Lottie's Photos: School Photo, 1925

Mom did not take this photo but it was in her first photo album with the photos she took between January 1938 and October 1949. This is one of three grammar school photos I have. Mom labeled it McKinley School, San Leandro, February 1925 so she would have been five years old and in kindergarten. She is standing in the back row fourth from the left. This is one of very few photos of her with straight hair because she always had it permed. What is written in the lower right corner says 1466 T.C.W. Co. 251 Post, SF. That no doubt is the name and address of the photo shop that took and printed the photo. Terry also attended McKinley for grammar school.

Mom graduated from San Leandro High School on January 22, 1937. After that she attended Merritt College sporadically taking fashion design and business classes. She babysat during high school for spending money and continued to babysit after graduating. In addition, she was doing a lot of consignment sewing. She had a large clientele of women customers who hired her to make formals, dresses, skirts, slips, jackets and do alterations. Her existing clients would introduce her to new clients. She was constantly sewing. On some days she wrote about working on four or five different projects and she was regularly having women come to the house for fittings – sometimes multiple times a day. She earned between $1 and $6.50 for making these clothes for her clients. On November 10th she wrote, “I sewed from 9 AM to 10 PM tonight and am I tired. I finished Dixies formal, Mrs. Neall’s navy-blue dress, Connie’s skirt and put the lining in her jacket. Dixie came over tonight and brought me a new customer Mrs. Wickman who wants a formal made in size 42.”