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:
John Herman
On reverse:
Mary C Thompson
Died January 27, 1887
at her home in Butler
County PA
Of pneumony and Kidney
complaint
aged 42 years 7 months
and 23 days
On reverse:
Mrs. Mollie Hinkle
Barnsville
Belmont Co
Ohio
On reverse:
Aunt Ella
my (Dad's Sister)
Ella McClure Tidd
at bottom:
L. B. McClure Jr.
On reverse:
Mrs Mary Armstrong Boyd
Second cousin to C. S. Armstrong
On reverse:
Picture made 1910
Nora Hudson
Mother of Edna Barnes
Picture taken before
she married Papa Barnes
On reverse:
Chris & Roxie
Chris & Roxie
(in pencil, very light)
Photographer:
Carpenter
Photographic Rooms
615 Main Street
Kansas City. Mo.
On reverse:
Aunt Cornelia Armstrong Paules
Photographer:
LeRue Lemer
206 Market St.
Harrisburg, PA
On reverse:
Aunt Mary Herman
Photographer:
Le Rue Lemer
206 Market St.
Harrisburg, PA
Photographer:
D. P. Sink
South Main St.
Vernon, Texas
On reverse:
Mr- J. G. Ayers
August 20 - 1895
On Reverse:
Clovis N. M.
June 24 - ???9
I found this picture of
you and your girl and
I know you want it
so this is why I am
sending it to you well
I (illegible) you have changed
some since I saw you
last you have growned
to be good looking
since I saw you last
please write me a perscription
on beauty finding and
maby some day I will
send you and Lizzie
one of my picture
Guess who
On front:
This speaks of the future
Ha Ha
On Reverse:
Catalina Island
Aug. 29 1948
Dear Florine John and Dale
Having a swell time
Wish you guys had come
out here. Came over
on the Catalina Steamer
Danced and ate until
6:30 PM. We saw a
whale & some flying
fish. Catalina is just
so beautiful I can't
describe it to you.
On Reverse:
(something) Home ??? Alone
Here is a
picture if you
dont want it
send it back
Can't get enough?
Look back at these other pages on ENHANCEMENT
Looking for Lost Details - March 2011
Looking for Lost Details - April 2011
Looking for Lost Details - May 2011
Looking for Lost Details - June 2011
Looking for Lost Details - August 2011
Looking for Lost Details - September 2011
Looking for Lost Details - December 2011
Looking for Lost Details - January 2012
Looking for Lost Details - March 2012
Looking for Lost Details - April 2012
Looking for Lost Details - July 2012
Looking for Lost Details - September 2012
Looking for Lost Details - November 2012
Looking for Lost Details - February 2013
Looking for Lost Details - March 2013
Looking for Lost Details - April 2013
Looking for Lost Details - May 2013
Looking for Lost Details - June 2013
Looking for Lost Details - July 2013
Looking for Lost Details - August 2013
Looking for Lost Details - September 2013
Looking for Lost Details - October 2013
Looking for Lost Details - November 2013
Looking for Lost Details - December 2013 (This one)
And there's 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.
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.
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?"
