Sometimes there is some writing on the reverse side of a found photograph. 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:
Jerry Judy
Barnes Ruby
Logue Studio
Quality Prints
Feb 8 1938
Pine Bluff, Ark.
On Reverse:
Sis & Iva
This is now
Mrs. E. Nevis
Mis Iva Glenn Reid
Caloma, Calif
Stockton Calif
(Greatly enhanced) Looks like just a bunch of numbers.
On the reverse:
Mattie D.
Babyn G.
Florence L.
Kate C.
Artie C.
Hazel P.
Lilia N.
Lorene W.
Frances G.
Maude F
Lila W.
Ada B.
Litha B.
You're pretty much on your own for this one. Here's what I got:
Sentinel Butte N. Dak. 18de
April 1912
Kere Mrs Mattson of Familil.
Ja des favde vares mid ousk on min tanke ogsoa
al besogt dre da jig var i siouxt fallo mendes
bleu ikke alligvel jey var til clowa og besogte mine fordldre
og des tog en hel mooned og sas bleu tiden for kars og sad
mad eg da ofsoo fortelle den nyhed as gig er ingags i
og siskab iggen med en mand bed navn Malkalm
Paulson fra Christine (N. Dak.) ( Christine er en liden by tolved Fa
jeg sender dette Billide al Vennerne Som var i vos Brylly N
som bleu hals i garretson S. D. i Pastof Salems Lyim. Du
Sunes Maask del vas rarl jiggiftel mig iggen, men reg
haar nu fordog at farme allene i 3 aar siden Mr Rogness dode
men des varals for trish. Ker hilsen Sophie Paulson ( mere siden
On Reverse:
How do you like
my feet ha-
On Reverse:
Lucile & Ben Burton
50 Wedding anniversary
Clair & Fred Standing at
back and Artie on end
getting ready to pour juice
On the reverse:
Aaron and Mabell
This is a "snapshot
picture of our home. You
cant see any of the
upper story for the trees
was taken at 4:00 o'clock
one Sunday afternoon.
Flora
On Reverse:
Dad
Mr G. A. Fast.
Fielding Sask.
Canada
Wedding.Party.
19.June
AZO postcard design used 1904 -1918
On the reverse:
Geo H. Fast & family
Agusta, wife (Marie
Bill, Hester
Leana Art
& Walter
(Killed in Act
World War II
RPPC design in use 1908 - 1911
On the reverse::
This is our home
where we're living
in. its me and onkle
my son and daughter
and you cousin Lizzie
from your aunt -
Emelia Birnbaum
Solio post card design in use 1903 - 1920's
On the reverse:
Alfred Binn
Little Kennety Putnam
Marshal
Born June 18th 1931
Picture taken June
19th 1932 - Go Harvard
Los Angles
On the reverse:
Taken Aug. 1938
Kennnith will be
8 in June 1939
Robert will be 6 in April 1939
Miss Laura Rightman
Lameville
W. Va.
plus some things that look like algebra.
On Reverse:
Grup of Young People
of F??I?? ??? and ?allan ???
T????
Go back to THE MAIN INDEX PAGE
There are now more than 4,000 photographs in the Lost Gallery. Or try out the NEW BACK PAGE INDEXThe most popular photographs 
Area 51 and a Half 
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Dee and the Business School 
WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?
It always makes the photo more entertaining and human when the flip side has a message. Even when the note was added years later. My favorite photo is the large wedding party dwarfed by the horizon of the Canadian prairie. The best message is the cryptic numbers -- a practice drill of arithmetic or a calculation of hours worked?
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike Brubaker. Yes, the Canadian one is a good one. When I enlarged it I saw that all the children sitting in front are shading their eyes. It must have been taken late in the day with the sun directly behind the photographer. That one with the numbers baffles me. I almost missed it and it is still very dim with a lot of enhancement. I can't figure out what it was for.
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