So as many of my blog followers may know, I have been working on identifying a group of negatives I bought online last year from the early 1900s. A year later and I’m still working on getting the answers. It is sort of strange to think of “reading” a photograph. I can’t think of a better way to describe what I’ve been spending my time doing though. I use my loop and look over and over and over images looking at every little detail– signs, architecture, the way people are dressed, landscapes, trees, automobiles, posters, etc. As many times as I looked over these images I still keep figuring  things out far after I’ve started this process.

If nothing else, I’m learning quite a bit about the southern United States in the early 1900s. I’m genuinely fascinated by the street scenes of long ago. I really want to figure it all out over night, but I know just like interpreting anything else these things can take some time.

This leads me to my request for help. With the world wide internet at my finger tips that not only means I have so many digital resources at my figure tips but I also have the luxury of asking people who are much more knowledgable about these things for help in identification. I’ve posted some of the details in images I’m having trouble identifying below. These are things that stand out that I’m hoping someone out there might recognize. I don’t have much to tell you about their origins other than that they are most likely from Southern United States (but there could always be an exception) or the east coast and were most likely taken in late 1800s or early 1900s. Thanks in advance for any leads you might contribute. Feel free to comment on the article with anything you might recognize or feel free to share as well!

I will also try to post updates on my Instagram account @emilypate and Twitter @photo_detective and the hashtag will be #FinishingTheStory

This slideshow requires JavaScript.