This is one of my favorite photos. There are a lot of reasons but the obvious one is that she is spinning under what I am thinking must be the only tree around. It might even be an apple tree. I can't imagine a nicer place to sit and spin than outside on a summer day. She seems to have accomplished quite a bit already.
She is my great-great-aunt and the younger sister of my great-great-grandmother. She came into the family as an aunt and she stayed as my great-great grandfather's wife when he became a widower. She lived to be 89 and passed away in 1941. I think this photo was probably taken sometime in the 1920's in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. I can't be more specific since there's not much to identify the location.
What makes this photo doubly interesting today is that I am reading a wonderful novel at the moment by Ami McKay (The Birth House) which is set on the shore of the Bay of Fundy near Cape Split. The names of the people who live in this remote community include many of my ancestral family names. These were hardy folks who fished, hunted and farmed according to the seasons. It's a fascinating look back for me and adds so much color to these old photos.
If this is your great-grandmother's aunt, wouldn't that make her your great-great-great aunt? And my kids' great-great-great-great-great aunt.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful picture! Such a rich heritage. Have you ever used a spinning wheel?
ReplyDeleteWhat a spectacular photograph! Can spinning be in your blood? I bet it is!
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