• Sunday-What'sUP December 26 - 08:36 pm

This morning Edie and I woke up in Somerset, Pennsylvania. Making the rounds to see family over the holidays, we left our dog with some friends in Negaunee, which happens to be where the little guy in today's Shoebox Memory lived, back in the 1890's. I'll bet there are a lot of families waking up this morning to the realization that the little fur-ball which Santa left yesterday is going to require quite a bit of attention. Wonder if anybody else in Pasty-land has memories of a favorite pet that arrived at Christmas?

The U.P. Digitization Center continues to archive great historic photos of Upper Michigan, in addition to diaries, newspaper clipping, and even some audio interviews with U.P. residents, recalling the colorful past of our region.

Careful if you're traveling today. Have a good week :o)

Is that the same girl / woman in both pictures? Certainly has the same expression on her face!

Pets...unconditional love!

Looks to me like it's the same *boy* in both pictures. Look at the ears, chin, etc., he just appears a year or two older in the second photo.

Cute doggie picture. Thanks 4 sharing both. BTW, here's a Christmas morning dog pic from LIFE magazine, 12-15-1972, pages 109 + 110:
http://books.google.com/books?id=2VYEAAAAMBAJ&source=gbs_all_issues_r&cad=1

I have a memory of a Christmas Day pony. Christmas Day 1966, Santa brought me Sugar, a Shetland pony, we spent the next 14 years together. Haven't been without horses or ponies since.

Oh, how sweet! The doggie looks a lot like a cocker spaniel we had when I was small, his name was "Duffy"...had belonged to a career military guy so he'd pretty much travelled the world before he was given to us. Hey, looks like Santa also brought the little fella (top photo) a Frisbee but he didn't know what to do with it.;D

Get that kid some Nike's or New Balance's, those boots look like they're killing his feet!

I have to believe RD,Iowa is right, I've seen old family photo of my father in similar dress from 90 year ago, including similar shoes. My wife says French nobility dressed male children in dresses to protect them from kidnapping and the masses followed the trend. I think it made it easier to clean up their bottoms in the days before snaps, stretch materials and velcro.

"Notroll", you're right. We have photos of my dad (born in 1901) not only wearing a dress but he also had long blond curls.:) I hadn't heard of the 'fear of kidnapping' reason though.

You made me laugh Shirley, as I had to go back & look for the Frisbee

The little child and the ever loving dog. I don't think that the bonding love and affection of a dog can be matched.

Uncle Chuck (Unclechuck):
"Get that kid some Nike's or New Balance's, those boots look like they're killing his feet!"

Oooh, ouch! Yes indeedy. Such a contrast, sitting on that (presumably soft) pillow while wearing those 'medieval torture devices' on his feet!
(You can't be sure about that pillow though, I've seen some leather covered furniture from that period that felt like leather covered concrete!)

Little boys were often dressed in dresses in that era, easy access for diapers or outhouse calls.