I’ve seen a lot of old photos in my lifetime (what can I say, it’s a fascination of mine), and one thing is for sure: Back in the old days, people really liked to take pictures of themselves eating watermelon.
No other food has so many vintage snapshots. Burgers? Nope. Ice cream? Not quite. Corndogs? Not even close. There’s just something about watermelon that puts a smile on people’s faces – then and today – which makes it a good photo op food.
The snapshot above is a good example. It’s called simply “watermelon eaters,” and beyond the name and the happy expressions on everyone’s faces, not much else is known about the image. As always – because this is what I do when I look at old mysterious photos – I’ll fill in the historical blanks by making up my own story about this moment frozen in time.
In my head, this photo was taken on June 18, 1932, in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Secaucus High School Class of 1912 had gathered for their 20-year reunion (they all thought it would be fun if everyone wore white shirts). The event was actually kind of boring until Jimmy (that’s him lying proudly in the front) produced half a dozen ripe watermelons from his cousin’s farm. Even back in high school, Jimmy always did know how to have a good time.
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