Sunday, January 13, 2013

A Recital, a Tea Party? Or Both?


Both photos by John Holly Williams, LLF Library

These are but two of several John Holly Williams photographs from the same occasion in Brookhaven  on September 6, 1958.  The photos were made for Dr. Elsie Hennington.

I recognize quite a few faces from the Brookhaven High School Class of 1961, making many of these young ladies approximately 15 and 16 years old -- all gussied up in pearls, heels, party dresses and hats. Note that many have on corsages, and white gloves are atop some purses in the foreground.

I am hopeful that one of the subjects (and she surely knows who she is) will email me and provide as many names as she can recall and perhaps enlighten me as to the occasion and the location.  While I recognize many faces, I don't trust my memory to assign names, since I was just 5 when this photo was taken.  

Others who may recognize these young ladies, please chime in either here or on Facebook.
-----
Update: Dr. Elsie Barge Wilson Hennington was a piano teacher and accomplished musician.  She attended Whitworth College, 1914-1915.  Born in 1898, she died four years after this photo was taken, in December 1962.  She lived in a big yellow home on Cherokee Street, but it is unclear at this time if that home is the location of this photo.

4 comments:

  1. Claudia McMullan (our occasional babysitter) is standing fifth from left in top photo and is fourth from left in the bottom one. She is wearing an amazing hat! Could that be Mrs. Esther Hart seated second from left in bottom photo?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, Bettie, I am thinking all of these young ladies are all in the teens, despite wearing clothing that made them look mature beyond their years. Marti Kinchloe Parker doesn't remember the occasion, but has questions out to friends to see if they can recall additional names/identities. I do believe I see Maryanna Urban in both photographs. Frances Phillips is the tall blonde the back row on the right. The two women on the far right in the cat glasses in the first photo are also so very familiar, but I cannot recall their names.

    ReplyDelete
  3. yes, Mollie, I know the young woman in glasses second from right, but I can't pull up her name either! I do see Frances P. now that you mentioned her. I was going to suggest that this could be a "Senior Party," but you know that these mostly occurred during the spring. I may ask Laurie for help. This is a great photo of the times just before "they are a-changin"......though change was slow coming to Ole Brook.....as you know.

    ReplyDelete
  4. We are thinking this may be a gathering of the Rainbow club, since some of the "girls" are from different BHS graduating classes. I need to get my hands on some old annuals!

    ReplyDelete