April 16, 2018
Vintage Photobooth
44 Comments

Two Sisters, Two Friends

Often there are instances where one might have an inkling that a photo of two people could be that of siblings but with no positive proof, it remains just that – an inkling, a guess, a supposition. For some reason I feel certain that the women here are sisters, despite the differences between them. If not sisters, they look to have had a long and close friendship. I feel joy and hope when I look at this photo. At this age, I want to be able to take a similar photo with one of my besties, with whom I have shared a photobooth on more occasions, than with anyone else.

I love the intimate pose of these two – their shoulders overlapping and heads touching. From the lady on the right we see a gentle tilt of the head towards her companion. This emphasises their closeness and suggests to me that she is the more dependent one in the relationship. I also love the way their smiles are so genial and welcoming. They are genuinely warm and unforced, and their eyes have followed suit, inviting us to enjoy the warmth of their relationship.

This photo is undated but the style of clothing and jewellery suggests to me it is from the late 1950s or early 60s. What looks at first glance to be a brooch on the lady at the left, is actually a very lovely and unusual means of fastening her jacket. You can just see the other part of this clasp at the far bottom left of the photo. She is also wearing some tasteful earrings which are too indistinct in the photo to guess more about them. I am assuming the pansy shaped brooch to be on the dress or jacket of the lady on the right. However, it is on an unusual angle if it is on her clothing, and yet it seems to sit too high to be on the breast of her friend, where a brooch would most likely be placed, for it to be hers. Another question for me is, are those leaf shapes to the left of the sparkling pansies, part of that same brooch or another one altogether?

As always there will be things that you will notice that I have missed. I love to get your thoughts and feelings, so please leave a comment.

44 comments

  1. This is one of the nicest pictures you have posted, it made me smile. Aren’t they just gorgeous? I think they are sisters, their faces too similar – the lady on the right a couple of years older. They were obviously very good friends and have a warm relationship. The pansy brooch can’t be on the left lady, It probably has been pushed out of place on the other lady’s shoulder due to their closeness in the booth. The jacket clasp is unusual and interesting. What is sitting on the left lady’s shoulder? Does the right lady have little pearl earrings?

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    • Thanks Tony. I think it is her sister’s hand on the left lady’s shoulder. I didn’t notice that at all! Will have to look more closely at the right lady’s ears. I thought she wasn’t wearing earrings.

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      • Yes, it could be pearl earrings! Well spotted! I like your theory about the brooch being pushed out of place due to their close proximity in the booth. I wonder if it was a special occasion that brought them together or if they were able to meet frequently and were always dolled up and stylish?

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        • Val said:

          I think what looks like a pearl earring is probably just a blemish on the photo: it’s too far down and too small on the earlobe to be an earring, I think. I agree they are probably sisters.

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          • Thanks Val. You could be right about the earring. I’m more confident to go back to my initial impression that they are sisters, now.

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  2. Mike said:

    Yes, they do indeed look like sisters. Same nose, and faces very much alike. It is a nice image….joyous and loving.

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  3. Damn rights they are sisters, that’s the look of sisters. A sweet photo, and it would have been fun to see the other 3 photos.

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    • I had to read this comment over and over, I kept reading: A sweet potato….. Couldn’t figure that one out and then finally…voila, i read it correctly… and v e r y s l o w l y! Guess that makes “ME” the vegetable here… lol

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  4. I love the intimacy too. The brooches take me back in time… as too few people wear them today! I still have a small collection.

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  5. oglach said:

    Lovely photo. One of the things I have enjoyed the most from your site over the last few years (!) is your eye for detail—the way you are able to date a photo from fashion, hairstyles, etc. But what is even more impressive to me is your talent for reading the body language of your subjects, as you did above in asserting that the woman leaning in toward her friend is the more dependent of the two. You’re very astute and would probably make a dangerous and successful poker player. 🙂

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    • He he he. I like that poker player comment, Og. And thanks for the compliments. ☺️ I’ve recently done a four shot strip on the theme of poker. Maybe I will whip it out soon. It makes me laugh. 🌼🌝🌼

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  6. What a charming couple!
    Despite the many hardships they have to bear, their faces reflect tenderness and happiness.
    They can be very proud of having got here bound together by bonds of affection and common loyalty.

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    • You really do have a poet’s heart, Marcelo. 🌹🌝🌹. Thank you.

      There are so many things to be celebrated in getting older and in old age. I’m so glad you can feel that in this photo! 😃

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  7. I love the way the woman on the right is leaning her head on her friend’s head. Very sweet and intimate moment!

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    • I so agree Shayne!

      I’ve not replied to your email yet, as I still haven’t found the photo I’m wanting to send you! One more cupboard to look through . . .

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  8. Your title says it all! I too am pretty sure they are sisters, not twins, but sisters AND friends. I would LOVE to know the story behind their lives, they are very intriguing. I’m betting they went through a lot together and on this day, it appears they’ve put all the bad behind them and have opted to simply rejoice in one anothers company. I am so very happy that they chose to create this picture for the rest of us, all these years later. Another good one K, thanks for sharing this one!! Great find!!! Hugz ! 🙂

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    • Thanks Vin of Vinville. (I must visit that town, one of these days. 😉) Your comment has brought up some thoughts which I will expand upon if you are ready to be “thwacked” philosophically? Here goes – for whom do we make photo portraits? On the day it is made, we might think we are making it for ourselves or to share with family or friends. Then we get older and maybe a younger relative might take an interest in the photo/s and want a copy. Were we thinking of that when the photo was made? Were we thinking of preserving a memory beyond our own lifetime, especially once we are making them when older? I think that, even if only on a subconscious level, these ladies WERE making this photo for us. They couldn’t have imagined the breadth of exposure this image would have, but the very making of an image suggests a desire to live on beyond our “four score and ten” years. They couldn’t imagine who the audience would be, of course, but who can imagine who will come after us? Am I just rambling on now? 🙄☺️ What do you think?

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  9. Wonderful, Kathy. Such a wonderful image so full of life, joy, experience… …I would love to have such an image of me when I’m in that age!!! So inspiring!!!
    THANKS FOR SHARING THAT WITH US, Kathy!!!! 🙏🙏🙏

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    • So glad you liked it, Markus! 😄. I aspire to the same thing. I plan to live to at least 110. I hope I will still be able to find a photobooth then. 😉

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  10. Val said:

    I wonder whether the ‘brooch’ on the woman on our right is actually a fabric embellishment added to her dress. It’s two-toned and seems to have some sort of glitter to it from the way it’s catching the light.

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  11. What a wonderful photograph! Could the sparkly brooch be marcasite? My grandmother used to wear a similar one (in the 50s) and I still treasure it 🙂

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    • I’m not sure, but I love marcasite. I also have a brooch of my grandma’s and I have my eye on a very delicate pin that my mum owns . . . 😌

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  12. I’m new here. I liked the concept of this blog a lot. Seems very well done. Congratulations.

    Greetings from Brazil!

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    • Welcome and thank you for visiting and commenting.

      I love your country! I spent a very exciting 5 weeks there in the 1990s.

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  14.  

    Pingback: Recommended reading | Down the Road

    • Hi Hannah, or is it Hanna? I started to write a comment on your post from yesterday but had a crisis of confidence about how you spell your name, so decided to see if I could find it anywhere and then, I thought that maybe you had told me not to use your real name on the blog? Then I forgot all about. 🙄. What a loon! 😆. I will definitely pop back as one of the images there, just blew me away!

      And now, after all that waffle, thank you so much for visiting me, commenting and complimenting this post. I hope things are better for you and that the break from blogging has been a means of recharging your health and creative batteries.

      X x Kate.

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  17. Yes they do look like sisters. Maybe born around 1870? 1880 at the latest?
    (Have a nice week-end Kat, though yours is already well under way.)

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    • That is such an interesting thought. I have often thought how much the world changed in the time of my grandparents, but they would’ve been, (relatively) young when this picture was taken. There wouldn’t have been cars or aeroplanes, or even telephones when they were children and older!

      Have a lovely week too! 😄

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  18.  

    Pingback: clock faces – Implied Spaces

  19. elmediat said:

    Katherine this post’s image became incorporated into a composition of mine. The full process and context is part of following post – https://impliedspaces.wordpress.com/2018/07/05/clock-faces/ . It all turned into a haibun about mass media, social media, and memory. Links to your blog, this post & your Twitter feed were included.

    Thanks for sending me the photo. My wife, I, and our respite worker had a discussion about it. The facial characteristics certainly suggest Downs, but sometimes that can be deceptive. In either case, the image makes for fascinating consideration, given the time & place. One wonders about fate of the family & the child – especially in the current social & political context. Take care.

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