1950s Entertaining

It’s Sepia Saturday time again so I’m rummaging out some vintage photos. The inspiration photo is 1950s, people celebrating Christmas, kissing, and soldiers in uniform. Hmm, what do I have to match that assortment of themes?

Here’s a 1957 photo of my dad, Clyde Martin, and his brother, Howard. Earlier, Howard had been in the Army during the Korean War era.

Clyde and Howard Martin playing cards.

They are playing cards and usually their wives would be seated at the table also. Two packs of cigarettes sit on the table and a mysterious bowl. I’d assume it was snacks so perhaps that’s a potato chip bag in the bowl. Someone is in the kitchen, probably Mom getting some lemonade for everyone.

Mom never smoked, but Dad did for years. I’m thinking he smoked Kools. When he was hospitalized after a car wreck, he gave it up since he couldn’t smoke in the hospital.

While the grown-ups played cards, the cousins played until we were worn out and fell asleep on the bed. That was budget entertainment in those days for young couples and no babysitter needed. At the end of the evening, Howard and Margie would gather up their four children, still half-asleep, and put them in the car to head home.

In an earlier post, I gave the history of this round oak table. Here is a photo of Howard’s time in the U.S. Army.

Howard Martin at training in Tennessee in 1951.

This is the inspiration photo from Sepia Saturday.

Vintage Camping

My mother’s aunt, Bertha McGhee taught in New Mexico back in 1929 – 1930. She and some friends had some time away which they spent camping out in a small cabin and cooking over an open fire.

I wish I could see the face better, but this does look like Bertha McGhee

We don’t know the location or who the other women are. It’s likely that they are also teachers or staff from the Navajo Indian School.

Here’s one more photo that must be from this same camping trip.

It looks like this woman has dark hair and is not Bertha.

This post was inspired by the Sepia Saturday weekly photo challenge. Here is their photo of two ladies making tea over a fire in Australian in 1915. Take a look at some of the other bloggers to see how they responded to the challenge.

Here’s more information about the Navajo Indian School in Farminton, NM. I also have a post about another outing of Bertha and Friends.