Monday, November 25, 2019

Grandmother Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan's Photographs

 I always loved this photo of my grandmother Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan (1902-1992)



In the late 1980s, I took a family photo album to the Windsor nursing home (where Grandmother spent her final days) and I remember her reaction to this photo! My grandmother had Alzheimer’s and couldn’t help me identify the photos, but on this one, she made me stop, and she put her finger on the flower, drew circles with her finger on the flower and smiled.

In October, I discovered the photograph in the Windsor Star archives and discovered the story of why it was taken .... and perhaps why it made her smile .....

Source: Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario, Canada)
· 1 Feb 1929, Fri ·
Page 29
The Sodality Dance was a huge success and my cousin Gail Kinsel noted that, 
"Three sisters and future husband in attendance. True family support!"

Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) · 9 Feb 1929, Sat · Page 9

Rhea married my grandfather Ernest Joseph Moynahan 7 months after the Valentine dance  



In 2015, I wrote about the "Art of Colorizing Photographs" using another favourite photograph of my grandmother Rhea



According to the Directory of Early Michigan Photographers by David V. Tinder, Northland Studios was located in Detroit as early as 1913-1915. 
I believe this photograph of Rhea to have been taken some time before 1920.



These family photo "discoveries" are such a delight, especially when there is a story behind the places and times they were taken.

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