My family has a tradition of posing for group photos when we get together. This tradition has been handed down over the generations as we see in this example photographed in 1957. I wish I knew what the occasion or location was but sadly all I have is the developers stamp on the border of the photo stating "Feb 1957". I recognize a number of faces but there are a few I am going to need your help with!
Photography
In my photo collection I am lucky enough to have photos dated to the beginning of the 1900's but they are few and far between. Photography was only a recent invention at that point so having any photos from the early days of the century is a really big deal given that my ancestors at that point were poor peasant farmers. Certainly none of them owned a camera so they sought-out a professional and paid to have that photo taken. Those photos were then kept safe and handed down through the next 120 years until I happened to get my greedy hands on them!
Looking through my photo library I can see that the number of photos in the collection increases exponentially with each decade that passed. Then, in the 1960's the number of photos created exploded. Obviously camera equipment and photo development became far more affordable.
You can read more about my photos in the article People in the Photos.
The 1950's
I consider any photos taken before the 1960's to be very valuable because there are simply less of them. There is a very real chance that there may only be one or two photos of an ancestor or occasion in existence.
These fine people from 1957 want you to know that they are all healthy and were having a good time. Let's help them live-on by adding a name and maybe a story for each face in this photo!
How Many Do You Recognize?
I have marked twenty people in this photo where I can see a whole or portion of a face.
Perhaps this photo is known to your family and you have more information to share? Please send me your comments and use the numbers I have labelled each person with in order to aid their identification.
If you need to see a larger version of this photo please click here or on the photo above.
List of people in the photo by number:
1. Margaret Stratulat
2. Denise Guraliuk
3. Catherine Stratulat
4. Condrauky Andrei. Married to Mrs. Andrei (#5)
5. Paraschiva "Eva" Andrei nee Donison. Married to Condrauky (#4)
6. Maranda Cojocari nee Tehulka. Married to Ion "John" (#8). Mother to Vasile "Wesley" (#14), Mother-in-law to Maria "Mary" (#13) and Mary (#19)
7. Constantine "Conn" Morse. Married to Malina "Mollie" (#18)
8. Ion "John" Cojocari. Married to Maranda (#6). Father to Vasile "Wesley" (#14), Father-in-law to Maria "Mary" (#13) and Mary (#19)
9. Maria "Mary" Cojocar nee Banda. Married to George (not in photo) who is a nephew of Ion "John" (#8) and Maranda (#6).
10. Fegina "Jean" Guraliuk nee Donison. Sister-in-law of Iliana "Lena" (#16)
11. Unknown. Do you know his name?
12. Frozina Ursu nee ???. Married to Constantine "Costan" (#20).
13. Maria "Mary" Cojocar nee Donison. Married to Vasile "Wesley" (#14) who is a son of Ion "John" (#8) and Maranda (#6).
14. Vasile "Wesley" J. Cojocar. Son of Ion "John" (#8) and Maranda (#6). Married to Maria "Mary" (#13).
15. Dumetru “Daniel” “Dan” Stratulat. Married to Iliana "Lena" (#16).
16. Iliana “Lena” Stratulat nee Guraluick. Married to Dumetru "Dan" (#15). Sister-in-law of Fegina "Jean" #10.
17. Jennie Brandt nee Vakentie
18. Malina "Mollie" Morse nee Cojocar. Niece of Ion "John" (#8). Married to Constantine "Conn" (#7)
19. Unknown. Do you know who she is?
20. Constantine "Costan" Ursu. Married to Frozina (#12)