Sylvester “Frank” Dunning is my grandfather; he belongs to the “Greatest Generation” consisting of Americans who came of age during WWII and the Depression. Frank was born in 1932 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and has lived in South Attleboro, Massachusetts all his life. He lives in the house his father built and my father lives in the house my grandfather built. My grandfather stopped attending school after ninth grade to find employment and help with his family’s financial struggles. In 1953 he was drafted into the Army and served until he was honorably discharged in 1955. During this time he married my grandmother Madeline Pierce and they have been married for 60 years. Frank embodies the characteristics of his generation: persevering through difficult times and putting the greater good before himself. Through his constant persistence he developed values of personal responsibility and duty.

I am trying to reconnect with my grandfathers past while trying to transition forward in my own life. Through this perspective I compare my own life to my grandfathers. I was conflicted and constantly trying to subjectively photograph my grandparent’s interactions and domestic lives without romanticizing the way my grandparents live their lives. It’s uncertain what thoughts my grandfather has of himself and how he’s overcome adversities because he’s a man of few words. When asked he would simply reply “Don’t know too busy working.”