Choose
one woman’s excerpt from the 1911 MCLA yearbook, and, drawing from her write-up,
engage in some critical imagination. What can you infer about this woman's identity?
Based on this semester’s discussions, her photo, and the write-up itself, what kind
of secondary research might you do to flesh out her story? Be specific, as this
brainstorming is meant to help you begin your library research on Wednesday.
Leona Hilton
ReplyDeleteTHIS WOMAN IS BOMB, I can already tell. Just look at what is written about her: "Leona Hilton the girl from Adams/Who wears the hobble skirts/Isn't the worst girl in the school/And yet she sometimes shirks./No matter what her duties are/When Wednesday night comes round/A certain one and Leona are surely found."
Her identity? Leone don't give a f***. Even though she wears the modest dress with the matronly hairdo, there's the faintest smirk on her face, and I swear I'm already this woman's best friend. The other women wear mostly plain clothes, but Leona has embellishments on her dress, and I find that to be a symbol of expression in an otherwise conformist crowd. And, regardless of duty, she's off doing her thing, and possibly seeing a boy? Mm. Go, Leona.
Of course, this makes me think she's off doing her romantic do, so I want to do some research into what "dating" was like in 1911, especially around this area. Look into clothing, look into basically anything in those regards, aesthetics and society thinking you gotta do things a certain way. Courting. Whatever. I want to do my project in a sort of diary style, maybe poetic? It's still in the works, but I'm into it.
Helen Kay had one of the more humorous blurbs in The Taconian. Her poem proudly states, "...And though you may not know it/She's a girl of great fame/She's not very thin/And she's not very tall..." I like that Helen can poke fun of herself and break away from the expected norms of women, specifically during that time period, to be proper and modest.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite line of Helen's poem was definitely, "In the "kindergarten sandwich"/She's usually the ham". I can't quite figure out exactly what this means, or why kindergarten sandwich is in quotes, but I also couldn't help but relate to this line at the same time. My assumption is that this is referencing to some kind of inside joke some of the women had which is why it's in italics.
I take Helen to be somewhat of a class clown, a girl who doesn't take herself too seriously and is well-liked by her classmates. Helen is everything my quiet classroom persona aspires to be, and I'm excited to dig a littler deeper into her backstory.
I'm choosing Rose Marie Johnson. She is a young woman from Holyoke MA. I live about 30 mins away from Holyoke. I never thought I would be looking at someone whom lived there in 1911. I didn't even think the city was established then.
ReplyDeleteI am not only choosing Rose because she lives in Holyoke but I am choosing her because when I first saw her, I was entranced by her powerful gaze. Her eyes are so dark and inviting. She has the faintest smile on her face, its almost as if she is saying aaayyyeeee I see you. She is fierce and looks independent. For a quick second I also thought she looked like me in a way because we both have what seems to be Latin American features. I also though that she looked the most diverse out of all the other girls in the photos because one of her eyes, then her hair is so dark its almost black and she has a strong sharp jaw. all the other girls are round face and not looking at the camera with either light brown hair or blond hair. And she doesn't have glasses either which a lot of the girls do.
Rose or AKA Pose is probably a popular student because it says in her bio that she will be missed by all and that she is never seen with out a smile on her face. It seems like this girl likes to do things on her own that she is a very free spirt. Which I like a lot. I just really want to go back in time and hear her sing "Lonesome". The title of this song makes me think that Pose has secrets and I want to know what they are.
I think I could do a lot with her story and that makes me excited.
Okay so when flipping through the pictures/mini-bios of these ladies, the one that stuck out to me was Laura Stevens from Lee. And she probably stuck out because she was nicknamed Steve. So that's awesome. I also liked her bio which consisted of a short poem "This bright and witty maid of old Lee town/Won by her humor very great renown/From early morning till late at night/Conversing was her chief delight". Basically it sounds like we would be friends and Steve is the best nickname ever. It sounds like she had a great sense of humor, not only because the poem directly states it, but because I'm pretty sure you can't get through college with a nickname like Steve without one. I also personally think she's a gossip. Is it weird to say she looks kind of classy? She's wearing lace and her hair looks like it was nicely done, like she takes pride in her apperance. Also, who writes these bios? Do the women write them themselves or do their peers write it for them? Because I think it would say a lot about each indiviual if they wrote it themselves, kind of the traits they prized within them. If thats so, Steve really liked her wit and humor. I honestly have no idea where to start with the secondary research besides a basic google search? Ancestry.com? Do you have to pay for that? Maybe if there were old papers around that would help, because she kind of strikes me as an English Major. As for writing this, if she's a gossip I almost want to write a burn book, Mean Girls Style. Maybe not so cruel. And also maybe not.
ReplyDeleteMary G. Knap
ReplyDeleteI was having some trouble choosing one of these yearbook entries to focus on (even though it is incredibly fascinating to look at them). To me, they all seemed at least vaguely reminiscent of one another. The same traits seem to be valued in each of them, such as a “jolly” disposition, athleticism, and academic excellence. I wanted to find somebody who stood out from this.
I am choosing Mary G. Knap for one primary reason: her bio leaves room open for a story. It is literally only one sentence long, which runs as follows: “After knowing for so long this ‘little lady’ with her sweet disposition and winning way, after seeing her in the classroom, ever ready to answer any questions put to her and reasoning to the satisfaction of her teachers, we were much surprised to hear how hot she made things for Sambo when he came so far to see her.”
I think this has the potential to make a very interesting story. I found I was attracted to the sense that this woman is more than (and possibly different from) what she is perceived to be, and I love the air of mystery around that sentiment. In her photo, she is looking down, so you can’t really see her eyes. She seems like she could be an ominous yet complicated, layered character, and I would really love to experiment with that (while doing her every justice possible, of course). In writing a story about her, I would like to explore and invent the relationship she has with Sambo, which will most likely be the central anchor point of the piece. I will probably want to research, to various extents, the clothing, university lifestyle, and relationship practices of the time period.
Alice Teresa Mahanna
ReplyDeleteThe thing that stood out to me about Alice (also referred to as Al, which sounds kinda badass), was that her favorite song was "No Wedding Bells for Me." This girl don't need no man. However, the yearbook staff apparently thought differently when they wrote, "our expectations are that her taste in music will change," and I thought, "oh hell no." Based on this entry alone, Al seems like the kind of gal who isn't afraid to be on her own, doesn't want to be tied down, and would probably fight anyone who told her otherwise. She's class secretary, so she definitely has leadership qualities about her, and both of these factors would probably make her a kickass teacher, which I would imagine she pursued for a few years before going on cool adventures or becoming some kind of activist. I'd like to construct a collage-diary of sorts for her, weaving fact with fiction to showcase how powerful and totally rad this woman was.
I’ve chosen to focus on Louise Wingate. The blurb written about her lack of athletic ability— something she and I have in common. It also notes that her nickname is “Weezy”. I’m wondering if that, perhaps, that ties into her being less athletic? One thing that also took me aback about Louise’s picture is the fact that her she’s made up a bit more than the others. Her dress is darker, she has ribbons in her hair, and her collar is lower than the others.
ReplyDeleteI’m also wondering about the mentions of Harvard, and what she prefers the letter ‘W’ for if ‘W’ does not stand for Williams.
Rose Trainor
ReplyDeleteFrom her description Rose is a fun person to be around. She’s always laughing at herself and other which makes her sound like she appreciates a good time and doesn’t stop at making her actions into a joke. I chose her because she sounds like someone that I would have loved to be friends with since she is always having fun and laughing. She sounds like an extremely social person that most people get along with and call their friend. I like that she’s bold and doesn’t mind acting a little silly in front of other people.
Since her entire description is about laughing and having fun, I want to research some of the places that they used to have in North Adams for entertainment because my guess is if she was such a social person she probably went to these places to hang out and socialize. I also want to research what types of activities these girls did to have a good time.
Olive Christine Burt- Easthampton, MA
ReplyDeleteThis entry interested me because it reminded me of myself. All it really says about her is that she loves reading, and that she is a "straight thinker." It sounds as if she was a very serious individual that was relatively introverted, seeing that there is not much known about her.
For this reason, I think it would be interesting to create a voice for Olive. I would focus a lot women's education during that time, considering the fact that she is in school, and also that she enjoys reading, which can be very educational. I'm not sure what else I would look up at this point, so I guess I will figure that out.
Grace Mary Powers from Whately, MA
ReplyDeleteThis woman was called the friendliest of the class and never with out a smile. The little bio for the first two stanzas had nothing but good things to say about her. The third stanza was what got my attention. Gracie, "In serving, quite the other way. /Poor Gracie does not shine, /but never you mind; you're still alright/ you'll learn it all in time." This girl does not need to serve anybody or learn to serve at all. She shines bright enough with out that, thank you very much! She seems like the kind of girl that was a breath of fresh air, but the look in her eyes in the picture makes it seem like she is so done with all the BS about always being sweet and needing to learn how to serve. The look in her eyes, to me, says "I'm plotting a way to mess you up right now, with a goddamn smile on my face."
Olive Christine Burt from Easthampton, MA.
ReplyDeleteWhat particularly interested me in Olive's entry was that she had extreme similar interests to my own; I could even imagine her sharing in my double major (Philosophy and English lit). Not only does she prise logical thinking and rational application of ideas. but Olive would also surrender meals for a good book, which is something I've been known to do on occasion. Her biography is so simple, but it gives a fair amount of information about her analytical yet lackadaisical nature.
Her appearance also struck me as something interesting about Olive. While none of the women are exactly similing, Olive has a relatively sad look on her face; I think it's something about her eyes.
I also think it's important to note how each woman is positioned in her photograph. While some are turned away or not looking directly at the camera, I think it says something about Olive that she is staring straight into the lens - usually the more outspoken and determined members of the class choose this position (such as Elizabeth Eno or Bridgie Anna Cody).
Olive Christie Burt From East Hampton, MA
ReplyDeleteI think Olive is interesting. She reminds me a lot of myself. From her blurb, she's an avid reader who gave up meals just to read. She has a thirst for knowledge that she finds in literature. It seems like she only needs to books fuel which is awesome because i'm sort of the same way. Her biography is very simple like Kassie said, but I'm imagining so many possible things that she did at this time. The blurb makes her seem like she is introverted but she seems to have a power and strength that is seen through her photograph.
She kind of reminds me of Therese Belivet from The Price of Salt because of the sadness in her eyes and because of the assumption that she is just a woman who wants to do what makes her happy. I imagine her as a kind of lonely person who finds love in literature. She is probably very well read with an immense vocab and can probably quote lengthy pieces of text from her favorite books. I'd like to do some research on popular books at the time: to get insight on what she was reading since it was such huge aspect of her time at school. She seems very grounded and humble. I can't imagine her breaking any rules at school unless there was a rule against reading. If she was a rule breaker, i can imagine her breaking conventions in very subtle ways. I'm just in awe of her, and I want to know more about who she was and what she was possibly doing during this time period.
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ReplyDeleteMary Ellen Burke from Adams, MA.
ReplyDeleteWhat drew my attention to Mary is that she described herself as timid but despite being timid she still gets things done that need to be handled especially if it something that she finds interest in. "Mary is a timid lass, but still make things go, in gym especially she leads..."
In the picture Mary appears to be a women that may not talk a lot but her facial reaction can tell a lot. In a way I can relate to Mary because despite me not being timid I still choose to get the job done especially if its something I know that is in my area of knowledge.
For secondary research I figured I can look at other sources that can piece together a background to Mary. Potentially looking at women who may be vocally quite but they do a lot of other things to make their self be known or heard.
Ethel McAdoo Shields and Johanna Tumpane
ReplyDeleteBoth of these women interest me for different reasons. Ethel dropped out of school for the pursuit of “domestic science,” and there seems to be more of a story there. Johanna, quite the athlete it sounds like, would be cool to research to see if I can find any of her old stats or at least the sports she was interested in. (This is doubtful, seeing as women’s sports were not taken as seriously as men’s then. But, it would still be cool to try.)
I believe I will do the project on Ethel and discover what exactly drew her to “domestic science.” Maybe a baby? Maybe hidden health reasons? Maybe she actually wanted to pursue another career that was not looked so highly upon so she kept it a secret!
Johanna is from Adams, but I’d like to find out where Ethel is from. I think there is a lot that hasn’t been said about the Teacher’s School Drop-out.
I plan to check out birth certificates if possible and newspaper articles if there are any on the two women. I would like to find their obituaries if possible, so as to have book ends to their lives.
DeleteElizabeth Eno - Bristol, Vermont.
ReplyDelete"Who is the busy, busy bee of the class of 1911?
Early in the morning till late at night she toils among her books with never a moment's frivolity.
Who this serious brown eyed lassie is, is not hard to tell, for we all know she is Elizabeth Eno"
Elizabeth Eno is non-stop. She's serious and takes everything incredibly seriously. She's constantly reading her books, even late at night, working hard to succeed.
I relate to her, especially this semester. She looks tired, serious, and like she's trying to be proper. She has a smirk on her face. I'd love to know more about her, her ambitions, whether her hard work accomplished anything.
It's difficult because the yearbook doesn't give me much information about her. I'm also discouraged by the time period she grew up in, when women were not granted the same luxuries as today. I could check for her birth certificate and research newspaper articles. Just by her bio, I can tell she's an introvert. Maybe she was misunderstood because she didn't seem to fit into any clubs or groups (just from this bio) and I wonder what her social life was like. A lot of these women seemed to be involved in sports or were known as charismatic, entertainers. I like Elizabeth because she was known for being educated. She was known for reading and taking herself incredibly seriously. I want to dive deeper and provide her with more of a legacy.
The woman I am choosing is Rose Cyrille Lyses.
ReplyDeleteI was originally going to go for Knap, but Dianna beat me to her. They're both such amazing people, so it's not THAT much of a loss.
The thing that really caught my eye about Rose (see, we're already bffs, calling each other by our first name), is the single line "Full well she laughed in solitary glee, at her own jokes as many a joke has she."
By just that line, I already relate to her. I look forward to learning more about my 1911 sister <3
Rose Trainor, my main lady, from good old Worcester, MA, just like me.
ReplyDelete"A stranger might wonder who it was in our class who is always talking and laughing; either discussing some deep subject or laughing at her own or another's nonsense; but we all know who it is, for indeed she is one of our class favorites. Wherever she is, even if the door is tight shut, some classmate is sure to open it and call "Rose Trainor in here? I thought so; I heard her laughing way our in the corridor.""
I like Rose's style. She's from my home town and I kind of want to learn about why she chose to come all the way out here, since I know that there are a good number of normal schools that are closer to Worcester or even going out towards the Boston area. I also really enjoy that she basically laughs at her own jokes, since that's something I am quite apt to do. She's very much extroverted and I want to find out more about her and what she was like and where exactly she's from and basically about her life. She seems like a hella cool, badass lady. She just interests me soooooo much.
Rose Marie Johnson, rose, pose, Johnny; a woman of many names must have a few discourses. She came from a busy city (Holyoke) and somehow ended up in the small town of North Adams. She seems so friendly, constantly smiling and interacting with her peers. She "will be missed by all," meaning she may have plans to go far in life. Rose also seems quirky, her "favorite holiday is the 17th of march," but a lot of people aren't sure why. She sure is a curious girl, "singing 'Lonesome'" and open to the world.
ReplyDeleteI may want to write from Rose's point of view and connect her to things happening in the area at her time. it will be a fictional piece based on facts at the time, so I will want to look at newspapers and historical articles.
Miss Jennette Woodbury Appears strong and resolute. She's the most talkative member of the 1911 class. She was predicted by her class to become an outspoken suffragette. I like Jennette (in highschool I was voted most talkative) and she was one of the few women who I didn't see immediately linked to basketball, boys, or studying.
ReplyDeleteCatherine "Kate" Deeley Meagher is one of the "Lenox trio," the three girls from Lenox. All three sound very saucy and independent and have similar taste in music. The way they make it sound by referring to them as a trio, I think they may have hung out together. (After I thought of it, it's hard not to picture them as the titular gang from Heathers). What piqued my interest about Kate is her favorite song. I happen to be a fan of Irving Berlin, and to anyone flipping through "Call Me Up on Some Rainy Afternoon" sounds perfectly unassuming, but I'm familiar with the lyrics:
ReplyDelete"Call me up on some rainy afternoon,
I'll arrange for a quiet little spoon (!!!!)
Think of all the joy and bliss
We can hug and we can... /talk about the weather./"
Kiss. She means kiss. This song is full of innuendo. The song's female protagonist tells her suitor that her mother is out of town and he should come by and visit, and when he arrives no one answers the door and he hears her inside talking to another man. Nonetheless, she invites him back:
"Call me up some rainy afternoon
Then again how's the evening (!!!!!) for a spoon
Call around tomorrow night
We can then put out that... FIRE IN THE FURNACE."
Put out the-- light, you mean?! The yearbook says the song "betrays her defining characteristic." Damn, Kate's got game! Get it, girl! I figure the song was popular in the time, so I checked to see how often any mention of it occurs in the book, and its only other appearance is another one of the Lenox trio girls. The third trio member says her favorite song is "No Wedding Bells for Me."
I would want to try to write a sort of epistolary story of her escapades featuring diary entries, letters to her friends and perhaps some callers, and newspaper articles, all fictional and written by me but based in historical fact. I'm going to need to look in that... shoot, I don't know what that's called. The flippy thing. Is it a microfilm reader? All I know is it makes Mulder from X-Files seasick. I'll use that, and look at some books and articles, and maybe try to dig up some info on these ladies. I can look into getting an Ancestry.com trial.