Peace On Earth, 1972

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Subject: Louis and David Forrai.

Occasion: Christmas.

Date: 1972.

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Photographer: Joseph Frank Forrai.

Relationship to me: Brother.

For the first four weeks in December, I decided to post the Christmas cards that my parents started sending in 1960. I think almost everyone is familiar with the photo holiday cards that some folks choose to send.

You may wonder where my father had these cards made? My dad had a dark room in the house where we lived. Photography was my dad's hobby since the 1940's. Each one of these cards were hand made.

How was the photograph taken? In the early years my dad used a portrait camera. There was a long cable attached to the camera. He routed it so it would not appear in the photograph. He would squeeze the button to take the photograph. In later years, he had a 35mm camera with a built-in timer. My father always used a tripod, and it would take him a good deal of time to set up for these annual photographs.

This photograph was taken in the hallway of our home on Scharles Avenue.  We moved into this house a few days before Christmas 1968. The cat in the picture is Fluffy, our yellow tabby cat. He was a sweet, smart cat. My father taught him to fetch. There were a couple of large poinsettia flowers at the top of the signs that were cut out of the photograph.

It amazes me how many of my relatives and friends of our family have hung onto these photographs. I am not the only one with a collection!

Cheers 1971

Merry Christmas 1970

Happy Holidays 1969

Greetings Forrai's 1968

Season Greetings Forrai's 1966

Season's Greetings Forrai's 1965

Greetings Forrai's 1964

Season's Greetings Forrai's 1963

Season's Greetings 1962

Merry Christmas 1961

Best Wishes 1960

Cheers! 1971

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Subject: Louis and David Forrai.

Occasion: Christmas.

Date: 1971.

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Photographer: Joseph Frank Forrai.

Relationship to me: Brother.

For the first four weeks in December, I decided to post the Christmas cards that my parents started sending in 1960. I think almost everyone is familiar with the photo holiday cards that some folks choose to send.

You may wonder where my father had these cards made? My dad had a dark room in the house where we lived. Photography was my dad's hobby since the 1940's. Each one of these cards were hand made.

How was the photograph taken? In the early years my dad used a portrait camera. There was a long cable attached to the camera. He routed it so it would not appear in the photograph. He would squeeze the button to take the photograph. In later years, he had a 35mm camera with a built-in timer. My father always used a tripod, and it would take him a good deal of time to set up for these annual photographs.

This photograph was taken in the basement of our home on Scharles Avenue.  We moved into this house a few days before Christmas 1968. It was during this year that my father finished off a room in the basement with wood paneling and a tile floor. This room was considered the office and work room for most of the year. When we had a large gathering, we even used it as a dining room, as the kitchen was at the top of the stairs. The cat in the picture is Fluffy, our yellow tabby cat. He was a sweet, smart cat. My father taught him to fetch. The Santa heads were stockings that my grandmother gave us one year, filled with candy and small toys.

It amazes me how many of my relatives and friends of our family have hung onto these photographs. I am not the only one with a collection!

Merry Christmas 1970

Happy Holidays 1969

Greetings Forrai's 1968

Season Greetings Forrai's 1966

Season's Greetings Forrai's 1965

Greetings Forrai's 1964

Season's Greetings Forrai's 1963

Season's Greetings 1962

Merry Christmas 1961

Best Wishes 1960

Merry Christmas 1970

Subject: Louis and David Forrai.

Occasion: Christmas.

Date: 1970.

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Photographer: Joseph Frank Forrai.

Relationship to me: Brother.

For the first four weeks in December, I decided to post the Christmas cards that my parents started sending in 1960. I think almost everyone is familiar with the photo holiday cards that some folks choose to send.

You may wonder where my father had these cards made? My dad had a dark room in the house where we lived. Photography was my dad's hobby since the 1940's. Each one of these cards were hand made.

How was the photograph taken? In the early years my dad used a portrait camera. There was a long cable attached to the camera. He routed it so it would not appear in the photograph. He would squeeze the button to take the photograph. In later years, he had a 35mm camera with a built-in timer. My father always used a tripod, and it would take him a good deal of time to set up for these annual photographs.

This photograph was taken at our new home on Scharles Avenue.  We actually moved into this house a few days before Christmas 1968. It was not quite completed, as rooms still needed to be painted and there was no carpeting or flooring on the first floor. The Luther Avenue house sold quickly, and we lived with my Uncle Leo and Aunt Elizabeth for several weeks before this house was complete.

My father was very proud of the blue spruce he planted in the front yard. 1970 was also the year that we took a fishing trip to Ontario, Canada. My dad had a friend who ran a fishing camp there.

It amazes me how many of my relatives and friends of our family have hung onto these photographs. I am not the only one with a collection!

Happy Holidays 1969

Greetings Forrai's 1968

Season Greetings Forrai's 1966

Season's Greetings Forrai's 1965

Greetings Forrai's 1964

Season's Greetings Forrai's 1963

Season's Greetings 1962

Merry Christmas 1961

Best Wishes 1960

Happy Holidays 1969

Subject: Louis and David Forrai.

Occasion: Christmas.

Date: 1969.

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Photographer: Joseph Frank Forrai.

Relationship to me: Brothers.

For the first four weeks in December, I decided to post the Christmas cards that my parents started sending in 1960. I think almost everyone is familiar with the photo holiday cards that some folks choose to send.

You may wonder where my father had these cards made? My dad had a dark room in the house where we lived. Photography was my dad's hobby since the 1940's. Each one of these cards were hand made.

How was the photograph taken? In the early years my dad used a portrait camera. There was a long cable attached to the camera. He routed it so it would not appear in the photograph. He would squeeze the button to take the photograph. In later years, he had a 35mm camera with a built-in timer. My father always used a tripod, and it would take him a good deal of time to set up these annual photographs.

This photograph was taken at a Christmas tree lot that was close to our home. I do not remember if this was the actual picture used on the holiday greeting card, but I do know it was from the photographic shoot.

It amazes me how many of my relatives and friends of our family have hung onto these photographs. I am not the only one with a collection!

Greetings Forrai's 1968

Seasons Greetings 1966

Seasons Greetings 1965

Greetings Forrai's 1964

Season's Greetings Forrai's 1963

Season's Greetings 1962

Merry Christmas 1961

Best Wishes 1960

At the Schroeder Hotel, 1957

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Subjects seated at the table: Unknown couple, Joseph Frank Forrai (age 44) and Norma Elsbeth Waswo (age 35).
Date: 1957.
Location: Schroeder Hotel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Occasion: Patrick Cudahy Company Function.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: Father and Mother.

Once my mother retired, she went through the boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother. This is a photograph from the album she made for me.

There was little written on the photograph or on the album page itself. My mother wrote that this was a company function at the Schroeder Hotel that is located in downtown Milwaukee. The Schroeder was also the location of the Junior Prom that I attended during high school. In the photo there is a clock sitting on the table. That clock hung in our kitchen for many years before it eventually stopped.

This also could be an Elk's club function, as my father was a member during this time. It appears to be a formal occasion and I love the dress and purse my mother was wearing. My father was well known for his bow ties. I remember him wearing a straight tie occasionally, but there was always the remark of, 'what happened, no bow tie?' I am also not sure if this photograph was before or after my parents wedding, as they were wed November 16, 1957.

I welcome any additional comments or information from family and friends about this photograph.

Fourth of July, 1958

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Subjects: Lucy Traulsen Waswo (age 67); George Daniel Waswo III (age 10) and Florence Allen Desenis (age 54).
Date: July 1958.
Occasion: 4th of July.
Location: National Avenue, West Allis, Wisconsin.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: maternal grandmother and maternal cousins.

I have very little information regarding this photograph. Once my mother retired, she went through boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother. I am posting and commenting on the photographs from this album.

This is one of my favorite photographs and about the only one that I have of Daniel as a child. I have many fond memories of my grandmother and Cousin Florence. Florence would always make sure to make the trip to visit the Milwaukee relatives during the summer, and some of the Milwaukee relatives would make the trip in the Fall to Illinois to visit her.

Albert Emil Reichardt, 1958

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Subjects: Albert Emil Reichardt (age 72) and unknown boy.
Date: May August 1958.
Occasion: Unknown.
Location: Unknown.
Photographer: Unknown.
Relationship to me: husband of grand aunt.

I have very little information regarding this photograph. Once my mother retired, she went through boxes of photographs and created historical photo albums. She made one for myself and one for my brother. I am posting and commenting on the photographs from this album.

The 'unknown boy' in this photograph is most likely a neighbor's child. I remember my grandmother relaying this information. My Grand Uncle Albert passed away at age 73 seven months after I was born. Albert was the man that introduced my father Joseph to my mother Norma. Albert and my father were both members of the Elk Club in Milwaukee. They would meet there for lunch and play cards. I am sure at these boy's clubs there was some matchmaking going on. This is one of the few photographs that I have of my Grand Uncle Abby.

My Grand Uncle and Aunt lived on a corner lot with the front of the house facing Grant Blvd in a two story white frame home. They had a large screened in front porch. My dad in the summer would occasionally sleep on the porch when he did not want to venture home after a hot card game down at the club.  As a very young child I remember spending a summer weekend with my Grand Aunt and sleeping on the front porch as well.