Thursday, January 28, 2010

A P.S. 131 class picture, 1966–1967


[Click for a larger view.]

The above photograph shows Mrs. Marcia Schorr’s fifth-grade class, P.S. 131, Boro Park, Brooklyn, New York, 1966–1967. Not a cross tie in the crowd.

I remember Mrs. Schorr as very capable, very calm. The envelope that holds my fifth-grade report card holds a note from her to my dad (on a note-card, in an envelope, of course), thanking him for a card he had made for her. Mrs. Schorr was wishing us well on leaving the city for New Jersey: “Brooklyn will be losing a fine family!” What a gracious and generous thing to say.

As a kid, I liked the effect that the horrible lighting had on the boys in the top row: it gave them long hair. Looking at this photograph now, I wonder whether Albert’s shirt pocket (third row, middle) was holding what we called an I.D. wallet. Such wallets were accessories in our work as school-aged secret agents in The Black Cat Club. (Secret agents always carry I.D., right?) And I now remember something I haven’t thought of in years: a lunch hour during which Donald (top row, left) and I stood on safety patrol and I told him what menstruation was. My mom and dad believed in reality-based parenting — no birds, no bees, no storks.

That concludes class pictures at Orange Crate Art. In the suburbs of New Jersey, all school pictures were of individual students. So the class picture was a set of separate little rectangles on a white background, young suburbanites each with her or his own little bit of property.

[I’m uneasy about identifying fellow fifth-graders by last name without permission, so I haven’t. These photographs have faded and remain so here, as unimproved scans. I’m the kid in the second row, left, looking rather short.]

More from the P.S. 131 collection
1962–1963 1963–1964 1964–1965 1965–1966

comments: 13

Elaine Fine said...

You mean to say that the person to your right is a kid? She is either a giant or a student teacher!

Michael Leddy said...

Yep, she was a classmate. She’s in the fourth-grade picture too.

George B said...

Hi Michael - one of your classmates, checking in!

Michael Leddy said...

George! How are you?

melinda S. said...

Hi Michael,

How fabulous that you have these photos. What a great trip down memory lane!

Melinda (remember me??)

Michael Leddy said...

Melinda, yes, I do. Hello!

Unknown said...

hi i love these pictures gotta tell some friedns to come look. aslo gotta try to dig mine out and post them. Sue crispiano-connaughton.

Keith N. said...

Hello Michael,
I cannot thank you enough for the postings.I have often throughout life felt something wondrous birthed in those years.

Michael Leddy said...

Sue, your last name doesn’t ring a bell: were you in this class?

Keith, I remember you. Hello!

Eddie Weinberg said...

Michael.....it's me...Eddie W I hope you remember me....You look astonishly the same afetr all these years! Thank you so much for the memories...I have been in contact with Keith, Melinda, Nadine, Geri, Sherry and of course george B and it has been a blast!! heres my email if you get a chance to write
mistered918@optonline.net

Michael Leddy said...

Eddie, hello! I remember you and everyone else you mentioned. I’m happy that so many people from our classes are getting to see these pictures.

Anonymous said...

I just graduated from PS131. It's nice to see the students from the past.

Michael Leddy said...

Anon., thanks for leaving a comment. I wish you all the best with your education.