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A Little Bit of Sunshine

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Cold weather and I do not get along; I infinitely prefer the warm sun with a refreshing breeze. With the holidays behind and the remainder of winter ahead, I decided to search the term “sunshine” in the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog to give me hope of warmer weather to come. The photograph below of Miami, Florida in 1921 was just the type of image I hoped to find, transporting me to a tropical paradise.

Palms and sunshine near Miami, Fla. Photo by William A. Fishbaugh, 1921. hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pan.6a18847
Palms and sunshine near Miami, Fla. Photo by William A. Fishbaugh, 1921. hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pan.6a18847

The search for “sunshine” also brought some surprising results. I enjoyed the photographs below of the “Sunshine Girls”. Also known as Tiller girls, the women of this precision dance troupe are in what I consider the enviable position of soaking in the sun’s rays.

Sunshine Girls. Photo by National Photo Company, 1923. hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/npcc.09097
Sunshine Girls. Photo by National Photo Company, 1923. hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/npcc.09097
Sunshine Girls. Photo by National Photo Company, 1923. hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/npcc.09051
Sunshine Girls. Photo by National Photo Company, 1923. hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/npcc.09051

Another photograph that caught my attention in the search results was the photograph below from the Farm Security/Office of War Information collection. I identified with this woman eating lunch outside in the sunshine is one of my favorite things to do during the warmer months.

Girl worker at lunch also absorbing California sunshine, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, Calif. Photo by Alfred T. Palmer, 1942 Oct. hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsac.1a35343
Girl worker at lunch also absorbing California sunshine, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, Calif. Photo by Alfred T. Palmer, 1942 Oct. hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsac.1a35343

Despite my longing for balmier weather, I do admit there are activities that can be enjoyed in the bright winter sunshine. Whether it be skiing, sledding, or playing baseball, I hope we can all enjoy the rare moments of sunshine in the winter months to come.

Coast Guardsman from the icebreaker Northwind playing baseball in sub-zero sunshine on shore-fast ice in the Bering Sea. Photo by U.S. Coast Guard, 1953. hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.06616
Coast Guardsman from the icebreaker Northwind playing baseball in sub-zero sunshine on shore-fast ice in the Bering Sea. Photo by U.S. Coast Guard, 1953. hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.06616
Land of sunshine, The Southern California magazine. Print by Pierre Artique, between 1890 and 1900. hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.42072
Land of sunshine, The Southern California magazine. Print by Pierre Artique, between 1890 and 1900. hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.42072

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