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, sometimes a century.
On the reverse:
Betty
Campbell
Sheriff's
daughter
Mom worked
for Sheriff
On the reverse:
Photoed
Aug . 20 - 1926
Jasper
Mo
MFM
On the reverse:
Mother and Elizabeth
Taken September 1897
Binghamton NY
D. T. Muir
On the reverse:
Ella Gadoerrg (in ink written over Gadberry written in pencil)
and
H. N. Cooper
1892
Photographer
E. W. Smith
Pittsburgh, Kan.
on front;
Uncle Andrew's wife, Clarks mother
Elizabeth V Earhart
Nellie J Jefferson
Jennie V Hodgins
Joyce V Pierce
On the reverse
Your Aunt Lizzie
has beads on made
by Aunt Adye from
seeds from a tree
on reverse:
very faintly at the top
Clarence Weldon H
Then across the middle:
Clarence Weldon Holtzman
Age 1 year
On the revesre .
Elmer relative
Clyde and Veda Wilsore (probably Wilson)
Photographer:
E. B. Broadway
Pittsburg, Kansas
reverse
Left to right:
Isabel Davis
Nancy Blake Head
Mary Wirt Head
Stella Hood
Summer of
1927
Taken at
Colon,
Michigan
On Palmer
Lake
On the reverse:
George Spangle & Wife
(Photographer
Gifford
Chetopa, Kan )
on the reverse:
Sister Fannie
274
on the reverse:
I did this dance
at school last
year on February 15,
1955. It was a true
riot.
On the reverse:
The bucket in the window
is my refrigerator. It is in
the pantry and wardrobe
combination. The flowers
below are hyacinths. They
sure were pretty.
On the reverse:
Me, my Fireman,
and an ordinary
Seaman -
9/20/46
Le Havre
France
Reverse:
Crowd in Amphitheater
Nov. 1948
(date stamped 30 Nov 1948)
Reverse:
Crowd in Amphtheater
Nov. 1948
(date stamped 30 Nov 1948)
On the reverse:
The 1st house we lived
in when we moved to West
Texas on ave G, N. W. in the
1400 Block. The rear 1909 in
Jan. The Reeves
On reverse:
Mrs J T Roxberry
house
----------
Mrs Thompson
Seridan
Missouria
On the reverse:
All their fathers are in the Wing-
most of them in the sqdn, Holden's
daughter was absent because of measles
- she is just 3 & with the front group
where there are just 2 girls. The Col's
(Sqdn C. O.0 daughter is in the center (in
the white slippers) (Naturally). The
Teacher's Husband is in the sqdn, too.
On the reverse:
August 1943
State Line Leaving New Mexico
to El Paso, Texas
On the reverse:
1907
Gray, OK ?
On the reverse:
Smaller ones
From right to left-
Shirley Mae Charles Le
Lee, and Betty jean
Mary Lou isn't in
On the reverse:
Jim
Susie, Joe Jim
Malone
On the reverse in ink:
Aunt Emma here
is the picture I
promised you. I
would have sent
one sooner but
I had two taken
that weren't any
good. That is Lila Lee
and Charles with me.
We had a big snow
right after it was
taken. Thank you
for yours.
Love
W. A.
(on front)
Taken Dec 19
On the reverse:
J H??? ???ggs
Roff Oklahoma
as it is
402
On the reverse
From Little Billy
to Grandma
Birthday Greetings
Cant get enough? There's more!
Click Here:
TURN IT OVER! THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE BACK
Then click "OLDER POSTS" at the bottom right of each page.
Go back to THE MAIN INDEX PAGE
There are now more than 8,000 photographs in the Lost Gallery. Or try out the NEW BACK PAGE INDEXBassingbourn 1944 
Long lost negatives taken during the winter of 1944-45 at Bassingbourn AAF base in England.
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.
And don't missCabinet Card GallerySquare AmericaTattered and LostVernacular PhotographyThe bestFOUND PHOTOGRAPHsites on the web. And for postcards try POSTCARDY And see what's going on over at Sepia Saturday!
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?"
Could that couple from Roff, Oklahoma be any more excited?
ReplyDeleteThat's probably all they could muster for one day.
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