Tersilla Brondolo on the far left. San Francisco, early to mid 20's. This is the left side of a long panoramic picture with dimensions of 33" x 8 1/2".
Dena Infeld (6th from the right) and Dottie (first on right). Muriel may be third from the right. This is the far right side of the panoramic picture.
The middle of the panorama picture. This may have been a Grand Assembly.
Humans are generally social creatures, that is, we tend to form or join groups. These groups can be familial or by choice. The theme for this week is Groups. I have had this panoramic picture of my paternal grandmother, Tersilla Brondolo (Boothby) for awhile now. It was taken in San Francisco in the early to mid 20's and features a large group of Rainbow Girls. They may be past and present as there are so many girls varying in age, or this may be from a Grand Assembly. What I love most about this picture is the fact that my grandmother is on the far left, and Dena Infeld is on the far right. They would become sisters-in-law in the future and they became as close as real sisters for the remainder of their lives. Also included in the picture is another life long family friend, Dottie (Close). Another family friend, Muriel, may be third from the right. Two other friends not identified may be Mary and Alma. My Grandmother (we called her "Nino") referred to Aunt Dena as her "sister of the heart". She kept her Rainbow friends as a part of her family for the remainder of her life and then they in turn became a part of my family's memories growing up.
The four circled young girls were Dottie (far right), possibly Muriel (third from right) and Dena Infeld (Brondolo) sixth from the right. The circled girl on the left may be Mary or Alma? Aunt Dena was born August 7, 1913 in San Francisco. Nino introduced Dena to a very handsome Frank Brondolo (Nino's older brother) and they eventually married. Uncle Frank was a Mason.
Aunt Dena was honored as the oldest living Rainbow Girl at a Rainbow Grand Assembly sometime right before her death in 2006. She was paraded around the assembly hall in a golf cart while the girls stood and applauded for her! Her Masonic ties through Rainbow and later Eastern Star were a big part of her entire life.
Dena Infeld Brondolo (top left), Nino (middle), Muriel (far right, top), Dottie (bottom right) and then Little Mary (bottom left). These were Nino's life long friends. This photograph was taken sometime in the 80's. Little Mary was not part of the Rainbow Girls, as she was Catholic. At that time the Catholic Church didn't allow members to join any Masonic groups. But, she was a part of this close knit group all the same.
I have fond memories of growing up knowing these women, although I don't recall their last names except for Dottie (Close). I always knew them by their first names...and they all loved to have fun whether it was playing cards, dancing, going to dinner or just talking, talking, talking. Dottie became legally blind in her later years, and my sister and I learned to play poker and Kings Corners using large print playing cards during our weekly summer visits with Nino and Dottie in Sonoma, California. Muriel and Dottie lived in the same mobile home park (Valley of the Moon) as Nino did. It seemed like the perfect place to retire!
Another sweet memory; When Dottie began going blind Nino learned Braille to help her out. When Nino was dying, Dottie used to come over every day and take a nap with her. They were very close, and loved each other very much. I remember that Dottie had a very loving and big heart that extended from her foster children to all who knew her.
Nino's Rainbow Girls connections were both familial and chosen, and they lasted all of her life!
I wondered about where this picture was taken in San Francisco. Speaking of groups, I belong to a FaceBook group which shares information and pictures from San Francisco from 1915 on. I have found this group to be a treasure trove of information, so I posted these pictures and asked the group to help me locate where this photo was taken. The general consensus was that the picture was taken in front of the Main Library at 200 Larkin Street in the early to mid 20's. The library was built in 1917 and was refurbished after the earthquake of 1989 and then reopened in 2003 as the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. You can see where the three large doors are, with the two windows on either side. The street lamps are still there, also. I believe the older wooden doors were eventually replaced with glass doors.
The current resident of this building: The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco 200 Larkin Street.
How was this picture taken? Someone on the FaceBook group mentioned a Cirkut Camera that was popular for taking large group photos at this time. I did some research, and found a picture of the camera similar to what was probably used.
According to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirkut_(camera) ) the Cirkut was a rotating panoramic camera of the type known as "full rotation". It was patented in 1904 and was manufactured up until 1949. The camera worked by pivoting horizontally (along a vertical axis) while a roll of film moved across the film plane. These panoramic cameras were the precursors to our current IPhone panorama cameras!
So, if you have long, panoramic pictures of distant relatives in large groups, this was how it was done!
Relationship Reference: Me->Dale Richard Boothby->Tersilla Brondolo Boothby
*Frank Brondolo (Nino's older brother) married Dena Infeld in San Francisco, California.
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