Family Portraits in the 1950s

Fashions and appearance in the 1950s are so different from today. It's fun to see how our family looked back then. Left: Mary Martin (my grandmother) with her dad, Henry Reavus Barcus, in 1953, shortly before he passed away.

By Dave

Apr 5, 2021

Photos, clockwise from upper left: Dick, showing off his wavy hair; family portrait from 1954, with Dick and Doree, Frank and Tirzah, Mildred, and baby David (not shown: photographer Harold); Dick in a double-breasted suit coat (note two columns of buttons, mostly not used); Mildred with a mink fur wrap that included the heads; Harold; Doree with a short haircut

Photos, clockwise from upper left: a three-generation picture with Dick, David, and Harold; Mildred and Harold in a dressed-up pose outside their home in Whittier; a four-generation picture with Henry Barcus, Mary Martin, Doree Votaw, and David Votaw; Mildred, with a rare smile for the camera; Harold in a suit

Harold does not often appear in these pictures; he usually volunteered to be the photographer. Sometimes Tirzah would perform that chore, so she is occasionally missing from the picture.

This section features photos that include Frank & Tirzah (Unc & Aunt). They typically visited Whittier in February each year, which was a less-busy time on their Indiana farm.

Photos, clockwise from upper left: February 1953 was Aunt & Unc’s first chance to hold the new (5-month-old) baby David • the caption on the back says “Feb. 3rd 1950 – eating our lunch by the ocean in Oceanside, Calif.” • family outing to dinner at Knott’s Berry Farm, probably Feb. 1954 • Frank & Tirzah with Mildred & Dick, probably 1950 • Unc and Aunt with David, Feb. 1954 • Frank displays a gift, with Doree and Dick (holding David) in 1954 • Tirzah and Frank in the back yard of the Votaws’ new house on Scenic Drive, 1954 • Frank, David, Mildred and Tirzah in front of the new Scenic Drive house, 1954 • Center: Frank & Tirzah in front of the house on N. Bright

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