This is a blog about music, photography, history, and culture.
These are photographs from my collection that tell a story about lost time and forgotten music.

Mike Brubaker
{ Click on the image to expand the photo }

The Band Mascot

29 August 2020


The trumpet sings the soprano voice,
a sound so clear and light.






The trombone adds a tenor line
that makes the tune more bright.






The tuba and the alto horns
bring harmony so sweet. 







But nothing beats the bass drum
to make you tap your feet.



* * * *





This brass band with its infant mascot
are pictured on an unmarked postcard.
The eight men are dressed
in a vaguely North American fashion
suitable for some time around 1910,
but their rotary valve instruments
are a design distinctive to Central Europe.
T
he two men wearing caps look like twin brothers.

The musicians stand outside a building on a small stoop
where the entryway has narrow double doors similar to
what small churches or schools used to have.
The building's construction is curious
because the weathered wood siding is unpainted,
and there are 
multiple thin wire bars affixed
to the
lower window sashes like washroom towel rails.
It is a fine photo that offers more questions than answers.

But at least the baby,
perched precariously on its grandfather's bass drum,
does wear a sensible hat.









This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday
where we can debate the merits of cattle all day.

https://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2020/08/sepia-saturday-535-29-august-2020.html


5 comments:

Kathy said...

The windows are curious. It made me wonder if those little railings offer some protection to little ones when the windows are open. Best guess I could come up with. It's fun to speculate in mystery photos.

Barbara Rogers said...

I appreciate the poem! Anyone's guess is as good as mine, so I'll not share a guess as to the building. Love the tot on the bass drum!

ScotSue said...

Your first photograph is an excellent match for the prompt - a three some, wearing hats - and they look so serious!

La Nightingail said...

A well-hatted casual band group with all the essentials. Hopefully the bass drummer doesn't beat the drum with the little mascot ON it. :)

Alex Daw said...

Fantastic verse and photo. I think Kathy may be correct and those wires are a preventative measure to stop infants crawling out windows.

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