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.
Senorita
Matilde
Ceballos 1030
Capital
(That's all I can do. Can someone else fill in the rest?)
To Joe & Lacy
always thinking
of you.
J.W.J.
Jesse Wiley
With much love. Will write
when I can - have been sick-
Clance (or clana)
"Isn't she a beauty?"
20 Atlantic Street
Portland, W (or M)
The girls will get a belated package soon
if I can get it ready.
Easter Sun.
Dear Folks. You see Ersell
has her Easter bonnet. She
is sick today. Edgar has
been working this whole
railroad month since Mar. 27
Hope work keeps brisk for
a while. Haven't any garden
planted yet nor flowers either.
I can't accomplish anything
but I'm always doing something.
Having nice weather now.
Dean can't creep but can pull him
self up on his feet by taking our
hands. He is still good and
sweet as can be.
Edith
Mrs. A. F. Harrington
box 25
Benedict, Nebr
Mabel Jane Miller died June 13 1901
age 23 yrs 6 mo's
She graduated in Class of '98
July 1, 1895 So. Thompson
Yours truly
at 18 yrs.
Frank N. Tyler
Grace P. Johnson
and
Pauline Wildman
Dear Sister:- Will drop you
a line to let you know that
we are all well. Don't remember
I sent you one of these pictures
before or not. I received the
card you sent me of yourself.
I think you are getting to
about as big as Ethel. We
are doing our one work dev
eloping and printing. I will
send you a sample of it soon.
Harry Dunn - Rocky Okla - 6-27-12.
Miss Anna West
Santa Fe
% V. S. Indian School
Betsy,
This is me on
a pony in front
of our house.
Notice my hump
shoulders. Send
me another
picture or you if
you can
Wanda
(added at a different time: Married in '41)
Browni Widney Brush
On the front:
Mary Brown Widney aged 23 mo
Helen Ronstadt
Sitting up in
the vines. Helen
standing.
Taken last
August.
This gives you
a very good idea
of what they
are to each other.
(Helen is sitting in the vines AND standing?)
Dear
Papa I
am senting a snap of the
babies taken a
couple days ago.
(Illegible passage)
she got the
Madge
Merril, Jearld, Homer Lee and ---
Mr, J. W;
Boersock
15th & Calhoun
Mohawk Hotel
Fort Worth
Texas
Dear Minnie:- I am
Still expecting that
Long letter which you
Promised me last week.
We have taken up
our abode in Albra
So address me here.
This is me and my
pal Miss Edna. Have a
good time at the park for me.
a.v
Miss Minnie Pugh
Downs
Kansas
Date from postage cancellation: August 5, 1908
Henry Edward Fraser
of East Boston, Mass.
When in the Latin School.
One of Jessie Fraser Skinner's
four brothers - the youngest.
Just a brief note on this one: the date, July 7 - 1918
But think how that changes our viewing experience of the photograph. It was an old picture of two swans in a park.
Now it is a picture of two swans in a park around 100 years ago.
Can't get enough?
For more rescued photographs with something interesting on the back,
click SHOW ME MORE!
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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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 to us 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?"
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