Iannuccilli: Why Didn’t They Smile?

Iannuccilli: Why Didn’t They Smile?

During my presentations, I show several old pictures of my immigrant grandparents and relatives in their later years in Italy and early days in America.  One thing conspicuous in the pictures is that they did not smile.  It is the rare image where a twinkle, even a slight crack at the side of the mouth, is visible.  No, they do not look uncomfortable.  Rather, they look proper, sitting upright or standing tall; a formality that conveys a twinge of sadness.  If that were the case, there would be good reasons.

Life was difficult in the old country and, love their land or not, to survive they were forced to relocate.  To book passage, come across the ocean under duress, land in a place where they did not speak the language and had no place to live or work, was daunting.

My memories of growing up among them are not what one sees in the photos.  Rather, I remember the pleased, proud and laughing group of my childhood; gathering with pride to eat, drink, play music, dance and sing.  The fears of relocation and survival were dwindling; the constraint of hardship in the mirror.  I ask the audience when I project the picture, “Is there anything you notice?”

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After a slight pause, they respond, “Yes. They’re not smiling.”

“Right.  Why do you think that is?”

The responses are thoughtful and sometimes amusing.  “They weren’t happy?  Things were tough in those early days.  They were sitting too long because photography was slow, and shutters did not snap quickly enough.”  I like this one.  “They had bad teeth.”

“Those are good ideas, but no, that was not the case.  Any others?”

“Superstition?  If they smiled, it meant that things were good.  And, if so, they feared that subsequent days would bring something not so good, perhaps even bad.  Misfortune might arise tomorrow if they were happy today.”  Not a bad response.

For example, when one asks an Italian how he is, he usually says, “Non c’e’ male” or “Cosi cosi … Not so bad, So-so.”   To say, “Very good” might bring bad luck.  A smile might do the same.

No, neither is that the answer.

The explanation I heard from an elder Italian made sense.  “They did not smile because it was just not something they did.  They believed it did not look good. They were happy enough, but their culture dictated that it was inappropriate to smile in a photo, as a smile might reflect poor behavior, a poor presence.  Italians are quite conscious of their behavior in public.” This was an explanation that made the most sense.  It was cultural.

Pictures from later years show families established, educated, prosperous and enmeshed in a new culture in America; away from the chaos of the old country.  In this setting, people smiled.  The old-timers still fought it a bit, but Mom, Dad, aunts, uncles, and cousins did not.  

They were happy.  They were established in America.

Ed Iannuccilli is the author of "Growing up Italian" and "What Ever Happened to Sunday Dinner?" and "My Story Continues" can be found here.