Turn it OVER! There's Something on the Back! December 2011

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 decades and sometimes a century.

Hortense Elden
Age 9 Years 1891

(Apparently later, from a different hand)
Note:
I think she was a cousin of
Brace Elden Thompson, Mother
of Hortense Thompson Neill.
Perhaps she was one of the
reasons mother called her
youngest Daughter Horense.
L.T. Neely

Grace Elden
Fancy Dress Ball
Grace Elden (19 or 20 years)

Isn't this
just plain pitiful
Rosemary
P.S. Burn it if you
can't bear the sight of it!
I hope it doesn't leave a
bad taste in your
mouth
RM

See how
skinny I am
Love
Esther

Aug. 1939
Athel stan
(or maybe "At helston"

This photograph was a treasure to someone for a very long time.

Chap at Jason Lee
Intermediate
School
Jr. High School
Sept. 1924

On Reverse:
(cannot translate)
Nov. 13 1957
Los Angles, California

Hanson's
first three
Bazil
Madelyn

From John Camome
Earl

Aunt Lucy Larson
Kokomo Ind (?)

On the reverse:
5.75
1.25 doll close
3.00 violen
1.50 sewing
5.75
(?) one $

Read that printing carefully but don't shed
any tears. Elba
Do you think this looks like
harlie did. It is harlie & Harry
our other boy, Have you got
our pitures yet, Don't forget
us when you get them.
Think of us once & awhile up
where Lola lives. She is
so happy now. This is all
until we get your and
Stellas faces.

Top right - Bert Pew
Bottom right - Mrs Bert Pew (Alice)
Kitzmiller MD
Date unknown

Left to right
Dorothy - girl next door
me
Vivian - my third
cousin
(That makes you about
her 9th by marriage
twice)
Kansas Cith Southern
Brige in the back
ground - about 3
blocks from our
house.

Persia Sept 14th
1911
Received your card last
night Glad to hear you were
all right. All well here
Only I have a bad could
How is W (?) Valley ****(?)
Soe Good by
Frank

Miss Elsie Turney
Roosevelt
Okla.

I know, I know. This isn't really a found photograph but the message on the reverse was so interesting I decided to include it.

"Sisters"
Rhoda Lucas
Ivah Lucas
Sisters of my mother
Anna Lucas Hostetler

1887
Grace Elden
Upper right
Lottie Elden
Lower Center

How am I doing?

Draniel W Wise
and
wife Mary. E. wise
taken oct 1920
by his son
Marion Wise
on the farm of
Marcou Wise
Potomac Ill

Billy & I Aug. 9, 1936 Sun.
at aunt Lotties
Billy 15 - and I'm 19.

Wilma & I at the bottom
of the Eiffel Tower
Only picture I have of
her.

(There's something sad about that.}

Glenn
Taken while on outing
They all wore caps

(Now THAT is important to know.)

Frieda just taken
by surprise
Frieda Eds Wife

I almost fell off
this stool when this
picture was taken
I guess its the legs
your interested in
However wait till this
other picture arrives
you'll get legs with
legs and still some
to come.
Norma.

Hilja ja miis
Katisko
Hilja Kuolish


I have no idea what that means.

Cousin Betty
This is the finest little
girl in the world
Cora
******
not my grandmother
Cora.
Who?
1997
from where?

Can't get enough?
For more rescued photographs with something interesting on the back,
click
SHOW ME MORE!
Then click "Older Posts" at the bottom right on each group.

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.

BACK TO
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BACK PAGE INDEX

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Penny Tales
Square America
Tattered and Lost Vernacular Photography
The best FOUND PHOTOGRAPH sites on the web.
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?"