In November, 1940, photographer Jack Delano visited the family of Mr. Timothy Levy Crouch in Ledyard, Connecticut. He was invited for the family Thanksgiving dinner that included nearly twenty family members and a twenty pound turkey to boot! These photos give us a unique glimpse in to pre-war life during the holiday season.
It was a snowy Thanksgiving in 1940, but everyone came out nonetheless for the annual family dinner. Here you see the sturdy Crouch home with all the family cars settled in.
Here we see the patriarch of the family, Mr. Crouch himself, who was a Rogerine Quaker, bringing in firewood to keep people warm as they waited for dinner.
And boys will be boys! Here we find two of the Crouch boys coming in after a full morning of hunting in the woods surrounding the homestead.
The Crouch family was ready to go with a 20-pound turkey this year, and here we find Mrs. Crouch pouring some water over the turkey as it gets close to "done".
One of the Crouch boys sneaks a peek at the fixins' to see if the "pudd'n" is ready for dinner. As is the case with most families, every one of the kids has his favorite dish!
One of the Crouch daughters checks in on the pies.
Another Crouch daughter takes her time setting the table while things continue to cook in the kitchen.
Mrs. Crouch takes a break from the kitchen to visit with the boys who have finally cleaned up from their morning hunt and are ready for dinner.
As is often the case at family dinners, the newspapers would come out as the anticipation for the big dinner set in.
As the kids get more impatient, they head in to the kitchen to check on things - and maybe get a taste!
Mr. Crouch has now done the first carving and the big bird is there on the table. The kids come in and make a motion to place themselves at the "grown-ups" table, but that won't last long!
As predicted, the kids were sent to the kids table.
And the event is in full motion now. Lots of talk, laughter, and people heading back for seconds.
From there, it's on to the pies, that stand ready for the family.
A content and thankful Mr. Crouch takes a moment to reflect after another successful family dinner at his home. They had made it through the Depression in relative prosperity and all were thankful to have each other and such a great dinner.
