Comments on: Watching Sparks Fly, El Monte, CA, 4th of July, 1953

By: ron

ron — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 06:41:07 +0000

I think nancy frazee used to play with sparklers in connersville indiana.At least we still do in woodstock georgia

By: Phil

Phil — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:59:50 +0000

Fourth of July 1969 (I was 6): Me, my dad and mom took my aunt and my cousin to the park to see the fireworks. They used to have them in the park. for free. We went ahead while my mom got the blankets to sit on from the station wagon and caught up with us. We enjoyed them. We headed for the car. About ten cars before we got to ours my dad started yelling, “God dammed stupid woman!” to my mom. She left the car keys in the trunk. My mom wondered why no one stole the car. My aunt, her sister, told her, “God takes care of tired mothers”.

By: Dana

Dana — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:26:47 +0000

As for the “mystery guest” – MAN – creeeeeeepy…..

At first I thought it was “Grandpa” from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

Then you realize – there are no legs or body…. so it must be a PRESERVED HEAD ….. presumably of a family matriarch that they trot out for holidays! And they dress it up for each holiday. At Christmas, they put a red hat and white beard on the head….

By: Nancy Frazee

Nancy Frazee — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:39:50 +0000

Looks like that was back when you could get sparklers legally in California, loved your comment about the face in the background!

By: Not Clark Kent

Not Clark Kent — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:31:29 +0000

I don’t have Xray vision – but I don’t see any legs or wheels behind the table under the skull.

I think it spooked Charles out. No mention this week of the rather dresst sandals of the ladies, what seems to be a rather nice white dress of the one on the right, what appears to be the good tea service (setting for at least five), and the fine finish on those picnic benches. Clearly this is a group who believes in celebrating the Fourth in style.

By: Carol R Clark

Carol R Clark — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:47:28 +0000

HAHA…that’s a no brainer…
The Statue of Liberty
What she is made of is the mystery!

I think they are using the Easter Gingham table cloth by mistake…the color is all wrong.

Love the photo :~)

By: Cindy

Cindy — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:16:49 +0000

Charles, this is too weird! Does anyone else think the woman in the black coat looks like Patricia Arquette? If that is granny’s head, then she must be a la “The Brain That Wouldn’t Die” because she has no legs under the table. That, or these people were very eccentric for their time. Either way, I’m loving this slide!

By: marta

marta — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:35:02 +0000

looks like a skull on a wighead, decorated for the 4th. sort of a X between halloween and independence day. something created by the young master for the family’s amusement?

By: Ashley Graves

Ashley Graves — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:14:54 +0000

My first thought was that the head was a Cheese Log (made in very bad taste) to look like a patriotic American celebrating with the family (far more desirable of course than a boring ol’ ball of cheese)…”Hey everybody! Let’s munch on that lady’s tasty looking head! Yay! Let’s get this party started!!! (hoots and hollers abound at this party maniac’s crazy-wacky announcement and everyone digs in (what a site to behold!)).

Mom probably thinks herself an artist, and in the 50s, what better way for a female to express her profoundly artistic mind than to create a masterpiece in the kitchen? I’ll bet she had visions of grandeur, as she carved and shaped, of her family and friends admiring her forevermore, bragging to their friends about her cheese lady creation that looked so utterly lifelike it actually fooled them (she thought as she shaped the cheese: “I’ll have to tell them, No. No. It’s not the neighbor…It’s cheese!”), and possibly presenting her unsurpassable gift to Better Homes and Gardens.

On another note, it may be a poorly preserved (mummified if you will) Grandma that they prop around the house (putting a new dress on her each day) and talk to because the woman was so special they just couldn’t bury her and move on…and why should they when they could bathe her in formaldehyde and keep her around for the kids to love on as they grow up? Every kid needs their granny!

No matter what it is, it absolutely screams “Happy Independence Day, America! Thank you to all the men that fought and died for this country’s freedom!” That’s mostly what I see when I gaze upon that head! (don’t you?)

By: Nudie Girl #2

Nudie Girl #2 — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:35:53 +0000

Soooooooooo creepy — I too shudder to think it is grandma in a wheelchair, but that seems the most logical explanation. One possibility could be a bust of Lincoln without his porkpie hat dressed up to look like grandma. . . still I think it is granny, I’m glad she could join in the fun. Yay! . . . sparklers! When I was a kid fireworks displays were rare, you had to make your own dangerous fun in the neighborhood.