Remembering Golden Years

As the more recent chapters of a family’s history unfold themselves, the widespread use of photography enables us as researchers to catch ample glimpses of the everyday lives of these former generations. No longer must we surmise daily routines from stiff formal portraits, carefully composed.

For today and the next few posts, I’ll share the last of the photographs from this series from the collection of Bill Bean’s photographs. While I’ve sifted through that box of pictures dozens of times, no new clues are finding their way to my attention. It is now simply time to close out this chapter and move on to another family’s story. What’s left behind in that photograph box is left.

Most of today’s grouping of photos are matched, based once again on style of borders of the prints. These pictures are tiny: measuring two and three quarter inches square.

Today’s group features Bill Bean in his older years—most likely an active retirement, though I can’t say he ever really laid down all his business projects entirely. His ever-faithful companion, a brown-and-white hunting dog, is featured with him in two of today’s shots. How I wish I knew that dog’s name. Judging by the many pictures in which the dog is featured, he was a beloved pet.

I’m not sure where these photographs were taken. All outdoors, they provide a peek into the life—and even personality—of the man.

Some of the photographs in Bill’s collection still have me wondering—like this one of him standing alone—or is that some sort of critter perched on his shoulder? The picture, small and blurry, makes it hard to see. Up close, though, there seems to be a spray of feathers or something similar by his arm. Or could that just be an illusion, a strange juxtaposition of something from the background?

Then there are other pictures where I can clearly tell that yes, these are not fish…

Whether on land or in the water, in the mountains or in the desert, Bill seemed to live a full life. In his later years, free to enjoy more of the blessings of his material success, he evidently was able to share some of those good times with the next generations—whoever those young people might have been—even though he and Ellen had no children of their own.