Lost Memories: A Man in Uniform

Posted on by Rebecca C.

The photo, A Man in Uniform, is from a recently purchased group of negatives. The seller did not have any background information on the box of negatives. As I slowly digitalize them, I can tell many are old military photos. My knowledge of the military is slim. I have heard wonderful stories. Actually, many tales are from family members. I even volunteer with a group that sends care packages to military personnel stationed overseas. But, beyond the basics, I am clueless. 

So what do I notice about the man in the photo?

  • I believe he is in the Army. (Please do not yell at me if I got it wrong.)
  • I am assuming from the tents, he was stationed overseas.
  • Judging from the amount of dirt on his boots, the terrain is wet. Perhaps, they just had a rainfall.
  • I think the structure at the end of the tents is a mess hall or medical building.
  • The first four letters of his last name are: SMAL
  • Every tent has a trash can on the outside.

Did I miss anything? What do you see?

I would love to learn his story. Was the photo taken during wartime? Did he come home safely? Did he marry? Have children and grandchildren? I will probably never know.

Until next time…peace

Vintage Photo: Dinner Party

Posted on by Rebecca C.

Yes, I am guessing they are at a dinner party. Actually, I think they are celebrating a birthday or a small wedding. The candelabras make me think the image may be from a wedding.

When I enlarge the photo, I can see more details including:

  • Gifts on the back table which could be for a wedding, birthday, or other celebration.
  • Champagne or wine bottle on the rectangle table. The front table does have filled wine glasses. At first, I thought the glasses had water in them.
  • The plates in the background have neatly wrapped little boxes. I can assume the boxes are wrapped with napkins with a trinket inside.
  • The man sitting at the front table seems to be unwrapping the box.
  • The second woman on the left is starring down at something which I am assuming was in the boxes.
  • The people at the table are either drinking coffee or tea.
  • There’s a lollipop sitting on the table.

Do you see anything I may have missed?

One aspect I love about this photo, everything is washable. The plates, cups, saucers, coffee pot, and other serving ware are reusable. Personally, I think that is habit we all need to implement in our daily lives.

Until next time…peace

 

Vintage Photo: Market

Posted on by Rebecca C.

With all my old photos, my view is simply guesswork. I am assuming this photo is a market. I could be wrong. I would love to hear your thoughts.

In the right lower corner, I can see produce on a table or stand. Many markets sell fruits. I can see watermelons and potatoes. I cannot tell if the other is small baked bread or yams. Below the stand, there are baskets with other items.

In the foreground, there is another stand with a number 1437. I am guessing this is a booth number for selling produce. I believe this stand has potatoes too.

My other observations:

  • I do not view any women in the photo.
  • I see one child, a boy in almost the middle of the picture. He looks to be concentrating on an object on the table.
  • The man in the left corner seems oblivious to the scene. He is smoking a cigarette and reading the paper.

What are your observations? Did I miss anything?

Until next time…peace

Vintage Photo: Airplane

Posted on by Rebecca C.

Purchasing a box of old negatives is always a gift to me. I love seeing a glimpse of a lifestyle long gone.  In a recent find, I was able to digitalize numerous plane photos. Now, the airplanes are definitely far from being modern. In fact, some of them do not resemble airplanes at all.

As always, I wish I could provide more details. But I do not have enough knowledge about this aircraft or any others to provide specifications.

Originally, I thought the plane was in an old barn. But looking at the photo closely, the windows do not match a barn type building. I am assuming the photo was taken inside of a warehouse or hanger. But I could be wrong.

If anyone has any ideas on the plane, I would love to know your thoughts.

Until next time…peace

Little Girl on Christmas Morning

Posted on by Rebecca C.

Ok, with all honesty, I am guessing the picture of the little girl was taken on Christmas morning. But from the empty boxes in the background, I am confident the photo was taken around the Christmas holiday.

With all the photos I find, I wish I knew the story. Was the little girl happy to have a new bike? Was the photo taken at Christmas? What was the year? Who is the person sitting on the couch? I can only see the person’s feet. But from the clothing, I would assume the person is a female. Perhaps, the little girl’s mother.

I am guessing from the style of the television and the tricycle the picture was taking in the late 1950’s or early 60’s. If anyone can give me a better estimate, I would love to know your thoughts.

I love the hanging tassels on the bike handle. I wonder if the streamers were brightly colored. I believe the tricycle has a bell on the handlebars too.

Did you notice the footstool in the background? I love the ottoman. I bet, the footrest is part of the chair, love seat, and couch set.

What do you think of the picture? Let me know…

Until next time…peace

Side View of the Hospital

Posted on by Rebecca C.

In the photos I am currently digitalizing, I notice nurses in full uniform and military personnel. A few photos show a military base in a remote area (I will post those later, they need some extra work). Do I know this hospital photo is near the base…no? I am just guessing based on the other photos. A couple of the other photos were taken in California. But I cannot verify if this hospital was near there or not.  In my opinion, the hospital is a grand structure.

The photo was labeled “side view of the hospital”.  I am assuming the nurses were caring for patients and living on site. The photo dates for the rest of the pictures were 1942. But, there was not a date on this particular photo.

If anyone knows, where this hospital was or even if it still exists, I would love some information.

Until next time…peace

 

Doodlebug

Posted on by Rebecca C.

The vehicle in the photograph reminds me of something my father would make. He loves converting old cars into a tractor-like vehicle or a doodlebug.

Do I know the photograph is a doodlebug? No, I, unfortunately, I do not have enough information about the photo to accurately describe the vehicle. I wish I did.

The other photos/negatives from this particular estate sale range from 1940 to 1950. I am assuming the date of the photograph falls within this decade.

I cleaned up the negative to the best of my abilities. If anyone has any further information or thoughts on the photograph, I would love to hear them.

Until next time….peace

 

1937 Group Photo

Posted on by Rebecca C.

I admit I have spent a significant amount of time viewing this photo. The photo has a time-stamped date on the back from when the image was developed, August 6, 1937. I cannot read the entire photo service stamp. But the location of the photo development service was located in Portland, Maine. I was actually surprised to see the location.

The other photos and negatives were from California or military locations. I do take into consideration, the box was a mixed lot from an estate sale. So, the images could have originated from several sources.

Let’s get some perspective about the time frame of this photo. In 1937, Gas was only 10 cents a gallon. Can you imagine? A loaf of bread was 9 cents. A new home ran an average price of $4100.00. Of course, an average year’s wage was only around $1800.00.

1937 was the year Amelia Earhart went missing over the Pacific Ocean. The passenger aircraft, the Hindenberg, caught fire in Lakehurst, New Jersey. And, J.R.R. Tolkien’s, The Hobbit was published in September.

I wished I could have cleaned the image up more. But the photo was small and damaged. The corresponding negative was in worse condition.

What I noticed about the photo…

  • The people are in the photo are all ages.
  • The gentleman on the far left looks to be an artist, a painter. I wonder if the group is watching him paint. Or, is he painting a portrait of the group?
  • The young man in the front row (laying down) seems extremely relaxed about the whole ordeal. I am only guessing. But the other young man sitting beside him seems to be his best friend or maybe his brother. They seem to be talking to each other.
  • The young girl sitting by the two young men seems extremely interested in their conversation. I wonder if she is or wants to be a girlfriend to the man sitting up.
  • Now the girl sitting next to her looks bored. I am assuming she is the friend of the girl interested in the conversation.
  • I wish I could see the faces of the two people with large hats. I am intrigued.
  • The women sitting toward the back, I can see the one’s slip. As my great aunts would say, she is properly dressed. There is a child clutching on to the one woman.
  • The gentleman standing against the wall look as if they would like to be anywhere but there.
  • The man sitting next to the two women is bending down. I think he is petting a dog. While his wife is watching contently.
  • The rest of the group seem to be watching an event or engaged in idle conversation.

I would like to guess the photo is part of a family reunion or a wedding. I know, I will never know. But I enjoy imagining their lives.

Until next time…peace