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Tag Archives: vernacular photography

Becky and Friends – Part Six

February 12, 2013
Becky and Friends, Vintage Photobooth
10 Comments
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Undated

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“Becky 22 yrs. Dec. ’77”

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Undated with unidentified friend.

These are the final strips in my series about Becky and her friends. Our little girl has grown up but still loves to pull faces for the camera. And hasn’t she nabbed herself a gorgeous boyfriend?

I wonder where Becky is now? What is the story behind the photos? How did this brilliant series of souvenirs of a seemingly happy child’s formative years, come to be in the public domain?

I wish I knew Becky’s surname so that I could find her, but maybe her friend Pam Meadow will Google herself one day, discover these pictures and be able to tell us more of the life behind this archive.

Cycling Tour Of New Zealand – 17 November 1998

February 11, 2013
Photobooth 45 Year Project (Archive)
6 Comments

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17 November 1998, Spencer Street Station, Melbourne

These photos were taken on the way to Melbourne airport. I flew to New Zealand for a cycling tour of the northern tip of the North Island. Whilst there, I also visited multiple relatives.

I was already beginning to feel some of the effects of the neurological condition Myalgic Encephalomyelitis from which I suffer. Tiring easily, headaches and muscle pain, are some of the symptoms. The problems were mild at this time, so I was still able to carry on a normal life.

This strip is part of the series Photobooth 41 Year Project. You can see all the posts that document the series by clicking here.

“Jacquline”, Melissa and Wesley

February 8, 2013
Polaroid Photobooth, Vintage Photobooth
2 Comments

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Here is another of the rarer polaroid photobooth photos. Although the quality of the image isn’t great, I like the effect of the faces emerging through the darkened space.

I am betting that this photo belonged to Wesley and that he wrote the names on the front of the photo, misspelling Jaqueline’s. Yeah, typical boy. Yeah, sexist comment. Oh me, oh my.

Guide Dog Puppy – 6 November 1998

February 7, 2013
Photobooth 45 Year Project (Archive)
19 Comments

photobooth20:07:1998

6 November 1998, Luna Park, St Kilda, Melbourne

This is Hawkeye, my first trainee guide dog puppy. He was offered to me when I was a volunteer puppy-raiser, after he had made an “escape bid” from the Guide Dog Association’s kennels where he was born. It was such a drama that the fire brigade had to be called, resulting in a news article in The Sunday Age newspaper, below.

He was a precious little pup who worked very hard towards his goal of becoming a working guide dog but unfortunately that was not to be. More of his story to come.

This strip is part of the series Photobooth 41 Year Project. You can see all the posts that document the series by clicking here.

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The newspaper article from August 1998.

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The original photo from the news article.

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An unpublished photo of the escape drama.

Becky and Friends – Part Five

February 6, 2013
Becky and Friends, Vintage Photobooth
6 Comments
photoboothBeckyEtc10a

Undated. With unidentified friend or sibling. Could this be Robin?

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Same unidentified child.

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Same unidentified friend and a new one.

In part one I mentioned Robin, who could be a sibling or friend of Becky’s. The shots where he was named were missing from the archive of photos. This group of shots, all of the same, unnamed boy, suggest a younger brother or cousin, possibly named Robin.

In the strip with Becky, our happy, gap-toothed lad seems to be recovering from a fall or fight, having a large scab on his top lip. Fully healed in the second strip, his tousled hair and face-making skills are featured.

Finally, in the third strip he is joined by a little girl, who could also be a cousin to Becky, but I don’t think she is likely to be her sister. They are trying their best to pull faces, but seem unable to match their efforts to the timing of the flashes.

All undated photos, the top ones of Becky are probably from 1972 when she was about 17 years old, making the other strips more or less of the same date.

The Truman Show – 2 October 1998

February 5, 2013
Photobooth 45 Year Project (Archive)
12 Comments

photobooth02:10:1998

2 October 1998, Chadstone, Melbourne

My sister Sue and I after seeing the wonderful movie, The Truman Show. I love this strip of photos due to the great expressions on my Subie’s face.

It must have been too hot for me in the theatre, as unusually for me, I have my hair tied back.

This strip is part of the series Photobooth 41 Year Project. You can see all the posts that document the series by clicking here.

Becky and Friends – Part Four

February 4, 2013
Becky and Friends, Vintage Photobooth
10 Comments
photoboothBeckyEtc09a

Undated. With unidentified friend.

Here is Becky and a new friend, once again having fun showing off in a photobooth, bless ’em.

I am guessing that this photo was taken quite soon after the picture, dated April 1969, from the previous post in this series. Becky would therefore be around 14 years old in this strip.

Becky’s pal either has bad teeth or braces. It is too hard to tell which, even with the ability to enlarge pictures with the scanner. I am going for bad teeth, as when I had braces, chewing-gum, (seen being chomped with gusto in the second frame of this strip), was an utter nightmare if it became attached to the wires.

Ziggy’s Letter And A Photobooth Elf

February 2, 2013
Photobooth News
12 Comments

photoboothZiggy'sLetter02 Ziggy's letter with an elfed-up Katherine. There is many a challenge that bloggers have taken on over the years - a photo a day, a poem a day, a recipe cooked per day; all needing to be snapped, composed or cooked and then blogged about.  But there is no task quite so ambitious as that set by a young woman from the UK, who goes by the pen name, Ziggy Shortcrust. She has committed to composing a handwritten letter everyday throughout 2013. Not only will she be writing and sending the letters all over the world, she is illustrating each and every one of them. Early on, I joined the list of hopefuls who wanted to get into the spirit of reviving the lost art of snail mailing. Last week I received a letter with a wonderful photobooth elf of yours truly with a giraffe envelope to boot. If you would like to help Ziggy in completing her mammoth task, just click here. Her contact details can be found in a link at the bottom of each post. photoboothZiggyenvelopeEdited The decorated envelope.

Profiles – 7 August 1998

February 1, 2013
Photobooth 45 Year Project (Archive)
2 Comments

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7 August 1998, Luna Park, Melbourne

We all agreed to pose in the same position, facing right. The fourth snap shows my anarchic brother-in-law, Timo. I love him. He makes me laugh.

This strip is part of the series Photobooth 41 Year Project. You can see all the posts that document the series by clicking here.

Becky and Friends – Part Three

January 31, 2013
Becky and Friends, Vintage Photobooth
7 Comments
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April 1969

Here we find Becky and her friend or possibly sister, Tina. The notes on the back indicate that Becky was in eighth grade when this was taken and Tina was in the seventh.

Tina rivals Becky in the stupid face pulling schenanigans. Quasimodo comes to mind in the last two photos!