Gathering the Cousins: 1928 Robert Dalpiaz and Regina Coffarelli

Bob Dalpiaz's 87th birthday would have been this week--and your mother would already have turned 87 ! I was doing a little research into the year and thought you might be interested to know that Mickey Mouse also made his first appearance in 1928 in Steamboat Willie". Bubble gum, recliners and sliced packaged bread also became available for American consumers which tells you just a little bit about the pop culture of the day, don't you think? The House at Pooh Corner was published and the first yo you factory opened so it was certainly a brand new world for children lucky enough to be born that year.

Being a child in 1928 was not like being a child in this century. In fact, I believe many of us would find it hard to believe that parenting advice of the time admonished parents not to drop sentimental slop all over their children's heads--it suggested they be treated as small adults with handshakes for greetings and perhaps a very occasional kiss on the forehead if absolutely necessary. This is the advice of James Watson who published Psychological Care of Infant and Child in 1928. Here's an interesting section of that book. When we ponder how our parents acted or reacted in ways that seem foreign to us, thinking about how their parents treated them might help ease that confusion. I forget sometimes that parenting advice has evolved over time and that children are direct products of their home lives. Parents sometimes might have tried to follow the best professional advice of the time; which, to us, seems as foreign as not having wifi available.

My research did uncover one very interesting fact. There was a lunar eclipse June 3 1928 so don't you wonder if that had some affect on your father's birth? There are still many many folk stories related to pregnancy and childbirth and a lunar eclipse and I have a feeling your grandmother believed most of them at the time.

Although we often study pictures very carefully for details, sometimes we forget to do the same with documents. Here's a record of you father's birth. The first thing I notice is that he's named "Bob".

I don't believe it to be an official birth certificate if you read it carefully but it was cared for as carefully as if it was--and perhaps it could be used as such back in the day.

And some other favorites for a little trip down memory lane: