A Journey to the Past

I've always wonder what the past was like. How the people lived? What they ate? What clothes they wore? What books they read?

The past is fascinating. The past has a way of capturing your imagination.

My favorite time period is the 1920's, the golden age of Hollywood. The movie starts of the past were glamorous, from the dresses they wore to the makeup they used.

1910-1960 is when the golden age of Hollywood took place. The 1920's was a fascinating time. The decade when sound was first introduce to movies, then we have the 1930's when the movie industry really took over. Many of the most iconic movies were made during this decade like Gone with the Wind and Wuthering Heights.

Both of these decades were amazing for the movie industry, for the actors, actresses and for the fans.

I remember from my earliest memories as a child my grandmother telling me about the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.

She always told me those were the best times to be in movies, but she never elaborate on her statement.

Today I'm looking through my grandmother's belongings. She has so many amazing things from dresses to makeup, jewelry and old photographs. On the walls of her home are glamorous pictures of her. She looks so beautiful.

I want to know the stories behind the pictures. I want to know everything about my grandmother's life in Hollywood.

So, now I'm in the attic of her house and in the corner I spot a treasure chest. Something important could be in there.

I open the treasure chest and the only thing I find is an old film roll. I find not one but two film rolls.

Well, this is quite interesting. I wonder why my grandmother never developed the film.

It won't hurt for me to develop the film roll. I take the two film rolls and quickly leave my grandmother's house.

So, I have the pictures. I actually got these two old film rolls developed. I found someone in town who still develops old film rolls and when I gave him the two film rolls he was surprised.

Mr. Song, an old timer in our town and the only person to still be developing old film rolls.

Mr. Song tells me old photographs are windows into the past that should always be cherished. I hope Mr. Song is right.

I go to the park and sit on my favorite bench. I open the first set of pictures.

Oh my god! that's my grandmother. Wow, she looks so beautiful. Her smile is pure perfection.

I'm just guessing here. This picture was taken in Hollywood, year 1936.

My grandmother was sixteen by 1936. She's been in Hollywood for three years.

I bet my grandmother was the most gifted and talented actress, even better than the great Jean Harlow.

I bet all the big movie studios like Paramount and MGM wanted to sign my grandmother.

Besides her beauty my grandmother had an infectious personality. Everyone wanted to be around her.

I go to the next picture and oh my god! my grandmother is on the set of one of her movies. Look at her costume.

I can't make out her entire costume, but the way it fits my grandmother is pure magic.

There is a lot of things I regret not asking my grandmother about and one of those things is about her time in Hollywood.

I wish I knew the name of the movie my grandmother is pictured in, sadly it's too late for me to ask. I only have the memories in my hands.

Let's move on to the next picture. I assume this picture is a bit older than the sixteen year old girl of 1936.

This picture has to be before the war began, probably around 1940. That was the year my grandmother met my grandfather.

This picture is of my grandmother having fun at the beach. Her smile is beautiful, so beautiful. I wonder who my grandmother is smiling at.

Then I turn to the next picture and see the person she is smiling is my grandfather.

I've seen pictures of my grandfather, so I know this is him in the picture.

My grandfather wasn't a movie star like my grandmother, he told me that his beautiful lady (a nickname he called my grandmother) was the most humble star in Hollywood, always smiling and always giving back.

Let's move on to the next picture. Oh my god! I remember seeing this picture hanging on the wall of their house and it's still there.

This picture is of my grandfather in his military uniform. He was a Marine.

After the attack at Pearl Harbor my grandfather signed up. He joined the Marines and went to the Pacific.

My grandparents never talked about the war. It was hard for both of them.

Back to the picture. My grandfather looks so handsome. I can tell why my grandmother loved my grandfather.

Alright the next picture. Wow, my grandmother is pictures with.............. Oh my god! that's Rita Hayworth, Betty Grable and Lana Turner. That is so cool.

Now this picture is a little out there and it's kind of making me wonder what my grandmother did outside of movies and now I know. My grandmother was a pin up girl.

Okay, now I'm going to put this picture down and move on. So, I finished the first set of pictures, now I'm moving on to the next set.

The first picture I take out is a little more tasteful then the last. My grandmother has more clothes on. Yea, I know funny.

There is one thing my grandmother did tell me about her time in Hollywood is that when she was meeting her fans it gave her great joy, and the story goes.

During the war the government sold war bonds. My grandmother took the time to help in the war effort by selling war bonds.

The next picture I take out is of my grandmother selling war bonds. You can tell a lot of people came to see my grandmother. She looks so happy in the picture. She is smiling and waving at the crowd.

My grandfather was right. My grandmother loved giving back and making people smile.

Okay the next picture is of my grandparents. Let me try to guess what this picture is saying.

My grandfather is in his Marine uniform so I think this is when my grandfather was shipping out to the Pacific.

I look closer at the picture and I see the sadness in my grandmother's eyes.

I go to the next picture and this one is no better then the last. It looks like my grandmother is on the set of a movie, but she is not happy. Her facial expression says it all.

Even though the war was raging in Europe and the Pacific, show business went on.

I can't even imagine how my grandmother made any movies, then the next picture showed my grandmother in a new light.

The USO is an organization that brings actors, actresses, musicians and Comedians to military bases to bring comfort and joy to the men and women in uniform.

On this picture I hold in my hands shows my grandmother on the USO tour in the Pacific. Her big smile is back.

I see in this picture my grandmother meeting our guys in uniform and they are happy to see her.

Look at this. This picture shows my grandfather and grandmother hugging and kissing. Wow, that's incredible.

Now this picture is too cool. That is the one and only Bob Hope. I can't believe my grandmother got a picture of him.

I move on to the next picture and it's a picture of my grandmother with the nurses. She is a natural.

The nurses are happy and smiling in the picture and so is my grandmother.

My grandmother in her natural environment making others smile.

Now this is another picture of my grandmother making others smile. This picture is of my grandmother with members of the Marines.

Look at that picture so very beautiful. I can tell my grandmother is happy doing her part bringing joy to our fighting men and women..

I'm here holding the final picture. I've come to the end of my journey. What a journey it was. I saw my grandmother in a whole new way.

Now here's the final picture. The final picture is of my grandmother in her wedding dress.

She is just so beautiful and yes, my grandmother did marry my grandfather. He survived the war.

My grandmother is such a natural beauty. Her beauty captivated a generation of people.

This journey into a past I hardly knew was eye opening and memorable.

Later in life, ever the humble star continued to give back always with a smile on her face.

Ava Hamilton, a once in a lifetime star, a journey through her life in pictures.