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May 27, 2008 |
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Vacation Photo from Long Ago
FOUND by Jen Daly
in Berkeley, California
I found it lying on the street in Berkeley. It looks like the changing of the guard in Colonial Williamsburg (although I've never seen that in person, so I'm not sure). This is an old-style photo print, maybe from the 50s or 60s, guessing from what the prints in my family's albums look like, plus the clothes and lady's headscarf in the photo. Anyway, it's somebody's vacation memento from decades ago.
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So Much That? December 12, 2004 |
While You Were Gone March 02, 2006 |
Love Always December 21, 2003 |
To Die For September 29, 2006 |
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We collect FOUND stuff: love letters, birthday cards, kids' homework,
to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins, telephone bills, doodles -
anything that gives a glimpse into someone
else's life. Anything goes...
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That looks like a crisp autumn day! I love how everyone watching is wearing brown, and then the guards have their lovely maroon coats.
I believe, based on the uniforms, that this photo was taken around 1777. It's in remarkably good condition; should be in a museum someplace. Very rare find. I don't know how it survived over two centuries lying around on a Berkely streetcrner. WOW.
It's obviously photographic evidence of a time portal, with the 1777 soldiers walking through the gate and appearing in 1963. Amazing
I bet'cha the guards' legs' have goose bumps! It looks as though some are only wearing knee socks with those pouched out at-the-hips shorts/trousers.
I'd say from the red uniforms, maybe 1760's. I thought all photography pre ca. 1945 was black and white. Amazing, the things one learns on Found.
And, it's definitely Williamsburg, Virginia. That's the reconstructed Governor's palace in the background. (unless - Como te digo - this really IS from the 1700's, and taken by someone who traveled back in a time machine ... in that case it could be the original Palace).
Y'all've already said it all on this one, and cracked me up.
That's all I've got.
@freonz ... but big props to you for using a correctly punctuated English word with TWO apostrophes in it!! We don't see many of those any more.
It must've been colorized in the 20th century, because color film wasn't invented in the 1700s.
Hey, isn't that Mark Lindsey from Paul Revere and the Raiders on the far right?
@Librarian: Who'd've thought it?
I remember a long time ago (by which I mean the 1950s and '60s, not 1777) I used to see the word 'sha'n't' spelled with two apostrophes. And 'to-day' with a hyphen sometimes.
I don't see how this is an 'old-style' photograph except that it isn't obviously digital. Could be any time before about, er, last week. Certainly no reason why not 70s or 80s or even 90s, unless there's some physical clue on the print itself? The colours don't seem to have faded much. Does anyone recognise the not-quite-square format? (Is this actual size, or enlarged?)
Is it a sign of old age that it doesn't look dated at all to me? Normally you can have a guess based on the cars -- how very inconsiderate of these chaps to be marching on foot.
I presume the streaky horizontal lines are from the scan, not on the original print? Or is it one of those canvas-y textured prints?
Sorry, I'll stop wittering and go away now.
I shouln't've guessed what this pic was, without the comments that came after.
Thank you, Librarian, for praising my use of apostrophes. All the thanks go to my elementary school teachers who taught me well.
@Jonathan, the photo may have been called "old-style" because it was printed with a white border. In the States, most photo developing stores now print the pictures with no border at all; it may be different in the U.K. Also, the square shape of the print is what came from the 126 film used in the old Brownie box cameras. The thing that's missing that would settle the age of the photo is the month and year the film was developed, a custom of photo developers from long ago. I think they quit doing this back in the early to mid 1970s.
Just so you know, no one EVER moves out of the way for someone carrying a bass drum.
And someone needs to take care of that pesky moss growing on that guy's head.
Williamsburg, VA is where I want to take my family on vacation this year! Love this photo, Librarian, I'm sorry, but I swear I can't think of one word to use two apostrophes one. I can however, pepper this with too many commas.
Turbo do you have a cellar in Tulsa? I was just there and for the love of God those tornadoes abundant and everyone so casual about it. WTF!
I have a trailer out in the field. It keeps the tornadoes away from the house.
In Oklahoma, it's pretty much understood you don't go for cover until you actually see it. Tornadoes really don't care for the city so I have never seen one. However, I have been known to draw a cartoon character known as "Twisty the Tornado" who "grabs your ass and wrecks your house".
Changing of the Gaurd? Looks more like the Scattering of the Gaurd to me. Let's get in formation, people!
John...lol i thought you were asking for information.... if i hadn't've read it over again, it wouldn't've made any sense.
Mona, I bet you didn't've any idea what I was talking about!
Please, let'sn't've anymore of this nonsense!
@John, I couldn't've said it better.
I sprang my tongue trying to say let'sn't've.
Freonz, I was affraid that would happen. Please, people, do not attempt to pronounce "let'sn't've aloud! I cannot be responsible for any oral injuries incurred.
What about ocular injuries? I seemed to be bleeding from one eye after reading it.
*seem*
(was using the bad eye)
Turbo, you'll need to bring me a note from your doctor.
@ John, I hope you realize that you spelled "guard" wrong. Twice.
I don't think this is from the '60s because I don't see a date on it. All the photos we have from the '60s have a date printed on them by the photo developer.
Aw, cripes. Run, it's the Spelling Police!
I'm more concerned about the strange alien spacecraft at the top of the photo that seems to've shat upon the lady's head in the foreground.
Also if you look real close at the guy with the bass drum, you'll see he's wearing Reeboks and tube socks.
@Puckhog, if you look closely at the top center of the photo, there's another alien deposit coming in for a landing. Looks to be headed for the dude with the bass drum.
I wish I had a time machine.
The things I would do...
It's definitely a photo of Williamsburg! I've always wanted to go - I hear such great stories and have seen such interesting photos. I have several relatives who worked there and a cousin who played in the drum and fife corp which I think is what we're seeing in this photo. He wore the tights and 3 cornered hats and all. Quite the summer gig for a H.S. kid huh?
I remember the square format of the Kodak cameras in the 60's and 70's.
I've always wanted to go there & plan on taking my family one day.
Then, maybe when I retire, I can work there.
Curn butter and talk about the colonies and such. . .yeah. . . retirement job.
I've never seen a cellar. Mona, are there cellars in Canada?
I hear Amtrak has a great tour for the East. Williamsburg, DC, Philadelphia etc...
Damn that spell check!
Not to sound like "Stuff White People Like," but "This American Life" is called Prom and it's about a Tornado.
@Turbo: I think I dated Twisty for a brief time in the early 80s.
yes, we have cellars. it's where i keep my offspring.
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching one by one
The little one stops to suck his thumb
And they all go marching down to the ground
to get out of the rain, BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!
The ants go marching two by two, hurrah,hurrah
The ants go marching two by two, hurrah,hurrah
The ants go marching two by two
The little one stops to tie his shoe
And they all go marching down to the ground
to get out of the rain,BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!
You guys sure see a LOT more in the photos than I do (except, Puckhog, I do see the spacecraft).
--Do I need to go out & get a new screen/monitor? a new computer? Or go back to the eye doc & get glasses and/or another cataract operation???
--Re: Photos, older vs. nowadays....
Yeah-but.. remember, reprints weren't dated -- or if they were, it was the "date of printing", not the "date of taking".. I also remember (yeah, I'm ancient) that some photos weren't dated.
@hannah: I would love to have a time machine too. I think, however, that we would all be shocked my the smell of history.
again, i say, eh. next.
@Freonz - I didn't think it looked dated, either. In fact, I thought it had to be in the last 5 years or so b/c I thought it was a really poor quality print out from a home-printer, hence the horizontal lines. I like the scanner guess, though.
My feeling when I first saw this was early 70's. (1970's, not 1770's)! Something about the coats and photo colors...
I love this photo! It looks like a break in the time portal.
Some of the greatest comments EVER!!
I like how the inside drummer making the turn and the guy just to the right of the gate appear to be CLONES!! And they either have dark, brooding eyes, or they're wearing sunglasses.
Also-- Puckhog, not exactly tubesocks- they're scrunchy '80's socks like the hooters girls wear!
Playing in the drum and fife corps would be an AWESOME summer occupation!
Actually, it looks like they just finished a reenactment at the Mansion. I used to be in Rev-War reenactments and one weekend out of the year they would gather everyone together in Williamsburg to do a large-scale reenactment at the Governor's mansion.
Ahhh...I miss those days.
I live in Williamsburg now, and the picture is of the Fife and Drum corps. they march down the street every day.
Redcoat, your remark about the clones reminded me of Sondheim's 'Sunday in the Park with George' -- there are two soldiers in the line-up, and in the Seurat picture on which the musical is based, they look very wooden, like clones, so Sondheim has one real one carrying a cardboard cutout who is his mate.
UK photo prints never seemed to have dates on them. Colour transparencies did though.
Lost&Found, you're right -- Brownie 126 or Instamatic or something. Not a Rolleiflex or Hasselblad, as they would be exactly square and also taken at waist level, not eye level.
(Where's Midlife when you need his expertise??)
Time Machine field trip! There weren't supposed to be any camera's along!