Publisher's Synopsis
This coffee table book is a compilation of original photographs from a once discarded family album which was the proud possession of an American family living in the vicinity of the Texas - Oklahoma panhandle from 1921 to 1930 and a little beyond. It was purchased by the author in the 1960s at which time it was known to be an invaluable record of an American family's experiences during those years known as the "Roaring Twenties". It sat in storage until the present day to be presented as a published book. A number of the photos contained notations on the reverse, providing documentation for time and locations where the photos were processed. Such provided the author with the information he needed to pin down the time span and the locations involved. In addition, an assortment of miscellaneous printed paper, including postcards and related business records, came with the album to further help piece the story together. This is no ordinary album. It contains marvelous photos of the classic automobiles of the time. It documents the family's travels from Niagara Falls and Washington D. C., to the California coast. They passed through the campus of Notre Dame University at the time it was being visited by the Goodyear Blimp and at the time the Notre Dame Football stadium was under construction. The father was a fully involved Kiwanis member - an event of which appears in the album. At home, they swam in the local lakes and reservoirs and spread out their picnic blankets on the lake shores, filmed their cars amidst the cotton fields. The father was the "Great Hunter and Fisherman." He traveled near and far to seek his prey and bountiful catches, leaving us marvelous photos of their safari camps and trophies. The photos include a menacing mountain lion, numerous trophy deer, armadillo, huge catches of fish, and dozens of wild fowl.This was a family that pursued life to the fullest. The focus of their attention was obviously the baby shown naked on the blanket. His name is noted as James R. Wallace, but nothing is written about others in the photos. By playing with numbers, the author was able to ascertain that his date of birth was most likely December 21, 1921. The fate of the family after this album is not known. For that reason, the basic format throughout will be "What must have been their thoughts and feelings - we can only guess."
