Saturday, February 7, 2009

Bobby and Fulton Freeman have Rats for Pets 1924


This photo is from an album that I purchased about 5 years ago on ebay. I thought I was going to do what I do with all the albums and that is take it apart, do some research and sell the photos one by one. The book is more than photos. Although it cost me nearly $500 for the photo album, sadly there were 3 others which at the time I didn't feel I could afford. I think I probably got the best one of the 4 but that is wishful thinking. I fell in love with this family through an ongoing, detailed account of what this group of 5 children and their parents did day to day, the rats and their cage building. Paper routes, dogs, cats, short wave radios, knitting for the girls. the boys which there were 3 besides these two was little DAvid who was 4 in this album, and two older girls Beatrice and PEggy. The children were all raised in the Montessori schools in Pasadena and Fulton ended up working as an envoy to some country. I found out little else and always wondered how they managed to pry these wonderful albums from the hands of the family. There is at least a novel of written words that the mother put in and all penned in the fashion as if it is coming from the children.. I will never part with this and someday hope to make a book or movie from it.. I love all the photos and sadly I sold 2 before I realized I wish I hadn't.. so you will see images from time to time and I still have a few up in my etsy store. Enjoy your Saturday, its looking like rain here.

3 comments:

Sandra said...

Hi Marianne, I think you should write a book about this amazing family. I know, not enough hours in a day to complete all your artistic dreams. It is raining here too! We also had a power outage. i love the rain as we hardly ever see it here in good ol' S Cal. Sandra

Dr.Who said...

I am a PhD researcher in the Netherlands. The Freeman family was, indeed, amazing. Remaining members of the family have given me complete access to a set of letters that this future Ambassador wrote when he was an exchange student in China in the 1930's and made a bicycle trip through Asia to Europe. He later joined the Foreign Service and was Ambassador to Colombia and Mexico.

Is there any possibility that I might ever be able to read through the albums and look at the photos during one of my research travels? My heart sank when I realized these treasures have been sold off, but at least one of the albums is in the hands of someone like you who truly treasures them. I respect your privacy, but I am hoping you might consider my taking a look at them in the name of biographical research on Fultwon J. Freeman.

Kind regards,

Suzanne Hoeben
Nijmegen,
The Netherlands

suzanne.who@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Former Ambassador Fulton Freeman was president of my college -- the Monterey Institute of Foreign Studies (as it was called then) -- when I started my program in Chinese language in 1973. He greeted my class and sang regional folk songs in different Chinese dialects (as I recall). Sadly he passed away while I was doing a year of independent study in Taiwan (1974/75). How I regret not having had the opportunity to know him better! Please treat the pieces of his life that have come to you with profound respect. Keep them in proper context. Do not treat them like relics of forgotten lands nor refugees from an unknown homeland.

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I am a mother of 2 wonderful girls, grandmother of 4, don't worry you will see photos of them one day! I live in Sedona Arizona, a beautiful place, lots of sun and blue blue skies! I listen to politics and my favorite radio channel is Cinemix. I am the oldest of 11 , I love my kids, my parents and my siblings and my friends!!

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