Those were the days: The Soares clan, with friends & neighbors

Vintage photographs from the 1930s and beyond from the family of Victor Faria Soares, Sr. and Rose Raymond Soares of Somerset, Mass., my grandparents. These were digitized by my uncle, Arthur Faria Soares, who also provided me with many stories about my family and his experiences growing up. The children of Rose and Victor Sr. were: Victor Jr., Beatrice, Raymond (my father), and Arthur.

We continue our summer travels with a return to Martha's Vineyard, where, in 1948, a group of members of the Somerset Portuguese-American Civic League traveled for a convention. Here, my Aunt Beatrice digs into a box of popcorn held by her mother, Rose Raymond Soares. The woman to the right is unidentified. I think the dress styles between the two generations is illuminating. Aunt Bea looks very trendy in her cuffed slacks, loafers and movie-star glasses!