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December 1943. "In the evening, Hugh Massman and his wife fold diapers. Joey's bureau drawer crib is moved to the side of their bed for the night." The Massmans were a young Navy family whose lives in Washington, D.C., were documented by Office of War Information photographer Esther Bubley. We're fortunate to have heard from their son Bascomb, whose comments have served as informative and entertaining annotations for these pictures. View full size.
That's not a wedding band on his pinky. It seems, from closer examination, to be either an onyx men's ring, which was a common style worn by men, or it could have been an insignia or class ring.
Not every ring worn on a man's left hand is a wedding ring. In fact, in this era, even though men's wedding rings were gaining a great deal in popularity by virtue of ad campaigns from the jewelry industry, not all married men wore wedding rings.
Is that his wedding ring on his pinky or was he not allowed to wear one in the military?
TK
These photos of the Massman family are just wonderful. And Bascomb Massman's comments make them even more special.
I love it that baby Joey had a bureau drawer for a crib. And I'm guessing that Hugh was left-handed.
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