Saturday Snapshots {September 12, 2009}

“A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely unhappen.” ~ Edward de Bono

{The crystal clarity and composition of this shot leads one to initially wonder if it was taken of a famous star or by a professional, but the accompanying caption informs us that it was in fact of “mom” on San Luis Mountain in 1956. Evidently whoever shot it had a knack for portrait photography though, mom looks so dignified and beautiful here!}



{This photo is fantastic! It seems to burst with energy and happiness, as these three young women cut a rug atop an unknown roof somewhere. I’d peg the picture to be from the late 40s, based on the cut of their shorts and hairstyles; what do you think, 40s or very early 50s?}



{This shot is simply captioned “Chuck holding a lamb in Germany, 1959”. The tags go on to further inform us that “Chuck” was a Mr. Charles Edison French, the name of the adorable lamb however, is not provided ;D }



{Though no background info whatsoever is provided for this shot, the image itself – two beautiful young women sharing what appears to perhaps be a snack on a rock at the shoreline – speaks volumes for itself and the elegant era it hails from.}



{There are, in my opinion, far too few vintage colour photos of redheaded and auburn haired women, so the moment I spied this shot (entitled “A friend of Marge and Jim Duncan, Margaret, in California July 12, 1953), I knew I had to share it with you all. Don’t you just adore her glistening gold and yellow hued dress, stylish hairdo, and what appears to be a nosegay of fresh flowers pined near her collar?}



{I used to adore twirling around while sporting dresses and skirts as a child, trying to make them flare out as widely as possible, just as this charming little girl (circa 1957) is doing here – perhaps to music wafting up from the phonograph on the floor.}



{There is so much going on, such a rush of vibrant energy to this New York street scene shot from 1944. From the water slicked street (I’m guessing from melted snow, as it looks to be around Christmas time, as evident by the lights strung from the “Strand” building), to the incredibly chipper hued taxis (not just yellow, but bright blue and yellow!), this is one of those photos you can look at ten times and spot something you hadn’t noticed before with each new viewing.}



{Posted by the woman on the right’s grandson, this photo depicts “grandmom and a new friend” en route via ship to a Cuban vacation in 1932. I adore how stylish both women are. They look beautiful but still comfortable, the balance of these two components being paramount when a lady travels.}



{A family posses for the camera on “Fiesta Day” in 1951, according to the information provided for this shot. What exactly Fiesta Day is, I do not know, but I do know that they kids look adorable in their respective cowboy and incredibly Dennis The Menace-esque outfits, and that mom’s green skirt is positively gorgeous! (Dad’s hat is pretty snappy, too.)}



{You can just hear the father in this photo whispering, “Look, son, look, over there, see?” As to what this 1940s family was watching, only they and the photographer know, but I like to think it was something cute like a rabbit or a mother dear and her fawn that had wandered into the neighbourhood.}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}


In gathering photos from the past of people I have never had the joy of knowing, I feel that, if even in the smallest of ways, I am helping to keep the memories that the faces in these images held in their minds alive. It is almost as though the events in these extraordinary shots were still taking place in some vintage realm somewhere wonderful.