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 just glows in its discovery and challenges the imagination
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:
Glynn belongs to the Kansas
National Guards and this is a
picture of him in his uniform
On the reverse:
Dear Virgie I will
send you for a
birtday card one
the finest boys
that ever was hio
you will have way
Miss Virgie Nichols
Camden, Ill
Loren Kesler
Date stamped Dec 2, 1910
On reverse:
Mildred (Wood)
Barker
Chimney Rock, NC
On reverse:
photographer:
Fredericks and Co.
179 Fifth Aveenue
Madison Square
New York
And a really difficult name in pencil.
Any suggestions?
Cabiner Card reverse
This was scrawled on the reverse in pencil. I almost missed it as the marks are the same color as the card. The scanner wouldn't pick it up. I was able to set a light to reflect just right on the surface so I could photograph the message.
All I can make out is the last group which says "1904". What does the rest say?
As someone suggested, it looks as if it were written with a foot.
On reverse: .
Vera Compton.
Little sack for Victor.
Grandma Trard 1/2.
and Geo. & Mattie 1/2.
Vera Compton.
Aunt Myrtles girl
On reverse:
Aug 1926
L to R
Virginia Ray
Marjorie Kittell
Doris " "
Richard Ray
On reverse:
Daddy's and
Mother's Baby Doll
age 7
Ruby Rice
On Reverse:
Adelle Barron
MayBell Alirer(?)
On Reverse:
Alice Waddell
On reverse:
Mr. & Mrs John Howard Akins.
Mrs. Akins was my mothers
Aunt or Grand Mother Nance's
Sister
On Reverse:
Harold & Bernal
Jons son's of
Will Jones (Brother of scott Jones)
This is a printed message on the reverse of a CDV. It's not the usual scrawl added by owner or descendnts. It's something the photographer felt strongly about.
J. F. Weber & Bro.,
Photographers
Erie, - Penn'a
Portraits, views Machines, Models, Ster-
eoscopic Views, Copying and all kids of
Photographing done.
Pictures finished in Ink, crayoon, oil, o
Water Colors.
All Negatives numbered and preserved.
Additional copies of this or all pictures at re
duced rates.
Constantly on hand an assortment of Oval
and Square Frames.
All orders by mail or otherwise promptly
attended to.
Do not trust your pictures out of town, to
be copied, to traveling photograph bummers,
who make great promises and generally de-
liver very poor work.
On reverse:
Dear Sister:- I sent your
pinecones, ets. yesterday.
Mistletoe should be kept
in a cold room until Xmas
I sent enough cones so you
can give Opal some for her
tree, if she has one. She
might like them anyway.
Picture on the
(upside down)
Love to all - Maude.
and things I sent you.
I guess you know which
is me. Marion wasn't
supposed to be in this
one. Hope you are all-
We are. Must go to depot
now to meet Marie. 7P.M. train
to:
Miss Helen Rons---
125 S 9th
Arkansas C(ity)
Kansas
This was typed and glued on over whatever was written directly on the reverse of the print. I can't make out what was there before.
Can't get enough?
Here are some previous interesting pages called
TURN IT OVER - THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE BACK!
TURN IT OVER - THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE BACK! July 2011
TURN IT OVER - THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE BACK! August 2011
TURN IT OVER - THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE BACK! September 2011
TURN IT OVER - THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE BACK! October 2011
TURN IT OVER - THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE BACK! November 2011
TURN IT OVER - THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE BACK! December 2011
TURN IT OVER - THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE BACK! January 2012
TURN IT OVER - THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE BACK! March 2012
Or...Look in the lower left corner of this view and click on the word "REVERSE".
There are now more than 4,000 photographs in the Lost Gallery.
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.
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And for postcards try
THE DAILY POSTCARD.
All images are the property of Lost Gallery and the author. Permission must be granted for their use. All rights reserved.
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.
Dee and the Business School 
The beautiful Dee. A curious story, What do you see?
WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?
"What are they doing?"
I see Mr. 5th Ave. as Irwin Westewell or Nestewell. The baby in the garden may have a name in a language not English. Maybe Scandinavian.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike Brubaker. That's what I guessed too. I tried both names and several other combinations in Ancestry.com and didn't turn up anything that fit with age and location.
DeleteFredricks & Co., photographer, 179 Fifth Ave., Madison Square, New York, NY, was in operation from 1861 thru1868 (estimated dates) . The only one I could turn up that matched that name fairly close was born about 1878 which eliminates that one as a possibility.