Uncle George Harkavy. Somewhere in California. Photographer unknown. c. 1920’s.

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor@Blogfinger

Eileen didn’t know her uncle George very well.  He lived in California, and she doesn’t know his occupation.  He was one of 8 kids who grew up in Canarsie, Brooklyn.

It’s fun to speculate about a person from a photograph. His dress and manner make me believe that he was in California.  In fact, I think he looks like a Hollywood mogul or maybe an actor.

He’s smoking a pipe, and that used to be a common sight. You could count on sniffing some wonderful pipe smoke  if you walked around town or on a college campus.  Some of my friends liked that affectation, and most of them smoked “Cherry Blend.” We didn’t know about second hand smoke back when.  We thought that there was no danger if you didn’t inhale.  Even Bill Clinton believed that.

DUKE ELLINGTON and his  ORCHESTRA: