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November 18, 2007
The Way Of All Flesh Revisited (Again)
Some of you may remember a series of photos I posted a while back of one woman as she aged over course of 50 years or so that I titled The Way Of All Flesh. I got the photos about 6 months ago so imagine my surprise today when I came across this photo at a completely different flea market (and from a different dealer as well).
Now clearly it's the same girl- compare it this photo from the original series - the above photo dated 8-12-49, the one below dated August 1949.
Here's another that pair- the first I got today, the second is from the original series.
Of course the original photos were just of the girl and in the new ones she's with someone who must be her brother. I have to admit while I was excited (and more than a little shocked) to stumble across these photos I was a bit disappointed as well; the original series was just so perfect- no photos of anyone but the woman herself- that I really never wanted to find any more photos of her. Of course once I saw these I couldn't unsee them so I figured I'd spoil it for everybody else as well.
This is most likely the house she grew up in. It's a typical Chicago-style bungalow of which there are thousands so it's unlikely I'd ever be able to figure out where it is.
Interestingly, this lot was mostly of the brother- the two photos above are the only ones with the girl (or anyone else) in them.
The first is dated 12-19-44
This one 8/11/45
Chronologically the next would be the photobooth of the boy and the girl posted above followed by this one dated January 1951.
This pair is dated 4-20-52
Unfortunately, the series ends with this photobooth strip (undated) so we don't get to see him age as we did his sister.
Now how did these turn up 6 months later at a different market and from a different dealer? Who knows- dealers sell to each other all the time so it's possible the dealer I got them from today bought them from that other dealer and just didn't put them out until now- I did ask him where he got them and he told me he'd done 4 estate clean-outs this week and they came from one of those estates. If so, is it possible that the brother just recently passed away himself and these photos were part of his estate?
The American mystery deepens.
Posted by nick at November 18, 2007 11:49 PM
Comments
a priceless find meant to be, indeed it deepens...
Posted by: mark s at November 19, 2007 04:19 AM
Wow, what an amazing story!
Posted by: Janna at November 20, 2007 10:18 PM
I like your hobby. A+.
Posted by: mdhatter at November 27, 2007 07:00 PM
I think this is such a great find and also the fact that you found the second lot of photos means you should carry in searching - its fate, you may be linked to this person in some way...
Posted by: natalie at November 28, 2007 11:51 AM
I stumbled upon your first page and somehow it gave me great happiness to see this continuation... I found the first series somewhat sad and felt the woman was trying to make up for something. She looked very alone in the way she held herself. But with these shots I feel relieved - I feel she had more of a life, and it's just a story undiscovered as opposed to the theory that she lived, aged and died. Thanks for the great pictures.
Posted by: laura at December 6, 2007 05:08 PM
omg gosh. so cool.
Posted by: meuy at December 27, 2007 10:36 PM
My imagination runs rampant with story lines for the photos. These are great. The torn photo in the first series makes me wonder if there was a divorce and so "he" was eliminated, or was it a photo torn to share with the other person? Even though the photos aren't professional or fancy, what a treat to see the years go by. I wish I had such a record of my parents.
Posted by: swqltr at January 10, 2008 03:17 PM
In the 70s I found a box of old photographs from the 1800 -1940. They were mostly of the generations of a family but there was one man who's image appeared as a young man in the earliest photos and continued to the last family portrait where he was the great grandfather. For many, many years I left them in the box I found them and would take them out on sad days to look through. I treated & cared for them like the gold they were so no one could have been more shocked when they turned up missing. Guilt and sadness..I hope they are safe somewhere.
Posted by: Fortner Smyth at January 14, 2008 04:57 AM
What would you do if someone in the pictures turned up - like on your doorstep?
Could happen!
Posted by: Bob at February 1, 2008 09:07 AM
I have a question... Have you ever gotten any fead back from folks that you have their photos?
I really like this website. It really makes you wonder about things.
Posted by: Stan at April 4, 2008 04:15 PM
who are they? whos is she? ;) c'mon someone must know, this might become one of those web events mentioned even in the news so we might know who is she :D spread it out !!!!!!
Posted by: piper1234 at April 15, 2008 04:26 PM
Wow thats incredible. Amazing what you can find huh. I really hope some relative or someone who knows them finds this; could mean a lot to them.
Posted by: Hani Amir at April 17, 2008 02:56 AM
Detective Question
Can you tell us where the flea market
was. Approximate address?
Also is the local paper online!
We can look for obituary or real estate
classifieds
Posted by: Denis at April 24, 2008 02:30 PM