Guessing game: The era, the people, the building?
Wordless Wednesday: More Than Story Characters
by MarianBeaman | Feb 6, 2019 | blog, Cliff Beaman artist, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Uncategorized | 54 comments
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Beautiful picture. Is it a photo that’s been made into a painting? No matter, I like the composition and colors. Is it your family?
It’s original art work gleaned from digital film of the late 1940s. I’m glad you like it. Thanks for launching the conversation here today, Ally.
I love this, Marian!
Thank you, Jill. I like the idea you suggested of making this into a puzzle because of so many lights and darks. Maybe someday!
I would be first in line to purchase it!
Cliff says, “That’s interesting!” 🙂
I’m serious! 🙂
I believe you! <3
Good morning, Marian. It looks like a painting of a photograph to me, too. And I think it is your family.
You are right – it is my family. And the painting is a collage of several different photographs. Thanks, Merril.
This looks like a collage of the Longenecker family in front of Blosser’s Mennonite Church in the 1950s. You are the one in pigtails. I notice that even though you have Mother behind you and Grandma and Aunt Ruthie smiling on, your own attention seems to be toward your father, and his is definitely on you!
You are spot on about the family group and place. And you are right about the art work being a collage (actually of photos derived from video.) The time is the late 1940s though, based on ages of the sisters. Very perceptive, Shirley!
Lovely photograph. My guess is early 1960s, a Mennonite farm and family.
You are right about the family being Mennonite, but the time is a bit early, and the building is our church in Pennsylvania.
You are fortunate to have your Cliff working this kind of magic with old photos and a painting of your church. Key players in your memoir?
As I say in my acknowledgements, Cliff creates weapons of mass instruction. Or something like that. Yes, these are major “players” in my memoir, the Longenecker family.
Seems to be a compilation picture, using images from different sources combined in to one final picture. The shadows on the figures point to various light sources. The building behind appears to be a favored church. The era would appear to be late 40s early 50s. How close am I?
You are spot on, Ginger.
Besides, you see with the eyes of an artist. The figures are derived from 16 mm film from the 1940s that was later digitized and blended into the collage you see here. The artist had to fill in the bottom 1/3 of most of the figures to get the right angle and perspective of the family group. Thank you for your thoughtful comment!
What a cool post, Marian! My guess is the late 40s–50s also, based on the car. I agree with Ginger. It does look like the images have been placed and colorized to match a painting. 😀
You got it, L. Marie!. The original idea for the scene came from a 1960s slide, which showed the church and part of the landscaping. As I mentioned in previous comments, the family figures were created from earlier digitized film and transposed on the scene, which reflects the late 40s and 50s as you mentioned. Thank you.
It looks like a felt board from the 50s or 60s. I’m sure it is of a Mennonite family, probably yours, in front of a church.
Yes, Darlene, it is my family in front of our home church in the late 1940s. But it’s not felt board, but original art work derived from video and slides.
Now that´s cool.
Thanks for this nostalgic post. I remember sitting in Bossler’s church weeping at the beauty of acapella music I had missed during my Voluntary Service assignment in New Haven.
I guess you are saying that you had to put up with a choir and instrumental music in church services in Connecticut. Ha!
Of course, I agree, a capella music is like no other. I’m glad you recognize the church and environs, Conrad.
This is from the late 40’s or the 50’s but could be any Mennonite Church in that era like; Good’s, Bossler’s or Lichty’s.
Phyllis, welcome! You are right about the era, and it is the Bossler Mennonite Church close to Elizabethtown, PA
Marian — The era, 1950s. The people, your family. The building, a church.
As a constant reader and commenter here, you got it right. It was probably the late 1940s though. Thanks for chiming in, Laurie.
Such a beautiful painting! Everyone looks busy and not quite ready for the photo as they are all quite far apart from each other. The only one posing for the photo is the person on the far right. This must be your family, and you the little girl in pigtails walking toward her father
You are very good at sizing up the story here. However, the figures are a composite of figures from several sources, all my family as you guessed. And, yes, I’m the little girl in pigtails.
This brings back a lot of memories. My siblings, nieces and nephews and I were back there recently to bury my sister Norma in the church cemetery. Since Janice is my age and I was born in 1944, this must be around 1946.
My condolences to you, Arlene. I saw Norma many times when we visited Aunt Ruthie at Landis Homes. I guess you know we buried my younger brother Mark last May at Bossler’s. His tombstone is near the fence at the brow of the hill close to your family’s farm. The actual date is 1947 based on Jean’s age. Thanks for reading and commenting here, very appreciated, Arlene.
Hi Marian, the place is Bosler Mennonite Church, the people in the picture are your dad Ray holding brother Mark, next is your mother Ruth with you in pigtails, then it would be Grandma Fanny Longenecker with sister Janice, and then your Aunt Ruthie. Judging by how old Janice might be, perhaps three, I would say the era wouldbe around 1946 or ’47.
Let me know how close I am to the year.
Of course it is Bossler Mennonite, but my dad is holding Jean, not Mark, (born in 1953) who is not on the picture. You are spot on with the year though, 1947, and with identifying the rest of the family members. It’s good to hear from you again, Reba. Thanks!
That’s an awesome photo/artwork, Marian!! Thanks for sharing! How’s the memoir progress coming along? Thinking about you, as I follow in your footsteps on the road to publication… slowly. 🙂
Thanks for checking in here, Liesbet, busy with memoir too. I’ll let Cliff know you liked his artwork.
You asked about my memoir progress. Well, I thought I was almost finished with editing, but then those writing endorsements are finding ways to tweak the wording. I’m thankful for this (better to fix before publication than wish, afterwards). I’ve concluded that writing for publication is very recursive, spiraling up and down. One day we will be FINISHED though. RIght! And we’ll celebrate each other’s book birthdays! 😀
I can’t wait for that day to happen for both of us! 🙂 I’m glad to read that you are collecting endorsements as well. That is helpful and reassuring!
PS: I’m not getting your replies in my inbox, so that’s why I’m so late reading your replies and responding. I just realized I hadn’t checked in with your comment section for a while.
We have a wonky connection. How to explain it? I have tried multiple times to subscribe to your blog without success, using two different email addresses. I don’t get notifications from you either, so I am reminded to check in on your amazing blog when I see your comments here or on other blog sites. Even though the cyber-gods may be conspiring against our communication, we will WIN!
I think I will send this message in an email too because I want to say more. Thanks for letting me know about your difficulty!
Charming post, Marian! Like others ahead of me here, I saw a Mennonite family, standing in front of possibly a church. Time determined by the car would be the 1940s or 1950s. I too like the idea of a puzzle, but that’s because I’m a puzzle lover! Nostalgic scene, beautiful colorized or digitalized by some crafty hands, like Cliff’s, I’d guess.
You are exactly right about all of it, including the artist’s name. Doing this post, I realize that there are puzzle-lovers in my writers’ group, you and Jill. Who knew!
Thanks for visiting here today. I am thrilled that you have a surgery date now and recovery with relief down the road. 🙂
What a charming complilation..Cliff is very talented 🙂 x
Thank you, Carol. Cliff enjoyed the challenge. We never had a picture of the whole family together at church … until now. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
It has made me wish I could have one now…Yes it was lovely , Marian 🙂 x
That is just lovely!
Thank you for approving with your artistic eye, Lady Fi!
It has a surreal quality to it doesn’t it . I makes you feel like it’s real but it isn’t quite . In fact it makes me feel quite giddy , I have no idea why .
Cherryx
Leave it to you, Cherry, to identify the mood exactly.
This photo really never happened. That’s why it may feel surreal. Of course, our whole family attended the church in the background, but we didn’t line up for a photo in this way.
Magic fingers Cliff took photos of family members from 16 mm film from long, long ago and transposed the figures onto the scene. He even had to add legs to figures that originally were looking up at a blimp in Grandma Longenecker’s front yard. See, you nailed it!
Thanks, dear Cherry. 🙂
The car reminds me of a 1947 Plymouth my mother once drove. Or was it a Chevy? Lovely idyllic scene. A veritable Mennonite Norman Rockwell.
Janet, you’re the first to associate Norman Rockwell with Mennonites here. Love it! 💕
Thank you everyone for your comments on the artwork/photo. Much appreciated! Artist Cliff
Gratitude from me as well ~ crafting a photo from many sources (photos and videos) that never was but could have been! 🙂
If we removed the women’s caps, it could be my family standing outside the country Presbyterian Church 10 miles from Mexico, MO. I loved going there with the family and hearing my Grandma sing. The car should tell us the era, but I’m not good at that. I’ll guess the 1940s.
Seeing you here means you are well on your road to recovery. I think of you often and send a prayer for steady advances toward hearing better.
Your guess is right on the money: about 1947. I’m glad you could relate to this art piece. So many couldn’t. I wonder if you’ve ever written about your Grandma singing in the country church of your memory. I’d like to know more. Thanks, Elaine!