Every picture tells a story, but very often, half a picture tells even more of the story. The picture tells the story of that moment in time when the shutter fired - the family gathered on the doorstep. I have no idea who they are - the photograph was part of a batch of unwanted … Continue reading Torn History
Tag: Old Photographs
Beat That, AI
These days, geotags are automatically added to smartphone photos along with the date and the time (and the temperature and your hat size and the state of your bank balance, more than likely). In olden days, you had to depend on penciled captions in family albums. I have no idea who these two were, but … Continue reading Beat That, AI
Baby Burnett
My brother sent this photograph to me the other day - in my role as "the Burnett family historian" - suggesting it was either me or him. I tried doing a facial recognition analysis based on the rest of my family photos and it suggested it was a young Aunty Miriam (which it clearly isn't). … Continue reading Baby Burnett
Back Stories, Front Stories
You don't need to know the time, the place or t he names of the subjects to enjoy a good photograph. A degree of anonymity can, in fact, help; you can throw yourself into the scene and construct backstories and front stories to your heart's content. The strange thing about these four is that they … Continue reading Back Stories, Front Stories
Mystery Date
This photograph was part of a collection of family photos. The only clue as to the subject is a date stamped on the back, 6th January 1929, and the name of the studio where it was taken, Jerome. Could it be my mother? The dates fit, and there was a branch of Jerome's in Bradford. … Continue reading Mystery Date
Miriam On The Lake
My visit to the Lake District concludes with this rather wonderful photograph of my Auntie Miriam taken on a boat there ninety or so years ago. Whilst Miriam's smile is, as always, engaging, my attention is immediately captured by the passenger in the rather wonderful hat.
Two Rough Days At Sea
I have a very large box of unsorted, unwanted, and undocumented photographs which sits on my desk, and yesterday I dipped into it to get a photo so that I could check the connection between my scanner and my new computer. My choice was entirely random, but the result pleased me - so much so … Continue reading Two Rough Days At Sea
Andermatt 1924/25
Before you ask, let me say, I have no idea what is going on here. That, however, is the essence - and indeed, the joy - of collecting old and unwanted photographs. The only clue is a caption: "Andermatt 1924/25". Think of that as the film title, the photograph a still from the movie, and … Continue reading Andermatt 1924/25
That Magnificent Girl In Her Flying Machine
This is a wonderful photograph of my father's cousin, Ivy Burnett. She was born in Birmingham in 1906, and this photograph must have been taken when she was three or four. The great craze at the time was the new flying machines, and many photographic studios would have mock-up sets for sitters to use. Thus … Continue reading That Magnificent Girl In Her Flying Machine
