WHEN WE SAW ROZ LEIBOWITZ’S set of vintage photos of twins Maurine and Noreene this week on Flickr, we had to know more: Who were these red-headed sisters, and how had they come to live with Roz, a New York City-based artist and writer who uses found paper and imagery in her personal work?
Leibowitz is also a collector of vernacular photos–snapshots and 35 mm slides–and acquired the set of 18 images of the twins in January on ebay.
“My collection centers around women’s images specifically mid-twentieth century,” says Roz, “although I actually started with Victorian photos. As I progressed, I found I actually preferred the candid ‘anonymous’ work of everyday photographers rather than studio photographers.”
But sometime anonymous is too anonymous, and a set of images cries out to find its home, which may be Denison, Texas, or so the dealer who sold them to Roz believes.
“I always tell people that the photos don’t really belong to me,” says Roz, “they are simply lost from their families and are abiding with me for a time. With Maurine and Noreene, I would love to have them returned to their families. These women seemed to love their life together and took great care and respect for their outfits that they deserve to be archived.
“And on a more personal note, as a single woman with no children,” she says, “I have a particular affection for these two who also may have had no one to look after their personal effects. I don’t know this for sure, it’s just that they seem so solidly together.” A sampling from Roz’s treasured set are here to sample:
The entire set of 18 photos of Maurine and Noreene can be viewed at Roz Leibowitz’s Flickr photostream, where she is known as Signs and Wonders. Roz’s personal blog also harbors treasures you may wish to explore.
Thanks to 50s Pam, proprietor of RetroRenovation blog and our sister in WordPress, Flickr fanatic and more, for tipping us off to Roz, Maurine and Noreene. (We already had a thing for redheads.)
We TSP sisters are so appreciative, we’re even starting our own TheSisterProject Flickr account.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I love mysteries like this. I hope our sisters-in-spirit can these sissies find their way home..
This particular registry of lives lived is touching and Roz’s comments make it particularly so. Photos are the traces of who we were in this life. I’m glad these girls (women) live on in this collection. I hope they find their family.
Welcome, Catherine. I am similarly moved by the twins, and by Roz’s comments, and expect I’ll spend some time this weekend looking at pictures of me and my own-redheaded sister, as this story has made me very sentimental.
What a wonderful series of images – breathtaking.
Welcome. You were really swell to turn us on to Roz’s collection, and we thank you, Sister Pam. I expect that many of our visitors would enjoy a field trip to your mid-mod world at Retrorenovation. I know it always makes me smile.
What a great story—I love unsolved mysteries, and this one is so bittersweet.
I found this post via Retro Renovation and thought I’d share what I’ve discovered so far that may help find out more about these sisters:
There are two sisters (both 15 years old) living in Denison, TX in 1930 by the name of Maurine and Norene Everett. They are listed as the daughters of Rucker (a barber) and Ina Everett (a seamstress), but it appears that they may have been Ina’s daughters from a previous marriage. There is also a brother, James Rucker Everett (b. 1921), in the household. I don’t know if they are the same Maurine and Noreene in the photographs, but I’ll try to do some more digging and see what else I can find out.
Wow, Kevin, welcome. What a fascinating development! I can’t wait to share the news with Roz Leibowitz, who has the photos. Thank you so much for helping her with this mystery. Sounds like you are on to the answers.
I have some more good news to share. I found proof that the women above are Maurine and Noreene Everett because I found their pictures in the 1930 Denison High School yearbook. I’ll send that out later.
From what I’ve found out so far, their mother was Ina Hay Everett (1896-1979) from Trenton, TX, who married Rucker Everett (1887-1947) around 1920. Their half (?) brother James Rucker Everett (1921-1964) probably died in the Vietnam War. Noreene married Donald Dodd (1912-1983) in Durant, OK in 1962, and Noreene passed away on 14 Feb 2005. I do not believe that Maurine Elizabeth Everett ever married, and she may still be living.
This may ruin some of the mystery behind the photographs, but at least they may be able to find their way back to Denison. And it’s good to know a little more about these two sisters who seemed to have loved each other so much.
What a strange and interesting collection of vintage images. There is something about the color of old color prints that transports me to another place and time in my mind. Thanks for posting these and the link !
Kit
Welcome, Kit, of Flickr photo sharing fame. We sure does love our Kodachrome, yup we does. :)