A Dickey Xmas: 1923

If nothing else it shows those two boys are definitely brothers. The younger boy in 1923 looks just like his brother did in 1915!

The fellow with his arm around the young woman is obviously her husband.. Note wedding ring. Also she appears to be with child.

[Nope. He's her brother. - Dave]

Has anyone noticed that the middle child (oldest son) is not the same kid in both pictures? Rather odd, I thought.

[The oldest boy is standing on the right in this photo. Still confused? - Dave]

My family owns ornaments exactly identical to about a third of the ones on the tree. My mother always said they were old, but I didn't think they could be that old!

Just noticed what appears to be a model train track on the floor to the right. Wonder if a wee little Christmas choo-choo was part of the decorations, or a gift done opened and set up. Remember a very simple Lionel train set my brother and I got for one Christmas. No idea where it ended up.

Poor Mom. It sure looks like the photog positioned her just a little too up close and snuggly with that tree. Her expression does not reflect a comfort zone with it. More like fending it off.

Every member of this family wears the exact same expression. From my own middle class perspective it seems to be a pleasant tolerance of all things beneath them . . . which are many and include the photographer and all of us some 85 years later.

When viewed full size, there was just so much to take in...the crazy tree, the intricate sleeves on Sister's dress, the odd pose of poor Mother--practically stuck into the boughs (not to mention her too-tight shoes!), a hint of model railroad track, the wallpaper & border--just SO much!

But the number one thing I could not stop thinking...why are everyone's eyes so sad? Don't they know it's Christmas? (Maybe this the custom of the day, to look somber in a holiday photo? Whatever the reason, their melancholy expressions are in contrast to the joyful occasion.)

The mother looks so different from the previous photo. Poor gal.

I find in very interesting that people who live in older homes today panic about even the smallest scratch in their hardwood floors when its very obvious that this middle-class Washington family clearly had no such worry.

Also, is anyone able to identify the toy train track in the background? It looks like wind-up track, perhaps O-scale?

At first glance, it made me think of a huge spider web. Strangely, most of the ornaments don't look much different from what we might have on our trees today. I notice the lack of lights, though.