10,000 Years Portrait Project
Great Island Photography's ongoing portrait project is one started from the heart. I shared a warm and wonderful relationship with my grandparents and having had the priviledge of that very special time with those who had seen so much; from horse & buggy to automobile; from telegraph to telephone; from gazing at the stars to a man walking on the moon, I realized early that from those who had experienced more of life, more was to be learned. Wisdom and compassion can often be found carved upon our features as we age and they are beautiful.
This project focuses on portraits of a 1,000 plus persons throughout New England, over the age of 80, who have "seen and done much" until we reach the goal of 10,000 years. Please send us an email about anyone who you feel who be a good addition to our project.
Else Milfort
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Else's earliest memories were as a 5 year old in the town of Diedenhofen, Germany. She could vividly remember this small town in the Alsace region and her memories included fear, hunger and the sights and fearsome sounds of a raging WW I.
The family later moved to Berlin and Else worked as a teacher. Else's last employment in Germany was as a governess to 2 children of a Jewish family. As WWII loomed, Else accompanied the children out of Germany, to re-unite them with their parents in Czechoslovakia; then on to Amsterdam with the family, and finally, to safety in the Dominican Republic. She met her husband Marcel there, fell in love and married.
After the birth of their four children in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Else was once again on the move. In 1949 she moved to the United States with 4 children, to join Marcel who had been in the US for 3 years, earning money for her and the children to travel and have a home when they arrived.
The next transition came in 1975, when her husband Marcel passed away. She accepted that loss with the same strength she had displayed her entire life. In her later years, she was able to travel on several occasions with her daughters back to Haiti and Germany and to spend time enjoying her children, grand children and great-grand children.
Else's next evolution came at age 96, when she acknowledged she could use a little help in her daily life and moved to Fairview in Groton. The care, respect and understanding that the staff provided allowed her to thrive at her age, and enjoy those simple things that continued to bring her joy.
Sadly, Else passed away in October of 2010 having lived an incredibly interesting life that spanned 17 days short of 101 years.
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