Sepia Saturday: Early Days of Television, and Barbie Dolls

In his introduction to Sepia Saturday 823, Alan Burnett writes: 

"Back in the 1950s and 60s, people often wanted their television sets included in photographs; those box-like, round-knobbed sets were the status symbol of their time."

This reminded me of probably the only "TV photo" that I have from my early childhood. It's in my first photo album (put together by my mum), and when looking it up now, I note that it's from the autumn of 1957 - which means I was only two years old when it was taken. 

My mum's note (in Swedish) below the photo translates: The child in the Age of Television - or "Look, it's snowing". ...  "Snowing" referring to the fact that more often than not, back then, there was nothing on to watch - and even when there was, the image might often be rather blurry and "snowy"... And here I'm obviously just staring at a blank screen! 

The TV belonged to my maternal grandparents, and the photo is from their living room. Regular TV broadcasts in Sweden did not start until 1956, but my maternal grandfather was always keen to try new inventions, so did not wait long to get one... My own parents did not get one until years later, I think. 

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I'll combine this with a few photos I snapped from my flat screen TV a few days ago. There was a short documentary on about the history of Barbie dolls, and some women of different ages collecting them, and "remembering"...

As some followers of this blog may recall (I know at least Meike does!), some years ago I gave away most of my own old Barbie dolls, but decided to keep two - which have since been "living" on a shelf next to the TV in my sitting room, rather than tucked away in a box. And when something Barbie-related is on, of course they want to watch with me...

 

"My Barbie and Me"

Looking in my old photo albums for TV-related photos now, I also happened to find the  photo below of my first three Barbie dolls, from the summer of 1965 - and taken by me with an old black-and-white camera then rather recently "inherited" from my dad:

Barbie, Ken and Skipper

Checking up on things now, Barbie dolls were launched in Sweden for Christmas 1963. I doubt I was among the very first to get one, so more likely that I got these three for my birthday + Christmas in 1964. The Skipper doll is the same one that I still have (at some point in early history, she had a haircut); while the Barbie doll is the last one I got. She came with three different wigs, so is really kind of "three in one". But I prefer her in this one: 

(Repeating a photo from Easter)

Second Bloom

 

The geraniums I bought for my balcony some time back in late spring are now springing into their "second bloom" (after a period of rest). 

 

Today I haven't been out except on the balcony, because for one thing I had the laundry room booked for the afternoon, and for another it's been a day of severe weather warnings issued: threatening us with storm, heavy downpour, flooding and traffic problems. However, in my immediate neighbourhood, one clash of distant thunder + a few short gentle showers (with the rain falling straight down) have not yet (9:30 pm) lived up to those threats. 

 

But the temperature outdoors has dropped considerably over the past hour or two, so just now I'm letting fresh air in through balcony door and windows before going to bed.

 

Yesterday was sunny and warm. I called my hairdresser in the morning to ask if she could fit me in. I got an appointment for 1 pm, which meant a rather hot walk into town and back; but at least my hair should not need cutting again until September. 

 

Every now and then I'm still dipping into envelopes of old photos from my dad and granddad. Below is one of me that I had half in mind to link to the past weekend's Sepia Saturday as an example of hairdos from the 1950's... (I didn't get round to it, though, and now it's already a new week.) The thing is, I have just about the same "look" after washing my hair now as I had at the age of 2! (Just not quite as amused about it now as back then!) 😄

 

 

 

 

 

Sepia Saturday 566: Piano

The prompt picture for Sepia Saturday 566 is of a "living room with grand piano". This made me go looking for pianos in my own childhood photo albums. I can't recall any "grand" pianos from back then, but I know there was a piano in my maternal grandparents' living room. It was an upright black one, and I remember it well, but I don't seem to have any photo of it. In my other grandparents' living room (which was smaller), there was a small pump organ (harmonium). I have no photo evidence of that either - the images of it are only stored in my brain. And who used to play it (besides me, at a very young age) I don't know. I don't think I ever saw my grandmother or grandfather use it, and I can't recall ever seeing my father play either.

The only piano photo I find in my album from my early years is from my father's uncle's living room, Christmas 1957. This is me, 16 months old, playing a duet together with my mum, and then a solo performance. (Be thankful that there is no sound!)

When I was around ten, we moved to a bigger house, and then my parents also bought their own piano. Mum did play a bit (as can be seen above). I took (was forced to take) piano lessons for a while (grade 4-6), but I never had any natural talent for it. My brother did inherit the musical gene, though. Below is a blurry photo of him at the family piano, about six years old at the time. Unlike me, he kept on playing; switching to electronic keyboards up in his teens, and combining that with various intricate computer programs to produce all kinds of sounds. (Put me at a piano now, and I'm no better than at age 1½ ...)

 Sepia Saturday 566