The object I have chosen for this assignment was a shawl inherited by my grandmother after my great grandmother passed away. 

This shawl was an engagement present gifted to my great grandmother, Maria Socorro from my great grandfather, Jose Angel Riera after getting married March 1st, 1947. He purchased this shawl on their honeymoon trip to “Santiago de Cuba” where Maria met his family. 

The shawl itself measures 64” by 64” and is very lightweight. While the fabric itself looks to be soft, it is the opposite. It is rough to the touch, similar to the feeling of wool. The embroidery throughout the shawl is very finely done, indicating that it was made by a machine (according to my grandmother). The colorful pattern on the fabric seems to consist of flowers-some of which are bigger in size and grouped in 4 groups of four spread out evenly in a square like shape- and birds, both difficult to distinguish what type. However, the three tails on the bird design, may indicate that it could possibly have been made to depict a phoenix.

After briefly gaining insight on how this shawl came into my grandmothers possesion, I wanted to delve deeper into the events that led up to and occurred during the ownership of this object. I decided to tackle this research by first asking my grandmother the story, as best she knew, of how my great grandparents met:

In 1945, Maria used to work in the Bronx location of Woolworth, which was a five-and-dime retail company that closed in July 1997. She worked behind the coffee counter which sold coffee and sandwiches so customers could eat while shopping. My great grandfather Jose, would always come in and order food, hoping she would be his server. However, with her being only 25 years old at the time and him being 20 years older, she thought of him as an old man and paid him no mind.

My great grandmother lived alone as a boarder, which meant that she paid a woman for room and food accomodations in their household. One day, Maria realized that she was out of sheets, so the lady she was boarding with mentioned she knew a man that was able to sell them to her. So, she agreed to meet with this man to purchase some sheets. Low and behold, this man was my great grandfather and the second he saw her he says, “Look at what destiny has put before me”. From this point, Jose started courting her until they got married in 1947.

Maria has always had an affinity for shawls, scarves or anything that she could wrap around her arms or neck. It was her favorite way to accessorize. My grandma told me she wouldn’t leave the house without one or the other; and she would always make sure to match the color or pattern of it with her outfit. She said that whenever my great grandfather would go out with her he would always say how much he loves how her outfits match her colorful personality.

On their honeymoon trip to Santiago, Cuba, my grandma told me how Jose had planned on getting her something really special. So one day on their trip, my great grandfather snuck away for a bit, in search of a gift for his wife. He came across a busy marketplace with stands of fruit, jewelry, shoes, pots, and then found a stand with shawls and scarves with such elaborate and vibrant patterns. That’s when he knew he needed to get something for my great grandmother here. He picked the one you see in the pictures above because of the black background representing Marias “reserved and tough exterior” and the colorful flowers and birds representing her “inner joy and beauty”. After being gifted this gorgeous piece she rarely took it off, she said it went with everything she wore, so why should she?

Despite my grandmothers collection of family heirlooms and abundance of old pictures, she sadly did not have any photos of my great grandmother wearing this beautiful shawl. But my grandma continues the life of this object as she wears it whenever we have a special occasion to attend. She doesn’t want to wear it too much becuase she wants to keep it in very good condition. However I am very appreciative to have been able to learn more about my great grandparents story and the significant objects in their relationship. I find it so heartwarming how much my grandmother cares for all of her things and tries to collect and keep as much as she can from her past. It further gives me access to unlock things I didnt know about my family’s history and keep these memories alive.

Riera, Pilar. Telephone Interview. 2023