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Saturday, July 8, 2023

A Dozen Found Photos

I always enjoy when Steve posts old found photos & slides on Shadows & Light--here's one such post of his.

(I’m such a librarian—I wish bloggers would index tag their posts--I can't find or link to categories...)
I tagged these "found photos", and there aren't many other posts of those here.
Steve inspires me to share more!

These, here below, were the most interesting/evocative photos that I chose from a batch donated to the thrift store.
Few of these photos had anything on the back except a few penciled prices. I'd guess someone bought them over time and they aren't a stash from one family line.

I cropped expanses of lawn or sky in a couple photos, and I guessed at chronological order.
Input & more guesses welcome!

1, Below: Girl, right, could be a Charles Addams character! (Steve suggests this is the oldest photo in the batch.)

2, Below: Spiffy sleeves & spats, and a pompom on her hat.


3, Below: I didn't notice her fox muff till I enlarged the photo. That's one of the benefits of photographing old photos--looking closely at the details.


4. Below:  Handwritten ON THE BACK: 
Anderson's flowers   
June – Aug 1950

The awkward pose though...

 5, Below: I thought this was a motorcycle at first, but it's a grinder/ sharpener.
ON BACK: Alice Hilda Anna Julia
An antique grinding wheel from a Historical Society, "
used for grinding or sharpening ferrous tools, a necessity on any working farm."


6, Below: Cat! Orange, even in black and white, right?
ON BACK: 1954

 

7, Below: Is that woman flashing the photographer?! (Her elbows are raised off her knees in the right photo, like she's doing it on purpose.)

 
8, Below: The adults stand stiffly,
while the kids in the center are being kids.
 
9, Below: What a smile. I can't make out what he's carrying...

10, Below: ON BACK:
Left, Alice Buckson, Right Mary Minty, Gold Beach, Oregon
(A google search turned up nothing.)
 
11, Below: ON BACK:
Pat Ryan
May 1968

12, Below: Did I post this one already? It's a favorite--I especially love how the woman on the right is holding her cigarette. Historic!
Only the young man (son?) looks happy to be there... or maybe he's happy with the photographer.
Who's on the shore (or another boat) with the camera?

You never know what's going on in found photos, they just tease.

7 comments:

  1. These are so amusing, great finds. Self conscious poses , awkward in their clothing. Cameras do that to people unless the photographer can sneak up on the subjects, they are always pretty stiff.
    LOVE old found photos!

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  2. Such evocative photos for sure! That man draped across the lawn is somehow disturbing to me. I love the Dennis the Menace kid in the archery photo. What could his story be?
    And by the way- I think we have a grinder like that in Glen's garage. Swear to god. I have no idea why.

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  3. Great finds..
    That awkward pose..is exactly the reason I don't want people to pose when I have a camera ready!!

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  4. No. 9: an instrument case? Sax? Violin? It looks like he’s holding two things though.

    I was in a used-book store y’day with several file drawers of old photos (ridiculously overpriced). They always made me sad, because their presence means that there was no one to want them. So I’ll sometimes rescue one.

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  5. i love old photos especially if they aren't ones of my family.

    i bought an envelope of photos at an estate sale a few years ago. i think they were taken of the female in europe during the 1950s. i need to find them again!

    kirsten

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  6. Of course I LOVE THESE! I especially like the awkwardly-posed gent lying on the grass in his best suit! LOL! And the Charles Addams girls -- I think that may actually be the oldest shot, given the huge hair ribbons.

    That fox stole seems like a rather swanky thing to be wearing while standing next to a pasture!

    And oh, those old-fashioned '60s hair dryers. I used to see those in Goodwill back in the '80s, when they were already passé. I bet people donate them to your thrift store even now!

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  7. Hello, Linda Sue, Ms Moon, GZ, Michael, Kirsten, & Steve:
    I'm happy you all enjoyed these found photos--me too! I will keep an eye out for more--we get them every so often, though this was a particularly good batch---and you're right, Steve--every so often we get amazing old hair dryers too!

    Thanks for the guess, Micheal, of an instrument case--that's better than anything I could think of (nothing, really).

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