Today would have been my parents’ 54th wedding anniversary. Because I only have about 10 minutes to write this, and because I’ve never posted this crazy photo of my mom and dad, I’m going to let the picture do most of the talking. I’m also going to refer back to the anniversary post I wrote two years ago today in which I proved that my parents were dead ringers for Lucy and Desi. They really were—take a look at the photos from that post if nothing else.
My mother wasn’t that much taller than my dad—it’s purely the hair that makes her look like an Amazon. She had the most beautiful red hair but I wouldn’t be surprised if this style was supplemented with the extra pieces we'd find pinned to styrofoam heads back in the day. Those ratty bits of hair always came in handy—they could be moustaches, beards, small rodents, or even snakes in our playtime. Or maybe this is all my mother’s hair and it’s just teased and sprayed within an inch of its life. If I had to speculate, I’d say that my mother is responsible for the destruction of at least 10 square feet of the ozone layer. I remember ingesting her hairspray fumes on a daily basis along with carloads of second-hand smoke. It’s a wonder I didn’t spontaneously combust.
Because of the hairstyle I want to place this photo in the early to mid-sixties but she looks pregnant so that would make it 1959. Is that possible? Maybe it’s just the style of the dress that makes her look pregnant. Do they still make clothes in that salmon color? Do women still wear brooches? What about my dad’s skinny tie? It looks like we're already into the Kennedy administration here.
I’ve written several times about the ugly end of my parents’ marriage. I’ve also mentioned how after the pain and recrimination faded over time they developed a close friendship that was important to both of them until the day my mother died. Just like Lucy and Desi.
Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad.
Danny, I think there's extra hair in there, unless she had inordinately thick hair. Sue looks a lot like your mom.
Posted by: Julie R. | August 02, 2007 at 05:24 PM
Danny, my parents would of been married 52 years and my moms hair looked exactly like your moms! It was defintiely the style back then!! Maybe they went to the same beauty shop, it's possible!
Posted by: Arlene (Silverman) Andresen | August 02, 2007 at 08:26 PM
Loved this post, Danny, especially the comment about your mother's contribution to the destruction of the ozone layer. I do have some photos of my mother from the late 1950's and early 60's, and I just love the clothes she's wearing on them.
My parents were married for 50 rather unhappy years, my father passed away just a few months after that anniversary. My mother remarried on her 81st birthday, she is now close to 86, and her husband just turned 94. Her second marriage is extremely happy.
Posted by: Elisabeth | August 03, 2007 at 06:46 AM
Your mom...what a TEASE!
I'm guessing she'd been to the beauty shop that day, having had her hair set in big rollers, with lots of pincurls and teasing assigned to that head of hair. I can't imagine that she slaved over that look herself...or maybe she did.
Posted by: Pearl | August 03, 2007 at 07:45 AM
I love that photo. My mom had all those weird hair pieces too. In the early seventies, she even had some weird frosted wig thing. Even back then, we teased her about how much she teased her hair.
Posted by: churlita | August 03, 2007 at 11:21 AM
I can see you in both of them.
Posted by: Neil | August 03, 2007 at 01:49 PM
Salmon's usually a good wedding party color, but for sure is still in for the sweater set crowd. And a good brooche? Wonderful, timeless (get your hands on the one she's wearing,NOW).
They both seem happy there, right? Thank G-d for pictures.
Posted by: therapydoc | August 03, 2007 at 04:11 PM
Your mother was very beautiful indeed! Salmon becomes her :-)
Posted by: Andrea | August 03, 2007 at 05:26 PM
Beautiful post and love all the pictures. Blessings to a beautiful family, in all of its iterations.
The picture is reminding of the new show Mad Men that I am obsessed with, but then, considering the meaning of the word obsession, why wouldn't it?
Posted by: Roberta | August 04, 2007 at 06:36 AM
yes, i ditto previous commenters -- salmon is still in (i am not sure it was ever not in). i don't see lucy-desi look-alikes. this team is more attractive. so nice that you have the picture, are sharing, and that the rest of us are enjoying. some chords have been struck.
Posted by: tamar | August 04, 2007 at 08:25 PM
your mum is so pretty and has such life and sparkle in her eyes- i can definitley see that your sister and her children favor her- i truly enjoy reading your posts- the archives of photographs take me back to my own childhood and remind me of the look and feel of that era
Posted by: diane | August 05, 2007 at 09:23 AM