At what seems to be a New England coastal resort of substantial cottages and hotels, a group of vacationers pose for a photograph on a Fall day. They have set rockers on the lawn, and contrary to what vacationers do today, they dress precisely as they would on any day at home or at work; the change of place and routine is what they expect to achieve by getting away from it all (we take the opportunity to dress informally and leave the daily grind behind – if we can cut ourselves loose from our laptops, email and cell phone tethers).
We may see these people as being somewhat starchy – heavy wool suits and bustled dresses, hats, gloves, jewelry and parasols (if it were the height of summer, the material may have been lighter but no less dressy) and poses that are consistent with their social standing. But don’t assume they are not having a good time in their own way.
The second photo is a slightly different mix of people; the two women in the center are wearing lighter colors, and one has her pince-nez glasses on a cord.
These are directly from glass negatives; the first one was broken and restored digitally.
