This is grade 2A, 1930-1931 at Fort Lee's Public School No. 1 (that's in New Jersey). The students look serious for second graders, but it's not hard to imagine they picked up money worries from parents and other adults, as the Depression took hold. Fort Lee, one of many bluff towns on the Hudson River overlooking Manhattan, was still more country than urban back then. The town had been a movie making center, but that was over by 1920, as you can read here. There is a street named Theda Bara Way, that makes me smile when I drive by. It's near the Main St., not far from the ramp to the George Washington Bridge that takes you into Manhattan.
The names on the back tell a tale, of an earlier generation of immigrants: Larsen, Ulrich, Flemming, DiVincenzo, McKee. Fort Lee today is home to a bustling Asian community: Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese, and a lively business district of excellent restaurants and small shops.
Be sure to visit Sepia Saturday for more interesting photographs.
Some kids have funny facial expressions! I google street viewed Fort Lee, at first sight it looks like a nice place to live.
ReplyDelete"Look Mom, I AM learning to read in school!" Very cute collection of pictures.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to see a photo of a 'collage' of individual photos that look as if each pupil has been posed in exactly the same place. I wonder whether they held the same book.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Sepia Saturday. This is a great first entry. A wonderful collection of faces, and a few are managing a tentative smile.
ReplyDeleteThat's a cool photo. It's very different from most school photos.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog, have gone thru a bunch of your older entries, so many great paper dolls! Look forward to seeing more of what you have to share. Welcome!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you decided to drop in - and what a great entrance you make. I don't think I have ever seen a school photo like that before, it really seems to capture all the different characters and personalities. Please keep on dropping in.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Sepia Saturday....! your post is amazing, something to learn from but mostly just enjoy, imagine going to that school! I think you'll find it quite fun and fascinating to follow along here!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they must have passed the book from child to child! It is so good that someone made the effort to record all the names. that doesn't always happen.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't you know that the town where the films were made - the school photo resembles film strips. I love it that the students all share the one book - that's called continuity in the film biz!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to sepia Saturday
Nancy
Ladies of the grove
Yes they held the same book. Just like in some years all my children in the same school held the same apple. Some had a background of book shelves. The school pics where all done with the same backgrounds. Now the senior photos were more sophisticated with drums, horses or items showing their interests, the students brought for their photo. This collage is pretty neat.
ReplyDeleteQMM
Old photos are so great! Love the ones I have of my mother as a small child in family reunion photos, etc. And ones that are found at flea markets, etc., also call out to me... remember us!
ReplyDeleteI can see why this photo (these photos) attracted your attention. With faces like that peering out at you, it would be hard to resist. Even better is having the students' names on the back.
ReplyDeleteOh! I don't think I could have passed this up, either! This is fabulous!! I've not seen a collage photo this old before - I have seen some from the 70s and they did this with my children's elementary photos as recently as four years ago. There's so much personality in these faces! Thanks so much for sharing it with us and welcome to Sepia Saturday. I look forward to seeing more from you.
ReplyDeleteAmazing find and it is even labelled!!!! Great first Sepia Saturday post. I can't wait to see more.
ReplyDeleteLook at those young scholars! Aren't they adorable.
ReplyDeleteA very interesting photo and wonderful that the names are preserved. The photographer must have had a special camera booth set up to get the children set so nicely.
ReplyDeleteHi...I'm the V.P. of the Fort Lee Historical Society. I was just wondering if you are selling the photo of the School #1 school children. We'd like to have it for our collection. If not, would it be possible to give us a hi-res image. Please let me know. My address is bluepointgraphics@yahoo.com.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lou A.