In the fall of 2018, my wife’s Aunt Barbara came to live with us. Nice lady, over 90, never married, no kids. It was unbelievable, in every sense of the word. When we moved her into a memory care home in 2022, her old photo albums stayed with us. My wife scanned the best images and I grabbed everything with a cool car in the background. This turned into a “Where’s Waldo” moment that I wanted to share with my fellow CC-ers. So, slap on your saddle shoes, squeeze into that scratchy woolen bathing suit, and enjoy this car spotter’s guide to mid-century Americana.
After graduating from St. Mary’s Academy in 1945, Barbara got her first job at Pacific American Fisheries in Bellingham, Wash. At the time, PAF was the largest salmon cannery in the world, and Barbara made a lot of friends there. All the girls from invoicing got to ride in the parade car, a dealer-plated Dodge convertible, which may have also been pulling the float.
The PAF girls stepping out in downtown Bellingham, which was a pretty happening place after WWII. In the photo above, that toothy Buick seems to smile right along with Barbara and her friends.
In the late-forties and early-fifties, Barbara lived at home with her mother, brothers and sister near Western Washington College of Education (now Western Washington University). I found a shot featuring younger brother Pat, driving something dirty from the thirties.
Barbara’s youngest brother, Dermot, was my father-in-law. He was a classmate of my mom’s and joined the Marine Corps during the Korean War.
Barbara was “always a bridesmaid, never the bride.” Her photo albums were full of other people’s weddings. The newlywed owner of the sleek postwar Studebaker above must have been a friend from Yakima, Wash., which is east of Bellingham over the Cascade Mountains.
In the mid-fifties, Barbara worked at Bellingham Shipyards and got to know the boss, Arch Talbot. He also owned a radio station in Yakima, where he gave Barbara a job in advertising. Barbara bought the Chevy four-door (at top) while she was working for KIMA.
At some point, Barbara was at a wedding in Santa Barbara, Calif. She ended up liking it so much, she moved there. The Oldsmobile above looks like a convertible, with the sun-visor peaking over the windshield frame.
Barbara worked as a secretary at the historic Santa Barbara Courthouse, where my wife and I eventually got married some 60 years later.
In a strange turn of events, on a tip from a friend, Barbara moved from Santa Barbara to Chicago. She worked as a legal secretary and took night classes at Northwestern. She became president of Epsilon Eta Phi, the sorority for business administration and commerce. Barbara lived in Chicago for about twenty years, and never owned a car there. She either walked or rode the L.
The color photo above could well be from Barbara’s going away party. She would return to Santa Barbara in the 1990s and spend almost 30 years there. Barbara is now 96 years old and living in a care facility about an hour’s drive from our house. We see her about twice a month, and she will get a kick out of knowing her story is on CC.
Well, maybe not the swimsuit part.
Terrific photos, and a great tribute to your Aunt! Everyone looks so happy!
Thanks Daniel! I noticed that too.
Must’ve been something in the Kool-Aid (or the Holy Water).
Great collection of photos! I’ve often thought of doing something similar – selecting the car-related pictures from photo albums – but have never gotten around to doing it.
Of all these pictures, the one most out of place in a modern context is probably the Parade vehicle photo. Parades such as this one have largely vanished; even folks of my (middle-age) generation have a hard time remembering when parades where major events, and local companies would sponsor parade floats, etc. That picture is a great reminder of a bygone era.
And the picture of the Oldsmobile convertible parked at the Santa Barbara Courthouse definitely has a 1950s movie-star vibe to it.
Thanks for sharing these!
So true about parades. Port Orford (pop. 1195) takes the 4th of July very seriously, with four days of events (which culminated in fireworks that were mostly obliterated visually by a fig bank that rolled in on cue). This includes a parade, for which I had high expectations. What a let-down: it was just endless fire and emergency vehicles with their sirens wailing, with their crews throwing out buckets of candies to the kids on the sidelines (it was probably sponsored by the American Dental Assoc.). But no floats whatsoever! A couple of old tractors, and my friend’s ’42 Jeep, and a group of Morris dancers. And more and more firetrucks.
Thanks Eric!
That Neo-Spanish looking building to the right of the parade car was purpose built as a Packard dealership in 1926, and is now the Community Food Co-Op in Bellingham.
Along the same lines as forgotten parades, I’m including a shot that didn’t make it into the story: the Good Humor man down in Santa Barbara.
The Town of Danville, where my office is, has been having it’s Kiwanis Fourth of July parade since 1975. Some 30,000-40,000 people show up. I don’t know how they manage to get into town and find a place to sit. The parade route has lawn chairs popping up on July 3rd at 6:00pm.
I came for the cars but met a brave lady with a lovely smile and always well put together making her own way across 20th Century America. In another era, I think she wouldโve been the attorney rather than the legal secretary! Please tell her hello from a fan.
Why no shout out for the green โ55 Plymouth & โ51ish Mercury/Lincoln suicide door sedan? Thanks very much for sharing.
I could not have said it better than you, Michael. And you’re right, she did in fact get her J.D. law degree at age 55 in San Diego. Sorry now I left that part out of the story.
Thanks for doing my work for me on the Plymouth and Merc. They should not go unnoticed!
This is a sweet, sweet story, and it’s especially hard for me to focus on the cars rather than your Aunt’s fascinating storyโthe photos can be dated equally well from clothing/hair styles as from the vehicles themselves .
In and out of academia, I’m known several women with similar life-paths, and the whole tale today is especially charming. Give her our best wishes on your next visit!
Thanks for the kind words, George. Barbara was something of a mystery back in the day, even to her own family. But it all turned out fine. Here’s a shot of her from ’68, probably on Lake Michigan.
Nice .
My father retired to Bellingham, Wa. and yes, at one time it was a happening place .
-Nate
Some people call it the City of Subdued Excitement, but we know better…
Great period pics, I was born in 1951… Believe the car behind them in the second pic is a Nash…
I think you’re right about the Nash now that I look at it. The badge should have been the give-away. Glad we have some true car-spotters on CC.
Sorry, meant the third pic….
Dear Dead Swede, I am more fascinated with your history and pictorial history of Aunt Barbara. The autos are a fun addition to what appears to be a lovely lady who has led a good life. Did anyone catch the photo of Aunt Barbara in her saddle shoes? Thanks for brightening my day.
I do not know who this lady is, but she looks thrilled outside of the 1948 Buick Super convertible.
That is a beautiful car (and lady). My very first car was a 1950 Buick Super that sat in our driveway after my grandma passed away. I only got it going a couple of times and drove it once when my parents were out of town.
Thanks for sharing this, DS. Stephanie and I enjoyed this over breakfast. I found her moving to Santa Barbara and Chicago fascinating. Americans were once more mobile. Who can afford to move to SB anymore except the very wealthy?
Thanks Paul. Everyone was amazed when Barbara moved to SB the first time, but not surprised that she moved back after Chicago. Plus she always rented a tiny apartment in SB. Now prices are off the charts down there.
My parents moved from the Pacific Northwest to Hawaii just before I was born, and you couldn’t get more mobile than that back in 1960!
Bellingham is still a happening place if youโre a mountain biker. Or need to stock up on supplies before boarding the Alaska Ferry. Thanks for posting these great photos. When my aunt died about 15 years ago I inherited boxes of photos, but few with cars. I have posted one or two here.
Back in the day, before back problems and old age, I helped build some of the mountain bike trails on Galbraith. This was in the ’90s before everything exploded up there. Had some great times riding with the WHIMPs.
Great cars and great stories. I too had a couple of adventurous aunts who moved about quite a bit.
Say hi to Aunt Barbara for us.
Thanks Doug. Will say hi when we see her next week!
What a nice collection of photos. I’ll echo what others have said here about how your aunt seems like a cool lady who I’ll bet has some good stories that would shed light on doing things like moving to Chicago for 20 years. Unless she would just rather keep that her secret, which just may well be the case.
I’ll also comment on the clothes. Barbara and her friends were (are) quite stylish!
You’re right about there being some mystery here. My wife and I still ask ourselves why she spent 20 years in Chicago. My father-in-law Dermot used to joke that she was a spy (because she often dressed in black).
I did find out that she lived in Lincoln Park and got to see Mike Nichols and Elaine May perform as part of the original Second City in Chicago in the ’50s.
Enjoyed this immensely – a quick question/confirmation…
The 4-person photo from the early 50’s…was that taken in the Presidio in San Francisco? Sure looks familiar to me…
Thanks Chuck!
The shot of Barbara and Dermot and their friends could well be at the Presidio in San Francisco. Derm joined the Marine Corps after his high school graduation in 1952, and his basic training would have been down the west coast in California.
I guessed it might be near the old Western Washington College of Education (now WWU) but it could just as easily be the Presidio. Let’s go with San Francisco, it’s more dramatic.
Training would be down at Camp Pendelton just north of Oceanside which is north of San Diego. I took a look at the Presidio since there are some very white Officer houses along Lincoln Blvd. Thirteen to be exact as I counted long ago in the 90’s. However, the roof peaks are to the sides of the houses, instead of front, and there is no tall hill covered in forest growth behind them. Example below. These can now be rented at $7000/month.
Every time hit post instead of choose
Actually…I can tell you pretty much exactly where that shot was taken if you want to have a look…and, perhaps, add a bit more detail to the family history…
Google Maps: Search on ‘Lincoln Boulevard and Armistead Rd San Francisco, CA’.
I think you’ll see a familiar row of houses; bet they were headed to the southern view point for the Golden Gate…
Oops…those houses don’t have 2nd floor porches…they are the junior officer style.
That is, however, definitely Presidio-housing home construction – that Is for certain…
Hers was a lovely story in photos. Our parents’ photo album from the 1940s to 1990s has o bunch of cars and picturesque scenes. My mom also had a turquoise 55 plymouth she liked and I found a lookalike one a couple years back and now enjoy it for nostalgia.
That period of time
Elicits great thoughts..not just through Rose colored glasses”
But for there innocence. There is a profound sweetness to it all.
We can all take a collective sigh…
Thanks for sharing that. Love old photos of bygone eras.
When grandpa died and we were cleaning out the house I found shoe boxes of old pics from the late 20s thru the 80s. I looked thru some and left them at the house for my mom to look at. My dad said she didn’t even look. Just threw the boxes away! I couldn’t believe it. I will always regret not taking them when I found them. Glad I could enjoy yours.
Thanks for sharing pictures and stories of your amazing aunt. The picture of the 1948 Buick Super convertible brought back nostalgic memories of my parents. My Dad had a car just like this (same color too) that he bought new in Saginaw, Michigan. (I believe it was his favorite car that he ever owned.) My parents were married in October 1948, and drove that car from Michigan to California for their honeymoon, where they stayed until Spring, before returning to Michigan. Quite a trip and adventure in those days. Four years later, with the start of a family, they traded in that Buick on a new 1952 four door Dodge (tough to do, I’m sure, but a practical decision nonetheless). Thanks for the memories.
Very nice! Enjoyable photos with your Aunt, who sounds and looks like a very nice lady!! ๐
Really neat seeing pictures from those years with the cars. I wonder what year and model that Studebaker was in photo # 5??. ๐ DFO
The Studebaker is a 41 – most likely a Commander, because the front end doesn’t look long enough for the straight-8 President. The next shot also contains a Stude Commander, a 47-49 model. Both were relatively rare as the smaller/less expensive Champion far outsold the more senior models.
I enjoyed these shots of Aunt Barbara and the cars in her life. Wow, but Barbara bears a resemblance to shots of my mother when she was young.
I can understand moving to California, but moving from California to Chicago is a mystery. The move back is understandable.
I never had a single aunt, but my best friend had one who was a great friend to her nieces and nephews. My kids had one too and spent a lot of time on adventures with her.