My grandmother Wright's Photo album

 I scanned a bunch of photos from my grandmother's photo album and am planning to post them.  I am not sure of all the people in each one so I'll be asking for help.  Here is the first one.

Estella Smith and Henry Bradbury Wedding, left-Florence Edna Smith, Estella L. Smith, Henry Bradbury, June 1st, 1918

Mom's Marzipan Candies

My Mom use to make Marzipan every year and she taught many others how to do it.  In amongst her papers I found her recipe.

MARZIPAN CANDIES

Dough: 

• 1 lb. almond paste (or macaroon paste) cut into small pieces
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 1/4 cup marshmallow fluff or cream (1 jar)
• 1 tp vanilla
• 6 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

Mix all but confectioner's sugar together until smooth.  Then add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until dough is consistency of modeling clay.  Turn onto table top and knead until smooth.  Divide and color portions with food coloring, using a little extra confectioner's sugar if needed.  Makes 2 1/2 to 3 lbs.

Glaze:

• 1/4 cup corn syrup (light) blended with 1 tbsp. hot water

Let fruit stand for 2 or 3 hours to form a crust.  Then tint with diluted coloring using a water color brush ant fruit that needs further coloring. Let painting fruit stand at least 3 hours and then glaze, again using water color brush. Glaze anything that does not have a finish, like peaches, potatoes, strawberries, etc.

Colors and Quantities:

• Light yellow (delicious apples, peaches, pears): a lot
• Bright yellow (lemons, bananas): little
• White (mushrooms, white radishes, potatoes): medium
• Light green ( peas in pod, cucumbers, mushroom): medium
• Yellow green (green apples, grapes, pears): medium
• Orange (oranges, pumpkins, carrots): medium
• Deep red (cherries, strawberries, red apples, red radishes): a lot
• Violet (plums, beets, grapes): little
• Tomato color(add yellow to red paste): little
• Acorn color (combination of orange and light green): little

Table of Fruits and Vegetables

1.  Apples-yellow, green or red. Form ball, put clove in lower end and apple leaf in top.  Tint with red where needed.  Delicious have depression in bottom along with clove.
2. Cucumbers-light green paste. Paint on dark green stripes.
3. Acorns-shape, then dip large end in chocolate shot (cake decoration). Use stem end of clove for acorn stem.
4. Peas in pod-flatten an elongated ball of light green paste, please 3 or 4 or 5 small balls in line in the middle and fold up sides.
5. Peaches-light yellow paste. Use skewer or toothpick to make depression. Tint this part red-spreading color with finger to make pinkish.  Dip in pink tinted confectioner's sugar for fuzz.  Clove end and peach leaf.
6. Lemons-bright yellow paste. Make elongated ball, roll on grater for depressions.  Put clove in one end. 
7. Potatoes-white paste. Shape, irregularly, dip in cocoa, shake off loose cocoa and finally make "eyes" with a skewer.
8. Bananas-yellow paste. Tint one end and stripe with water diluted with a bit of cocoa.  Tint the other with a bit of green.
9. Carrots-orange paste. Make crosswise depressions with skewer. Pleat carrot leaf and push into top.
10. Orange-orange paste. Make a ball. Put clove in end, the roll on grater for depressions.
11. Pumpkins-orange paste, and light green paste for stem. Make depressions from top center out and down part way on side.
12. Tomatoes-Tomato paste, strawberry leaf.  Make depressions as for the pumpkin from center to sides.
13. Cherries-red paste, use pear leaf and carefully bend the stem into a "V". Make two red balls, stick one end of v-shaped stem in each. The leaf is then above and between both balls.  And, the unit should end up being the same size as a single fruit.
14. Radishes-Use red paste and if desired work a tiny bit of white into one end for the tip. Make a ball and then pull out the tiny tip shape.  Pleated carrot leaf on top.
15. White Radishes-Use white paste and treat as carrots.
16. Strawberries-Red paste. After shaped, roll in red tinted granulated sugar. add leaf.
17. Grapes-Form flat base. lace small balls on top, shaping into grape bunch. Insert carrot leaf (unpleated) in top so one half is above the grape bunch.  insert carrot leaf (unpleated) in top so one half is above the grapes and covers part of the bunch and the other is under the base.  Use either yellow, green or violet paste.
18. Mushrooms-White paste and acorn paste. Form base and caps separately.  Caps can be dipped into cocoa instead of using acorn paste. 
19. Beets-Violet paste. Carrot leaf pleated. Shape like radishes.
20. Plums-Violet paste. Make a ball then make a depressions like a peach, with skewer.
21. Pears-Light yellow or yellow green paste. Tint side lightly with red. Clove and pear leaf.

Finding the different plastic leaves may be a bit of a research project. I googled Marzipan fruit leaves which gave me a few options.

Please let me know if you try this out.

Wedding of George Wright and Hope Gilson

 I've received documents and photos from my Uncle George and Aunt Hope.  Over time I'll covert and post them here.  This is the first batch, which I believe are photos from their wedding on August 26, 1966 in Greenfield, MA.  Some of these may be duplicates and I noticed another batch I need to scan so look for more in the future.  

George Wright and Hope Gilson, August 26, 1966

George Wright and Hope Gilson, August 26, 1966

George Wright and Hope Gilson, August 26, 1966

From left to right: Robert Putnam, Caroline Wright Putnam, George Wright and Hope Gilson, August 26, 1966

From left to right: Unknown, Robert Putnam, Caroline Wright Putnam, George Wright and Hope Gilson, August 26, 1966

David Sanders Wright and Henry Lewis Gilson, August 26th, 1966

David Sanders Wright, Henry Lewis Gilson and Willoa Sidelle Pierce, August 26th, 1966

Mystery Monday: An unidentified Wright cousin

In amounts my Mom's stuff I found this photo of one of the Wright cousins.  Can anyone help me identify who this is?

 

Mystery Monday: A random postcard

 In amongst the Edwards Church Mother's Group membership cards I found a random postcard.  I am not sure if it is even related to our family but here it is.  I'm not even sure it was ever sent.  The back is dated April 6, 1908 and reads: Birthday Greetings From Your Friend, Myrtle Riley.  It is addressed to Miss Maude Murray, McConnelsville, R.D. #2, Ohio.

Front of Postcard

Back of Postcard

Final Card of the Edwards Church Mothers Group: Mrs. Calvin Coolidge

 

Mrs. Calvin Coolidge Membership Card

I left this to the last card.  It is the membership card for the former First Lady, Grace Coolidge.   My Grandparents and my mother knew her and her husband.  

As I said, this is the last card I have.  I suspect there are some missing, as I haven't come across my Grandmother's card.  I'll keep an eye on the rest of the documents I need to go through.  I'll be spending some time checking my work and will give a summary of the dataset when done.  To see all I have transcribed go here.

Mrs. G. Calvin Coolidge	Washington Ave. Hampton Ter. 21 Massasoit St.
Date	Year	Amt
	1933-34	0.50
	1933-36	1.00

A Late Photo Friday: A daguerrotype of My Great Grandmother and her sister

 

Dagurrotype of Lucy Amy and Jane Caroline Reed, abt 1854, Northampton, MA

One of the images passed down to me from my mother was a daguerrotype of two young children.  It was taken in Northhampton, MA by J.D. Wells.  I found an 1851 advertisement for him.

J. D.W'ELLS, DAGUERREIAN ARTIST, No. 6 Kirkland's Block, Main. Street Northampton, Mass. Likenesses taken by a sky-light connected with a beautiful side-light. Pictures put up in alls tyles of the Art. Plates, Cases, Lockets, Frames, and all kinds of Dagurreotype Stock for sale.

I estimate this was taken around 1853 to 1854 and the subjects are my Great-grand Aunt Lucy Amy Reed and my Great Grandmother Jane Caroline Reed.  I estimate they were abourt6 and 8 at the time.  

Here are some more pictures of Jane Caroline Reed to compare with.

Possibly Jane Caroline Reed or Lucy Amy Reed

Jane Caroline Reed and David Sanders Wright, 1888

Jane Caroline Reed and David Sanders Wright, 1888