Ready for chicken shortcake
By: usermattw
Tags: antiques, military, Navy, photography
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What it is:
Photo measuring 4.5 x 3.25 inches.
What I know about it:
Written on the back is Eve of 11th April ’45 / just before chicken short cake dinner. And see comments below.
Comments:
Rummaging through a bag of unsorted snapshots, I ran across this photo for the umpteenth time and stopped to enjoy it. But this time, I said, “Hey wait! Isn’t that Rita?” Having previously posted pictures of Rita here and here, her face is one I’m now more likely to remember and recognize, and I’ve suddenly started seeing her in other photos I hadn’t previously connected to her. (The handwriting is the same on the backs of all of them, too.) I’ve found enough that I may have to create a special category for her. This photo reinforces the notion that she was a military brat. A different photo’s caption mentions that they were living in a “Naval housing project”. Photos from 1941 and 1942 refer to them being in San Diego. Do we want to assume they were still there in 1945? From the previously posted birthday photo, we know Rita is five years old here. Then there’s also that teenage boy. I’m assuming he’s her brother. From other photos, I know his name is Arthur, and he’s about ten years older than Rita, making him around 15 or so in this photo. And then there’s the writing on this photo. I assume that “eve” is referring to “evening of” rather than “night before”. And what could this chicken shortcake dinner be? It certainly seems to have been a special occasion, since they dressed nicely, commemorated it with a photo, and seemed to feel that no further explanation was necessary. To me, this whole thing is a charming piece of vintage Americana.
Pics of Then 
I kind of hope it means “chicken/shortcake dinner.”
I think chicken shortcake is a Southern-style dish, like biscuits and gravy, but with chicken in the gravy, or layered on the biscuit and under the gravy. I’m guessing the dinner was something of a community event, and that sounds like an easy dish to feed a crowd.
I daydream sometimes that one day a relative of Rita will find your blog and see these family pictures. They are a priceless collection and you do so well with them.
I would hope they would be happy. Thanks for liking what I do with them. I do try to show them some respect.