Contemplating.

Contemplating.
Wayzata, Minnesota

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Sepia Saturday 100 : 12 November 2011

THIS IS A SPECIAL EDITION OF
                    SEPIA SATURDAY 100 POST

                      Our theme for Sepia Saturday for this 100th posting is quite broad, and since it's all about celebrating a the Sepia Saturday blog for the one hundredth time - let's walk through what blogging, and communicating with others was, by reaching back one hundred years ago.

                
What would a blogger look like one-hundred years ago......


Much like this man....... 1911- Senator Obadiah Gardner from Maine (he was born in Port Huron, Michigan) at his desk.....if this were today he'd probably be joining in on today's posting for Sepia Saturday, don't you think?
- Courtesy of Library of Congress Prints, Washington, D.C.



These days in many offices the gathering of employees discussing the latest news is around the water cooler or the lunch room.  But like this photo in about 1911, the old General Store, and hovering around the heater was the place to be for catching up on the latest news. - courtesy of Lyon County Historical Society.




But besides writing at your own desk, or gathering in small groups....there was another major communicator.....


The Newspaper, 1911- It was a big thing to be a Newsie if you were a young lad.....you had the privilege of getting paid to deliver the news, a fast spreading means of communication.
- courtesy of Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Washington, D.C.

But not all newsies were quite this old...


Like this 10 year old newsie not wearing a badge or indication of regulation in New Bedford, on August 22, 1911 in Massachusetts. 
- courtesy of Library of Congress Prints & Photographs, Washington, D.C.
ALSO

100 years ago communication came in various ways.....like this group below in an outdoor class ....




Outdoor recitation - at Camp Algonquin 1911
courtesy of Library of Congress prints Washington, D.C.

Wouldn't these classmates be amazed at the techie world of today!

But, quite possibly there were advantages to life one-hundred years ago....like for instance....




In today's world we are gifted with so many forms of communication, from cell phones and twitter, to personal home computers where all of us here unite and share in the joys of this wonderful Bloggersville.....but in 1911, communication came mostly by the written hand on letters, postcards, newspapers and the like....so on this day in 1911, it was Easter and these happy and content folks were bustling along on 5th Avenue without a care in the world....except that they were together and sharing whatever celebrations they could.....minus reaching out to the cyber world while hurrying along the avenue!



Yes, these people, mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, they chatted along the avenue together....
courtesy of Library of Congress Prints, Washington D.C.

and of course most of our communicating happened right around the house.....




17 May 1911 Published by Keppler & Schwarzmann, The puck Building, of  The American Family, Gordon Grant artist.  - Courtesy of Library of Congress Prints & Photographs, Washington, D.C.

Even the family cat got in on the action.....
If you want to view more Sepia Saturday #100 celebrations or just want to play along
please go here



24 comments:

Postcardy said...

Communication has changed a lot even in the last ten years.

Little Nell said...

I really enjoyed that romp through all the different forms of communication. It’s like the best kind of picture book. That little newsboy though, poor thing; I wanted to gather him up and take him home and give him a good dinner. Well done on an unusual take on the theme.

21 Wits said...

Little Nell, I know what you mean about that little boy, I had another photo of one also 10 yrs old but his face showed so clearly, such an adorable little lad I didn't have the heart to post that one. So sad that some such youngsters had to do those kinds of things just in order to feed their family!

21 Wits said...

Postcardy, isn't that the truth! I fear some of it is taking the humor touch out of life. I had a terrible time finding postcards to mail when in California...they used to be everywhere!

Kristin said...

How nice to see a street scene and scenes around the house where no one is texting!

21 Wits said...

Kristin- Oh I know, it seems everywhere you go there's a cell phone being used....and on the planes, it's not just books, it's Kindles, and laptops amd IPads...and anything to keep a person from a simple conversation without you interupting their cyber experiences!

mary said...

What a clever post for this week! When I saw the photo of the family walking along the avenue all I could think was "they don't have cell phones in their hands!"

Christine H. said...

Karen, what a delightful post. I wonder if today's children have trouble imagining a world before cell phones and computers.

Nancy said...

This was a fun stroll through life 100 years ago, when most communication was face to face or on paper. Nice job!

Tattered and Lost said...

Thinking of the politicians that sit and tweet during Presidential addresses I have to wonder how many of them later wish they'd had time to think and edit before sending. Now it's almost just verbal diarrhea.

Wonderful post with some great images.

North County Film Club said...

Your post made me very nostalgic. I love a lot of the new technology but I miss letter writing, talking on a real phone, typing on a typewriter, playing a vinyl record on a real record player.
Nancy javier

Bob Scotney said...

Don't knock modern communications too much - it has enabled Sepia Saturday 100.
Karen, you have forced me to take stock - TV, radio, DVD, computer (no laptop),mobile phone (not smart), email, facebook, twitter, google + is quite a list for someone regarded as dinosaur.
Thanks for all your sepia posts they give me all sorts of ideas. Keep it up!

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy said...

Karen, thank you so much for this pictorial timeline of communication. When I saw the general store and bar stools, I had a vision of peeps sitting there with wi-fi on their laptops (don't ask me why!).

I enjoyed your post very much, and your idea is very original.

Have a wonderful week,

Kathy M.

Jinksy said...

Great set of conversational centenary photos. :)

Anonymous said...

Very thought-provoking. The rapid advances in technology in the last 20 years is astonishing. Jo

Bethe77 said...

What wonderful ways we commucated back a 110 years ago. I loved being transported into time inot another blog world. Thank youf or thsi journey and the wonderful photos and the story. Very excelelnt. Must enjoyed.
Blessings

Alan Burnett said...

That is a unique and most appropriate take on our 100 theme. And you are quite right to link Sepia Saturday to the idea of communication because that is the area where the whole Sepia Saturday experience excels. Being involved over the last 100 weeks has introduced me to some wonderful bloggers and some exceptionally good blogs : you and 21 Wits are high on that list. Thanks for your continuing participation.

Unknown said...

A wealthy chronicle of communication...today so many newspapers are belly up as the net has surpassed them; I'm sure they never thought that would occur. So much to think about in your post.

Bruno Laliberté said...

What a fun post!!
Your second pic makes me think of the ancestor of Twitter, where news were abundant as people came in and out, each bringing his/her share of the news and leaving with something new to report elsewhere.
:)~
HUGZ

laurak/ForestWalkArt :) said...

i always like to see the older sepia pic's you find! things sure have changed...thanks for all the info and for the trip back in time! :)

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

Fascinating post! Things have undoubtedly progressed but at the same time I think we have lost sight of some things. We communicate easily but is it superficial? Do we communicate well?

Brett Payne said...

I love those photos of the newspapers vendors on the street corners. I don't know why, but I always think of New York that way.

North County Film Club said...

I'm so afraid newspapers will go away and then we would only have blogging...wait a minute, I love blogging and especially SS.

That was a wonderful trip back in time. You did a great job of putting it together.
Barbara (Banar Designs)

Liz Stratton said...

Wow! What an amazing trip back to 1911. Loved it! I do miss not getting hand written letters anymore and now wish that I had saved them all.