Fur and family ties: A look at Bertha Smith Athya’s Photo Archive

My husband and brother-in-law recently watched the 1931 movie “Cimarron,” starring Richard Dix and Irene Dunne. During the film, someone remarked about the women wearing fur stoles. This conversation made me think of my husband’s grandmother, Bertha Smith Athya, and her photo archive, which contains several photos of young women and a child draped in furs, including the heads, arms, and legs of the animal pelts. These practical accessories would have been wrapped around the shoulders and could be tied off in a knot or clasped shut with a brooch. They were popular in the 1920s and 1930s and would have been a warm and fashionable accessory for a young woman to wear. 

Bertha, born in January 1898, lived in Armstrong and Westmoreland Counties in Pennsylvania during that period. There winters were bitterly cold, with heavy snowfall. Survival meant doing whatever it took to keep warm. Bertha had four brothers, likely contributing to a lively household. These brothers, possibly avid hunters and trappers would have had access to animal pelts—potentially the very furs you see in this post.

In the photo below, Bertha is wearing a pelt-like white fox fur scarf, complete with the head, legs, and tail. The scarf not only provided warmth but also added a touch of elegance to her winter attire.

I believe the woman in the photo below is Bertha as well, wearing the same white fox fur scarf.

In the next three photos, we see Bertha’s eldest son, John, born in June 1925. Judging by his appearance, he seems to be around four or five years old. Interestingly, John is wearing what appears to be the same white fox fur scarf that his mother wore earlier.

 

 

 

The young woman in the next photo remains unknown to me, yet she was likely a friend to Bertha. Her photo album is filled with images of young adults, often set against the same backdrop. Although I have looked at this photo many times, it was not until now that I truly noticed its details. My initial focus was drawn to her head and the large bow she is wearing rather than the animal pelt. However, this time, I noticed the circular hair clasp and the necklaces she is wearing. I would classify the fur she is wearing as a shawl rather than a scarf.

I believe this woman in the next photo is Nina Hobaugh, a close friend of Bertha’s. In her photo album, there were several pictures of the two of them together, and luckily at least one was labeled. Nina’s shawl looks a lot like one worn by the young woman in the above photo, and it might even be the same one. I recall my mother-in-law sharing a memory about girls at her school wearing identical shirts or sweaters for their school portraits. Perhaps Bertha and her friends did this as well.