While visiting my Aunt Kalliope in Athens, I noticed this autographed portrait of Angelos Tanagras (her dearly loved uncle) hanging in the living room. The lighting was low and I wasn't able to take a good photo. Next time, I hope to take it out of the frame and scan it. It's definitely the greatest photo of Tanagras I've ever seen. As the medals testify, he was an admiral and decorated for his contributions to the navy as a medical doctor. For instance, he set up the medical relief program after the burning of Smyrna in 1922 (only three years before this photo was taken).Although Tanagras died years before I was born, his presence remained physical in the family through his admiral's hat that respectfully rested on a ledge in my grandmother's house.
My aunt Kalliope was named after Tanagras' mother. And our daughter Kalliope is named after both my aunt and my great great aunt.
1 comment:
His fascinating personality is certainly mirrored in this portrait! I recently purchased a copy of the Ψυχικαί Έρευναι journal in an antique bookshop in Athens and study with great admiration his attempts to rationalize research on the paranormal.
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