Photos from the past

I was going through old photo albums recently and realized that some photos were fading. So I had them scanned and am putting them on this blog for posterity. Most of these photos are from a "baby book" that my dad kept for me, my brother Roy (who passed away in 1963 at the age of 12), and my sister Beaula.

This is probably my first photo, taken on 16th August 1950. I was 3 1/2 months old. The photo was taken on Madhu Road, in the jungles of Sri Lanka. My parents were working at Galgamuwa, a remote jungle town. My father was a clerk in the health department and my mother was a midwife. I was fed with Lactogen, a popular baby formula of the time. That's a 5 lb. can of the formula.

I weighed 6lbs. 12ozs. at birth, and was boron at the Sandalankawa Maternity Home at 4.55am on 30th April 1950.)

This photo was taken on 20th August 1950 in front of the house where my parents resided. The walls were adobe, the floor was probably clay, the roof was thatch. Of course, there was no electricity or running water.

My mother is carrying me. Behind her is my father. The young man in the photo is Shelton, my mother's youngest brother. The girl squatting in front is Heenamma (Jane), who lived with us to take care of me. She still visits me occasionally.

Taken on my second birthday in 1952. We were living at Kelaniya, in the suburbs of Colombo, in a large rented house. The photo was taken by Ben Fernando, a classmate of my father's. Because my brother was born on 28th April 1951, our birthdays were celebrated together.

My brother Roy, one year old

Roy & me. The clothes may have been sewn by my mother

My father, Basil Fonseka (my father's classmate who was also my Godfather) and us. The little girl in the photo is unidentified.


Roy & me. I must have been about 3 years when this photo was taken.

Roy & me. I must have been around 6 years.

Mother, Beaula (about 4 years), me, and Roy (around 1961), in the garden of our bungalow at Rathmalagara Estate, Madampe, where my father was the superintendent


I took this photo, with a small box camera

A portrait of the family, circa. 1960

My father returned to Ratmalagara Estate around 1969. This photo was taken by him in 1970. I must have been about 20 years old. My father owned a Peugeot 203, seen in the photo. The younger woman is my mother's niece, Pearl. The little girl used to help around the house.

We also had a series of German Shepherds. The one in the photo is Rani.