Lost Gallery: Turn it OVER! There's Something on the Back! February 2012

Very often, notations on the reverse of these found photographs are obscure or too brief or illegible. Most often there is nothing at all.

But now and then there is a message from the past that sparkles.

Back in March of 2009 LOST GALLERY had a full page of photographs and their very interesting reverse sides. There have been many new additions to the collection since then.

Here is a new group of those photographs with mysterious, funny and sometimes puzzling reverse sides; tiny bits of history, reaching out to us over the decades and sometimes centuries.

On reverse:
This is me
It was last
summer
just
after I
started to
school

On reverse:
C 5594
Katherine
Wrey(?)
1614 Dallas Ave.
Daisey
T6661

Dickengs TX (Dickens)

On reverse:
Hello my dear
Uncle Otto, I am
sending you a
picture of us girls
they aren't very nice
but the best I've taken yet
from your loving
niece Luella and Irene
Otto Pankratz
Tyrone, Okla.

On reverse:
Nona Re
(Could be several other things too)

Earon & Kile
Ellis.

I did a search on Ancestry.com for an Ellis family in the early 1900's that had brothers Aaron and Kyle who lived in Texas where I found the photograph.

Here is what I found.

Kyle Ellis was born Feb. 20, 1907 and Aaron Edwin Ellis was born May 22, 1904. I would put Kyle at about 6 years old in the picture so that would date it at about 1913-14.

They were two of 11 children born to John Allen Ellis and Priscilla Ruth (Glasscock) Ellis. They lived in and around Menard, Texas most of their lives.

Two copies of this Cabinet Card were found.

This is the reverse of the copy at the left.

On reverse:
Mr Dee Mackin
age 19 year old
He is very good
looking. He is
some short.

This is the reverse of the other copy.
This Cabinet Card had the bottom trimmed off.

On reverse:
Mr. Franklin Dee Mackin
Born in Ark. August 12 1880
This picture belongs
to
Mamma Mackin

For better eyes
Banner is the
bye Word. (Well what do YOU think is says?)

On reverse:
Candace
and
Magee Bowen

Here's what I found: Candice Bowen was born in 1916. Her older brother Magee was born in 1913. They are two of four children born to Lindsey Lee Bowen and Ota May Jeffus.

If Candice is five here, that makes the photograph in 1910 or 1911.

On reverse:
Martin Stasny
Kovor
7 mi sw-on Barton
- S ville-
1 mi N Church
on 99 +

Theresa & Mary
Grandma Stansy

On the reverse:
Dear Grandma
William Stirling 7 yrs 6 mos
Olivia Stirling 3 yrs 3 mos

I did a little research on this one.
Here is what I found: William Stirling was born in 1895, his sister in 1898. Their father was Dr. William C. Stirling (1847-1937) and their mother was Fannie L. (Smith) Stirling (1865-1925)

This photograph was probably taken in 1892.

Come to see me
soon.
This is Kenneth
How is yourself &
everyone? What
is the matter with
Gertrude that
she never ans. any
of my letters
Edna
3412 Brooklyn

Cabinet Card
On reverse:
Return to
Mr. Charles Armstrong
Mechanicsburg, PA

The most popular photographs
An album of the most requested photographs in the Lost Gallery.

Area 51 and a Half
You are probably not authorized to see these.

Don't take my picture! Oh! You DID didn't you!
This is a collection of photographs that disappear on the way home from the photo processing shop.

BACK TO
THE MAIN INDEX PAGE
Or try out the NEW
BACK PAGE INDEX

And don't miss
Cabinet Card Gallery
Penny Tales
Square America
Tattered and Lost Vernacular Photography
The best FOUND PHOTOGRAPH sites on the web.
And for postcards try
THE DAILY POSTCARD.

THE KIDS
It is always a mystery how a photograph of any of these precious children could end up lost or abandoned.
Here are a few.
You will probably say "Ooh..." at least once.