Sad Story of Eleanor Ensign Mills - Sepia Saturday

DEAR SEPIA SATURDAY READERS,
SORRY, I'VE POSTED THIS IN ERROR (LAST WEEK ALSO!). SOMEDAY I'LL FIGURE OUT HOW TO POST TO SEPIA SATURDAY.
NANCY


This is not a relative but a photograph from my collection of vintage photos. And it's the one that haunts me the most. Such a sad story. The photo is marked:

Eleanor Ensign Mills - 1917
Volunteer nurse with Dr. Fitch's unit in France

Eleanor graduated from Smith College in 1911. She was from N.Y. city. I couldn't find out where she did her nurse's training - maybe at John Hopkins.

Dr. Ralph Fitch was affiliated with John Hopkins hospital and during WW1 he helped staff a hospital in Yvetot, France. He brought Red Cross nurses from the U.S. to France.

So she served in France and then came home for a much needed vacation from the war. Here's what it says on the back of the photo:

Died March 29, 1918 flu

on vacation in N.Y. 

Trunk packed in room to return to France end of week.

  

During the war there were 1000s of red cross volunteer nurses serving in France. Nurses from all corners of the U.S. were volunteering. Eleanor was one of them. She was never able to finish her patriotic duty.

to see other Sepia Saturday stories click here 

Which lady photographer do you like best? SEPIA SATURDAY

This week I'm definitely following the theme. I searched my photo files to see if I had any photos of women photographers and voila! sure enough I had two. See which one you like the best.

This is a snapshot I picked up at an antique shop a few years ago. I knew it would come in handy some day. Isn't she interesting? Looks like she's in some type of uniform and she appears to be in the desert somewhere. She's snapping a photo and tightly holding on to the camera case. Is she the keeper of the box at her left? Why put it in the photo?

And then there's this lady photographer. I bought this postcard for our photographer, Steve for his birthday. I guess he didn't like it because he left it sitting around and didn't take it home. He probably didn't want his wife to see it. Who knew that Sepia Saturday would have a lady photographer theme some day and I'd be able to use it?  Steve will probably want it back now that it's famous.

So here is Nanci White, photographed by that famous photographer of the 50's, Bunny Yeager.  She was born in 1930 in Wilkinsburg, Pa. and went on to become one of the most photographed models in Miami. Then she decided she liked being on the other side of the camera.  She's most famous for making Bettie Page famous (the famous pin-up model of the 50's). She took most of her photographs including ones that appeared in Playboy magazine. She also took photos of Ursula Andress and of course, Nanci White who appears below. In 1968 she played the role of a Swedish Masseuse opposite Frank Sinatra in Lady in Cement. She also played a part in the 2005 film The Notorious Bettie Page.

Here's Bunny Yeager on the job:

      

 So which photographer do you like best? Let's take a vote:

      (a) lady in funny uniform

      (b) lady in bikini bottom

      (c) Bunny Yeager

for more Sepia Saturday stories, click here

Fun Loving Group

I bought these curious cards at a garage sale several years ago. I had no idea what to do with them - frame, hang on a ribbon, use in a collage... But I've always loved them and wonder who the people were and who of the group made these collages. There's no name or any kind of clues, so I'll just have to guess about this fun loving group.

Here's my questions about this photo:
Does the lady in the inner tube have a swimming suit on?  Sure doesn't look like it.
And that woman in the middle - didn't her mother ever tell her to "stand up straight"?
Why aren't those water buffaloes taking any notice of this odd group?

My questions:
Why are these two fully-clothed ladies merrily going down the river while the buffaloes are heading up ?
What did the original photo look like? Were these ladies sitting on a log? or what? Their legs fit so   snugly around this log. What were they previously sitting on?
Why are they dressed so warmly while they're dangling their feet in the cool water (one appears to even be wearing a hat)?
And why are the water buffaloes taking no notice of these women either? They could care less!

Questions:
Why is one adventuress lady wearing her swimming costume, while the other two modest ladies are fully clothed?
Doesn't the boat appear to be levitating off the lake?






And here's the piece de résistance. I told you this was a fun loving group:

It wasn't a pick!!

See other Sepia Saturday stories by clicking here