Raymond Pierce all dressed up

Raymond Lamont Pierce (1923-1981) is on the right in this poor quality photo. The name of the boy on the left is not known. There is also a girl, barely visible, sitting in a chair on the porch.

Note the differences in the way Raymond and the other boy are dressed. Raymond is wearing a tie, although it is difficult to see. The other boy seems to be wearing just a T-shirt. Raymond appears ready for church or some other event, while the other boy looks ready for play.

Joining the World War II workers flooding into Mobile

Ella Lee Carley joined the workers flooding into Mobile from the rural areas of Mississippi and Alabama during World War II. The demand for workers at the city's shipyards and Brookley Army Air Corps Base was so great that the city's population doubled almost overnight.

Ella Lee, as she was always called, moved from Electric Mills, Mississippi, and counted herself lucky because she had friends in Mobile who gave her a place to live. Housing was very scarce. So scarce  in fact that many places rented beds for 8-hour shifts.

Ella Lee met, and later married, Raymond Lamont Pierce (1923-1981) when the two of them were working at Gulf Shipbuilding Corp. in Chickasaw, Alabama, during World War II. The above photo is of Ella Lee's worker identification badge.

Photos for a modeling career

For a time Velma Moree Pierce (1913-1993) tried her hand at modeling and the above photo appears to have been from that time. This photo was probably taken when Velma lived in Chicago in the late 1930s or early 1940s.

Written in the lower right corner of the photo is the photographer's name and location, “Maurice, Chicago.” This name offers a bit of a mystery. The photo is in the style of the well-known Maurice Seymour, billed in Hollywood's golden age as “the photographer to the celebrities.”

According to ChicagoMag.com, “Maurice Seymour was actually two brothers: Maurice (1900-93) and Seymour (1902-95) Zeldman. Born in Russia, the pair came to Chicago in 1920, and nine years later opened their own studio, Maurice Seymour, atop the St. Clair Hotel. Bestowing a dramatically highlighted glamour on the city, they photographed film, theater, and radio stars, judges and politicians, and the international luminaries of ballet, beginning, in 1934, with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. When Seymour Zeldman moved to New York in the 1950s, both men legally changed their names to Maurice Seymour and continued to photograph into the 1970s.”

The only problem with attributing the photo to Maurice Seymour is that the signature in the corner doesn't match any of the other Maurice Seymour signatures among the images found on the Web. The photo of Velma also doesn't have the studio's customary stamp on the back. So this photo may be from a different studio than that of Maurice Seymour.

In the left photo Velma is the second woman from the left in the above photo. The other women are not identified.

This photo was probably taken when Velma lived in Chicago. It is obviously staged and was probably intended to publicize some event. The barely visible sign on the wall behind the woman on the right says something about "fashion." This may have been during the time Velma modeled.

The women's hats really make the photo interesting. Generally, wearing hats went out of fashion after World War II, so this photo may have been taken some time during the 1940s.

Julia Moody Pierce

This photo of Julia Moody Pierce isn't dated, but the hairstyle suggests that it may have been taken in the mid-1920s.

Even farm wives in little ol' Wilmer, Alabama, kept up with current women's fashions. This no doubt was the result of reading magazines and newspapers and of watching movies. So from just a hairstyle we can infer a great deal about the lives of the Pierce family.

But the hairstyle does raise questions such as: Did Julia go to a beauty parlor to get her hair done? Did she do it herself at home? Or perhaps, did a neighbor woman fix her hair?

School photos: Carl and Bea

George Carl Pierce (1916-1989) always called Carl, and Beatrice Valara Pierce (1921-1993), always called Bea, pose for their 1930 Wilmer School photos.

Note Bea's eyeglasses. She had poor vision at an early age. But the glasses also show that her parents cared about her vision and took her for an eye exam. Both the glasses and the hairstyle appear fashionable.

The Pierce children may have been the offspring of a hard-working Wilmer farmer, but they weren't ragamuffins, even in the years of the Great Depression.

Pierce Creek Cemetery

A number of Pierce kin found their final resting place at Pierce Creek Cemetery. This is another in the series of cemetery photos by my good friend Larry Bell.

Pierce Creek Cemetery is located on Old Shell Road near the end of the Mobile Municipal Airport runways. The webpage with the photos also contains a map to the location.

Flying for business after World War II

Joseph Gibson (1900-1966), husband of Ina Mae Pierce (1903-1977), pauses on the boarding stairway of an American Overseas Airlines plane to allow his photo to be taken.

This is a publicity photo by the airline. On the back is stamped "American Overseas Airlines, Public Relations Department, Press Room, LaGuardia Field."

Gibson was one of the first American businessmen to fly to Europe after World War II, thus the reason for the publicity photo. He was a partner in Sweet's Foundry in Johnson City, New York. In a top-secret project, the foundry made casings for the atomic bomb during World War II.

1920s: Hazel Pierce

This photo of Hazel Lee Pierce (1905-1985) was taken in Cleveland, Ohio. Judging by the type of cars and Hazel's clothing, this photo was taken sometime in the 1920s.

Hazel's clothing shows that even the daughter of an Alabama farmer could keep up with the fashions of the times. Note the riverboat (or perhaps more correctly, a lakeboat) in the background. Perhaps Hazel was preparing to go on a riverboat trip.

Bonie Pierce: Painter and Carpenter

N.B. "Bonie" always kept busy working, looking for ways to make money to support his wife and nine children. And like most farmers, Bonie learned many skills besides just those needed to grow crops.

One-time neighbor Mallory Brannan recalled that “Mr. Bonie was a hard worker. He was a painter and jackleg carpenter. He went to Mobile to paint houses and do carpentry.” He did these sideline jobs especially during the winter months.

For a time Bonie worked as a painter for the Mobile County Public School System. In the above photo, Bonie is the man standing with his hands on his hips. He is surrounded by other painters for the school system, perhaps some of them are from Wilmer, too.

Photo courtesy of Lucille Pierce Hogancamp.

Raymond Pierce: Early 1930s

Raymond Lamont Pierce (1923-1981) and his brother-in-law, Don Vickers, pose for this photo probably taken in the early 1930s.

Note how neatly dressed Raymond is. Hat, coat, shorts, and shoes are all coordinated. Clearly his parents, N.B. "Bonie" Pierce and Julia L. Moody, cared about how their children dressed.

Don Vickers was the husband of Hazel Lee Pierce (1905-1985). Hazel was the daughter of Bonie and Julia. Don and Hazel owned a farm in Faunsdale, Alabama.

Graduation: Velma M. Pierce

Velma Moree Pierce (1913-1993) appears in a graduation robe above. Her dress can be seen peeking out from the bottom of the robe. The picture below shows her in the dress.

These are no doubt photos of Velma's high school graduation. But the photos do not appear to be taken in Wilmer, Alabama. For a time, Velma lived with her sister Ina Mae and Ina Mae's husband Joe Gibson in Indiana. So it is possible that she completed high school after moving to the North.

Beatrice Pierce, Laverne Brannan

These two photos are same. I liked the way they appeared together on the photo strip, so I kept them together rather than cutting them apart.

Beatrice Valara Pierce (1921-1993), left, walks with friend and neighbor Laverne Brannan. This photo was probably taken at Royal and Dauphin streets in downtown Mobile. This street corner at the Van Antwerp Building seems to have been a popular place to have your photo made.

Bea at the Filtration Plant: 1944

Beatrice V. Pierce (r.) poses in front of the newly constructed E.M. Stickney Filtration Plant, which was built next to her parents' property in 1944.

The young woman on the left and the baby in front of the doors are not identified.

E.M. Stickney Filtration Plant: 1944

Before World War II, Mobile didn't treat its water, other than minor chlorination. The city didn't have the money to build a treatment plant.

During the early part of the war, the U.S. government, decided that properly treated water would help the war effort. So at a cost of $1.3 million, the federal government built a filtration plant on Moffett Road. This was on land adjacent and just to the east of N.B. "Bonie" Pierce's property. The roofline seen through the pecan trees on the left is that of the Pierce home and business.

The plant went into operation in 1944. After the war, the federal government turned the plant over to the city of Mobile for a small fraction of the original cost.

The above photo appears to have been taken as construction of the plant was nearing completion.

Julia and Raymond in Akron, Ohio

Julia Moody Pierce and her son Raymond Lamont Pierce (1923-1981) pose for this photo in Akron, Ohio.

They were probably visiting Julia's son Cecil Alvey Pierce (1907-1975) and his wife Anna Catherine Edwards (1909-2008). The date of the photo isn't known, but there are two clues as to when it may have been taken.

One clue is the possible age of Raymond. He doesn't appear older than about 10. So the date may be 1933 or before. The other clue is that Cecil and Anna were married in November 1929. So the trip to Akron may have occurred after then. Of course the trip may have occurred before the marriage.

At any rate this photo was taken about the start of the Great Depression in 1929. The Depression struck farmers earlier in the 1920s. Yet the Pierce family, Wilmer, Ala., farmers, clearly had the means and the time to travel.

On the Beach: Hazel, Julia, Velma, 1940s

Julia Lavinia Moody (1886-1965) Pierce, center, and two of her daughters, Hazel Lee Pierce (1905-1985), left, and Velma Moree Pierce (1913-1993) dip their toes in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Velma's husband, Charles Egbert Barnhart (1913-2004), probably snapped this photo in the 1940s. But it could have been taken in the early 1950s as well.

The Travel Trailer: Cecil and Anna Pierce

In this post are a series of photographs about the travel trailer owned by Anna Catherine Edwards (1909-2007) and her husband Cecil Alvy Pierce (1907-1975).

The photo of Anna comes from the collection of Lisa Pierce Tilley, granddaughter of Anna and Cecil.

The location and date of the photo are not known, but Anna poses beside the travel trailer. The date of license tag on the car in the background can't be seen. But in another photo of the same car (not posted here), the car bears a license plate with a 1941 date. That tag is a different color than the one above, so it was probably from a different year, though more than likely from about the same time.

The second photo comes from my collection and shows what I believe is the same travel trailer. Standing beside the trailer is a young Kathleen Ann Pierce (b. 1931), daughter of Anna and Cecil. Note Kathleen's stylish traveling costume. She looks a lot like early airline stewardesses.

Also notice that the surroundings are very rural. The road appears to be a narrow dirt road. On the hill in the background are what appear to be farm outbuildings. It is possible that this photo was taken in Pierce Level. Cecil, Anna, Kathleen may have driven down from Ohio for a visit to Cecil's parents, Napoleon Bonaparte "Bonie" Pierce (1880-1964) and Julia Lavinia Moody (1886-1965).

Now compare the trailer in that photo with the trailer in the advertisement for the 1938 Harris Caravan Coaches. The ad comes courtesy of Kevin Hughes, "The Postcard Guy," and his blog.

The travel trailers in the two images are very similar, but they are not exactly alike. In the photo, the trailer has a set of double wheels, while the trailer in the ad has a set of single wheels. The door to the trailer in photo is in the rear rather than at the front end as in the ad. But you will notice that the lines and design of the two trailers are the same.

Clearly, the trailer in the photo is much larger than the one in the ad. So it makes sense that the doors could be in different locations and that the trailer would require more wheels.

According to Al Hesselbart's The History of the RV and Manufactured Housing Industry in and around Elkhart, Indiana, Harris Caravan Coaches were made in that town. "Caravan," by the way, is the British term for travel trailers.

In 1936, Ernie Harris had contacted Oliver Platt with hopes of investing in the growing Platt Trailer Co. When his offer was denied, he formed the Harris Caravan Co. in a plant on McDonald Street in Elkhart. Harris moved his manufacturing operation to Plymouth in 1937.

Hesselbart said Harris Caravan operated in Plymouth for only a very short time and closed in 1937. If that is correct, it makes the above ad a curiosity. Either the ad was put out in 1937 in the hope of a 1938 season, or the company continued to make the trailers past 1937.

The final photo shows Cecil's sister, Beatrice Valara Pierce (1921-1993), sitting on the bumper of his and Anna's car next to the travel trailer.

What can be learned from these photos? For one thing, Cecil and Anna came out of the Great Depression, which began in 1929, relatively well off. They owned a fairly new car and travel trailer. They could afford to travel around the country and had the leisure time to do so. The couple dressed their daughter well and fashionably.

Also we can probably assume that the photos were taken before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and plunged the United States into World War II. Rationing began almost immediately. The government especially controlled the sale of gasoline and rubber, essential war materiel. By the end of 1942, the government had issued half of U.S cars an 'A' sticker, which allowed the driver to buy 4 gallons of fuel a week. After the war began, it would have been very hard for Cecil and Anna to travel by car the 800 miles between Akron and Mobile.

Something as simple as a photo of a travel trailer, which we might take for granted, can reveal a lot about our ancestors.

Pierce Grocery: 1930s

Above, Pearl Pierce poses in front of the Pierce Grocery at on the corner of Springhill Avenue and Lafayette Street. In the photo to the left, brothers Carl and W.T. Pierce pose inside the store.

After he completed Wilmer High School in 1929, W.T., in his own words, “took various jobs around the area, doing farm work, nursery work, etc. After about six months, I sold my only worldly possession, one Jersey cow, for $35, bought a one-way ticket to Chicago, Illinois to seek my fortune.

"I got a job in the Kauffman and Woff Department Store, and there worked in various departments for about three and one-half years, where I met my wife.

"From there I came back to Mobile and bought out a small grocery store on the corner of Center and Lyons Park Avenue, behind Lyons Park."

W.T. noted that after 10 months, "I went back to Chicago to marry my wife, the former Pearl Ruth Schultz.

" Later I sold the Center Street grocery, and bought out a store on the corner of Springhill Avenue and Lafayette Street, and ran this store for a couple of years, until the spring of 1939."

In 1939, W.T. bought the Pan-Am gas station on the corner of Highway 43 and Shelton Beach Road in Saraland, Alabama. "I operated this business, making several expansions until the Saraland Shopping Center was built, and in October, 1963, sold this business to Besdole Investment Corporation."

Beatrice Pierce: Ready for a Swim

Beatrice Valara Pierce (1921-1993) appears ready to go for a swim. She is posing outside her parents home on Moffet Road, where she lived, too.

Two or three miles west on Moffet Road, the Bienville Water Works had dammed a small creek and turned it into a popular swimming hole called Miller's Park. Today, this swim spot is on or adjacent to property of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. It stopped being used for swimming about 40 years ago.

Jackie and Ina Mae: Early 1930s

Jacqueline Gibson (1928-2003) plays in front of her mom Ina Mae Pierce Gibson (1903-1977), center, and another woman on the right identified only by her first name Jean. Jacqueline was always called Jackie. Judging from Jackie's apparent age of younger than 7, this photo was probably taken before 1935.