Apologies

I just want to let everyone know that I have not given up on this project. For the past several weeks, I have been working my 2nd job nearly 30 hours a week. By the time I get home, it is late and no time for posting. Saturdays I have been working 10-11 hours and my only day off in the past two weeks has been this past Sunday. To be quite honest, I just did not do anything that day.

As soon as my schedule permits, I will resume posting. That may however be in mid October. There are lots more photos to post and of course there will be pictures of Sian and Todd's wedding.

See you soon.

More Great-Grandpa Tenney

Great-Grandpa Tenney (Great-Great Grandpa for Todd, Mark, Ryan, Tiffani and Cortni and Great-Great-Great Grandpa to Caitlyn, Michael, Athena, Samuel, Mason & Emi). Whoa - that's a lot of "greats"!

Again - he was Auntie and Grandma Seligman's father. He sure was handsome - don't you think? He looks so young in this photo - unfortunately, there is no date on the back of either. I do however find it interesting that the photo was taken in Youngstown, Ohio. I searched the Internet, but could find nothing on A.P. Webb Studio.

I love seeing the backs of the photos with either a studio stamp or handwritten notes. Not sure who wrote that note but it would have been my mother, Lee or possibly Jean (I think).

Did Santa Visit Pouting Children in 1961?

Okay for all the times I got on to Tiffani when she was a child for pouting - my sincere apologies. As you can see by this photo of me - she definitely came by it honestly!

Christmas 1961 in Grandma and Grandpa Seligman's kitchen at 1789 Verbena Street, NW Washington DC.

I think this must have been taken AFTER I opened my Christmas gifts. If Santa had seen that face - he would have left me a lump of coal. But wait - look at those filthy saddle shoes - it must have been before gifts as I am quite sure there must have been a brand new pair under the tree.

Aunt Bobby is turned around smiling - Uncle Selly obviously needs longer arms to read whatever he is trying to read and there I am pouting and being ignored! Poor me - must have seemed very serious to me at the time - huh?

November 1971

Todd's wedding to Sian is in less than a month and that event has me very excited. This is the only baby photo I have of Todd. So now you see why I refer to Todd as "my baby cousin". I had just graduated high school and headed out to start my new life when Todd was born and started his.

This is how I had always remembered Todd until about six years ago I was able to reunite with Lee, Todd and Mark on Christmas Eve for dinner on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA. Actually, Todd, Mark and myself rigged my visit up as a surprise. Lee had no I idea I was coming until he stepped into the bar a minute or so behind Todd and there I was. If I recall, the first words out of Lee's mouth were "I think I've been had".

The evening was very enjoyable and Lee and I have kept in contact ever since. Before that night it had been nearly 30 years since I had seen him and probably 15 since we had last spoken on the phone. I treasure all the family I have back in my life and hope to never loose track or touch with any of them again.

The only thing that would have made that night on the Queen Mary perfect would have been if Mark would have been there to join in the celebration. Unfortunately, Mark had the flu and had to stay at home. We drove to their condo after dinner though so I could at least meet Mark.

Anyway, the photo is of Lee, Dayna (Lee's wife at the time the photo was taken) and Todd. I will be seeing them all very shortly and can't wait!

I promise I will post wedding photos as soon as they are available. Todd and Sian are a beautiful couple - both inside and out.

Grandpa Seligman and Lee

Lee thinks this photo was taken in 1951. Well, my math was obviously not correct the first time I posted this - Lee would have been 13 at the time this photo was taken - so does that mean this was a bar mitzvah photo?

At any rate - you both look like you just stepped off a modeling runway - so pristine and put together. I love this photo. I know Lee will "kill" me for saying so again - but I still think he could pass for Elvis' brother!

To get the full effect of the photo and envision Great-Grandpa Tenney - you should read the comment posted by Lee. I can just see Lee trying to drink from a cup with a spoon in it - Grandma or Auntie telling him he was going to put his eye out and then one of them pouring the tea into a saucer to cool it off.

Back in the "olden days" before television, video games and computers people would actually hand write on the backs of photos so they would remember later.

The back of this photo appears to have been removed from a scrapbook. I sure wish the date were on it.

Anyway, the photo is of Great-Grandma Tenney, Jean (Auntie's adopted daughter) and Great-Grandpa Tenney. I'm not sure if Jean was adopted as a baby or as a small child. I have only seen photos of her at about this age. She sure is a cutie though.

Most of the photos I have seen of Great-Grandpa Tenney he is is wearing a suit and a hat. I understand that he once had a haberdashery, but the business failed in the 1920's. I would say that during the depression, hats were the least of what people felt they needed to spend their money on.

The stamp on the back of the photo is from Peoples Drug Store. Lord - I have not heard that name for years and years! After a bit of research, I found that Peoples was one of the largest chain pharmacies in the Mid-Atlantic states boasting nearly 500 stores on the East Coast. In 1990 CVS purchased the chain, remodeled the stores but continued to use the Peoples name until 1994.

People's Drug in the DC/MD area offered Beef 'n Burgers, a sort of Manwhich (I guess you'd say). These sandwiches were delicious, hamburger with a slight beef sauce. My kids might remember what they called "loose meats". Not a sloppy joe because there was not sauce.

The employee behind the bar was called a "soda jerk" - no, not because he was weird - The term refers to the motion required to operate the soda water dispenser - the white handle on our right of the Soda Jerk. It was used on virtually any drink that wasn't coming out of a bottle, like an ice cream soda or a lemon phosphate.

The photos below depict the inside of the store in the Washington DC are in the early 20's.

The bottom photo is from a national photo collection which contends that the "ghost people" frequented this pharmacy - what do you think. Can you see anyone in the reflection of the mirror?

I'm sure this was WAY more information than anyone thought necessary - I thought it was interesting.