Monday, March 06, 2006

On the Importance of Labels....

This is another in the long line of unlabeled photos from my mother's collection. It would be nice to know if these children are siblings, or if they were assembled for a school event or a home holiday musicale.

I like to imagine that she is singing "O, Holy Night", since her lips form the perfect shape for it. The viola player is intent on his fingering and bow placement, while the violin boy watches for public reaction or approval to the show.

Wouldn't it be nice to know who they were and what year it was? I estimate late 40's. If you have a photo box full of unlabeled pictures, do all your decendants a favor and name and date them. Now.
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19 comments:

Loren said...

Couldn’t agree more.

Both my parents and all their siblings have passed away, and I’m trying to make sense of a large number of photographs that I’ve inherited.

I suspect a large part of our family’s history will simply disappear.

barbie2be said...

i love old family photos.

here from micheles.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

This is such an interesting picture, Judy..(By the way that boy is playing a Cello...I use to play both the Violin and the Viola)

It really is sad that you don't know who they are...It makes me feel I should be marking every phoyograph I have....Oh Boy! That would take years! Maybe that's why people don't do it. (lol)

Eddie said...

It looks like you probably correctly pegged each child.

MaR said...

Very good advice, Judy. I am sorry I didn't label all of my kid's pictures. I thought I would always remember every date and every occasion, ha! And he is not 18 yet...

Anonymous said...

Such a good idea. It's so disappointing to pour through those photos...and wonder who on earth they are or the event or date. I've tried really hard to label all my photos, so some day, somebody else won't have to wonder.

srp said...

Mar is right. Even with Nyssa it is hard to remember which picture goes with what date. I'm trying to get my mom to label those old pictures. Unfortunately we already have aome of my grandmother's without labels.

Anonymous said...

LOL I know it's not a caption contest but it looks like the little girl on the right is saying "Hey will you quit poking me with that bow." LOL

Greg Finnegan said...

That's easy. I know this picture.

(l to r) Luciano Pavarotti (pre-pasta); Yo-Yo Ma (before the horrible mascara accident); and Art Garfunkel in drag (before Simon).

Julliard - a wonderful place!

And I think the song is "Ooooooklahoma!", based on Art's expression as you pointed out.

That, or it's because I am in Joplin MO near Oklahoma. Whatever.

Pirate said...

they could just be th picture that came with a particular photo frame.

OldHorsetailSnake said...

Yeah, I think you're right. Unless she's singing Ole Sole Mio -- one of those.

goldenlucyd said...

I have very few pictures from my childhood. Carole's sister is putting them in a computer album and I'm at a total loss to identify the people in the photos. I'm not even sure who I am! (Picure-wise, I mean.)
Your advice is primo!!
Lucy

Anonymous said...

Great Photo! And Great advice on labeling the photos. My sister and I are in the midst of a titanic endeavor to scan in hundreds of family photographs and catalog them. Then its on to the family slides.

Jamie Dawn said...

What a darling picture. It must bug you not to know who these kids are and why your mom had this pic.
They remind me of a scene from the Little Rascals.
The little girl would be Darla, and the kid seeking approval would be Alfalfa.

Weary Hag said...

Great interpretation of an anonymous photo, Judy!

Judging by their clothes, I would agree that it was probably snapped sometime in the 40s (my favorite era).

AND ... VERY good point about marking photos and letting the later-world know who's in them!

Traci Dolan said...

My family is actually very good at labeling photos. Seemed to be as much a pasttime as taking the photos. Too bad they needed to work on their penmenship as well!

TLP said...

I have the photos from both my mother and my husband's mother. Many are of people that my husband and I cannot identify, so I agree with you completely.

I think that these kids are siblings. It could be a photo that some friend sent your parents in a Christmas card.

brendalove@gmail.com said...

A forgotten moment of history that has managed somehow to NOT be forgotten.

Anonymous said...

My mother labeled her photos and I am eternally grateful. I love doing Memory Books and I hope my children will appreciate them. The good thing about Memory Books is that in the writing of the event as well as the photos, names seem to get automatically added.