Friday, January 11, 2013

Take a Look at This Picture


Sammie Bean Sam Bean Maud Bean graduate of Berkeley School for the Deaf
Some people have a knack of looking at a photograph, observing every mundane artifact, and gleaning deep meaning from seemingly inconsequential detail.

I am not one of those people.

There is one portrait, though, of which I’ve been privileged to become the guardian, where I can point out some telltale clues.

That portrait is one of the few pictures I have of Earle Bean’s parents, Samuel and Maud Woodworth Bean of Alameda, California.

I’ve mentioned before that Earle and his older brother Sam were born to this couple in the 1920s—I’ve shown you one (admittedly faded) photograph of the boys with their parents, their aunt and paternal grandmother on the front step of their home.

What I haven’t told you yet is the back story of this unusual couple.

Taking a look at this portrait of the young couple will help reveal some of the details of the challenges confronting each of them.

What you may notice in the portrait is the endearing gesture of Maud holding hands with her husband. You may also notice—though the copy of the portrait is unsatisfactorily blurred—that Sam is looking off to the side, rather than directing his gaze to the camera.

There is a reason for these details.

You see, Maud is not merely being sentimental in arranging her portrait seating alongside her husband. Nor is she risking censure (for that time period) by overly expressing fondness in public.

Maud is most likely “talking” with Sam, much the same as Anne Sullivan used to communicate with her student, Helen Keller.

Sam Bean is both blind and deaf.

Maud, herself, is rather empathetic to this condition. You may note she, herself, dons a thick pair of glasses. Those spectacles may be the only device keeping her from being legally blind, herself.

While I have not researched this for myself, it is my understanding through family oral tradition that Sam met Maud while both were students at the California School for the Deaf and Blind in Berkeley.

Sam was not born with that condition. The story behind the detour in the path of his life is long enough to take a few additional posts here at A Family Tapestry. By the time of this photo, though, he was quite familiar with this new role in life. We’ll go into the reasons why during the next few days.

Recreating this photograph to share here was a challenge in itself. The portrait is well sealed within the frame, and I hesitate to tamper with its construction. Scanning it with a Flip Pal or other such device would be difficult owing to the curved glass covering the front of the frame. Catching a reflection of a flash if a digital camera were used presents similar limiting factors.

On a hunch, and game to experiment, my husband took the frame and set it in his office scanner, which can accommodate prints up to eleven by seventeen inches in size, and gave it a try there. The result, while not flawless, does render a clearer representation of their faces. Perhaps, in that legendary “Round Tuit” day in my future, I can go back and scan the package in reverse order, getting the glare to obliterate the opposite end of the portrait, then take the twin copies and play around with PhotoShop until I am satisfied with the results.

In the meantime, if you would let this little glimpse into the world of Sam and Maud Bean suffice you, I would be most obliged. For, you see, I have little else with which to introduce you into their very different, dark and silent world.

18 comments:

  1. Fantastic article Jacqui! What amazing photo.

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    1. Thanks, Chris. I appreciate your visit and comment.

      That photo has indeed always been special to me. The original itself is somewhat blurred, too. I wish I had the means to sharpen up the details...

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  2. I don't think anyone would notice deafness and blindness in the photo if they weren't told - and even then its not obvious. What is obvious is the great affection she has for him - the love she has outshines the glare from the scanner.

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    1. What a sweet way to put it, Iggy. There is quite a bit in Maud's expression. Though it is a sweet vignette, unfortunately, there is more sadness to come. There is a lot more I'd like to know about Maud's life...

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  3. Beautiful photo and I love the back story behind it. What a wonderful relationship they must have had.

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    1. It is definitely a sweet story, Debi. Thankfully, even though I no longer have family who can tell me more of the stories, fortunately, there are some newspaper articles from which I can glean more details. Sam was evidently a remarkable man.

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  4. What a treasure! You got a really good scan..despite the glass. You might try to drape a towel over the frame while scanning..it may or may not help:)

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    1. Actually, Far Side, the draping idea would probably assist in reducing the glare. The scan shown above was obtained using heavy weight paper for a shield. We will try doing that again with a towel and see if it produces better results.

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  5. Such a warm story. The picture expresses such tenderness.

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    1. Isn't it amazing, Kathryn, how that expression shines through all the glare and even the fuzziness of the original?

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  6. I could tell before you got to it that Sam must have been blind!! Yay for me! :)
    Great article, I would love to hear more of their story.

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    1. Ah, Deborah, you are one of those people who can really spot all the details in a photo. I envy you!

      Although I have some personal schedule issues confronting me in the next few days, I hope to be able to tell more of the family's story in the upcoming week. There is a lot to tell, and it will need to unfold slowly.

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  7. Hi Jacqi, my name is Sharn White and I enjoy your blog posts so much that I have nominated you for the Blog of the Year 2012 Award. You will find my post regarding this award which you can display on your sidebar at http://familyconvictions.blogspot.com.au

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    1. Sharn, thank you for stopping by and reading the posts here. Your nomination is so encouraging!

      Since finding your own blog recently, I've enjoyed your posts, too. I'll stop by soon and follow up on your link. I appreciate the mention!

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  8. What a remarkable photo, and even more remarkable story. I've got goosebumps.

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    1. Oh, wow! Thank you so much for stopping by to read and to chat!

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  9. What a tender portrait, Jacqi. It's quite a treasure. Thanks so much for sharing it.

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    1. Thank you so much, Linda. I do want to learn so much more about them!

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