you have caught it...next you know you will be starting your own blog! That was me last year after haunting this site for a while too. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am the daughter of Douglas Akins I would very much like to get in touch with Wanda who updated this post thank you

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Sandra, I have sent an email to Wanda. Please contact me through the email on the left click near the yellow flower. My email address is in my profile.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sandra I heard from Wanda email me for more info.

    ReplyDelete

Hi, Thanks for the comments, your input on these old photos is appreciated! English only please! All comments will be moderated! Connie