March 13, 1993: a powerful snowstorm with the “heart of a blizzard and the soul of a hurricane” rammed the East Coast, spawning tornadoes and 6-foot snowdrifts, killing 33 people and cutting power to 2.5 million homes. A week later, this photo, showing a woman struggling against the elements on 14th Street, appeared with a blurb about the reeling insurance industry, which struggled to cover the billions of dollars of recent storm damage. Photo: Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times
There is something about a photograph like this that intrigues me greatly. It is not because it is simply a picture of a woman in the nude. It is not just sexual attraction. But rather an attraction to the story behind the photograph. The time. The era. The process of taking such a picture. The effort. The reason why the photo was taken. To whom this photo may have been for. Who was she? Was she a wife? Who was the photographer? May it have been her husband? Did she take this picture on her own? Did she ever have kids? Is she still alive today? Could she have grandkids my age?
It’s strange but oh so fun to think that someone like this could have been one of our grandparents. They were once young and in love, still figuring out the world just as we are now. The only difference is time and the way society and culture changes over the years.
Culture, then, fascinates me so much. There seemed to be so much more class and elegance when regarding love life in America during the 40s and 50s. It was so much more innocent, yet with a maturity our culture today seems to lack.
This photograph holds an enormous amount of beauty; the kind of beauty not everyone can or wants to see. But those who keep an open mind are privileged to witness such a thing.
(Source: hollyhocksandtulips)
Silent Voices: Photo #6
Stamp reads:
“Finished by That Man Marcell
Vancouver WN.”
(Source: phamista.com)
Silent Voices: Photo #5
Front Reads:
“Virginia Beach, VA.”
Message on the back reads:
“July 1940
Mary Frances …?”
(Source: phamista.com)
Silent Voices: Photo #2
Message on the back reads:
“July 4 1939
Hurley’s car windshield. He accidentally threw a fire cracker on it.”
(Source: phamista.com)
Silent Voices: Photo #1
Message on the back reads:
“This was made in February but it will give you a good idea what Easter looked like here.”
Underneath written in pencil (not visible on the scanned image):
“Sarah Taylor
Williams, South Dakota”
Stamp reads:
“BECKER’S CAMERA SHOP
MAR 27 1945
BECKERS DRUG (AT WALGREEN’S)
RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA”
This photo in particular… I have no idea what it is about it… but I could gaze at it for hours, simply holding it in my hand. Something about it captivates my interest more than any other photograph within my collection. Who was she writing? Did they ever receive this photo? More importantly what was her story? Though words are written in a message on the back, there’s still a voice within the image, crying to be heard. I suppose the silence of such an evident voice is what keeps me intrigued, and ever inspired by this image.
(Source: phamista.com)
I’ve had a thing for antique shops for quite some time. Since I’ve moved, I’ve visited a few local antique shops nearby. Many of them hold a good amount of artwork which always seems to catch my attention. But I started catching myself paying more attention to the old photographs laying out. And ever since, I’ve been collecting them. Not just any old photographs though. The ones I’ve held onto, their stories seem to speak to me in some way or another; something about each one just fascinates me. And so you might find me uploading these pictures in the near future and as I come across more. There’s just something about them that makes me want to share them with people. Each of the photographs are like lost moments in time, captured for a reason, but somehow let go… and in their journeys, lost all of their meaning, only to find new ones in my hands and maybe in your eyes. I’d like to share these stories with you, whoever may be reading this or whoever may view my site. Maybe it’ll inspire, maybe it’ll entertain, either way I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
(Source: phamista.com)
