What event would this photograph capture?

[FedoraFan112390]

This picture was taken in May 1934. My grandfather is on the left, age 14; an unknown man on his right. As you can see both are well dressed and wearing black armbands. His family was a family of Italian immigrants; my grandfather was a first generation American and our family is Catholic. As such my mother suggested it could've been his confirmation, and that could be his sponsor. But I am unsure. Could anyone who knows of period dress and whatnot help out with what this event might have been?

Also, this one: This is from a separate time, and is my grandfather with his father, mother and all of his siblings. They are all dressed to the nines but wear boutonnieres. Would it be common for men in a family to wear boutonnieres for a simple family portrait, or was this perhaps a portrait taken after or during an event?

Also, what kind of cameras were likely used in both?

 

[Doctor Strange]

I can't speak to the events, but it's a pretty safe bet that a large format view camera or Graflex SLR (probably using 4x5, 5x7, or 8x10 sheet film) was used to make these pictures. That was pretty much all that was used for studio work back then. There were rollfilm folding-bellows cameras that might have been used outdoors for more casual work, or when portability and speed was important, but it was largely a sheet film world for pros.

Let me put it this way: my dad was an amateur before WWII, did photography in the Army, and was then a pro for over fifty years afterwards. He learned in the 30s/40s. And nearly till the end, he wouldn't use anything smaller than a 4x5 camera for anything "important". Sure, we also used 120 rollfilm Mamiyas and 35mm Nikons... but only for catalog work that was going to be reproduced at very small sizes, or for documentary location work.

Anyway, it would be unusual for a professional portrait studio to use anything other than large format cameras back then.

 

[Corky]

The girl in the bottom photo is wearing a First Communion dress.

 

[FedoraFan112390]

The girl in the bottom photo is wearing a First Communion dress.

Are you sure of that? The photo is sometime in the mid-late 1930s, I think. The girl in the photo you refer to was born December 1924. I'm not sure at what age one would've made communion in the 1930s Catholic Church.

Also should add--the guy standing most to the left is my grandpa, same guy as in the first pic. He was born in 1920. You figure in the first picture he's 14. So idk how old he would be in the second.

 

[Oldsarge]

One wears black armbands for a funeral.

 

[Shangas]

It's a black and white photo. Those armbands could be any conceivable dark-shaded colour. Not necessarily black.

 

[Vornholt]

From examples I've seen, those are rather ornate and ruffly for funeral armbands, but that could be an item specific to some regional custom. The pose doesn't look like anything meant to be formal, though.

 

[Tomasso]

The girl in the bottom photo is wearing a First Communion dress.

:arated:

 

[Bassman]

Good ol' Brooklyn!

 

[Edward]

Are you sure of that? The photo is sometime in the mid-late 1930s, I think. The girl in the photo you refer to was born December 1924. I'm not sure at what age one would've made communion in the 1930s Catholic Church.

First Communion in the Catholic Church typically takes place around seven or eight, varying from country to country. It's conceivable that this is what it cold be.

One wears black armbands for a funeral.

hey were part of mourning wear more generally, not just at the funeral. They seem to have originated as a practice among those who would have had a uniform or dress code that precludes the choice of a black tie (and at a time when a black tie was more common and not so readily thought of as mourning wear, as it is now). Household servants would have worn a black armband.

From examples I've seen, those are rather ornate and ruffly for funeral armbands, but that could be an item specific to some regional custom. The pose doesn't look like anything meant to be formal, though.

Agreed.

It's a black and white photo. Those armbands could be any conceivable dark-shaded colour. Not necessarily black.

This is also true.

 

[PADDY]

Unsure 'why' this is in The Great Outdoors Room (?) .

So off it goes to a more appropriate home Admin.

 

[FedoraFan112390]

First Communion in the Catholic Church typically takes place around seven or eight, varying from country to country. It's conceivable that this is what it cold be.



hey were part of mourning wear more generally, not just at the funeral. They seem to have originated as a practice among those who would have had a uniform or dress code that precludes the choice of a black tie (and at a time when a black tie was more common and not so readily thought of as mourning wear, as it is now). Household servants would have worn a black armband.



Agreed.



This is also true.

The only problem with it being her first communion is, if let's say she was 7 or 8, that makes my grandpa (the first man standing on the left) around 12-13 years old. Consider that the other photo (of him standing with the black armband) was taken when he was 14. He wasn't a servant so I have no idea what the armband could be, or even what the event was. My grandmother wouldn't know and he and all of his siblings are dead, sadly.