Whilst staying at my Uncle Brian and Aunt Kamala’s house in Jamaica (before and after the whole large family reunion gathering) we noticed a photograph that none of us could remember seeing before, but had obviously travelled the thousands of miles from Guyana to Jamaica (with unknown stops in between). It was a photograph of my paternal grandparents; George and Louraine Lam.
The reunion in Jamaica was mostly of their children, grandchildren and great grand-children (etc etc etc), I thought that I’d photograph this photograph and share it so others may see. It doesn’t appear to be an original photo, but a print from an original, maybe.
As familial names go, we’re now not only Lams, but also Lees, Rajacks, Junors, Mihelichs, Townsends, Heads, Hutsons and others that slip my mind (I’ll probably be chopped off the tree for forgetting) 🙂 We all share a common ancestry, and we’re all family.
It was great meeting all those cousins and in-laws, aunts and uncles, that I’ve heard of so often in my life but never met before; seeing people who grew up oceans apart, but in whom I could still see physical and character traits that are so familiar that they remind me of closer family members. And it was a great treat to see this photo of a couple that I vaguely remember from my childhood, a couple that many of us have never met, but a couple to whom we are thankful for giving life to the family that we are today.
We now span cultures and continents, yet through snail mail and e-mail and social networks like Facebook, we remain Family.
George Lam was already among the third generation of Lams born in Guyana, his great grand-father being the first generation to come here, that makes me a fifth generation Guyanese Lam 🙂 or sixth generation on Guyana’s shores, and proud of it.
The Michael Lam Collection's Blog 
Good looking couple. The photo looks like a hand tinted black and white. They look fairly young and the photo may predate modern colour technology (Kodachrome came about sometime in the 30s), although colour photography has been around with a variety of exotic processes since the late 1800s.
Technicolour? 🙂 I figured it was a process similar to what you described.
A beautiful couple and so young…..
He looks so proud and she looks a bit defiant? Theirs must be an interesting story!
I think it would be nice to get their children together for a comprehensive story 🙂
Hello Michael. Man, I enjoyed reading the story that you told so nicely. The photograph has much more meaning now that you explained a little about it. I agree with Cynthia Preston. “A beautiful couple and so young…..
He looks so proud and she looks a bit defiant? Theirs must be an interesting story!”
Regards
Cecil
Thanks Cecil, it would be interesting to hear what their children say about that story 🙂
Tell them to get out the tape recorders and pen and paper. I am off now to a bridal shower for a young woman getting ready to continue on in matrimony her and her fiances story which began some time in high school. And the end of next month my second daughter will continue her and her fiance’s story in matrimony which began in second year university…..God willing.
I can try. 🙂 Good luck with yours!
There is something very fulfilling in seeing pictures of ancestors who one may have known briefly, or not at all. It’s hopeless, I’ve found though, to determine character from these pictures, but it sure is fun to try.
Very nice, Michael.
I must say, though, your grandfather George resembles my uncle Royden (Lam) a lot. Uncle Royden is married to my father’s sister, Carol.
Thanks Nick, I can’t find a Royden on the tree 🙂 If you have any further info (other relatives) let me know 🙂
maybe he got chopped off the tree (smile). I always assumed he was related to you all since there are no other Lams that I know of.
Pretty neat. 🙂
I knew them both. The word Defiant fits her. She was a very strong person all the way to the end. Very proud and a wonderful cook. Full of style. George was lovely in his own way. Fun and friendly comes to mind. Life for both was not easy. The children they left behind have all done them proud. Thanks for sharing Mike. Did you leave out the Yhaps, Chungs, Tangs, Chins….. 🙂
I didn’t do an exhaustive investigation… my brain can’t handle it 😉
Your grandfather actually reminds me of some of my cousins on my mother’s side. Turns out that his great-grandfather was most likely my 3rd great-grandfather, after doing some research
really? that’s great!
Your grandfather definitely reminds me of some of my cousins on my mother’s side. After doing a DNA ancestry test, I found out that I am also a descendant of the Lams through my maternal grandfather. I believe your grandfather and my great grandmother were half 1st cousins, with his great-grandfather being my 3rd great grandfather.
Great, that’s some nice sleuthing 🙂