Picture This

Picture This!
Times Past: Pictures From The Old Family Album

Shutterbug Staff | Dec 1, 2006

If there was ever any question that photos keep memories alive it was answered by the wonderful pictures we received for this month's Picture This! assignment. Readers sent us a treasure trove of their family pictures, many accompanied by stories of those family and friends depicted. As we looked at each one and read the accompanying text we couldn't but help think of our family albums, and how we bring them out during holidays, and even on rainy nights, and savor the images and tell stories that each picture evokes. What struck us as well was that we received no "originals," and all were scanned or reproduced and printed, a true advantage of the digital age. There were so many great images that we wish we could show every one, but here's a sampling.

Budding Photographer

David Goldberg wrote, "This is a photo of me in 1950, taken on our front lawn in Paterson, New Jersey, when I was 5 years old. I was doing recon for my first shoot. The Speed Graphic was my uncle's."
© 2006, David Goldberg, All Rights Reserved

Dashing Dad

Donna K. Mullins told us, "This picture of my father is one of my favorites. My mother took this picture and said my dad looked like a `gangster.' The original was taken with a Brownie Hawkeye in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee. My parents are both deceased but photos like this one, taken in the late 1940s or early '50s, will live on forever."
© 2006, Donna K. Mullins, All Rights Reserved

Classic Tour

This photo was sent in by Roy Steiman, who dated the photo 1955 and said it was made with a Rolleiflex.
© 2006, Roy Steiman, All Rights Reserved

Found Again

James Sadowski wrote, "I started an album back in the 1950s, but lost track of it in the late '60s. Early this year one of my daughters found it in my late wife's `box of memories.' She forwarded it to me, unannounced, and needless to say it brought back many memories. The photo is of my mom, stepfather, and me. I was 10 at the time."
© 2006, James Sadowski, All Rights Reserved

Birthday Party

Chris Morrow told us this photo was of her 3rd or 4th birthday party in 1939 or '40. "I'm the one frowning and looking at the camera," she wrote. "No flash, sun in the eyes, and we had to stand still! I think my father forgot to say, `Look at the camera.'"
© 2006, Chris Morrow, All Rights Reserved

Spring Of 1934

Billy King told us that this is a photo of him and his twin sister. "She with her doll and me with my Buddy L dump truck. The shot was made with a Brownie camera."
© 2006, Billy King, All Rights Reserved

Engagement Photo

This photo, sent in by Ostelinda Guncet, was of her parents, Julio and Rafaela Guncet, made to mark their engagement in 1924.
© 2006, Ostelinda Guncet, All Rights Reserved

The Winner And New Champion

Larry Jessie sent us this photo of himself in a triumphant pose made on a rooftop in Brooklyn in 1949. He told us that he thinks the camera was a Brownie Hawkeye.
© 2006, Larry Jessie, All Rights Reserved

Family In 1944

Marilyn G. Ticknor sent this wonderful photo of herself with her mother and father, Alma and Hollis Glezen, made in 1944. She noted, "This was made with Mom's Kodak Brownie camera, probably by a relative. I have the negative."
© 2006, Marilyn G. Ticknor, All Rights Reserved

The Sims And Foster Families

Robert M. Shepard, Jr. wrote, "This picture of the Sims and Foster families (all related) was taken in Stigler, Oklahoma, in 1919. I assume it was taken by a professional photographer. How do I know it was taken in '19. The several months old baby in the lower right corner being held by his 12-year-old aunt is me. I'm 87 years old. My mother is in the upper right corner. No model releases are available--they are all dead except me."
© 2006, Robert M. Shepard, Jr., All Rights Reserved

Lasting Color

Allen Casebolt told us, "This photo of me was taken by my father in 1937 when I was 3 years old. I believe it was taken with a 4x5 Graflex. He processed the film and did the printing himself using either a dye transfer or carbro process. Amazingly, it has not faded in the last 69 years."
© 2006, Allen Casebolt, All Rights Reserved