What will you be doing on the Fourth of July? Swimming? Watching fireworks? Having a backyard picnic? The last activity mentioned is what the people are doing in this photo.
In the July 21, 1955 issue of The Romeo Observer, it displays this very picture of Dorothy Knuppenberg handing a roasted ear of corn to Dr. John Nott at a backyard picnic. The other people in it are Warren and Merle Parks on the left and Tom and Edna Nott on the right. Kermit - Dorothy's husband - is in the back roasting corn over the grill.
But why would the paper use this photo? There's a good answer for that. During the summer of 1955, The Romeo Observer covered the many ways that people enjoyed that season in a section titled, "Summertime Living And Reaction." Each issue would highlight a different activity.
For the July 21, 1955 edition, it was having a backyard picnic. The article titled, "Backyard Picnics Highlight Lives of Local Families" explains that family living in the summer is "many times centered around a backyard brick fireplace at the Romeo home."
The Knuppenbergs liked to have backyard picnics and invite friends and neighbors over during the summer.
The article even describes the grill used to roast the corn and how people would eat in the backyard. Specifically, it says, "The grill is flanked on either side by a cement topped bench. A table holding appetizing food is easily placed on either side of the fireplace beside the permanent seats. Other chairs are moved to the table for persons eating sizzling steaks and fresh roasted corn."
Now, a person in 2024 might be wondering why this article appears to be overexplaining what a backyard picnic is. Back in that time, grilling, as we know it, was a relatively new thing. As more people moved into the suburbs after World War II, more backyards became filled with grills, particularly the barbecue kind. What better way to promote grilling and backyard picnics than to include them in a newspaper article.
Going back to the Knuppenbergs, the story also mentions that they have a tennis court and red hybrid rose bushes that compliment their backyard.
Like families today, they played music while they ate. How did they do this in 1955? The article has an answer for that. A high-fidelity record player "installed inside the home sends music through a loudspeaker located at the back of the house to the residents and friends enjoying the out-of-door."
Enjoy your backyard picnics and have a Happy Fourth of July!
To access The Romeo Observer and see what people did during the summer in the past, you can contact the Romeo Community Archives at rca@romemodistrictlibrary.org or call (586) 690-4890.
Sources: The Romeo Observer Press, July 21, 1955, p.II-2, Ancestry, and Bar-S.com