Easter Sunday fell on April 17, 1949. I was too young to fully appreciate it but I remember a 8mm movie showing a two year old boy running around the back yard at his grandmothers. There was additional footage of us looking at bunnies in a hutch.
In the featured photo from left to right, my Aunt Lillian is holding my cousin Bobby, My Aunt Marj is holding Barbara and my Aunt Kay is holding Jim. My Grandmother is on the far right in the shadow.
Note the garage in the background. That was the backdrop for decades of Easter group photos.
The Easter group photo with the garage in the background. From left to right is my Uncle Ed Poltrack, Aunt Marj, Aunt Mary, Babcia, my Mom (pregnant with my sister), my dad, Aunt Kay and Uncle Henry.
My Uncle Ed is checking his text messages on his mobile device. Or maybe he is taking light readings for the movie he shot.
The garage was always a source of mystery for us. No one that lived at the house drove. The garage was always locked. A car was parked inside which we could see through the window. We asked about it but never really got a good answer about it. I imagined a dead body stuffed in the trunk. The house still stands so I wonder if the car is still there.
[ABOVE] These are three of my older cousins in their Easter clothes at home in New Canaan. From left to right, Mike, Cynthia and Marcia.
Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day, oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama, don’t take my Kodachrome away – Paul Simon
The majority of early family photos were black and white photos taken with Kodak Brownie cameras. However two of my uncles shot Kodachrome slide film, a medium which managed to defy time.
My cousins Mike, Marcia, Bobby and Cynthia. Another group photo with a glimpse of the garage in the upper right quadrant.
My cousin was a bit too young in 1949 for Easter adventures but we quickly made up for that. I remember dyeing raw eggs to give to him for Easter.
This photo of my cousins was taken in front of my Grandmother’s garden. Babcia was a master gardener. I credit her with my love of plants.
Happy Easter everyone.
UPDATE! The Lost Film Footage
It took some searching, but I found the film taken on this day. For a sound track, I’ve added a recording of my uncles singing at the 1938 World’s Fair. Also another of another uncle singing an odd little tune about a frozen body. Enjoy the Easter Parade of family exiting the back door.
