1930 to 1935-ish

Several of these photos are "back to school" pix of Elwood J. and Betty. 

Few have dates, so they might not be in chronological order. 

Alice's younger sister Helen

Front: 1930

Back: "El & Betty"

No date; clearly at Lake Nelson

Back: "El & his 1st girl"

No date

Back: "El & Joe--sad sacks"

(I thought at first it said "red socks." I assume "sad sacks" is not the dog's name.)

Back: "1st day of school Bets and El"

No date

(This photo and the three that follow definitely came from the same roll/camera.)

And now, with their coats

Back: "Betty & El"

Back: "Betty"

Back: "Betty and Elwood Smith 1932
Betty's First Day of School"
(This must be the following year. El is a few inches taller than Bets here.
In the back-to-school photos above, they were much closer in height.)

Back: "July 1933
Van Ness Ter."

Back: "July 1933"

Back: "July 1933"

Back (in Elwood J.'s childhood handwriting):
"Elwood James Smith
Lake Nelson
Age 7"
(Most likely summer of 1933)


Nothing on back or front, but Elwood and Betty look a little older here--
maybe it's from 1935 or 1936?

Back: "Grandma Smith"

No date; mid-1930s is my guess based on the dresses and hat

The Late 20s

Most of these are pictures of "Lil El," from infancy to big brotherhood--1926-1929.

Again, the handwritten notes are in Alice's handwriting, unless otherwise noted. 

None of the photos are dated.

(Elwood J. at 5 months)

No note on the back

Bottom right: "5M"

Back: "Elwood"

Back: "Elwood"

Back: "Auntie Kay & El"

(This is one of my favorite photos.)

Back: "Elwood"

 Back: "Elwood and Aunt Dot"

 Back: "Grandma Smith, Elwood"

 Back: "Elwood"

Back: "Elwood"

Front: "Lil El in a temper"

Back: "Grandpa's Ford, 1925; Lil El and Bobbie"

This photo is a reproduction. I don't have the original. 

Back, in Elwood J.'s handwriting: 

"Grandpa Bierbaum, Pop, Me 

76 Van Ness Ter., Maplewood, N.J."

 

Front: "Elwood"

 Back: "Elwood"

Back: "1 yr old Lil El—Listen!"

Back: "Lil El"

 Back: "Lil El"

Back: "Lil El"

 Back: "Anita and El"

(My guess is this was his 2nd birthday.)

Back: "El—my first horse"

(January, 1928)

Back: "Big help Shoveling snow"

Front: "2yrs 4mo"

Back: "My first sled

2 yrs old"

Front: "2 yr 4 mo"

 Back: "Hot stuff  Easter  2-1/2 yrs old"

Back: "My first Bike  El"

 Back: "El—left"

Back: "El & Betty"

Back: "Betty and El"

Before 1926

I thought the best way to present the loose photos would be by decade. Not all of these early ones are dated, but I think I'm correct in grouping them before 1926. Some are duplicates, and a couple I have posted before.

On the back: Elwood G. Smith

This is the oldest photo in the albums. 

The actual photo is no bigger than two postage stamps. 

 No note on the back, but date is clearly marked 1919.

On the back: Ann Fisher

Date: 1919

 On the back: Me and Ann Fisher

Front bottom: Hudson, 1920

On the back: Up the Hudson

Front: 1920

 No date or writing on the back

Bottom: Bob's Dot

 No writing on the back

Bottom right corner: Ma

 On the back: Raymond

No date

On the back: Raymond

No date, but about 10 years after the one above, I'd say

 On the back: Dot and Ruth

No date

 On the back: Joe and Dot (crossed out: El and Betty) at shore

No date

On the back: Lake Nelson

No date

 No notes on this one but it's obviously Lake Nelson.

 No note on this one. Ruth? Or Dot? 

Even after looking at dozens of photos them, 

I still can't tell the sisters apart. 

On the back: El

Front: 3-1/2 Mo

(That would be mid-January, 1926)

Today would have been Elwood J.'s 87th birthday. 

He was born on October 4, 1925. 

Happy Birthday, Daddy. We miss you every day.