#52 Ancestors 2021 Week 29

 #52 Ancestors 2021  Week 29

Fashion

The wedding photographs that I have from my family tell the story of changing fashions in clothing and in style.

This is the earliest photo I have - of Paul's grandparents Charles John McCann and Alma Florence Barrow, who married in Lismore, NSW in 1900.  

My grandparents married in 1911.  This was a time of enormous hats and bouquets, but an example of the formality of the times is that one of the bridesmaids was recruited at the last minute to replace one who was newly pregnant.

In this wedding from 1920, it is the bride who is seated.  This is my great aunt, Mabel May "Sis" White and her husband, Walter Day.

But here in 1922, at the wedding of Paul's aunt and uncle, Grace McCann and Eric Mason, the groom is seated.

These wedding gowns reflect the more streamlined look of the 1930s.  

1. Paul's parents, Pat McCann and Kathleen Keogh in 1936

Paul's Uncle Herb McCann and his bride, Violet Vidler in 1933

In the 1940's most of the grooms are in uniform and many of the brides are in simple day dresses as in this photo of Wes Whitten and Beth Meredith from 1941.

My father's cousin Betty Day managed to find a bridal gown in Lismore in 1941.

There is no photo of my parents' wedding.  In a small country town the combination of wartime restrictions on film and wet weather meant that none were taken, although we have this doubly exposed photo of Mum's niece Sue in her flowergirl outfit.

As rationing eased, 1950s brides became more extravagant with material.  This is Mum's brother Royce and his bride, Jean Lackey in 1951.

Dad's sister Margaret and her husband Bill Stewart on their wedding day in 1952.  Dad, on the right of the photo, gave the bride away in the absence of her father.  This is also the first wedding photo I have that is in colour, from a process which applied colour to an originally black and white print.

All these are such a contrast in style and formality with the most recent family wedding of my son and two nieces.