A Mystery Sort of Solved (Mystery Photo #23) - Mystery Monday

(Digital Image. Photograph Privately Held By Cynthia Shenette; Photograph and Text, Copyright (c) 2013 Cynthia Shenette) Several weeks ago I posted a photo of a group where many of the young ladies (and one gentleman) were wearing bows.  I thought the photo seemed a little funny at the time with everyone wearing similar hair bows.  I decided to go back and take another look at the page in the album in which the original photo appears.  The parade photos in this post appear next to the bow photo in the previous post.  On reflection my guess is all the photos were taken on the same day at the same event.  Apparently the people in the photos were involved in a parade in Worcester, MA. 

The parade route was heading north on Main St. in Worcester.  You can see Worcester City Hall in the background on the left in the top photo along with a long line of ladies carrying parasols.  The photo looks as if it was taken from one of the taller buildings on Main St. along the parade route.  The bottom photo is a close up shot of several of the young ladies in which you can clearly see them holding parasols and wearing neck bows!  My guess is the parade photos were taken earlier in the day, and the photo of them wearing the bows in their hair was taken after the parade, possibly at a post-parade picnic.  Also interesting is the Slater Building in the background of the bottom photo.  If you zoom in you can clearly see "Slater Building" above the arcade sign.
 

One mystery for Mystery Photo #21 is partly solved.  I think I now know why everyone had the same bow in their hair.   Now I want to know what the parade was for or about.  It looks like the same group, so the marchers probably represented St. Mary's Church in the parade.  The parade happened during the warmer months, maybe spring because the ladies are wearing light/white dresses.  The photo was probably taken in either 1916, 1917 or 1918.  My grandfather, Adolf Szerejko, was in the army by spring of 1918, and he is in Mystery Photo #21 .  Some of the business signs along the parade route are clearly identifiable.  It may be possible to narrow down the date further with additional research in city directories.

If you recognize anyone in either Mystery Photo #21 or Mystery Photo #23 or have some information about the parade I'd love to hear from you!

Beaux and Bows (Mystery Photo #21) - Mystery Monday

(Digital Image. Photograph Privately Held By Cynthia Shenette; Photograph and Text, Copyright (c) 2013 Cynthia Shenette) Hair bows definitely seem to be the fashion!  I'm not sure if almost all of the ladies are wearing bows for a particular reason or they just happened to wear all those bows by coincidence.  One of the young men in the top row seems to have gotten in on the bow action.

I thought I would post this because it is such fun photo and a nice group shot.  I recognize three people in the photo.  My grandmother, Antonina (Bulak) Szerejko, is the young woman in the middle of the bottom row with her head turned to the side.  My great-aunt Helen Bulak, my grandmother's sister, is the young woman in the second row almost directly behind her.  My grandfather, Adolf Szerejko, is the first young man on the right in the second to top row.  I don't recognize any of the other ladies or gents.  My guess is the photo was taken at one of St. Mary's (Our Lady of Czestochowa) parish picnics sometime between 1916 and 1919.

If you recognize anyone in my photo I'd love to hear from you!

Kick Line! (Mystery Photo #20) - Mystery Monday

(Digital Image. Photograph Privately Held By Cynthia Shenette; Photograph and Text, Copyright (c) 2013 Cynthia Shenette)  My grandmother, Antonina (Bulak) Szerejko, 1896-1990, was a long-time parishioner at St. Mary's Church (Our Lady of Czestochowa) in Worcester.  Apparently back in the early part of the twentieth century St. Mary's had tradition of holding parish picnics on the weekends.  I don't know for certain, but I suspect my grandparents probably met at one of these picnics.  My picnic photos are among the most fun photos in my collection!  They are mostly candids.  The pictures are all small and were likely taken with a Brownie camera. The novelty of the Brownie probably encouraged people to put on a show for the photographer.  I don't know exactly when this photograph was taken, but my best guess is the late 1910s, probably between 1916 and 1919.  I don't recognize any of the young men in this photo.  If you do I would love to hear from you!

Young Man In A Fur Coat (Mystery Photo #17) - Mystery Monday

(Digital Image.  Photograph Privately Held By Cynthia Shenette; Text Copyright (c) 2013 Cynthia Shenette) I will admit I couldn't wait for a cold day in January to post this photo!  Brr.  I love this man's fur coat.  My how snappy he looks with his top hat, tie, and cane!  Who is he I wonder?  This photo is from my grandmother's collection of photos so my guess is he was a member of the Polish immigrant community of Worcester, MA.  Take a look at the bottom of the photo and you will see an embossed head that is part of the photographer's stamp.  The photographer was Le Roy, 34 Front St., Worcester, Mass. and the photograph was printed on postcard stock.

If you recognized this dapper young man I'd love to hear from you!

Rt. Rev. Boleslaw A. Bojanowski - Funeral Card Friday

(Digital Image. Card Privately Held By Cynthia Shenette; Text Copyright (c) 2012 Cynthia Shenette)

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
Rt. Rev. Boleslaw A. Bojanowski
Died June 9, 1964
Age 88

I have several funeral cards for Father Boleslaw Bojanowski in my collection.  Father Bojanowski was the long-time pastor at St. Mary's Church (Our Lady of Czestochowa) in Worcester, Massachusetts.  He served in the parish from 1913 until his retirement in 1956.

Wedding Time! (Mystery Photo #11) - Mystery Monday

(Digital Image. Photography Privately Held By Cynthia Shenette; Text Copyright (c) 2012 Cynthia Shenette) Two years ago I started posting wedding photos from my "mystery collection" on my other blog, Heritage Zen. Here is one of the photos I posted there a while back.  My guess is this photo was taken sometime in the 1920s, judging by the style of clothing. Though I don't know for certain, it was probably taken in Worcester, MA and the wedding probably took place at St. Mary's Church (Our Lady of Czestochowa). The maid of honor next to the bride resembles my grandmother, Anna (Bulak) Szerejko, but I don't think it is her. There is a definite Bulak resemblance though. The bride and the other bridesmaid have similar features, so they could be Bulak (sometimes spelled Bullock) relations as well. If you recognize anyone in this photo let me know. I'd love to hear from you!

Pomp and Circumstance (Mystery Photo #10) - Mystery Monday

(Digital Image. Photograph Privately Held By Cynthia Shenette. Text Copyright (c) 2012 Cynthia Shenette) I bet his parents were proud of him, whoever they were.  I have no idea who this handsome young man is, but once again I suspect that both he and his parents were members of the Polish immigrant community of Worcester, MA.  There is no identifying information on the photograph.  The graduate looks so young my guess is the photo was taken to commemorate a high school graduation, but I'm not certain.  If it is a high school photo then he probably graduated from a high school in Worcester.

If you recognize this young man I'd love to hear from you...

A Family Portrait (Mystery Photo #7) - Mystery Monday

(Digital Image. Photograph Privately Held By Cynthia Shenette; Text Copyright (c) 2012 Cynthia Shenette)  Isn't this a lovely family portrait?  I wonder who these people are.   Once again, I suspect they are members of Worcester's Polish immigrant community.  Unfortunately there is no photo studio information or information of any kind written or stamped on the photo. Judging by the style of dress my guess is the photo was probably taken some time in the late 1910s.  I love the Mary Pickford style curls on the older girl and the hair bows on both girls.  It's kind of hard to tell because her face isn't showing, but I suspect the girl with the curls might be the oldest child.  The children look to be about two years apart in age, and the baby (who I think is a boy) looks to be about two.  Given the ages of the children, the man and woman were probably married around 1908, give or take a couple of years.

If you recognize any of the people in my photo I'd love to hear from you!

Easter Bonnet (Mystery Photo #6) - Mystery Monday

(Digital Image. Photograph Privately Held by Cynthia Shenette; Text Copyright (c) 2012 Cynthia Shenette) I don't know if this is an Easter bonnet or not, but it has plenty of frills upon it and is a fun photo to post for Easter week!  I love the woman's fancy hat, and given that she is holding a large bouquet of flowers it is probably a special occasion of some kind.  An engagement perhaps?  The photo is on a cardboard mount stamped with the following photographer information: Park Audia, 503 Main St. Worcester, Mass., H.W. Karlson Prop.

Welcome!

My Grandparents, Adolf Szerejko and Antonina (Bulak) Szerejko, February 11, 1920

(Digital Image. Photograph Privately Held by Cynthia Shenette; Text Copyright (c) 2012 Cynthia Shenette)

Welcome to my new family history blog, Faces of Worcester Polonia!

In 1990 my grandmother, Antonina "Anna" (Bulak) Szerejko, died and left a treasure trove of photos of people connected to Worcester's early twentieth-century Polish immigrant community. While I have posted a number of photos of my family on my genealogy blog, Heritage Zen, I've come to realize that I have many "mystery photographs" of people I believe may be family, friends, and acquaintances of my grandparents and great-grandparents.  I plan to post my mystery photograph collection here.  The majority of my photos date between 1900 and 1930.  If you are related or recognize anyone in any of my photographs I'd love to hear from you!