Our Life in Pictures

While doing genealogy work to prepare for the Murphy family reunion (my maiden name) in Ohio this summer, I learned something about my paternal grandfather through research that helped me better understand a man I never met. He and his wife, a grandmother I knew for many years, lived in Janesville, Wisconsin. There, Tom Murphy worked both at the local Rex Camera store (founded in 1910 and lasting over a century) and was the advertising manager for the Janesville Gazette.

As a young man, his advertising job at the newspaper was during the years of the Great Depression. My father told me that Tom was the creator the “dollar days” advertising sales concept during those years to help his clients advertise goods in a way people could even entertain, when a dollar was a lot of money and things were tough. I have his Encyclopedias of Advertising dated 1903 and 1905 and they’re fun to look at.

Having copies of some of Tom’s charming and somewhat avant-garde family Christmas card photos from the mid-1930s helps me understand what a clever and creative person he was. Creating custom cards with his own photos seems an eager project for that era yet is something I can relate to while putting the QB together and the idea of bringing a ‘hyperlocal’ luxury magazine to Barrington five years before that term was used.

As we wrap up our 19th year in print, I think of all the photos and stories that I’ve had the privilege of capturing and sharing with you in the past and the chance to introduce and welcome the newcomers. It’s about our life in pictures, capturing people and moments. Thank-you to our photographers over the years who have helped us see what a rare and beautiful setting we live in, and for celebrating the people who make it work. A special shout-out to independent photographer Linda Barrett whose QB photo shoots are always a masterclass in the fine art of photography. And finally, a heartfelt thank-you to our advertisers for supporting this publication. We invite them, and others, to join us as we celebrate “The Best of Barrington” in our upcoming 20th fall issue.

Cheers!