Kathryn Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) I was going through some old photographs, and I came across this one that I had long wondered about, but couldn't figure out. I just scanned it in and was finally able to read the name of the ship, Pilsudski. The Wikipedia article says that that ship sailed between Gdynia, Poland and NY from 1935 until it was torpedoed or struck a mine in 1939. The back of the photo is stamped 12 PAZ 1935, indicating it was developed in Poland. I'm trying to figure out if the picture was taken in Poland or in the US. My guess is Poland from the building behind them, though I was hoping it would be America so I'd have a date that I knew my grandfather was here. Edited October 22, 2012 by kebg11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrulySusan Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Are you able to read the tag on that car in the background? I couldn't get the photo big enough to see it but maybe you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted October 22, 2012 Author Share Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) This is as good as I can get on the license plate. Edited October 22, 2012 by kebg11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Scroll down about half way in this link and you can see the same building. LINK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) It's this building in Gdynia http://www.port.gdynia.pl/en/news/236-dzie-gdyskich-zabytkow-2011r Edited October 22, 2012 by lailasmum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Which one is your grandfather in the photo? :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorien Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) Unless times have changed things a lot, if this photo was taken in the US all of the cars are parked with the driver's side against the curb. Edited October 22, 2012 by lorien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mélie Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Poland. This photo is labeled, and that's the Pilsudski in the background. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 I've been trying to zoom in on the license plate too, as well as the flag and the emblem on the building just under the flag. I'm no expert and I don't even play one on tv, but these are my thoughts: The license plate looks more like NY than Poland. See these two websites: NY and Poland for pictures of their plates. The earliest plate I can find for Poland is in the 1940s, but the shape is wrong to match the one in the picture. Could they have changed shapes? Yes, but it's more likely that you're looking at a NY plate on a NY car, IMNSHO. The flag could be for the Port Authority of NY. I am distracted by DD so I can't do a lot of research, but I would look at historical pictures of the Port Authority of NY/NJ which managed the port in NY during the 1930s. See if you can find that emblem anywhere. Honestly, the picture doesn't feel like Poland. I know that makes no sense, but Poland in the 1930s was recovering from WWI still if I remember correctly and that picture just doesn't look like Poland to me. Not that I've ever been there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted October 22, 2012 Author Share Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) It's this building in Gdynia http://www.port.gdynia.pl/en/news/236-dzie-gdyskich-zabytkow-2011r Thank you! Which one is your grandfather in the photo? :001_smile: He's the one on your left. I believe the one on your right is his father, who was living in America, so perhaps this was the trip that he made to bring my grandfather back? I'm not sure who the child in the middle is though. My grandfather's youngest brother looked like the attached in a picture that my dad's cousin labeled 1937 when she emailed it to me. Either she misdated (he wasn't killed until the Nazis invaded Russia, so it could have been as late as 1941) or that can't be him in the first picture posted. I'm not sure how old the youngest brother was though. All I know is that he was at university in 1941. Edited October 22, 2012 by kebg11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted October 22, 2012 Author Share Posted October 22, 2012 Poland. This photo is labeled, and that's the Pilsudski in the background. Oh wow! Where did you find that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mélie Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Oh wow! Where did you find that? http://www.ww2incolor.com/homefront/g-fot.html :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Y'all are better than me. Sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Have you tried searching for passenger rostas for the ship or immigration records to see if they are on it? Might clear up your time line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted October 22, 2012 Author Share Posted October 22, 2012 One more question as I try to figure out if it's possible if the kid in the middle is his youngest brother. In the picture in the OP, my grandfather would have been 19. He was born in 1916. Here is an undated picture that I would guess to be 1920-1921. The children were born in America and then the parents took the children back to their homeland and the father returned to America to work and send money back to them. I have record of his return in February 1923. The wife had another girl sometime between when this picture was taken and when they left America. That's why I guess 1920-1921. So, the question is, do you think that the age difference between the oldest son in this picture and the youngest would match the guys in the first picture I posted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted October 22, 2012 Author Share Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) Have you tried searching for passenger rostas for the ship or immigration records to see if they are on it? Might clear up your time line. What I can get online doesn't go that far forward in time. I know that my great-grandmother came originally in 1909, my great-grandfather in 1912. And I know that my great-grandfather came back in February 1923. I was told by family that he made several trips back, one to bring my grandfather back who was in trouble with the government. I had found my great-grandfather's name on a passenger list from 1931, so I suppose that knowing that this photo was in Poland does tell me that the 1931 trip was not the one to get my grandfather and lends credence to the story I was told if he was still in Europe in 1935. Edited October 22, 2012 by kebg11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) So, the question is, do you think that the age difference between the oldest son in this picture and the youngest would match the guys in the first picture I posted? I think it's possible. They do look to be about the right age gap. I think it's just an awkard age gap to tell because the younger kid in the first picture looks about 12-14 and the older one looks about 18 (but a mature looking 18). I think that matches with the other photo about a 4-6 yr age gap, maybe a smidge more. Edited October 22, 2012 by lailasmum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mélie Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) One more question as I try to figure out if it's possible if the kid in the middle is his youngest brother. In the picture in the OP, my grandfather would have been 19. He was born in 1916. Here is an undated picture that I would guess to be 1920-1921. The children were born in America and then the parents took the children back to their homeland and the father returned to America to work and send money back to them. I have record of his return in February 1923. The wife had another girl sometime between when this picture was taken and when they left America. That's why I guess 1920-1921. So, the question is, do you think that the age difference between the oldest son in this picture and the youngest would match the guys in the first picture I posted? I think it's possible. Based on how much he looks like the father, I would believe that he's a young-looking 14 or 15. Also, he kind of looks like the baby to me. Maybe I'm crazy, but look at the ears. Edited October 22, 2012 by Mélie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted October 22, 2012 Author Share Posted October 22, 2012 Thank you. I am completely awful at guessing ages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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