18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today: 

Friday, August 29, 1913:  Five of my pictures are finished. They are most too pale to be good but better than what I expected.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Yeah! Grandma got some more pictures finished. She got the camera earlier in the summer, took a roll of pictures, and was now developing them.

Grandma began developing the pictures on August 26 when she and her sister Ruth made a negative. On the 27^th she printed three of them, and made another negative. . . now she had five finished.

I’m sure that Grandma was having lots of fun using “modern technology,” but by today’s standards it sure seems like a long drawn-out process.

Why were the pictures too pale?  . . Were they overexposed?

Here’s what a 1910 book said about how to get the correct exposure:

We cannot impress upon you the all-importance of exposing for the shadow or dense portions. For general all-round out-of-door work, in the open, street scenes, etc., with very good light between 10:30 A.M. and 2 P.M. from 1/100 to 1/200 second at F. 8. Reasonably earlier or later in the day than the time specified, full aperture, F. 6.3, 1/50 to 1/100 second. As a general rule, 1/100 second is sufficient speed, but there are occasions when it is necessary to give 1/150 to 1/200 seconds, but these highest speeds should only be given when required.

On gray or clouded days or during November, December and January, when the actinic quality of the light is at its weakest, then invariably use full open lens (F. 6.3) and from 1/25 to 1/100 sec. exposure . . .

The telephoto attachment is neither difficult to use or to compute the correct exposure.  To make an exposure with the telephoto we first calculate or rather determine the correct exposure for the subject at hand, with the positive lens along at a given stop, and then simply multiply that exposure by the magnification which we desire, using the same stop in the positive lens. . .

Practical Suggestions Regarding the Selection and Use of a Photographic Equipment by by Austin K. Hanks

(I’m a “point and shoot” photographer. . .and am clueless what half of the recommendations in the book mean. )

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today: 

Thursday, August 28, 1913: Nothing doing.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Since Grandma didn’t write much a hundred years ago today, I’m going to share a 1913 poem that resonated with me. I noticed it in the August, 1913 issue of Farm Journal when I was working on yesterday’s post.

Homely Wrinkles

Don’t neglect the old folks,

Love them more and more,

As they turn their weary eyes

Toward the other shore;

Let your words be tender,

Loving, soft and low;

Let their last days be the best

They have ever known.

This poem made me wonder about Grandma’s relationship with her elderly grandparents. Her maternal grandparents, John and Sarah Derr, lived in Turbotville which was about 5 miles from the Muffly farm. Her grandfather (John Derr) was 90 years old and her grandmother (Sarah Derr) was 79. Were they healthy? . . . ill? . . .fun to be around? . . . crochety? . . .

I may have forgotten, but I can’t remember her grandparents ever being specifically mentioned in the diary —though there were a few general references to events that they may have attended. For example, on January 19, 1913 Grandma wrote:

A bright and beautiful dawn welcomed the approach of day. Ruth and I walked to Turbotville this morning to attend a family reunion. All of ‘em weren’t there. Had quite a pleasant time, but it would have been nicer if some more of the cousins had been there. We had our pictures taken out on the lawn. . . .

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today: 

Wednesday, August 27, 1913:  I believe the pictures will be a success after all. Printed three this afternoon and we made another negative.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

This photo was in the August, 1913 issue of Farm Journal. The caption says: “An Outing—Having a Merry Time.”

The slightly fuzzy posed photo probably was sent in by a reader because it was on a page of reader tips, letters, and poems.

Grandma took pictures at the Sunday School picnic earlier in August. Did she gather her friends together for a similar photo?

—-

Whew, taking and developing pictures sure was a long-drawn out process a hundred years ago.

Grandma got a camera earlier in the summer— and she was now developing her first roll of film. The previous day she and her sister Ruth made some negatives, and now she was printing them. . . .though it sounds like the process was so time-consuming that the task was not yet completed.

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today: 

Monday, August 25, 1913:  Nothing much doing.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Since Grandma didn’t write much a hundred years ago today, I decided to share this illustrated version of Jack and Jill that appeared in the August, 1913 issue of Good Housekeeping.

Today most middle class family have oodles of picture books, and can easily access lots more at a nearby library (and kids with tech savvy parents may be reading electronic versions of books rather than hard copies—but I’m not going there).

A hundred years ago, children’s books were relatively expensive, kids often had few books, and many people did not have access to libraries.

Women’s magazines back then often had features aimed at children like this one. Many parents probably saved them so that their children could read it again and again.

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today: 

 Sunday, August 24, 1913:  Went to Sunday School this morning. This afternoon I walked out to Margaret’s. We had a dandy time together and spent it to advantage.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Some mysteries periodically recur throughout the diary. This is one of those times. Grandma only mentioned a couple friends in the diary—yet two of those few friends were named Margaret, so I’m not sure who this entry refers to.

Both Margaret G. (I’m not sure of the last name) and Margaret Bryson are mentioned.

Grandma lived about a mile and a half west of McEwensville. Margaret Bryson lived about two miles north of town (near the Warrior Run Church), so it would have taken close to an hour to walk to her home.

For more on Margaret Bryson see this previous post:

Blanche and Margaret Bryson