Saturday Snapshots: January 23, 2010

“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

{Two lovely young women share a welcoming embrace in this darling snapshot, for which no background information is provided. Who were these ladies? Sisters, best friends, cousins, neighbours? While both seem happy, the gal on the right is really brimming with a smile, was she more joyful than the other to be reunited? Or did she perhaps just like having her photo taken more than her companion?}



{A sweet little garden of low growing blooms (are those pansies I spy?) almost seem to convey the feeling of being a wallpaper design against which this lone woman is posed. Her charming turquoise dress, winged glasses, and sheer head scarf over a curled updo all lead me to believe this is an early 60s shot, yet what it doesn’t tell us is anything regarding what she was contemplating as she paused alongside this budding flowerbed.}



{Peer into this fun shot from 1957 for a moment and you quickly see there are many wonderful details to observe. From the fellow chomping on the tail end of his cigar to the grey and pale aqua hued cars, both ladies’ pretty hats to the appealing overall crispness of this photo taken of a group of wedding guests out in the parking lot, it’s hard not enjoy this great snap.}



{A cheerful looking pair of young love birds flash their pearly whites for the camera in this playful shot. Don’t you just love his perfectly slicked back hair, her tie neck dress, and the fact that they’re holding hands while she rests on his knee?}



{Seven people and an adorable black spaniel gather in someone’s living in this shot from 1955, and the look of things they were having a causal party of some sort. What first drew me into this shot was the seated, grey haired woman’s quirky expression and off centre gaze, but upon closer inspection I fell for the younger lady’s simple yet elegant black jumper over a pale blue sweater, and also couldn’t help but notice the chap on the far right appears to have something nestled in his ear (a hearing aid perhaps?) .}



{Two young 1940s mothers (I’m guessing they’re moms, they one or both of them could have been sisters, cousins or some other relation to the child she’s holding) from North Carolina proudly show off the wee little babies in their arms. I wonder, given how close in age these two children were, did they go to grow up as friends?}



{Gang, I’m divided when it comes to this fantastic 1958 shot that was snapped in Italy. On the one hand it comes across as looking quite posed to me (the rather handsome gas station attendants, the gorgeous white convertible, the fact that the colour red appears often throughout the image), yet something about it doesn’t quite seem like a movie still/publicity shot or magazine image. I wonder, was it posed in the sense the gas station workers were asked to stand like that as the woman tossed her gaze over her shoulder, or was this a full-fledged professional shot with models/actors? What do you think?}



{Braving the obvious cold and bounty of snow (a scene many of us can relate to at the moment!), a young girl (named “Emy”) takes her adorable little doll out for a bit of fresh air and exercise in this sweetly endearing winter shot from 1951.}



{Three chaps sporting matching garb, pose in unison against the running board of an immensely attractive car (does anyone know the exact make and model?) in this fun shot that was taken in Park Extension (Parc-Extension) area of Montreal, Quebec circa 1932.}



{Eight women (technically nine if we count the one whose back is just barely visible in the doorway) wearing absolutely lovely spring or summer dresses and sharply elegant hats, gather together in this wonderful group shot. Given their youthfulness, I wonder if they were part of a sorority, young women’s club, or perhaps the same college class. Whatever brought them all together that fine day, it’s evidential that all shared a passion for dressing beautifully.}

{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.}


It would not be a stretch of the imagination by any means to say that the world has suffered an insurmountable tragedy with the recent earthquake in Haiti. A country, already replete with hardships and woes, has been dealt the most distressing of blows.

Our brand new, seemingly innocent decade’s reputation has been deeply marred already with this horrific catastrophe. Yet while Haiti is endearing perhaps its darkest hour ever and a phenomenal amount of work will be required (not just today, but in the months and years to come) to rebuild this shattered nation, I believe that it is the onus of the world to ensure that hope stays alive. Hope that the sick will heal, the departed can be properly laid to rest in peace, that the forlorn will be able to build new lives, that the country will, in time, once again learn to smile.

History is no stranger to unspeakable calamities, they have been recorded as far back as we have written records and no doubt occurred long before humanity was able to note them down. However, no matter how often or infrequently a major disaster of any sort – be it man-made or natural – occurs, the greatest thing we can do as planet it to gather round and help in every way possible, all the while holding onto the highest degree of hope, those who need us in the most earnest of ways imaginable.

Now and always, for the survivors of Haiti, let us hold onto hope and use it as the building block upon which to reconstruct a devastated nation.