Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Mystery History


Who are these people? And what's happening?

The first person to guess correctly will win a fabulous prize!

I'll have the full scoop on Thursday.

12 comments:

Bellis said...

American Red Cross nurses from the Pasadena chapter taking part in a Rose Parade during the first world war?

Petrea Burchard said...

This photo must be very old. First war would be just about right. But because of the Uncle Sam costume I'm going to say they're recruiting--recruiting nurses.

This is a far-fetched guess.

Bellis said...

Petrea, you could be right. Maybe it's 1914, when the Pasadena chapter was founded.

Patrizzi Intergarlictica said...

I love the West-Side banner. It's so west side.

Trish said...

Red Cross nurses (my Grammie was one...a *few* years later). Would assume it was a recruiting promo, or 4th of July event? Or, Influenza event? "Be patriotic, don't get influenza?"

Looks like perhaps the Madeline Dr location with the bricks...but if it's the age suggested...it could be almost anywhere in town.

Patrizzi Intergarlictica said...

Could this be between 1901-1919 or so when the Junior Red Cross Auxillaries merged with the organization of Pasadena Schools?

My research led me to all sorts of interesting bits about the first Pasadena Kindergartens and such. Here's a snippet:
"The children really enjoyed doing this work and liked to think they
were helping the soldiers. One little girl whose father was in
service in France was very hopeful that he might get the scrap
book upon which she was working. It seemed that this actual
doing of patriotic work, beginning in this small and simple way,
gave the children a good start toward faithful service and love for
their country."

Petrea Burchard said...

Miss H., that's sweet.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

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Pasadena Adjacent said...

about the tradition behind those striped pants..........I blame the Romans

The "wily Yankee" was a popular mid-nineteenth-century stage character from American regional theater. With tricks of cunning and an exaggerated costume (top hat, wide striped pants), this stock player became the visual prototype for America's "Uncle Sam." The motif of the whittler relates to the character's role. Between acts, the Yankee remained on stage, whittled, and told parables. At times, he also flirted with both the women and men in the audience as he suggestively carved a stick at his crotch.

Pasadena Adjacent said...

What's that?

A Wily Yankee sans the stripped pants

Anonymous said...

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