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August 1941. "Front porch. Elgin, Illinois." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
This appears to be the same porch and not much has changed!
That is a very well-maintained home.
It's August in Elgin, and I see clips but no screens on those windows.
The craftsmanship of the windows, the perfectly spaced balusters, the well made and attractive handrail, the tongue and grove wood for the porch floor and the column built with individual curved pieces of wood to form the perfect taper. And then at the bottom edge of the photo we see the perfectly spaced trim to cover the crawl space under the porch. "Craftsmen" of today have difficult time in drilling well spaced holes to make a crude baluster row and would never even think that the handrail needs to be smooth and have some architectural beauty to it.
A few years ago, I wouldn’t have known why some older folks take off their glasses and put the book or newspaper right up close to their eyes to read. Now I know.
A few years ago, I wouldn't have why she needed that magnifying glass to read a newspaper. Now I know.
This lady, surely reading news portending the U.S. entry into WWII, was no doubt born before the Civil War. She must have taken considerable pride in the fact that she and America had grown up together.
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