The lovely Tara has set us a challenge this week of 'Black and White'.
In my mind straight away popped two photos that I wanted to share for this post and I can't find them now! They're stunning photos as well, one is of my nan when she was approximately twenty years old and was a formal studio photo. She looked so young and happy in it, anticipating the joy of her entire life. The other photo was of my bampi in his army uniform in Africa, he was in the Desert Rats. A few years ago I had the small snapshots blown up and edited to remove the creases, then framed for my mum. The minute she opened them, she did something that I've never seen before, she cried with nostalgia and affection for the parents who died years before.
Unfortunately they are still packed up from her move so I can't even scan them in to show you.
In the meantime I want to share a selection of other gems from the past. They're photos of my mum, my dad and his brother, my brothers, my nan and her sister. All show the simplicity of black and white, the innocence of youth.
Wait! I've found them, so apologies for editing this post to add them both in but they are the ones I originally wanted to show.
Both were taken in the Winter of 1943 while bampi was serving in the Desert Rats. Bampi was 26 and already looks like life serving in World War 2 has taken its toll. Nan was just 21 and still fresh-faced. They married six months after these photos were taken and a year later my mum was born (their only child as my nan suffered a still-birth at 8 months pregnant).
1923 – 1994
1917 – 1980.
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What a great present to give your mum. I love those first two pics. Think my my mum can count on one hand the pics she has of her own parents as children.
I think that because there aren't a lot of photos around from me as a baby, that's why I take so many of The Boy! Plus digital photos are so much easier, instant image means you can take another, but then does it mean we don't bother with the composition so much?
Lovely pics. Black and white photos always seem so special, especially the old ones! xx
lovely collection, I love the ladies skirt! and look it was always sunny!
That lady is my mum when she was 17 years old; she had an 18inch waist! Can you even imagine it? I love the skirt too, wouldn't look out of place nowadays I reckon.
happier, more innocent times
What fantastic photos! Glad you found the last 2 to share 🙂
lovely pictures x
How utterly fantastic!! I love old pictures, and especially ones that tell a story.
Such a lovely post!
Such special photographs…glad you were able to add the last two. xxx
I love the fact you have all these old photos- I wish I did but I don't I am sure I wll aquire some over the years. Love the one of your Grandpa, he looks rather dashing in his uniform- my grandfather has some very similar!
We've had loads passed down from relatives long gone. Top tip: write the name of the person and date taken on the back, so frustrating when you have no idea who that person sat on the roof of the Rolls in front of the manor house in the country is. True story, rich relative? No idea!
What beautiful photos to have. Something so special about old pictures of family members from years gone by. It's lovely looking at them and trying to picture what their lives were like back then and get a glimpse into their personalities from the expressions on their faces. Definitely things to treasure!
Lovely to see how carefree they were before the toils of everyday adult life wore them down!
Great family pics. Historic ones always seem to tell much more of a story.
I love looking at old black and White photos – always so interesting to see (like when we watch Who Do You Think You Are) so much history behind them. I love how you own name for your grandad bampi so sweet. Thanks for sharing them xx
A moving post, and wonderful memories. The photos are fantastic.
Looking at these felt just like looking at my own family photos
Beautiful photos and I'm so sorry to hear your nan had a still birth, it always saddens me when I read that
Glad you found them & did the update, they are wonderful pictures of past beautiful memories…
Great pictures. I love old black and white pictures. There's something so special about them. In this digital age where everything is on hard drive they are to be treasured.
Lovely photos. We take so many these days and sometimes they don't seem to capture the moment as much as those ones from the past. I guess they were more precious as people only took a few.
What amazing pictures, so much more atmosphere than modern day pictures
What a lovely post and pictures, I love the old photos, they always have that lovely kind of softness around the subject making it look like something from a dream or something not quite real (if you know what I mean)
I know exactly what you mean; I think many of the photographs back then were taken in studios or by people who had more of an understanding of photography because it's wasn't just point and shoot. They were able to really compose photos well.
wow I love old photos I don't have many. They look great. So much history. x
What super old photos, I love them. Glad you found the last two to share – they are fab!
Love them all and made me think how rich life really is especially if we have family and love in it