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"The only way to find out anything about what kinds of lives people led in any given period is to tunnel into their records and to let them speak for themselves." --John Dos Passos
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Stimulate thinking about the past by asking students to close their eyes. Encourage them to imagine what New Haven and its residents looked like 100 years ago. Ask thought-provoking questions such as, "What are the people wearing? What do their cars look like? What do the buildings look like?"
Display
New Haven, 1906
by T. S. Bronson (
TWC
, page 211). The photograph was taken at the corner of Prospect and Grove, looking north on Prospect. The building in the middle of the picture was the South Sheffield Scientific School at Yale. The structure that stands there now is Strathcona Hall. The building to the right is Silliman College. Hundreds of well-dressed people are walking on the sidewalk. There may have been a special event at Woolsey Hall. Horses and buggies line the street along with a car that appears to be a Maxwell.
Inform students that this photograph shows what was happening in New Haven 100 years ago. Ask them if it's what they imagined. Discuss the photograph. Have the children explain what the people are wearing, their modes of transportation, and the surrounding buildings. Children may notice one woman is carrying a parasol. Explain to them that a parasol is used to provide shade from the sun. Ask students how the people might get home. Point out the horses and buggies and the automobile. Have children explain what they think the people are doing. Ask why the people are all dressed up? What might be written on the papers they are carrying? One man, in the bottom right hand corner, is walking the other way. Ask children what they think he's doing.
Compare T.S. Bronson's photograph to my photograph
Graduation Day at Yale, May 20, 2006
. This is a modern day photograph taken in the same area as T.S. Bronson's photograph from 1906. It was taken on College Street looking toward Grove Street. The building in the middle is Strathcona Hall and on the right stands Silliman College. Although it cannot be seen in the photograph, Woolsey Hall is to the left. Graduates and their families are dispersing after the ceremony.
Explain to the students that the new photograph was taken 100 years after the first photograph. Ask students to explain similarities and differences. Some of the buildings are the same, but modes of transportation and clothing have changed dramatically. The most obvious difference, however, and the one the students will most likely note immediately, is the color of the photograph. The older photograph is black and white while the newer one is in color. Ask students what else they notice about the photographs. In Bronson's photo, all of the women are in full length dresses while in mine; they are wearing pants or knee-length skirts. No one is wearing a fancy hat in my photograph. Turn the children's attention towards the transportation in the street. While horses and buggies are predominantly seen in Bronson's photograph, my photograph shows technological advances. A white mini-bus is seen parked along the side of the street. There is now a bus stop waiting area on the sidewalk. An SUV is parked on the right side of the street and a car is driving along Grove Street. Traffic lights are also evident in my photograph. Direct the children to look at the trees. The new tree on the left side of Bronson's photograph is now seen as a full-grown tree in my photograph. The trees on the right have grown to cover Silliman College. Point out to the students that Silliman College is still the same building. Ask children to look at the tops of both buildings to see how the architecture is identical. Strathcona Hall has changed. The building in Bronson's photograph was torn down and rebuilt.
Inform students that they will be learning more about what New Haven was like a long time ago. Tell the children to ask their great grandparents, or oldest living relatives, about what life was like when they were growing up. Allow the children to share what they've learned with their classmates.
Play
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"The true object of all human life is play."
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--Gilbert K. Chesterton
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While children played many of the same games at the turn of the twentieth century as they do now at the turn of the twenty-first century, toys have certainly changed. Children of the past had very few toys. While many of today's children play with dolls and trains, they are inundated with electrical gadgets. Video games and computers provide a great deal of entertainment for the modern-day child. They will be shocked to discover that these items have not always existed.
Display historical photographs of New Haven children and their toys. Several such photographs are available at the New Haven Colony Historical Society. The images selected for this unit are found in the Sargent Family Papers: manuscript 70, box IV, folder D. They do not have titles, but are easily located based on the descriptions that follow. Please contact me for assistance.
The first photograph depicts a mother adoringly looking down at her two children. The younger child is approximately one year old and the older child looks to be four years old. The younger child is seated on the mother's lap, smiling. The older child is wearing an oversized bow in her hair and has a reserved look on her face. She is holding three simple looking rag dolls. The dolls do not have hair and they appear to be made of cloth.
Tell the students this picture was taken over 100 years ago. Ask them what they think of it. Lead them to understand that the clothing was very dressy. Today, people don't dress up just to take a photograph unless it's for a special occasion. Tell children that long ago, cameras were not as available as they are now. Many people did not have cameras so having a photograph taken was a special occasion. Ask the children how they think the people in the photo are feeling. Why isn't the older girl smiling? Why is her mother looking at her? What might her mother be saying? Finally, ask the students what the girl is holding. Ask if the girl's dolls look like their own dolls. Have them explain what's different about their dolls. If students had to choose, ask them which doll they would rather have: one of the girl's dolls or one of their own. Have them explain why.
In the second photograph, taken somewhere in New Haven, two children are sitting on what looks like a wagon. It is not a typical little red wagon, though. There are four wheels, which look to be a bit larger than dinner plates. The rear wheels are larger than the front wheels. Attached to the front wheels is a long arm for pulling purposes. The wheels support a platform, or base, of the wagon. Attached to the base are two chairs where the children are seated. The backs of the chairs are only a couple of inches high. The children are dressed in white clothes, typical of the late 1800's and early 1900's. The girl has another incredibly large bow in her hair. Behind the children is a house with a patio and a sidewalk.
Upon displaying the picture, ask the students what type of vehicle they think the children are on. They will inevitably label it a wagon. Ask your students how the wagon in the picture is different from wagons they've seen. They will state that this wagon has larger wheels and chairs instead of small wheels and one big rectangular pan to sit in. Inquire about which wagon might be safer. It would seem much easier to fall off of the wagon in the picture than our modern-day wagons. Ask the children who they think was pulling the wagon. Perhaps it was the person who took the photograph. Finally, have the children decide which wagon they'd rather play with and explain why.
To expand the discussion, inform students that the children in the picture are Sylvia Murray Tilney and Bradford "Brad" Sargent Tilney. Brad was born in 1908 and Sylvia arrived the following year. While Sylvia's history became lost, information and a photograph of Brad can be found in the Rotary Club of New Haven's 1957 Member Book. Show students this photograph and explain some of the things Brad did throughout his life. During the years 1916 through 1926, Brad attended Hamden Hall and Hotchkiss. He received a B.F.A. from Yale Architectural School in 1933 and later became a Fellow at Cranbrook Academy. Brad worked as an architect for several different companies before beginning his private practice in 1940. Pedersen & Tilney, Architects was located at 119 Whalley Avenue. Help students relate to Brad by asking them to think about what they will do as they grow up. What college might they attend? What do they want to be when they grow up? Will they always live in Connecticut?
In a later lesson, display
Bridgeport, 1907
by T.S. Bronson (
TWC
, page 168). While this is not a picture of New Haven, it depicts children playing hoops. This is not a picture of children playing basketball, but rather rolling wooden hoops with sticks. Explain to your students that Bradford and Sylvia may have played this game. Allow your students to play this game by borrowing hula hoops from the gym teacher. Give each child a hula hoop and a ruler. Line the children up at a starting point. Tell them they must use the ruler to keep the hula hoop rolling upright all the way to the finish line.
