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 (greatly enhanced but still just guesswork):
Aug. 1, 1921
This picture (was) left behind by
Irving E. ( ??y ) 9 months and
29 days after first marriage.
Picked up and saved by El??is
and his mother.
Ellis J Huey
Age 16
On the reverse
Chef on the left
Boss in the middle
Second cook on the right
And dishwasher in front
Some specimens of the
Dew Drop Inn
On reverse
The Boss in a pose
behind the back door gate
of the
Dew Drop Inn
On reverse:
For fear you won't recognize all
these little girls. here are the names
1. Miss Hunt
2. Miss Forrence
3. Cecil Cox
4. Flora Lockart
5. Bertha Baird
6. Mrs. Hudson
7. Me
8. Vesta
9. Miss Luther
10. Marguente
11. Velma
12. Etta
13. Esthel Buzzard
14. Ruby
15. Miss Janes
Photographer:
H. J. Pernell
Rail Road Car
On reverse:
Mrs H. J. Kelley
216 A st. S. W.
Ardmore, Okla
14X20 -Crayon
Bust of x
On reverse
Mae Della Kate Rosena
John Ott John Mayo Her Husband
Forgot his name
Stamped
Smith Studio
1222 Main Street
Vernon Texas
On reverse:
Day of my Mothers
Birthday
Your mother, mine
Aunt Anna
Katie, Bunny and I
I am sending this
basically to you because
your mother is on it.
Let me know if you
like it. Love
On reverse:
You can see Jean was out of sorts
but Bobbie is fine. Be sure &
bring this back with you.
On the reverse (greatly enhanced, best guess)
This is Millie and her husband with the baby
in his arms and the old man East of
Millie mother and father in law and West is Joe B
and then (a name...?) .....and then Mr Fleming the six gall it
?rrsld (illegible) and pollars at neyos and the
met his little girl (illegible) la that my till?? shot
I sent her money to pay her way (nearly?)
She stayed a month in October and then
them children is Millies she has 5.
The photographs on rest of this page are from a set of photographs found spanning the lives of twins, Jackie and Jodie Poole.
On reverse:
Nov. 42 1st to 7 ch
M. K. School
1. Mary Lea Crosier 1st
2. Anna Marie Crosier 2nd
3. Gilbert Forrest 2nd
4. Jimmie Adcock 3rd
5. Howard Parks 3rd
6. Marian Patterson 5th
7. Vollimae Parks 6th
8. Elbert Muney 6th
9. Raymond Crosier 6th
19. Hazel Lewis 7th
11. Norma Jo Terry 3rd
12. Naomi Crosier 7th
13. Charles Vinsin 5th
14. George Vinson 3rd
15. Dane Vinson 1st
Yes, the next one has an identical list on the reverse.
(note: although this is on the reverse of this photograph, it obviously is a description of one of the class photographs.)
On reverse:
Miss Poole Sept 41-42
Canadian Tex. 1st to 7th
1. Mary Lea Crosier 1st
2. Anna Marie Crosier 2nd
3. Gilbert Monrow Forrest 2nd
4. Jimmie Adcock 3rd
5. Norman Howard Parks 3rd
6. Marion Patterson 5th
7. Vollimae Parks 6th
8. Wesley Elbert Muncy 6th
9. Ramond Crosier
10. Hazel Lewis 7th
11. Norma Jo Terry 3rd
12. Naomi Crosier 7th
13. Charles Vinson 5th
14. George Vinson 3rd
15. Dane Vinson 1st
On reverse:
(A few autographs on the left side.)
Miami School
1. Carral Smith
2. Dale Greenhouse
3. Bobby Hendrix
4. Richard Morris
5. Marvin Phillips
6. Charlotte Christopher
7. Maudine Davis
8. Sarah Lou Har--
9. Jennie Hosier
10. Sammie Jo Bowen
11. Sam Holt Barber
12. Earl Craft
13. Calvin Irvien
14. Joe Richard I--
15. Archie Lard
16. Doyle Smith
17. Auther Turner
18. Duane Gill
19. Dub Schackford?
20. Otis Frost
21. Dorothy Brown
22. Belva Lou Lawson
On reverse:
left
1. Gayle Russell
2. Sarah O'Laughlin
3. Akbert Stribling
4. Robert Clark
5. Billy Hines
6. Lois Jean Hudgins
7. Ann O'Laughlin
8. Gaynell Sullivan
9. Mary Ellen Huff
10. Kay Janelle Russell
11. Bob Holcomb
12. Jimmie Bean
13. Ernest Wilkinson
14. John Smith
15. Charlie Stamford
On Reverse:
September 1945-46
left
1. Bob Holcomb
2. Ernest Wilkerson
3. Jimmie Bean
4. Robert Clark
5. Billy Hines
6. Albert Stribling
7. Gayle Russell
8. Ann O'Laughlin
9. Sarah O'Laughlin
10. Gaynell Sullivan
11. Mary Ellen Huff
12. Charlie Stamford
13. Lois Jean Hudhins
14. John Smith
15. Kay Janelle Russell
16. Glenda Hill
17. Bill Watson
18. Alvin Tracy
19. Don Kintchen
On Reverse:
September 1945-46
left
1. Guynell Turner
2. Mary Lynn Gill
3. Patsy Ann Lawson
4. June Trayler
5. Jerry Stanley
6. Elinor Ann Ely
7. Myrna Montdomery
8. Helen Lacke
9. Betty Stanley
10 Tommie Glynn Wells
11. Inez Bryant
12. Noretta Terry
13. Mary Myles Mathers
14. Jimmy Talbert
15. Shirley Oliver
On reverse:
1. Lynn Gracey
2. Don McLaughlin
3. Jacquelyn Gill
4. Karen Lyons
5. Jimmie South
6. Mickey Gill
7. Tim Flowers
8. Roy Bright
9. Donna Bynum
10, Michael McCormick
(There is some writing trimmed from top and bottom.
On reverse:
Hazel Lewis
Elbert Muncy
Marion Patterson
Jimmie Adcock
Gilbert Forrest
Norma Jo Terry
Anna Marie Crosier
Marie Lea Crosier
On Reverse:
Elbert Muncy
Marion Patterson
Jimmie Adcock
Gilbert Forrest
Norma Parks
Anna Marie Crosier
On reverse:
1. Carrol Smith
2. Bobby Hendrix
3. Dale Greenhouse
4. Aither Turner ?
5. Duane Gill
6. Marvin Philpott
7. Jennie Hosier
8. Sammi Jo Bowers
9. Patricia Jobs?
10. Charlotte Christpoher
11. Maudine Davis
12. Sarah Lou Harnly
13. Richard Morris
14. Archie Lard
Sept 1946-47
On Reverse:
January 1, 1955-6
New Year's Dance
Avalon
Charlie Mills
Jackie Jodie
Buck
Souvenier Studio
113 East ???
Amarilo Texas ph. 2-8124
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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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?"
Love the old-fashioned names (Bertha, Elbert, Belva, Otis, Vesta, Etta...) and the children in their picture day clothes. I remember picture day in elementary school, being sent off all scrubbed up and being warned not to get dirty! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Rosa. Yes, those old family traditional names really stand out. They probably have been handed down for a couple generations at least. Even the teachers who were twins, were named Jackie and Jodie, rather modern compared to Marvine and Vollimae. . I remember the picture days and being warned not to get dirty too. Seemed like such an impossible chore.
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