This Sepia Sunday is a follow-up to my last post, “Military Monday: Honoring Ronald Brown’s WWI Service.” When the Lexington Historical Society contacted me about the exhibit honoring my grandfather, I learned that they had a photograph of him wearing his Army uniform, but they didn’t have this one of him posing in his uniform with his mother, Margaret Robertson Gunn Brown (1871-1924). I sent them a scanned copy, which, I am happy to say, they are adding to their digital collection.
This Is Us 
Lovely photo!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! In 1924, Ronald would lose his mother to a terminal illness, which makes this photo all the more special.
LikeLike
Terrific portrait! It must have been treasured by both of them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A very specual portrait that must mean a lot to the family. It then struck me that, although I have photographs of my four great uncles and my grandfather in their Workd War One uniform, I have none of my great grandmother with any of her eight sons – a great pity.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is a pity.
LikeLike
This is a beautiful photo of Ronald and his Mum, Liz. Very precious #geneabloggerstribe
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reading everyone’s comments, it occurs to me that photos of mothers with sons in uniform are particularly poignant because of a mother’s conflicting feelings of pride for her child’s service and fear for his safety.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wow, what a photo. And how amazing that the historical society has an exhibit on him. That must mean so much to you!
– Katie Andrews Potter
Storybook Ancestor #geneabloggerstribe
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does. I was so thrilled to receive the e-mail from the exhibit organizer completely out of the blue!
LikeLike
Also- I am interested in your book! Would you be able to tell me more about it? My email is storybookancestor@gmail.com. Thanks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! I’ll e-mail you this weekend.
LikeLike
This is a beautiful photo! You can see the pride in her as she stands with her son in his uniform. I can totally identify with what you said above, her pride wars with her fear. As a MoM (Marine Corps Mom) I can understand this mother’s feelings too well. Thanks for sharing this poignant photo!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your comment! It’s tough to have a loved one in the military. (My husband’s retired Navy.)
LikeLike
I love this photo! Do you know if this photo was taken just before he left for overseas? Imagine what was going through Mother’s head at this moment?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Based on the approximate date penciled on the photo and comparison of Ronald in other photos, I’d guess it was taken after he finished training in Plattsburg. Fortunately, the war ended before he finished his officer’s training at MIT, so he wasn’t sent overseas.
LikeLike
Very cool. How sweet that they went to a photographer to have their portrait taken together.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is. The only other studio portrait I have of the two of them together is when Ronald was a baby.
LikeLike
There are several things I love about this beautiful photo, Liz. The first is the direct eye contact Ronald and his mom are making through the lens of the camera with us. It’s almost like they are looking at us, not at the camera. I love Margaret’s posture (unlike the stooped shoulders we see so often today) and her dress and jacket with its details along the bottom and the row of buttons along the sleeve. Gorgeous! And, of course, that it’s a mother/son photo. I think I can see a hint of concern in Margaret’s eyes.
How generous of you to make a copy for the historical society and how wonderful of them to have an exhibit with Ronald in it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your thoughtful comments about this mother and son photo, Nancy. I’m thinking I would like to have known Margaret.
LikeLike