Dublin Core
Title
All American Club Halloween? Party
Description
This photo is from one of the early Halloween parties of the All American Club.
In 1945, when the Finnish boys and girls who had grown up in Maynard came back from World War II, they wanted to form a Finnish American club at the Parker Street Hall where they had been playing sports and music and plays throughout the 20's and 30's. However, since many of them now had spouses of other nationalities (some brought back wives from Europe or the South of US), they decided to call it The All American Club. For thirty years they continued to put on plays, sing in the chorus and raise money, all in the Finnish language which most of them had learned at their mothers' knees. The meetings, of course, were held in English.
The club's hall contained a formidable costume collection from dramatics done there since 1906 and obviously this group has raided the closets where they found this motley collection of characters. Johnny Lubin and Niskanen, the fellow in the white shirt on the left, provided the dance music. They pose in front of and on the stage and have obviously thrown up some pieces of scenery for a background.
Times were very different then. We always had a bar at whatever activity followed the monthly business meeting on a Saturday night. It was completely illegal, no licenses and often there was a cop at a dance who saw nothing and said nothing.
John Lubin is sitting, far right front.
In 1945, when the Finnish boys and girls who had grown up in Maynard came back from World War II, they wanted to form a Finnish American club at the Parker Street Hall where they had been playing sports and music and plays throughout the 20's and 30's. However, since many of them now had spouses of other nationalities (some brought back wives from Europe or the South of US), they decided to call it The All American Club. For thirty years they continued to put on plays, sing in the chorus and raise money, all in the Finnish language which most of them had learned at their mothers' knees. The meetings, of course, were held in English.
The club's hall contained a formidable costume collection from dramatics done there since 1906 and obviously this group has raided the closets where they found this motley collection of characters. Johnny Lubin and Niskanen, the fellow in the white shirt on the left, provided the dance music. They pose in front of and on the stage and have obviously thrown up some pieces of scenery for a background.
Times were very different then. We always had a bar at whatever activity followed the monthly business meeting on a Saturday night. It was completely illegal, no licenses and often there was a cop at a dance who saw nothing and said nothing.
John Lubin is sitting, far right front.
Date
ca 1946
Contributor
Identification and background description provided by Roy Helander.
Identifier
2016.543
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Photo print
Physical Dimensions
8 x 10 in.
Storage
PB3