Ancestors Gone Wild. (original) (raw)
IntroductionUntil recently, life was pretty tough. Life expectancy was down, infant mortality was up. For women, maternity leave in the 19th Century was little more than a short nap before getting back to making soap or scalding hogs. For men, there was always plenty of overtime available after fulfilling your standard 72-hour work week. But who said anything about extra pay?
In an agricultural economy, leisure time was either after the harvest or on Sunday afternoons. Even then, getting one�s clothes ready for a church or a picnic was a major ordeal. When work was finally over, people (after the initial physical collapse) might actually have the energy for a smile or laugh.
This series, gleaned from photo collections (ancestors were very big on gleaning) and / or sent in by readers, shows our antecedents lightening-up, cutting loose, acting the fool, posing, posturing, cutting rugs, cracking wise, pulling pranks and legs (with or without the benefits of beverage alcohol).