Monday 28 March 2011

Marked for posterity


For the last ten months, two cousins and I have been organising a family reunion. Yesterday was the big day: 80+ relations, covering four generations, met in a venue in Western Sydnay. We were all descended from someone in one particular photograph taken in 1924.

Our gift to the gathering was a scroll which they were all invited, nay dragooned, to sign - even those among us who were not up to the writing stage.


My grand-daughter watched intruiged as her father held her and her mother painted her hand with black paint, and squeezed it down upon the canvas surround of the photograph. In another 87 years, I hope she will feel a thrill to look at this imprint and acknowledge those who came before.

14 comments:

Kirsten said...

Love love love the first photograph.

Dimple said...

What a special memento for those who come after! I hope your granddaughter will be able to be there in another 87 years, also.

Thérèse said...

What a great way to honor your ascendants...

Julie said...

Thank you, Kirsten. It means a lot to have you say that.

Ann said...

what a wonderful idea. You are so lucky to have, and be able to trace, such continuity.

Jim said...

That's brilliant. I like hearing about family reunions like this.

brattcat said...

how wonderful that you were able to pull this off. congratulations.

Jayne said...

What a fabulous way to celebrate and remember family :)

Mark said...

What a lovely weekend for you and your family. Great shots

diane b said...

You did well to organise such a do. You scrub up well too. "grin". A great idea to have the little ones sign with a hand print. She is so intelligent looking.

Kay L. Davies said...

Wonderful, Julie! I hope you didn't wear yourself out. I know how exhausting these events can be, both emotionally and physically.
It looks like it was a great success and future generations will love the signatures, penned and/or hand-printed.
Luv, K

Peter said...

Great portraits - sounds a rewarding experience, knowing a bit more about where you come from.

Joan Elizabeth said...

Glad you had a great time. My sister went to a family funeral recently and came back reporting that some of our cousins are in their 70s! This is such a scary thought, how did that happen?

Mo said...

What a wonderful event