Lorraine’s white bob and berry shirt caught my eye as I was riding my bike along the West Side Highway pathway. She was born February 23rd, 1920 in Brooklyn and moved to New York when she was about 2 to Washington Heights at 181st Street. They moved to 193rd Street and Broadway before there was an 8th Ave subway line, before there was a Washington Bridge, before there was a Fort Tryon Park. The area still had the stone fence from Washington’s time where she remembers having a wonderful time finding indian arrowheads. There was a farm around the corner from her when they moved in. Very few people had phones. Her father had the old Ford cars and they would drive up in the country and all the roads were dirt and if it rained they would snap something onto the sides of the car so the water wouldn’t come in. She had to climb up the hill and down the hill to go to school. Their bottles of milk (with the cream on top) were delivered by horse and buggy. And her mother would give her 5¢ to go down to the store to buy soup greens. She had a wonderful childhood she says. And it shows!
By the way, she currently lives in a 5th floor walkup.
Lorraine injured her arm recently, otherwise, I think she would have actually climbed up. ©Katarina Kojic
She looks like a movie star. ©Katarina Kojic
The most universally feminine gesture. ©Katarina Kojic
I love this shot (partly because I see myself reflected in her glasses and hope it’s foreshadowing of my own long and vibrant life. If my mom and my Oma are any indication, signs are great!) ©Katarina Kojic