As Negatives Dissolve

This was once a very well-composed photograph.

No matter where you start in this picture, the faces all turned in the same direction lead your eye to the speaker at the far left who was once the focal point of this composition. However, sixty years in storage at less-than-optimum conditions have degraded the edges so much that the speaker has all but disappeared making this picture now merely a disorganized crowd scene.

There are still a lot of fun "discoveries" in it - like the child at the bottom of the picture who has turned to see what the photographer is doing.  The ladys' hats are retro and cool, but the main attraction of this old picture is the mystery.

From the size of the crowd, I would guess this was a major event back in the late 40s or early 50s, but it's now forgotten.  Very few people in this picture are still alive, but, if you are one of the attendees, please leave a comment telling the rest of us where this dinner took place and what happened there.

Three Old Men

I'm a big fan of The History Channel's Ancient Aliens.  I love the logic that the show uses.  They will display some mysterious artifact and then say, "While there is no evidence that this thing was used by ancient aliens, there is also no evidence that it wasn't.  Might it then be possible that this was indeed carried to Earth by a flying saucer?"

Well, that sounds reasonable.  And it leads me to wonder about this picture I found in the Historical Society's collection of negatives from Simmons Studio.

While there is no evidence that these three gentlemen were the last surviving members of the Jesse James gang, there is also no evidence that they weren't. Might it then be possible that they indeed came to Warrensburg in the late 1940s to rob the bank, saw the Simmons Studio sign and decided to have their picture taken first?

The fact that there is no mention of a bank robbery in Warrensburg by three old men at that time only suggests that the desire to reform and live an honest life can suddenly hit anyone at any time.

If someone has a better theory about this picture, I'd love to hear it.

Aunt Samanthy Rules the Roost!

Last week I published this picture that I found in the Simmons Studio collection of old negatives.  I asked if anyone had any idea who these people were.

I got help from Rosalee Welling, Robbie Dyer, and Deleta Williams in indentifying these members of the 1952 Junior Class.  Deleta's hint that they were the cast and crew of the Junior Class play, led Lisa Irle to the Warrensburg High School year book where we found more information about the play.

So here they are from Aunt Samanthy Rules the Roost:

Back row left to right: 

Carolyn Ekerm, (PE teacher and director) 

Phyllis Boland (Props) 

Lester Volentine (Lucien Littlefield, a farmer)

Wallace Sheridan (Lights)

Charles Senior (Lights)

Deleta Terry (props) 

Donna Brant (Annie Ambrose, the village dressmaker)

Front row left to right: 

Elnora Bryson (Blanche Bowers, a woman of few words)

Audrey Leigh (Frank Fairfield, who likes Sophie)

LaRena Hunt (Sophie Simpkins, Samanthy's younger niece)

Patsy Price (Aunt Samanthy, an old maid)

Bill Ridge (Blair Boswell, who likes Serena)

Sue Bancroft (Serena Simpkins, her older niece)

Richard Mason (Lawrence Lovewell, a stranger) 

Joann Swope (Polly Paine, maid at the Simpkins’)

This picture was taken on the stage of the Warrensburg High School - the building that is now Martin Warren Elementary.

We're Not Ready Yet!

My last post from the Simmons Studio collection demonstrated how difficult it can be to work with animals.  However, large groups of people can be equally difficult.  All it takes is one person looking the wrong way and the entire shot is spoiled.

Here’s a picture of a group of young people where everyone is looking the wrong way. 

I have no idea who these people are or what group they are with, but unless they’re all members of the Do-Your-Own-Thing Society, I’d say this picture wasn’t the last one the photographer took of them that day.

Here’s a large well-disciplined family.  Everybody get in a stiff pose - check.  Everybody frown and look gloomy - check.  Okay, snap the picture.  

Then suddenly the lady in the middle smiles and ruins the whole shot.  There’s someone like that in every crowd.

As usual, if anyone can tell me anything about either of these groups, I’d love to learn more about them.  Please leave something in the comment section.

Fido and Fluffy - A Photographer's Nightmare

There aren’t many animal pictures in the Simmons Studio collection, but some people marched their furry family members up the stairs at 309 N. Holden to have their portraits taken.

The photographer must have dreaded seeing them come through the door because he knew he was in for a long photo shoot.  Pets just don’t know how to sit still.

Here’s a picture of Fido bobbing in front of the camera.  Maybe another shot…

Nope. That didn’t work either.

Fluffy seems to be able to keep her front half still but her back half moved.

Now here’s a lad who knows how to pose for a camera.  

Well, it’s exciting to get your picture taken, and no matter how well-behaved you are, you can’t help it if your ears jiggle just a little.