Now I know my ABC's... Richboro Ephemera
Mashteller. Rockhill. Taylor. Luff. Ryan. Hoster. Cornell. Kessler. Wendig. Rook. Barrell. Diehl. Linebackers or tight ends? Pitchers or short stops? Forwards or centers? Neither, nor; nor not either. These are family names listed on the back of a 1926 Richboro, Bucks County third and fourth grade class photograph. Through the magic of surviving ephemera, we can revisit our past, particularly the educational system, a structure that worked quite well. In the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, public education was not a privilege, but certainly an advantage. Locale, weather, and daily demands kept many students from their studies; but, for those who could attend, opportunity abounded. Today, we expect secondary schooling with advanced degrees, never imagining otherwise. It all adds up to an
Richboro, Pennsylvania - 3rd & 4th graders, 1926
improved standard of living. This is the beauty of education. In the photograph to the right we observe our Little Rascals, so classic of the twenties - knickers and neckties, round glasses and bowl cuts, all scholars obediently at attention. Our ancestors, being what we all were just once, kids. The value in this photo goes beyond the image; more so, it is the attached names, an invaluable resource. Certainly the setting has been altered by progress, but the image, now this is the gem, for it is frozen in time, an opportune gift to us from the past.
Senior Moment
Senior trips today can be to the Caribbean or beyond. Hey, we live in a globalized world - translated, an affluent country where anything is affordable. Our 1920's students, at least the ones fortunate enough to graduate high school in 1938, chose Mt. Vernon as a destination, a remarkable journey in a country gripped by the Depression. These progression of time photographs arrive to us from a woman who appears in both. With age advancing and recognition retarding, she no longer comprehends the world around her. Fortunately, her extended family has carefully preserved this unbroken ephemeral chain. Other photos include a family reunion in Ivyland
Class of 1938, Richboro High School, Mt. Vernon
and another, the Wig and Mask Club. Amateur theatrical troupes were popular in the late nineteenth century, their style based on colonial outfits and cosmetics. Coincidentally, their appearance echoes the pre-Bolshevik Revolution images found in Russian photographs of aristocratic parties. It was their moment in time, bookmarked by preceding and succeeding generations, as we all are, hapless victims to the world we are born into.
School's out for summer
As we do each summer, we switch our Saturday schedule to Thursday afternoon/evening. This year we will begin on Thursday, June 19th, a tradition now in its third decade. Open house is 3 PM with the auction starting at 4 PM. Our schedule will shift back to Saturday on the first Saturday after Labor Day. But for May and June, we are still Saturday bound.
Mask & Wig Club, somewhere in Richboro, exact location unknown. Writing on the reverse indicates one of the women is a Richboro resident.