This young fella was discovered online, the photograph measures 11 x 7 cm. The reverse reads ‘Your Dad said Mat you was better dressed than he was. He should have kept of the beer & cloth him not you.’ I liked that the photograph may have been taken near to Mat’s home using a wall as a background. The composition is good and may have been taken by a professional photographer. I also liked Mat’s shadow, the tilt of his hat, chimney in the background and the shadow/light across his face. I think his Dad was right, he does look well dressed!
This postcard sized photograph was bought online. It is embossed with PAOT GABI, WenGen in the left hand bottom corner (Wengen is a ski resort in Switzerland). It’s a busy image, with two gents and a lady smoking, people having conversations in the background and others just spectating.
The sign on the left reads ‘smoking on the ice is strictly prohibited’. Perhaps they are watching people on an ice rink or another event taking place on ice? I liked the clothing and the chap smoking with his legs dangling off, with snow on his boots.
A search for GABI returned Geothermal Applications for Buildings and Infrastructure used in power plants but also a small place near to WenGen and PAOT returned Participatory Action-Oriented Training so perhaps they were volunteers helping to improve the local power supply? As is often the case, researching old photos expands my knowledge and ends with me falling into an unrelated rabbit hole on the internet! There is a modern hydro power station near WenGen but there was also an older one built in the 1950s.
I think number and marks on the corners may indicate it has been removed from a larger collection or album.
This small photograph was found online (one of two, I will share the second soon…). There was no information on the reverse of the photo but the listing described them as ‘Guildford Bicycle Club 1950s‘. This image was my favorite because of the movement, smiles and shop fronts shown.
This 5×4″ photograph was found on ebay, no information on the reverse. Think it might be from the 1940s or 50s judging by the clothes. Almost all of the ladies are smiling and looking at the camera, even the lady in the far distance. I like the line of light reflected on the floor, the out of focus lady in the foreground and the solitary man in the distance.
I bought this photograph from an antiques centre in Whitchurch, Shropshire. It measures 5 x 3.5 ” and is printed on Kodak paper but doesn’t have any information on the reverse relating to the subjects. As you can see the shadows in the image are very dark (I try not to adjust the images I find too much). I did try to read the sign above the door by changing the contrast in Photoshop but could only read the second of two words which was ‘Right’. The photograph itself contains a lot of information, the prices are before decimalisation (1971), the sign written window tells you that they have bananas (which can also be seen in the doorway), pineapple, a range of potatoes, grapes, eggs, oranges, fish and lettuce.
This small photograph was bought from a car boot sale near Dudley, West Midlands a few years ago. It measures just over 2 x 3″ and is printed on Gevaert paper. The seller thought it was taken during the 2nd World War. The reverse reads in pencil ‘Me & the sewing girls boy Wiwg Wah’ I have been unable to find Wiwg Wah, it could be a misspelling. The details of the photograph are interesting, the boy without his shoes and his jumper slanting down at the bottom.
Original photo measuring 5.25″ x 3.5″ bought from ebay in 2019. No information on the reverse but they are dressed in their best clothes and smiling for the camera. I liked the ladies high waisted trousers and head scarfs, very stylish. The building behind them looks like it could be a church. I hope the image cheers you up at such a sad time for the world, take care from Richard : )
Another image from the stray shots album. This time Marnie & Robbie in their drawing-room. Although the image is bleached out on the left, it shows some details of the family from the objects around them in their drawing room. Marnie seems to be holding papers or postcards.
This photograph is part of an album found in the wonderful Nightingale House Hospice shop in Whitchurch, Shropshire. The photographs within the album are taken in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada in 1894, the title of this one is handwritten below Fred & his Daughter Marnie. The cover of the album told me when the photographs were taken, see image below. I love the title of the album, I will post some of the other stray shots soon…
I found these two gentlemen on ebay and bought their photograph earlier this week. I did have to lighten the image as the original was very dark. The photograph measures 4 x 3″ but sadly does not tell us who they are. Their bicycles look well maintained, perhaps this was their first outing? They don’t need bicycle clips as they have chain guards on their bicycles, something we rarely see these days.
lost and found 