Barb’s Album from Betsy

This post is based on the album Betsy put together for Barb on her 40th birthday, supplemented by other photos from Betsy’s collection and ones I’ve found. The commentary is mostly mine, added much later and subject to corrections and revisions from more knowledgeable sources.

The Fishers moved to Hong Kong in 1958. Barbara Helen Fisher (born October 17, 1958) was adopted there as a small baby. She had been found more or less in a basket on the doorstep of a convent in Causeway Bay, near what we later knew as a bowling alley (most likely the SCAA Bowling Centre that was build in 1966). Fred and Louise put Barb “on hold” at the convent while they went on home leave for the holidays and Barb grew healthy enough to leave the nuns’ medical care. When she was deemed ready, Barb came home to the Fishers on March 11, 1959. Gotcha Day.

The moment Barb arrived, Betsy’s life changed forever.

The Fishers lived in Hong Kong for about two years in an apartment in Kowloon. Looks like they had a little Volkswagen Beetle to tool around town. Baby Barb was a happy little girl, most of the time.

Barb’s first birthday, October 1959.

“Barb’s birthday – Betsy had a wonderful time”

The Fishers employed Hsia Ch’in Woo (Xia Qin in pinyin; I’m going to stick with spelling it Hsia Chin even though it should have the apostrophe per Wade-Giles) as an amah to help with the kids and the household. Hsia Chin was the mother of David and Jeremy Wu; the Fishers would later help the whole family emigrate to the U.S. We still stay in sporadic touch with Jeremy.

In August 1959, Louise returned to the States for a month when her father passed away, leaving Fred in charge of the girls. Barb remembers these pictures of two little orphan girls and their beleaguered Dad. The truth is, Fred had Hsia Chin’s help with cooking, cleaning and babysitting, so maybe it wasn’t so tough for him.

Hong Kong nursery school? Betsy 2nd from left, front. Is Barb in this? 1959?

Christmas, 1959

Later in Hong Kong: our little bathing beauty.

Barb’s second birthday, 1960…in Hong Kong, I think.

Mary Dean with Tom and Ken giving presents to the birthday girl. Also Jeremy?

The Fishers returned to the States around 1960 to live in Fairfax for several years at 508 Lamarre Drive. The timing is a little unclear to me…the photos below mention Easter 1960 at the Deans’ which I was guessing was in Fairfax but maybe not. The birthday pictures above (October 1960) look like they’re in Hong Kong. In any case, sometime during 1960 the family moved to Fairfax.

Betsy and Barb at Deans’ for Easter 1960 (?) with ???

Not sure when or where this is from. It’s Betsy, for sure…is Barb at left? Is the friend the same one from the pool? Regardless, it’s a good dog!

At around this time, Fred’s career focus shifted from China to the topic of nuclear disarmament for a while before shifting again to Europe.

I think it was around this time that Fred indulged himself with a used Porsche convertible. It was not a practical family car and didn’t last long, but he loved it while he had it.

Barb and Betsy enjoying a cool ride (Fred’s Porsche?)

Christmas 1960 in Fairfax.

A possibly extraneous undated picture of unrelated children. Do we know any of them? Is that Barb holding someone?

Barb’s birthday, 1961.

School photos, date/grade uncertain.

Vacation with Fred’s parents on Mackinac Island, Michigan.

Summertime lunch out back in Fairfax with Nanny?

Barb’s 4th birthday, 1962, in Fairfax.

Christmas, 1962.

Christmas in Detroit 1964 (or 1963?).

Betsy, Fred, Grandma Helen, Barb with scraped nose and chin, Grandpa Robert in Detroit in 1964?

Kindergarten at Fairfax.

More Fairfax, 1964-65.

In the summer of 1965 the family moved to Rome. They stopped en route to see the New York World’s Fair.

According to Barb, the family’s government apartment in Rome was not ready when they first arrived, so they stayed a couple of months in a rented apartment in Fregene, a beach town near Rome. Fred commuted into Rome for those first couple of months.

Evidently, two rather significant events happened while they were there. Louise, Barb and Betsy were shopping at an open air food market one day when, for reasons unknown, a rooster jumped on Barb’s head and started pecking her. Barb has no direct memory of the event but ever since has been scared of any bird (bigger than a sparrow) walking on the ground. That includes pigeons, ducks, geese and turkeys. I have forever had to shoo pigeons out of her path whenever we walk in cities around the world or else she stops and stands stock still, shaking with fear. It seems a little bit funny or ridiculous at first, but there’s no doubt her fear is real.

Barb lived with this fear of birds for many years without knowing the cause. Decades later, Louise mentioned that it must be because that rooster pecked her head…which was the first Barb learned of the incident. Thanks, Mom.

Also, evidently while still in Fregene, Louise took the girls to get their hair cut. They ended up at a barbershop and, through lack of communication skills in Italian, both girls ended up with boys’ bowl cuts. Barb calls it the Bowl Cut Fiasco. It took a long time for their hair to grow back to where they wanted it.

Not sure where or when. Louise in the same dress (?) but the girls seem older

Barb turned seven in Rome, October 1965.

Christmas in Rome, 1965.

In 1966 the family took a trip to Mt. Blanc on the Swiss-French border and encountered real snow. Fred’s mother and Nanny were along for the trip.

Barb, Betsy and Fred “at the middle level of Mt. Blanc where they start off on their skis or hiking”

Louise, Nanny and Grandma Fisher all in the same shot. One time only!

They also took a trip to Austria in July (perhaps this was all a single trip around the Alps).

Also to Meersburg and Ulauf in Germany (or is Ulauf the dog?). Maybe a different trip?

Not sure if these were from the same trip, but probably. Neuenweg is a small town in the very southwest corner of Germany not far from Meersburg and Lake Constance.

The Fishers also ventured to Venice. Barb’s fear of birds was already apparent at this point, but the family made a point of feeding the pigeons in St. Marks Square anyway. Barb says the photo of her actually feeding the pigeons was staged. Her preferred method was to hurl the corn at the birds as hard as she could.

Betsy and Barb communing with pigeons, in their own ways

Barb’s class in Rome. Second grade?

Barb seated, 6th from left…in case you couldn’t figure it out

In the summer of 1966, the family moved to Milan, Italy and an apartment on Via Giovanni Pascoli. Barb attended school (3rd grade) at the American International School of Milan. See Barb’s Italy album for more on this period.

Barb remembers the Tyng sisters used to babysit her and Betsy. They were somewhat older Asian-American mixed girls; Barb thought they were beautiful. They later came through Europe and stayed with the Fishers in Dusseldorf. Fred and Louise were horrified that any parents would let two young college girls travel alone together through Europe.

Barb also remembers that in Milan she and Betsy were chosen along with some other kids from school to model for a fashion catalog. We haven’t found the pictures yet, but Barb fondly remembers looking cute. No doubt.

Louise and Betsy window shopping (in Milan?)

It was in Milan that Barb discovered chocolate chip ice cream from a gelateria down the street from their apartment. A lifelong friendship ensued.

Barb’s 8th birthday party in Milan, October 1966.

The caption on the back of this photo says, “Christmas Eve on Louise’s bed” but the photo is dated April 1967, so go figure. Anyway, I think it’s in Milan.

This dining room photo was taken in July 1967, so it’s likely in Milan. The two paintings are (alleged to be) by renowned 19th-20th century artist Qi Baishi. Many of Qi’s paintings are in museums or go for millions at auction, but there are lots of forgeries as well. Fred and Louise bought this pair in their first stay in Hong Kong, I believe, so pre-1960. Articles like this make me wonder what they might be worth, particularly since the inscription and chop on the paintings in this article are similar to ours. We still have the shrimp and Betsy has the crab. Don’t give them away.

Louise’s mother, Nanny, stayed with the family for about a year in Milan, and did some travels in Italy. This was when she taught Barb the fine art of making crispy spaghetti. Barb and Betsy grew much closer to Nanny during this year together.

“With the traffic policeman at Sirmione on Lake Garda, Italy”

There was student unrest in Milan in 1967-1968 and some threat of violence. The consulate reacted by adding security details to watch over the families of American staff. Fred evidently never really explained this to Nanny, but she came to appreciate the nice young men who seemed to follow her around everywhere and helped with her grocery bags.

In 1967 the family returned stateside to live in Annandale for a couple of years. They lived at 4016 (street)??? and became good friends with neighborhood families including the Kestenbaums and Brinscoes.

Christmas 1967. New favorite member of the family: Lilly, a mix of a Briard and Bouvier des Flandres.

Undated Christmas photos, maybe from Annandale in 1967?

More Annandale pictures.

I’m guessing this might be from Annandale in 1968? 4th grade?

In August 1968, the Fishers went somewhere with water with someone. Much floating ensued. Who is it they were traveling with?

There are photos of an undated trip to Williamsburg and Jamestown…but the mystery woman was there. So maybe the floating was on that trip?

We have random photos of visits with Stewart (somewhere) and Grandpa Fisher (in Detroit?) from more or less these years.

Louise, Barb and Betsy with Stewart…in Michigan?

Christmas, 1968.

The Fishers pulled up stakes again in the summer of 1970 to move to Dusseldorf, Germany (you can also spell it Duesseldorf, or more properly with an umlaut over the “u” but I don’t know how to do that in WordPress) where they stayed for three years. I know Barb and Betsy have more memories of that time than I’ve been able to capture so far. I hope to get more stories at some point. Barb says that Betsy especially enjoyed their time in Dusseldorf. Barb a little less so, and Louise much less so. I’m not sure about Fred. I hope to learn more.

“Karate? I’d rather read.” …Barb did take karate class for a while.

The streetcars were a big deal for Barb and Betsy. The girls were allowed to ride them alone and used them to commute to school, giving them a taste of freedom to roam around without parent supervision all the time.

More Dusseldorf.

Hanging around during the walk in the woods

Fred had bought a Plymouth Barracuda in Annandale and loved that car. It was sporty enough for him and the back seat was big enough to cart the family around. He had the Barracuda shipped to Germany where it was a novelty whizzing along the Autobahn. It even got shipped to Hong Kong and then back to Oakton. I think it was probably the longest-lived of any of Fred’s cars.

I remember going with the Fishers in that car, stuffed to the gills, to take Barb to UVA in Charlottesville for her sophomore year. Fred let me drive it a bit on the way back, just after I’d got my license in Key West. His Barracuda had a lot of “play” in the steering wheel, meaning you could move the wheel an inch or two either way and nothing would happen…but that next quarter-inch would make the car lurch in one direction on the other. It was the way Fred liked it but very different from Len’s Corvette with its very tight steering. I nervously white-knuckled along Route 29 north of Charlottesville for about 30 miles before pulling over and giving the driving duties back to Fred, relieved not to have killed us all. I never did get comfortable driving that Barracuda.

Fred had the Barracuda shipped from the States

Did Louise go into the hospital for her feet? Did it have something to do with East Berlin? I feel there’s a story there. More seriously, around this time Louise was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. I’m not sure if this photo is related to that. I’d rather find out about the feet.

While in Germany, Fred undertook a personal mission to visit American WWII memorials, battlefields and cemeteries in Europe, trying to trace his Army unit’s path and bringing the family along for the ride. He reminisced mainly to himself but Barb developed an affinity for WWII.

Undated photo of Betsy on what seems to be a boat with Louise, Leona, Uncle Larry and someone. Where? When? Did Leona and Larry visit in Germany?

Pensive Betsy, from around the same time?

Another random undated photo of Louise, maybe from around this time? Any idea where or when or with who?

Or this one?

Louise developed a taste for cuckoo clocks in Germany and enjoyed shopping for them. Fred’s ability to read Chinese made the local papers!

A translation:

Fisher reads Chinese
He can write “America” with Chinese characters:
Consul Frederic A. Fisher (46) studied Chinese for three years when he was abroad (in) US service on Formosa and Hong Kong. “As an American, you learn as much Chinese in three years as you learn German in three months.” Nonetheless, he has learned the Chinese language in writing and speaking to such an extent that he can read Chinese newspapers.
The diplomat, who studied political science and comes from Detroit (Michigan), has been with the Consulate General in Düsseldorf since August 1970. Before the German-American Society, he spoke at the foreign institute about the relationship between the USA and China, then and now.

Two school photos of Betsy. Which years?

Graziella, a family friend from Milan, paid a visit to the Fishers in Dusseldorf.

A belated 1971 Father’s Day card for Fred.

Fred and Louise being diplomatic in Germany, I think.

I don’t know who these folks are, but it looks like Germany. It also looks like Fred is enjoying the evening a lot more than Louise.

The Fishers vacationed in Amsterdam.

Another vacation photo, probably a different time and place. Any idea where, when and who we are traveling with?

Lilly and Bricilino in Dusseldorf (there were several Bricilino’s in the Fisher history, evidently…but only one Lilly).

“Small fish pond at back of the garden and cat”

Lilly stayed for a while with Barbara and Philip (who are Barbara and Philip?)

“Guess what I dream — Bricilino I, August 1974”

Summer of 1971: a return to Riccione Beach, Milan, Bavaria and Vienna.

Catching the eye of the Italian guy in Milan

Louise getting a ride somewhere. Germany? Austria? Different trip altogether?

Betsy and Barb both attended the American International School in Dusseldorf (AISD) for three years, Barb’s 8th-10th grades and Betsy’s 9th-11th.

The Fishers’ 1971 Christmas letter gave an update on happenings.

School and family ski trips in Austria, mainly from 1972. See more in Ski Trip album.

Here we have a photo from November 1973 of a family I don’t know…but we have their first names.

Nancy, Ann, Lee, Rozze, Charlene and Walter

A full family shot from 1974, shortly before leaving Dusseldorf.

Fred and Louise at a ceremony in Germany (or possibly Hong Kong) — maybe departing Germany or arriving in Hong Kong?

The Fishers visited London and Hawaii on their way to Hong Kong in July 1974.

Barb doesn’t remember much about Hawaii from this trip other than visiting Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial which was still leaking oil, even then.

In summer 1974 the Fishers returned to Hong Kong for two years. They lived in an apartment at Wongneichong Gap Road with a view of Happy Valley and the harbor.

Bill showed up, mostly in Barb’s senior year.

Louise and Fred having a serious talk, possibly about Bill

Fred got himself a fancy new Minolta camera and took some shots around the apartment. Ah Ping was the Fishers’ amah in Hong Kong. She was a younger women with a limited command of English. She was also not a especially good cook or housekeeper, but she and the Fishers indulged one another. I remember she used to over-bake chicken or pork chops until they were dry and crusty, but somehow pretty tasty anyway. Generous amounts of salt, probably.

Louise in the kitchen…I think in Hong Kong but possibly in Duesseldorf

For at least a little while, the Fishers had a cat in Hong Kong. He or she was not very compatible with Louise’s furniture, however, and was not long for the apartment. I don’t think Barb even remembers the cat’s name, which is very unusual.

Here’s Fred being diplomatic, meeting a Congressional Delegation in Hong Kong coming from Tokyo in October, 1974…or maybe these are UPI journalists with the delegation. Does it matter? Also being somber at another occasion.

“Codel UPI from Tokyo, October 11, 1974”

Touristing in Aberdeen in Hong Kong, among the boat people. These are the best shots we have of Aberdeen Harbor and the community that lived all their lives on boats. This way of life was being phased out of Hong Kong while we were there; I’m not sure how much remains…other than the floating restaurants for tourists.

Christmas 1974 in Hong Kong, I think.

Junior prom and end of Barb’s 11th grade…and Betsy’s graduation in 1975.

In 1976, after Barb graduated high school, Fred and Louise moved to Oakton, Virginia where Fred became a Foreign Service examiner, testing would-be recruits.

Barb in her palatial bedroom, not much larger than pictured

A visit to Dearborn.

College weekends in Oakton.

Barb in Betsy’s wedding, 1982.

Betsy in Barb’s wedding, May 7, 1983.

The happy couples.

Fred retired a few years after Barb finished college in 1980…or was it after the weddings?

Barb graduated from law school in 1986. Sara was born in 1991.

Barb, Sara and Betsy with Hsia Chin at her 70th birthday party in Arlington

Allie arrived in 1995.

Family get togethers (more).

Allie’s 3rd birthday (see more).

And the saga continues…pick up the thread in Bill’s timeline from 1999 onward.

Family Home Page

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