Snowy Day
Henry With the Printing Press
The paper web went over the space he’s sitting in from one cylinder to the other where they were inked and printed.
Several of the people who worked at the printing plant had cameras and were forever taking photos in the plant and out. There was a dark room and they developed the photos right there.
Henry and his brother Hugh were the co-owners, printers, and everything at Cleage Printers, which was located in back of their brother, Dr. Louis Cleage’s Clinic on Lovett.
They mainly printed throw-a-away ad papers for small grocery stores. After the 1967 Detroit riot, so many stores went out of business that Cleage Printers also had to go out of business. Henry went back to law and Hugh eventually became the care giver for their mother after she broke her hip in her 90s.
You can read all about Cleage Printers at this link.
Doris Graham Cleage, 1952
In this photograph my mother, Doris Graham Cleage, was at my Cleage grandparent’s house on Atkinson in Detroit, Michigan. I don’t know what the occasion was. I don’t know why she was turned like this. There were no pets. My sister and I were unlikely to be crouched down by her chair. She’s wearing both of her earrings. She wasn’t shy and also unlikely to be sobbing softly with her face hidden from the camera. I think that it would be a good photo for a story starter.
My uncle Henry Cleage probably took the photo.
The year before we had moved from Springfield, Massachusetts where my father was pastor of St. John’s Congregational Church back to Detroit where he was pastor of St. Marks Presbyterian Church. The parsonage was down the street from my grandparent’s house and I walked by it every day on my way to and from kindergarten and first grade. I might add that I walked it all by myself, crossing the busy street of Linwood at the light and walking past the isolated and wooded seminary to reach school. My sister Pearl was a preschooler and stayed home playing and napping while I toiled, uphill both ways, to and from Brady Elementary School.
In 1953 there was a church fight and my father left St. Matthew’s with 300 parishioners and started a new church, Central Congregational Church. We moved to the new parsonage on Chicago Blvd.
I first shared this photograph on Sepia Saturday in 2010, sixteen years ago.
Moving Springfield to Detroit – 1951
The Fabulous Cleages – 1952
My mother was a teacher
A Church and Two Brothers – Two Splits 1953
Tribune’s Neighorhood of the Week – Central Congregational
Christmas 1950
Kristin and Pearl Christmas in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Backyard Snow
Photos of my mother Doris, my aunt Mary V and their brothers Mershell and Howard Graham. My grandparents bought the house on Theodore in 1923, before my mother was born. They lived there until 1968 when they moved into a two family flat with my family. Here are some winter photos taken in the back yard.
Mershell Cunningham Graham 1921-1927
D – DORIS Graham born 1923
Mary V. Graham Remembers Christmas – 1929
Baby’s First Photograph – Feb. 9, 1929
Pearl Reed Sings in Concert
This post includes both the article announcing the concert and a report written after the concert.
Fri, May 8, 1908 · Page 12
Sings in Concert at Simpson Chapel
The violin recital of Clarence Cameron White will be given this evening at Simpson Chapel under the direction of the Colored Y. M.C. A. Orchestra. He will be supported by the local talent.
The following program will be given:
Overture -“Northern Lights,” Y.M.C. A. Orchestra.
Violin–Hungarian Rhapsodie, Clarence Cameron White.
Solo- Dry Those Tears,” Miss Pearl D. Reed.
Piano–(a) Valse in sharp minor; (b) Polanalse in A major, Alberta J. Grubbs.
Violin-(a) ‘Tran Merci; (b) Scherzo, Clarence Cameron White.
INTERMISSION
Orchestra- The Spartan.” orchestra.
Vocal Miss Pearl D. Reed.
Readings- A. A. Taylor.
Selection- The Bird and Brook,” orchestra.
Clarence C. White’s Recital. The farewell appearance of. Clarence Cameron White, the colored violinist, prior to his going abroad to pursue further his study of the violin, drew a large audience to Simpson Chapel last night. Mr. White came under the auspices of the orchestra of the colored Y. M.C.A. which also contributed to the program. A pleasing feature of the program was the singing of Miss Pearl Reed. leading soprano of the Witherspoon Memorial church choir. Following is the program: Northern Lights,” Y. M. C.A. orchestra; Hungarian rhapsodie (violin), Clarence Cameron White; solo, “Oh, Dry Those Tears”, Miss Pearl D. Reed; piano, valse (a) sharp minor, (b) polonaise in A major, Mrs. Albert J. Grubbs: violin (a) Tran Merci, (b) Scherzo, Clarence Cameron White: vocal solo, “Goodbye,” Miss Pearl D. Reed: select reading, A. A. Taylor; selection, “The Bird and the Brook,” orchestra. The proceeds will be used for the purchase of a piano.
Playing the Guitar and the Piano in 1904
Homer Jarrett
230 Alleghany St. City
2700 Kenwood Ave
March 8, 1904
Homer;
Your letter was handed me at supper and don’t you know, that I was rather glad to hear from you. I did not answer your letter before, because I thought you were tired of hearing such “silly” “little” letters. You have managed nicely to keep yourself out of sight lately, since I’ve come to think of it, I think it has been about a month – don’t you?
I heard of the bad news that you had from home and Homer I send you my sympathy. Are they better now, I mean the ones that were ill?
In regards to my music, why I suppose I am getting on quite well. My tutor flatters me and tells me that I am doing “Oh, so nicely”, but I don’t believe one half of what is told me. Do you know I’ve changed from the guitar to the piano? You must think me the most changeable person Homer, but I get so tired of everything so very soon, you know.
Aren’t you tired of this stuff Homer? Well I am.
Good-bye
Pearl
****
My grandmother also sang in the church choir and at other community events.
You can see an article after the event here -> Pearl Reed Sings in Concert
My grandmother, Pearl Doris Reed, was born in Lebanon, Kentucky in 1886. She was the youngest of the eight children of A is for Anna Allen Reed. The four youngest, including Pearl, were the children of Buford Averitt, a white physician. The older children had different fathers. By 1888 Pearl’s oldest brother, George, had moved to Indianapolis Indiana to work at Van Camps cannery. The rest of the family soon followed. She graduated from high school and took music lessons. In 1903, Pearl was nineteen years old. She lived with her mother and older brothers in North Indianapolis, Indiana.
Homer Jarrett was a cousin of Minnie’s husband, James Mullins. He was born in Harris County, GA in 1882. He completed 8th grade. During the time of the letters he was moving around a lot, from Indianapolis, to Pine Bluff Arkansas to St. Louis MO and back to Indiana. He eventually moved to Boston, MA where he made his living in real estate. He never married. According to his draft records, he was short, slender, tan complexion, black hair and blue eyes, . He died in Boston in 1959 at 77.
You can see the full list of letters here -> Pearl Reed Cleage’s Letters 1903-1905
There was a technical problem with my host server that is blocking comments at the moment. It seems to be cleared up on this Sunday morning.
Knitting for Dee Dee
In 1943, my mother was 20 years old. Excited about her first niece or nephew being born that year, she took a knitting class in college where she made some little outfits. Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of my mother knitting, so I am sharing one of her sewing.
Have You Heard?
That Doris Graham is so thrilled over the prospects of becoming an aunt in the summer, that she, and not the prospective mama (Merry Vee Graham Elkins) is doing the knitting? Doris took a special course in knitting at Wayne last semester and is incorporating her learnings in an array of the dantiest, laciest tiny garments one could wish for.
Fannie Turner Graham, my grandmother, wrote this on the back of the photograph. Howard was her youngest child. He was born on the same day but 15 years earlier, as her first grandchild, Dee Dee. Howard died when he was only three. You can read about him here -> N – NINETEEN TWENTY EIGHT Howard Graham was born
I think Dee Dee is wearing a little knitted top here. Maybe from her Aunt Doris.
A Finger and a Sail Boat
Henry is taking me out on Lake Idlewild in the little sailboat. It was used to practice the skills needed to sail the big sailboat on the Detroit River. You can read about that boat here -> Sailing Log Detroit River – 1970
Thanksgiving 1963
It was Thanksgiving at my Graham Grandparents house in 1963, East side Detroit. My grandfather cuts the turkey. My mother sits on the right. I am on the left, my sister next to me. I wonder where my Aunt Mary Vee and my cousins were? Usually there were four more around the table. How we all fit I do not know, but we did. The house is gone now. Everybody in this photo except my sister and I are dead. We are older than my grandparents were.
Four generations gathered around dining room table in 1963 for Thanksgiving dinner. There was turkey with cornbread dressing cooked by my grandfather. There was white rice, cranberry jelly, green beans, corn pudding and sweet potatoes. There was my grandmother’s finely chopped green salad and her homemade biscuits with butter and with a relish plate holding olives, sweet pickles and carrot sticks.
One thing there wasn’t, was talk about the old days. My grandparents were born in 1888. My grandmother was born Fannie Turner in Lowndes County, Alabama. My grandfather was born Mershell Graham in Elmore County, Alabama. They met and married in Montgomery. My great great Aunt Abbie was born in 1877 in Montgomery, Alabama and was the second to youngest child of Dock and Eliza Allen.
Unfortunately, I can’t go back to 1963 and sit around the table and steer the conversation around to who was where and when and how and why. Did they celebrate Thanksgiving growing up? What did they have for dinner? Who was there? I’d ask Poppy, where he was in 1900? Where were his parents? and what happened to his older brothers? I wish I could hear them tell their stories tomorrow.
Other Thanksgiving Posts
Nov. 28, 1905 – The Last Letter – An Invitation to Thanksgiving Dinner
Thanksgiving 1939
“It’s Thanksgiving eve…” 1945
Thanksgiving 1949
Thanksgiving 1966 – Sermon
Thanksgiving – 1991, Idlewild, Michigan
Thanksgiving – 1991, Idlewild, Michigan – Part 2
Thanksgiving 2019
