1957 Mrs. Sadie Belle Walsh stands with 2th grade class positioned by Waltz The Camera Man who brings balanced lighting for four rows with two seated in front on each side, and four on the floor — the most complicated setup. The height distribution’s challenged by the tallest in the class being Phyllis Burrows, partly blocking the face of the boy behind. Maybe the girl row of six should have swapped places with the boy row of seven? Two Brownies — if you were a Brownie those days, you wore your uniform. By the mid-60s, did that tradition die? I don’t recall seeing any uniforms by that time.
1959 The motherly Mrs. Loehr who loved to work in music class late afternoons and taught everyone to sing “Cielito Lindo” in Spanish (more or less), stands with the 4th grade class in three height-sorted rows. This time Phyllis moves to center of the third row and no one’s blocked. Looks like tallest should stand in the center of each row — though I wonder why I wasn’t moved to the other side of Wendy Springer, who was nearly as tall as Phyllis that year. More than half of the class wears default smiles, but a noticeable number looks less…congenial.
1960 The charismatic Mrs. Dickinson joins the 5th grade class for the group photo. Mrs. Dickinson started nearly every day with music — getting everyone to sing her favorite patriotic songs like “When the Caissons Go Rolling Along” and “I Like It Here” — eventually starting a choir that toured convalescent homes at Christmas. The photographer arranged three standing rows with the shortest members seated in front, and the back row not centered but oddly right-aligned. Phyllis remains the tallest and this time in the last row which is no longer all-boys. And next to Phyllis, Dyer looks his most relaxed. In the third row only Dale Kelly is not facing the camera and seems a bit ill at ease.
1961 The photographer for Baumans elicited a more spontaneous response than any class photo before or after. No-nonsense Mrs. Novak and her 6th grade class stay seated — in contrast to the formal standing lineups that often captured situational discomfort for all eternity. One noticeable gap in the top row is Jim Ladd who wants to distance himself from Thelma Munsey, a sort of class pariah for reasons no one probably remembers. At the other end of the row Pat Conley looks off-screen, next to fellow bad-boy Dan Dyer. In the second row I try to make the best of it all while being elbowed by my “arch enemy” for three years preceding, Dale Kelly, looking positively gleeful. In the front row everyone must have been told to fold their hands. Steve McKinney looking squeezed in the center barely complies as he looks off (distracted or pensive?). At the left end Mike Weber has his own ideas and sits back in the most relaxed pose of all.
1962 Principal Miss Oberman presides over the 7th grade class, standing with arms held behind and a few boys looking uncomfortable. Phyllis is placed in the third row rather than the all-boys fourth row. Color photography this year. In contrast to the previous years, the class must have been told to dress up. Sport coats on all but two boys, with only bad-boy Pat Conley sans cravate. One year before retirement, Miss Amanda Koester apparently didn’t want to be remembered in a class photo.
1963 This year Miss Oberman stands in for Mr. Thoman, undoubtedly the most liked teacher in 7th and 8th grade. The 8th grade class has been moved from the bleachers to stand in front of the stage. Despite there being four rows instead of three with more room on the sides, it looks cramped. This year the dress for boys is more casual with only two suits in evidence. This photo feels like an outtake before everyone could engage with the camera and manage a smile. The lighting looked more evenly distributed the year before at the bleachers.