This post is for my cousin François, who has been visiting the blog to see what photos of our families are appearing — and happily identifying those I don't know. I love these three photos for how the people are grouped, smiling, and staring back at the photographer. I am not sure who everyone is, but I know I am related to them all, making them seem even more mysterious. I can't help but search their faces for a sign of myself, a gesture, a smile. So here is what I know of the photos, and I am hoping, François, that you can identify the others in the pictures.
The sepia photo above is of my grandfather Frederick Snyder, standing there rakishly among those women. I am unsure if any of them is my grandmother Madeleine — their hats are pulled so low that it is hard to be sure. But if not her…then perhaps they are three of her six sisters? Maybe it is Madeleine who took the photo? And they look like they are having so much fun, leaning against Madeleine's big American boyfriend. I wonder if they knew that Madeleine was already pregnant by someone else when he married her.
This is a later photograph — Fredrick now poses like a doting father, with my father Emile and his sister Rosine perched on Frederick's knees. And the children behind? I love their postures –especially the oldest one, leaning against the wall with all the humor and panache of an adolescent. I have some guesses…but I'll see if François can enlighten me.
Here is the last one, which is still later. Some of the adults here are the children from the photo above. For some reason, the image must have been taken before the war. People seem so relaxed and playful — the younger one's mug in the back. (Even as I look at it now, the two young men holding up the girl are the identical two older boys from the photo above. And the women! How much like an older version of the two girls!) But judging from the clothes, it also seems late enough that the war is hovering not far away.
First pic,left it maybe is my “mamie” Renée Jouffa (born Rebecca Brittman or Brickman, as Madeleine Snyder).She is also,not sure,the one above the dog on pic #3; where behind her stand cousin Bernard Dubner (Daniel’s dad)and my dad Yves Jouffa and, between them, little Roselyne Jouffa.Photo # 2: right, the smaller boy is my dad Yves; and sitting under him, perhaps his sister Roselyne (on this picture the girl looks so much like her mom Renée). It is only a general guess !!! You should come to Paris to investigate : some old cousins are still alive…
Please, if you can find a sqare small coloured photo left in your parents’ house : I played Moliere himself and in costume (with a wig) on stage in Seattle.
KISS.
Francois Jouffa
I find old pictures so fascinating. They are indeed mysterious, maybe more so than newer old pictures, if that makes any sense, because they seem to have lived in a world so very far removed from the one we live in…at the same time I truly believe that the more things change the more they stay the same and perhaps that world is not so much different than ours after all.
Finally got my grubby paws on the reprint of New Moon, the only book I hadn’t read. It naturally led into staying up all night re-reading the other two of the trilogy. Thank you for such strength, tempered by compassion & love. It’s the humanity, alive & shining, that draws me to your work over & again.
Carl: Yes, Frederick was a bit of a trickster — he made two fortunes in his life and lost both — as near as I can understand he was a kind of motivational speaker for different companies, so he was a good talker! He had a wife in the US and married Madeleine in France — but he did not divorce his American wife until Madeleine came to the US with the children. On the other hand, as my cousin Francois has mentioned, Madeleine married Frederick when she discovered she was pregnant after an affair with a married man … so hmmm… maybe they were helping each other out? He wanted to stay in France as an ex-patriot, and she wanted to save her reputation by marrying a handsome, charismatic foreigner. It’s interesting isn’t?
Andrea — Thank you so much for your very kind words! I am delighted that you enjoyed the whole series. It was a blast to write.