Category Archives: Smile for the Camera
Martin Kelly, My Family’s First Business Owner?
Much of what my Grandma Shellabarger told me about her family turned out to be myth or exaggeration. She got one thing right. One of her ancestors owned boarding houses in San Francisco. That ancestor was my Great Great Great Grandfather, Martin Kelly. Martin was born sometime around 1820 in County Roscommon, Ireland. I’m not …
Wedding Belles: Beyond the Ceremony
I have seen some beautiful wedding photographs from the turn of the century. This photograph of Wilma Larcher and Alfred Souza married in Oakland, California, in 1939 is a prime example. But, I’ve often wondered what the special day was like without the photographers and the poses. A couple of years ago, a cousin sent …