Champs-Élysées 1937

Champs-Élysées 1937

From a conversation with Grandfather · 19th January 2011

We went into this photo … ‘studio’ I suppose you’d call it, on the Champs-Élysées and they quoted a price. We were living on tuppence at the time and just couldn’t afford it. So the next thing is we were walking along and we saw this street artist. So Kay said, “Sure this establishment …” … so that’s how it happened.

I suppose that the artist decided that I wasn’t worth doing in colour. And anyway, we let him as intended do her in colour. It was within the sphere of our pocket. We could afford it … it can’t have been all that much.

We came home to the property in Strokestown. My good father, the Lord rest him, bought it for me. Oh, it was tremendous.

David was born eight months after we got married. He was premature.

My ten years in Strokestown were idylic. I was a blow in which was not very acceptable in the local sphere. In other words I wasn’t native to the area. So in the ordinary way I wouldn’t have had a hope in hell of attracting any business; but my clerk, John Carlos was very well‑in and respected by the local people. And it was he who kept me going.

I was there all during the war. A great place to be. As far as I was concerned there was no war. The only thing I was short of was petrol. We got that on a ration. But as far as anything else was concerned, tea, sugar, bread … you name it … plenty. It was great. And our house, it was lovely. Very very comfortable and very nice. And then of course we had a tremendous garden and two orchards and twenty acres of land as well. And I used to let the land to the local sergeant of the guards for grazing … for his cattle.

Kathleen Montgomery (1913-1997) - Champs-Élysées December 1937 · artist unknown - William Montgomery (1911-2012)