Nena's Kodak Album
Dublin Core
Title
Nena's Kodak Album
Description
A photograph album created by Rosario "Nena" Nieva Alminiana in 1947-1948. This ten page photograph album was created using a Kodak camera and includes Nena’s hand-written captions that exemplify her wit and humor. It documents Amando Ocampo Alminiana introducing Nena to various locations throughout Santa Cruz county and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The album documents their son, Angelo Alminiana’s childhood and early days at Notre Dame Elementary School and family outings in Watsonville and the surrounding areas as well as trips to San Francisco to visit Nena’s family and Amando Alminiana’s military friends.
Page 1: The first page of the album includes seven photographs and has two spaces that indicate missing images. All of photographs depict Nena and Amando Alminiana exploring the outdoors in Santa Cruz county from 1947-1948. Photo 1 is captioned "Standing among the rocks behind her" and was likely taken in Santa Cruz. Photo 2 is missing. Photo 3 is captioned "Water left this rocks at high tide" and was likely taken at Sunset Beach. Photo 3 is captioned "Look at the sea weeds. The water had just left them before we came" and was likely taken at Sunset Beach. Photo 4 is captioned "It is very windy and getting so cool. We had to hurry going home" and was likely taken Sunset Beach. Photo 5 is captioned "Mountains and hills along Santa Cruz highway." Photo 6 is captioned "Among the rocks and wild flowers" and was taken in Santa Cruz. Photo 7 is captioned "The family at the door of the shops, going out for a shopping spree" and was taken near Universal Barbershop in Watsonville. Photo 8 is captioned "Below the bandstand at the city park" and was taken in Watsonville. Photo 9 is missing but includes the caption: "Highway going to Freedom Town where we are meeting friends."
Page 2: The second page of the album includes nine photographs. All of the photographs depict snapshots of a young Angelo in 1948 and include some of Nena’s humor. Photo 1 is captioned "What a pose. Dad looks so demure, Sonny looks so enthusiastic" and shows Angelo and Amando. Photo 2 is captioned "Angelo posed with Dad and Eddie. Going to play football with Charlie" and shows Angelo, Amando in the white shirt, and Eddie Castro the barber in front of Universal Barbershop. Photo three is captioned "Another pose at the Sta. Cruz Highway" and shows Amando and Angelo on their way to Sunset Beach. Photo four is captioned "In the shop" and shows Angelo in his uniform posed with his school friends. Photo five is captioned "In full possession of the car. He thinks the world of this." and shows Angelo on the back of the family’s old dodge car at Sunset Beach. Photo six is captioned "Just a doggie for companion. Poor boy!" and shows Angelo with a dog at Sunset Beach. Photo seven is captioned "Well, what are you so proud of?" and shows Angelo with his friends from Notre Dame. Photo eight is captioned "Get ready, he says to Charlie. I'll kick now." and shows Angelo kicking a ball to Charlie Green. Photo nine is captioned "Quick please, I like to play now." and shows Angelo in front of Universal Barbershop.
Page 3: This page contains six photographs with three spaces indicating missing images. These photos were taken at Rio Del Mar Country Club around 1948. Photo 1 is captioned “Nice place to saunter when you get tired of walking around” and depicts her husband, Amando, with their son, Angelo. Photo 2 is captioned “In the garden by the clubhouse, Say Dad, what a smile.” Amando is posing for the camera in an all white outfit. Photo 3 is captioned “What sunshine eh? Pose, smile, says the photographer.” In the photograph Nena is posing, however, her expression seems discontent. Photo 4 is missing, however, it’s caption reads, “ah,a…not so fast. The racket is still down.” Photo 5 is captioned “Oh, I’m tired, can’t I lean on the palm tree?” Nena appears to be wearing a headscarf with her all white outfit. Photo 6 is captioned “Wait, I’m going down, but click says the camera.” Nena is sitting on a cement wall built over a body of water. Photo 7 is missing, but it’s caption reads, “A penny for a thought?” Photo 8 is captioned “hey look here, Jonny is just around.”
Page 4: This page contains nine photographs of Nena, Amando, and their son Angelo in Monterey, CA in 1948. Photo 1 is captioned “Going home from Monterey, this is the highway going home. Angelo won't keep still.” Photo 2 is captioned "Inscription: Casa dela Torre. Built in the late 1830s, headquarter of Don Joaquin dela Torre, Alcalde when Monterey was captured by Americans in 1846." Photo 3 is captioned "Near the City Hall in Monterey, one of the oldest building." Photo 4 is captioned “Same” and appears to be referencing Photo 1. Photo 5 is captioned “Dad what's so funny about?” Photo 6 is captioned “Hey, how is the sea breeze? Footprints on the sand of time.” Photo 7 is captioned “ Oh its so cool. Hurry dad, I want to go home.” Photo 8 is captioned “Knock, knock, oh its Sunday, office is closed in City Hall.” Photo 9 is captioned “ Nice view, hurry the sun is going down.”
Page 5: This page includes 8 photographs with one space indicating a missing image. All of the photographs depict Nena and some include Angelo. They were taken in 1948. The first six are taken in Monterey. Photo 1 is captioned "You can sit for hours in the velvety lawn of the friendly park in Monterey." Photo 2 is captioned “Somebody is making fun at my back!” Photo 3 is captioned “My bag should be snapped too.” Photo 4 is captioned Its too windy, c’mon hurry and the sun is going down.” Photo 5 is captioned “A car is coming Dad, look out.” Photo 6 is captioned “Wait, I’m going down, but click says the camera.” Photo 7 is missing, but the caption reads “tennis or football?” Photo 8 is captioned "No business yet?" and shows Nena through the window of Universal Barbershop. Photo 9 is captioned "At Rio del Mar Country Club” and depicts Nena on the pier near Seacliff Beach.
Page 6: This page contains 8 photographs with one space indicating a missing image. All of the photographs were taken in Watsonville in 1948. Photos 1-4 were taken at the Alminiana home on Riverside Road (then Bridge Street). They show Angelo playing with his neighborhood friends. Photo 1 is captioned “you can have the carts, I have the bicycle.” Photo 2 is captioned “Two friends I'm playing with.” Photo 3 is captioned “What What a position to bike? But what a fun.” Photo 4 is captioned “Georgie is a naughty boy as myself. He overdid our act.” Photo 5 has no caption and depicts Angelo sitting on the hood of the family car. Photo 6 depicts Amando and Angelo and is captioned "Dad and son having a nice time." Photo 7 has no caption and depicts Nena standing on the side of a road. Photo 8 is missing but its caption reads “ Say Dad, I'm here no use shouting loud.” Photo 9 depicts Amando and is captioned "The sun is hot can't you take pictures inside the car?"
Page 7: This page contains eight photographs with one missing space indicating a missing image. All the photographs were taken in San Francisco in 1948 while the Almininas were visiting family and friends. Photo 1 is captioned "Poor Linda, left alone to sleep with Charlie McCarthy." Linda is the daughter of the Alminianas’ best friends Paul and Charing Nepomuceno. Photo 2 is captioned "Don't cry baby, just one more shot” and depicts Linda Nepomuceno. Photo 3 is captioned "Nice day for the kids. Uncle Angelo is impatient” it depicts Angelo, Linda, and an unknown child. Photo 4 is captioned "Good, smile everybody” and shows Charing, Nena, Linda, and two unknown. Phot 5 is captioned "Don't cry, Linda is asleep” and shows Linda. Photo 6 is captioned "no, no please not me just Linda alone” and shows Charing and Linda. Photo 7 is captioned "Aw heck, we like to walk a mile, whats the big idea of too much shooting!" and depicts Angelo, Linda, and an unknown child. Photo 8 is captioned " Oh, she's awake. Uncle please, swing me back and forth” and shows Angelo and Linda. Photo 9 is missing, but the caption reads "Linda is not crying, she's laughing + hollering while we're snapping. My uncle, what a face."
Page 8: This page contains 9 photographs taken in 1948. The first five depict Amando wearing a tennis outfit and were likely taken in Rio del Mar. Photo 1 is captioned "Oh the sun, can't keep my eye open." Photo 2 is captioned “On the terrace of the clubhouse. Fresh air by the sea.” Photo 3 is captioned “C'mon Daddy. Take the ball” and shows Amando and Angelo. Photo 4 is captioned “Change of ownership eh? Nope, Dad likes his racket.” Photo 5 is captioned “Shall we go Dad? One more pose. The car is ready.” Photo 6 shows Amando on the beach and is captioned "Careful. The water is about at your feet." Photo 7 is captioned "On a visit to Frisco. Oh Linda, what a face” and shows Charing, unknown, Nena, and Linda. Photo 8 is captioned "The two Pinays are chasing and ? - Linda keeps moving her face” and shows Charing, an unknown woman, Nena, and their children. Photo 9 is captioned "Lola, trying to give a hand to Linda so she can walk."
Page 9: This page contains nine photographs with one space indicating a missing image. They all depict Watsonville in 1948. Photos 1-5 depict Nena. Photo 1 is captioned “Taken at the city park one Sunday afternoon.” Photo 2 is captioned “The beach at Santa Cruz County 1000 fit. below the highway.” Photo 3 is captioned “Got tired, she has to lean on the lampost.”Photo 4 is captioned “In front of a huge palm tree in the park.” Photo 5 is captioned “By the fountain with gold and red small fish.” Photo 6 is missing, but is captioned “That is the post office building in the background.” Photo 7 is captioned “This is the bandstand where Filipinos used to play on Sundays before” and shows Amando. Photo 8 is captioned “"Two pinoys posing with us by the shop (Max and Paul)." It shows two men named Max and Paul standing with Nena and Angelo at Universal Barbershop. Photo 9 is captioned "In the highway, 1000 ft above sea level." Photo 10 is captioned "Winter time, trees are leafless even apple trees behind the pair.” It shows Amando and Nena and the Barba family camp.
Page 10: This page contains four photographs with five spaces indicating missing images. They all show Angelo with his friends from Notre Dame elementary school and were taken in 1948. Photo 1 is captioned “Well, here are the kiddies just from school." Photo 2 is captioned "A stunt, Yeh, and who's under the middle now?" Photo 3 is captioned "The smallest kid in Pewie of Notre Dame." Photo 4 is missing but is captioned "No, not my bike, I'm too small for it.” Photo 5 is missing but is captioned "Like my pose, Kind of tiresome." Photo 6 is missing but is captioned "C'mom shoot it. I'm feeling lousy." Photo 7 is missing but is captioned "Nice group, just the dough boys in school." Photo 8 is missing but is captioned "Quick, I'll jump before the shot.” Photo 9 is captioned "Who's coming, look they're coming to play with us."
Page 2: The second page of the album includes nine photographs. All of the photographs depict snapshots of a young Angelo in 1948 and include some of Nena’s humor. Photo 1 is captioned "What a pose. Dad looks so demure, Sonny looks so enthusiastic" and shows Angelo and Amando. Photo 2 is captioned "Angelo posed with Dad and Eddie. Going to play football with Charlie" and shows Angelo, Amando in the white shirt, and Eddie Castro the barber in front of Universal Barbershop. Photo three is captioned "Another pose at the Sta. Cruz Highway" and shows Amando and Angelo on their way to Sunset Beach. Photo four is captioned "In the shop" and shows Angelo in his uniform posed with his school friends. Photo five is captioned "In full possession of the car. He thinks the world of this." and shows Angelo on the back of the family’s old dodge car at Sunset Beach. Photo six is captioned "Just a doggie for companion. Poor boy!" and shows Angelo with a dog at Sunset Beach. Photo seven is captioned "Well, what are you so proud of?" and shows Angelo with his friends from Notre Dame. Photo eight is captioned "Get ready, he says to Charlie. I'll kick now." and shows Angelo kicking a ball to Charlie Green. Photo nine is captioned "Quick please, I like to play now." and shows Angelo in front of Universal Barbershop.
Page 3: This page contains six photographs with three spaces indicating missing images. These photos were taken at Rio Del Mar Country Club around 1948. Photo 1 is captioned “Nice place to saunter when you get tired of walking around” and depicts her husband, Amando, with their son, Angelo. Photo 2 is captioned “In the garden by the clubhouse, Say Dad, what a smile.” Amando is posing for the camera in an all white outfit. Photo 3 is captioned “What sunshine eh? Pose, smile, says the photographer.” In the photograph Nena is posing, however, her expression seems discontent. Photo 4 is missing, however, it’s caption reads, “ah,a…not so fast. The racket is still down.” Photo 5 is captioned “Oh, I’m tired, can’t I lean on the palm tree?” Nena appears to be wearing a headscarf with her all white outfit. Photo 6 is captioned “Wait, I’m going down, but click says the camera.” Nena is sitting on a cement wall built over a body of water. Photo 7 is missing, but it’s caption reads, “A penny for a thought?” Photo 8 is captioned “hey look here, Jonny is just around.”
Page 4: This page contains nine photographs of Nena, Amando, and their son Angelo in Monterey, CA in 1948. Photo 1 is captioned “Going home from Monterey, this is the highway going home. Angelo won't keep still.” Photo 2 is captioned "Inscription: Casa dela Torre. Built in the late 1830s, headquarter of Don Joaquin dela Torre, Alcalde when Monterey was captured by Americans in 1846." Photo 3 is captioned "Near the City Hall in Monterey, one of the oldest building." Photo 4 is captioned “Same” and appears to be referencing Photo 1. Photo 5 is captioned “Dad what's so funny about?” Photo 6 is captioned “Hey, how is the sea breeze? Footprints on the sand of time.” Photo 7 is captioned “ Oh its so cool. Hurry dad, I want to go home.” Photo 8 is captioned “Knock, knock, oh its Sunday, office is closed in City Hall.” Photo 9 is captioned “ Nice view, hurry the sun is going down.”
Page 5: This page includes 8 photographs with one space indicating a missing image. All of the photographs depict Nena and some include Angelo. They were taken in 1948. The first six are taken in Monterey. Photo 1 is captioned "You can sit for hours in the velvety lawn of the friendly park in Monterey." Photo 2 is captioned “Somebody is making fun at my back!” Photo 3 is captioned “My bag should be snapped too.” Photo 4 is captioned Its too windy, c’mon hurry and the sun is going down.” Photo 5 is captioned “A car is coming Dad, look out.” Photo 6 is captioned “Wait, I’m going down, but click says the camera.” Photo 7 is missing, but the caption reads “tennis or football?” Photo 8 is captioned "No business yet?" and shows Nena through the window of Universal Barbershop. Photo 9 is captioned "At Rio del Mar Country Club” and depicts Nena on the pier near Seacliff Beach.
Page 6: This page contains 8 photographs with one space indicating a missing image. All of the photographs were taken in Watsonville in 1948. Photos 1-4 were taken at the Alminiana home on Riverside Road (then Bridge Street). They show Angelo playing with his neighborhood friends. Photo 1 is captioned “you can have the carts, I have the bicycle.” Photo 2 is captioned “Two friends I'm playing with.” Photo 3 is captioned “What What a position to bike? But what a fun.” Photo 4 is captioned “Georgie is a naughty boy as myself. He overdid our act.” Photo 5 has no caption and depicts Angelo sitting on the hood of the family car. Photo 6 depicts Amando and Angelo and is captioned "Dad and son having a nice time." Photo 7 has no caption and depicts Nena standing on the side of a road. Photo 8 is missing but its caption reads “ Say Dad, I'm here no use shouting loud.” Photo 9 depicts Amando and is captioned "The sun is hot can't you take pictures inside the car?"
Page 7: This page contains eight photographs with one missing space indicating a missing image. All the photographs were taken in San Francisco in 1948 while the Almininas were visiting family and friends. Photo 1 is captioned "Poor Linda, left alone to sleep with Charlie McCarthy." Linda is the daughter of the Alminianas’ best friends Paul and Charing Nepomuceno. Photo 2 is captioned "Don't cry baby, just one more shot” and depicts Linda Nepomuceno. Photo 3 is captioned "Nice day for the kids. Uncle Angelo is impatient” it depicts Angelo, Linda, and an unknown child. Photo 4 is captioned "Good, smile everybody” and shows Charing, Nena, Linda, and two unknown. Phot 5 is captioned "Don't cry, Linda is asleep” and shows Linda. Photo 6 is captioned "no, no please not me just Linda alone” and shows Charing and Linda. Photo 7 is captioned "Aw heck, we like to walk a mile, whats the big idea of too much shooting!" and depicts Angelo, Linda, and an unknown child. Photo 8 is captioned " Oh, she's awake. Uncle please, swing me back and forth” and shows Angelo and Linda. Photo 9 is missing, but the caption reads "Linda is not crying, she's laughing + hollering while we're snapping. My uncle, what a face."
Page 8: This page contains 9 photographs taken in 1948. The first five depict Amando wearing a tennis outfit and were likely taken in Rio del Mar. Photo 1 is captioned "Oh the sun, can't keep my eye open." Photo 2 is captioned “On the terrace of the clubhouse. Fresh air by the sea.” Photo 3 is captioned “C'mon Daddy. Take the ball” and shows Amando and Angelo. Photo 4 is captioned “Change of ownership eh? Nope, Dad likes his racket.” Photo 5 is captioned “Shall we go Dad? One more pose. The car is ready.” Photo 6 shows Amando on the beach and is captioned "Careful. The water is about at your feet." Photo 7 is captioned "On a visit to Frisco. Oh Linda, what a face” and shows Charing, unknown, Nena, and Linda. Photo 8 is captioned "The two Pinays are chasing and ? - Linda keeps moving her face” and shows Charing, an unknown woman, Nena, and their children. Photo 9 is captioned "Lola, trying to give a hand to Linda so she can walk."
Page 9: This page contains nine photographs with one space indicating a missing image. They all depict Watsonville in 1948. Photos 1-5 depict Nena. Photo 1 is captioned “Taken at the city park one Sunday afternoon.” Photo 2 is captioned “The beach at Santa Cruz County 1000 fit. below the highway.” Photo 3 is captioned “Got tired, she has to lean on the lampost.”Photo 4 is captioned “In front of a huge palm tree in the park.” Photo 5 is captioned “By the fountain with gold and red small fish.” Photo 6 is missing, but is captioned “That is the post office building in the background.” Photo 7 is captioned “This is the bandstand where Filipinos used to play on Sundays before” and shows Amando. Photo 8 is captioned “"Two pinoys posing with us by the shop (Max and Paul)." It shows two men named Max and Paul standing with Nena and Angelo at Universal Barbershop. Photo 9 is captioned "In the highway, 1000 ft above sea level." Photo 10 is captioned "Winter time, trees are leafless even apple trees behind the pair.” It shows Amando and Nena and the Barba family camp.
Page 10: This page contains four photographs with five spaces indicating missing images. They all show Angelo with his friends from Notre Dame elementary school and were taken in 1948. Photo 1 is captioned “Well, here are the kiddies just from school." Photo 2 is captioned "A stunt, Yeh, and who's under the middle now?" Photo 3 is captioned "The smallest kid in Pewie of Notre Dame." Photo 4 is missing but is captioned "No, not my bike, I'm too small for it.” Photo 5 is missing but is captioned "Like my pose, Kind of tiresome." Photo 6 is missing but is captioned "C'mom shoot it. I'm feeling lousy." Photo 7 is missing but is captioned "Nice group, just the dough boys in school." Photo 8 is missing but is captioned "Quick, I'll jump before the shot.” Photo 9 is captioned "Who's coming, look they're coming to play with us."
Creator
Rosario "Nena" Nieva Alminiana
Date
c. 1947- 1948
Contributor
Eva Alminiana Monroe
Rights
Watsonville is in the Heart (WIITH) is a community-driven public history initiative to preserve and uplift stories of Filipino migration and labor in the city of Watsonville and greater Pajaro Valley. Images were donated and digitally reproduced from private collections of individuals and families. Copyright remains with original owners. All images included herein are intended for personal or educational use only. Any reproduction, redistribution, publication, or other use, by any means, without prior written permission is prohibited. Please note that the images on this website are not included at their full resolution. For permission to publish or reproduce and for higher resolution files, please contact the project director at wiith@ucsc.edu . If you are the rightful copyright holder of this item and its use online constitutes an infringement of your copyright, please contact the project director to discuss its removal from the archive.
Format
Album: 12 x14 inches
Photos: 2.75 x 1.75 inches
Language
English
Type
Physical Object
Identifier
EAM.2021.58 - EAM.2021.68
Physical Object Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Photograph Album
Files
Collection
Citation
Rosario "Nena" Nieva Alminiana , “Nena's Kodak Album,” Watsonville is in the Heart: Community Digital Archive, accessed November 7, 2024, https://wiith-archive.ucsc.edu/items/show/547.
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