Mid-Afternoon Break

Mid-Afternoon Break

Story

This appears to be mid-afternoon break for sandwiches and refreshments.  During harvesting and other field work, it is necessary to take adavantage of as much daylight time as possible.  There was probably a noon meal and usually sometime in the mid-afternoon food and drinks were brought to the field. This provided a brief break to cool off and rest while eating snacks of sandwiches and having cool drinks without all the time it would have taken to go to the farm house and return to the field.

The Crew

Crew Member 1

Crew Member 2

Crew Member 3

Crew Member 4

Crew Member 5

Crew Member 6

Crew Member 7

Crew Member 8

Crew Member 9

Food Preparation

It was usually the farmer's housewife and in this case possibly their daughter, who prepared the food and drinks for the afternoon.

Housewife

Little Girl

Boy Driving Buggy

Boy Driving Buggy

The boy driving the buggy appears to be very proud of himself and rightly so.  He probably drove the horse and buggy carrying his mother, sister and all the food to the field.  He also likely had the full responsibility of getting the team of two horses harnessed, bridled, and hitched to the buggy along with attaching all the rigging. Note the cords on the back of the horse to help keep the horse flies in check.

Date

Given the stubble in the front of the picture, possibly this picture was taken at the same day as the "Stacking Hay" post[2]. All the dates of items in the album so far identified have been between 1905 and 1919 with most of the dates being between 1911 and 1917. Let's say 1911.

Location

Probably in Nebraska because this postcard was in the first section of my grandmother's album which contained postcards received from relatives in Nebraska.

Notes

1. I am unable to identify any of the people in this photograph.  Possibly someone will recognize the picture as well as the people in it.
2. I suspect that this picture in this postcard taken at the same day as that of the "Stacking Hay" post.  The crew members may be the same.