Average Jane’s Dapper Grandfather

I was going through old photos last week when I ran across this photograph of my grandfather:

There’s no date on the photo, but there’s writing on the back labeling the subject as “Bob and Daphne.” Since my grandfather’s name was Bob, I presume he called his car Daphne. Car buffs can correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe Daphne there was a Ford Model A.

Even more interesting, it says that he was dressed like that to indicate that he was a law graduate, so I’m guessing that this was taken at or shortly after his college graduation. 

I’ve blown up the photo a bit from the original size, which was a little more than 2″ x 3″, but it’s still a pretty clear image. I love it because everything from the look on my young grandfather’s face to the presence of a beloved car represents the best memories I have of my grandfather.

My grandfather loved old cars. He had restored a 1932 Plymouth Roadster from the ground up and would drive it on nice days and in the occasional parade throughout my childhood. When I was learning to drive a stick shift, he let me practice on the Roadster, which had fewer gears and a more forgiving clutch than a modern car.

This is inspiring me to go through my photographs and do more scanning. I’m going to try to make this type of post a regular thing. What great memories!