1128

One of the most fascinating Christmas gifts received by the family this year was a photo album, given to my mother by her cousin Patty. There are dozens of photographs inside, most pages labeled with stylized writing (”Otsego” - I want that font!). This is my six month old great uncle, Lyman Darling Warner, pictured with his grandfather and mother, Louis (pronounced Louie).

It’s a fascinating document not only because it’s a glimpse at my distant relatives, but it also shows a completely different kind of life. Flipping through the pages we get the impression that they were a leisurely bunch, spending summers at the lake swimming (numerous photos show guys jumping off the dock), canoeing, and having their photos taken. That, and one of them was an incredible photographer. I kept thinking, “Who takes photos like this?!” The portrait settings are novel and natural at the same time, and the subjects seem happy to be preserved. I’ll try to post more of the pages in the next few weeks so I can show you what I’m talking about.

Perhaps this album is a relic of a time when the camera wasn’t so common. When having your photograph taken was a novelty: a high-tech experience.

Posted: Monday, December 27th, 2004 at 11:02 pm; Category: 1128; Comments feed: RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.