My collection of other people's memories

I love my collection of the long lost photographs of strangers. I've come across a few gems over the years and have them hanging around my home. I've given away many found old photographs as gifts, I wish I'd had the brains to scan them first! Most of these were purchased in my hometown of Sioux City, Iowa. There is some great antiquing and thrifting to be had there. I'm always on the hunt for treasures when I go back for a visit. I've scanned the backs of the items that have markings, and put a little background info when available.

Who are these people? When are these photos from? What were their lives like? Why didn't their families save these photographs? Are these just unclaimed photos from long defunct photo studios?

This was purchased in Sioux City, IA for $5. This is my favorite photo find. 

It is actually very large, 16x20 inches. I had to scan it in three sections because of the size, hence the lines across the photograph. Also slightly cropped on sides.

I believe this was purchased at an antique store in Renton? I love this photo so dearly. Beautiful.

4x6 inches. 

Purchased in Sioux City Iowa.

I love how blurry and ghostly the woman 2nd from the right is.

 8x10 inches

Stamp on the back:

C.L (?) BREWER

PHOTOGRAPHER

And Dealer in Rubber Stamps,

STENCILS, &c  

Purchased in Sioux City, IA

Interesting border on the photo paper!

5 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches

Stamped on the back:

Arrow Photo Services Box 184 Minneapolis, MN

Written:

Anna  - Anderson

Lucile Rhinehart 3

Elana (?) Petersen 2

Ethel Smith 4

Ellen Murphy 5

Purchased in Sioux City, IA for $3. There was a whole set of photos of this woman. To this day I regret only buying one. At the time I thought it was more mysterious to just have the one photo, but then a friend pointed out how sad it was that I split up the set. I suppose I agree. 

Stamped on the back:

Established 1925. We are the original and exclusive firm offering one

enlargement with every roll Free.     Send any size of film and 55c for

six prints, also best one enlarged Free.    Film Packs- 72 (? typo?) prints, 1

large 65c.         From already developed films, 7 prints, 1 large 35c.

Seperate enlargements 20c each or 3 for 50c.       Warning, enclose 

money.      Write plainly your name and address outside and inside.

We are reliable but NOT responsible for senders carelessness. Bank-

ing reference.

Midwest Photo Co., Humboldt, Iowa

Purchased on Ebay. Listed as an original Elvis in Vegas print from 1969. It is possible that this was printed from an original negative, but if so, this copy may be from some years later I'm not certain. It may have been taken by this Elvis fan club president (name stamped on photo, don't want searches for her to lead here) and then distributed to other members. On a very interesting and morbid side note, upon receiving this photo in the mail last June I decided to see what information I could find about the woman's name stamped on the back. I wanted to contact her to get more information about the image if possible, to see if there was an outside chance that it was a legitimate original print. I unfortunately found an obituary from a few days before, and a long thread on a local public discussion forum from Frakes, KY talking about a woman by that very same name who was involved a domestic dispute and double shooting, her fatally and a man critically wounded. That thread has since been removed, but there are a few lingering comments on that website and some news stories on the web about it. I cannot  say with absolute certainty that is is the same woman, but the obituary mentions her love of Elvis. I don't mean to offend by posting these details, but if I am correct in my findings I just can't believe the strange timing of my acquisition of this photo, and the sad story of the person who once held it and knew the history of it.

4x5 inches

 A gift to Jakes from me. He found a link on a genealogical website that has a photo of a man in a nearly indentical uniform, narrowing down the timeframe to the late 1890's-1905.

German. Pre-WWI.

2 1/2 x 4 inches

2 1/2 by 4 inches.

Found in a box of old promotional materials behind the screen at Seattle's Egyptian Theater! It's from SIFF in the 1980's. There were dozens of these. This is my favorite out of a whole set of photos of men and boys in various types of drag from the documentary film "Before Stonewall". I'm diggin' this style!

8x10 inches. 

Paper taped to the back of the photo:

Click on any of the images to view them in a lightbox.