Oh my goodness. It's the last day of November already. Sepia Saturday just snuck in with a theme photo for Movember, growing facial hair to raise awareness of mens health. He's sporting a fabulous moustache (or is it mustache or pair of moustaches?).
My grandad, Allan Wyllie never shaved off his moustache. I think he must have grown it from when he first had to shave because it's in every photo I have of him. He never used an electric shaver either. I lived with my grandparents for a year in 1965 and I remember him sharpening his razor on a leather strop he kept hanging on a cupboard with the mirror next to it, and lathering up. He was born in 1886 and died 1966 and was a farmer in Victoria.
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| Allan Wyllie |
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| Dorothy Taylor and Allan Wyllie, 1916 |
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| Allan Wyllie |
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Allan (leaning on the car) with Dorothy and his Taylor in-laws, including his
father-in-law Henry who also has a fabulous moustache. |
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| Dorothy and Allan Wyllie |
Now that I see all of the photos together I notice that Grandad looks very serious. He never was a man who smiled readily and openly, and his son, my dad, says that he was more likely to criticise than to praise. But I liked him.
And just for fun. This is a photo I found at a boot sale. I've no idea who it is or where it was taken but I like it very much.
A handsome, handsome man, your Allan Wyllie!
ReplyDeleteA wonderful collection of family photographs and moustaches! I know it's not part of the theme, but I have to mention Dorothy's wedding dress (and veil & flowers) — absolutely lovely.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Jennifer
Your granddad's moustache certainly gave him a serious and distingushed looking air
ReplyDeleteA fine looking gentleman, your grandfather with his trim moustache. Too bad, in those old-tyme photographs, no one could smile. I'm sure the bride & groom were very happy, but you'd never know it from their formal portrait.
ReplyDeleteI completely missed "Movember" until I started going around looking at blogs. Guess it's because I don't watch TV.
ReplyDeleteI like how he groomed his moustache upwards for his wedding photo when the previous photo had it 'down'.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it was a symbol of a smile and how happy he was?
Speaking as someone with a permanent beard, I can vouch for the sense of identity that comes from whiskers. Some of us never feel a desire to change that face in the mirror. The last photo is a great find.
ReplyDeleteYour granddad was a good looking fellow and certainly liked his moustache. Fancy remembering him shaving with a razor and strop. Wow!
ReplyDeleteGrandad looks exactly like his mum!
ReplyDeleteA great collection of family photographs and the wedding one especially is lovely. Yes, your final photo find did make me smile - does he have a look of Charlie Chaplin? . .
ReplyDeleteWhat a handsome man! It's probably a good thing he never shaved. When you're used to how a person looks, it's hard to adjust. My girls for YEARS knew their dad only with a moustache. When he shaved it off, they screamed, and soon felt out in a fit of laughter.
ReplyDeleteLove this collection of family photos. I am partial to moustaches on men anyway. And yes, it's often amusing to dig through a box of someone's cast-offs and make a find such as yours in that last photo.
ReplyDeleteDee
Re the final photo - I'm assuming that is a woman as I have similar photos of Mum and friends dressed up for a mock wedding and the girls dressed as men look very similar to that. Loved the car photo. When visitors were leaving it was often time for a photo by the car. And weren't men so proud of their moustaches and grooming them.
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