Monday, September 27, 2010

Stuck in an Old Book

Gloria Isabel Sanborn, Hoohoo, 1925-82

M Y  C O L L E C T I O N — This is a perfect example of why I've saved every scrap of paper and torn-up old notebook and envelope and everything else from my famly. Day Six of my attic project, and I've finally gone through every carton and box packed in the last move. I can barely breathe with all of the dust and antique detritus everywhere, but mostly in my lungs and nose right now. Pieces I still own from our original family home sold in 1985 were packed and repacked and repacked and with my lifestyle for most of the time, nothing was ever really gone through. That's what I'm doing this fall. I'm going to use a LOT of the paper items, old photos etc in my new art. I have no idea how I'm going to do this without having them look like a shopping bag for a tourist store, lol, but I know I'll work it out.

In the meantime, the beautiful photo above was found today in an old envelope in an old book that anyone else would have dumpster tossed years ago, Frankly, the book was in ruins and wouldn't have been collectible even in mint condition. I know the way my family thought, I know the way they "stored" things, and I know what I've found in the past, so I've saved "junk" like this until I had the time and inclination to sort through it all like I am now. This photo of Hoohoo as a young child is all of 1 1/4" x 1 3/4", barely bigger than a postage stamp. It's terribly faded but there was something about it that warranted a closer look. 

You can judge for yourself if I was fortunate to have found it! I adore it, and once again am in awe of my grandmother's "eye" and her skill with such rudimentary cameras. Even though Hoohoo was only 5-6-7 years old in this photo, I can see her adult face and personality in every part of this image. I love the sharpness, and the softness, of the different parts of the photo, and the fact my grandmother often told her subjects not to look at the camera really works here.

6 comments:

  1. Casey, I think that photo found you.
    Was that a print taken from a contact sheet? I have seen some small photos in my family's albums but never that small.

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  2. I think you're right about it finding me. I think the spirits are what drove me to do this attic project this week! This was an actual print, complete with those ragged white edges around it. I don't think I've seen a print this small either. Now that you mention it, it's just about the size of an image on a contact sheet.

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  3. Good a.m. all...fortunate, maybe ...BLESSED beyond belief is my personal opinion about finding that photo. Again, I am in awe of a family that has a photographic history...and to have it been your grandmother who was able (not only money-wise but talent-wise) to take this picture is a ....WOW!
    You have been a busy guy with all the attic cleaning...it is a chore and a responsibility I would say. Thanks for sharing your treasured finds!
    mare

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  4. thanks, Mare. It's a daunting task, but one that has been put off long enough. I'm done with 'phase one' as PX called it, going through everything once and getting rid of a lot of pure junk, dirty/ripped old clothes and sheets, and consolidating many half-packed boxes. Next is phase two. I'm going to put all of the boxes of dishes in one area, photos in another are, books in another, arrange the furniture so I can actually sit up there, and put all of the "paper/art" material in another corner so I can go through all of that with a fine-tooth comb. When I'm gone, all the personal letters and notes and driver's licenses and order forms and everything that a generation collects, will be tosses out, so I"m going to use them in art to give them a life beyond mine. Old letterhead and even bills are so interesting looking with modern eyes, but no one will see them unless I commit them to wood or cardboard. I also have a lot of art from college that is ripping and drying out and I"m going to reuse all of that in a new way too.

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  5. YOU USED THE WORD JUNK, NOTHING IS JUNK. I'M OLD AND SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE JUNK. THEN I LOOK OUT THE WINOW AND SEE TREES THAT ARE OLDER THAN ME SO I GUESS I'M SOMETHING SPECIAL. I KNOW IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE BUT IT MAKES SENSE IN MY MIND. I HAVE THINGS OF MY MOTHER'S THAT I'M SURE ONE OF MY BROTHERS WOULD CALL JUNK BUT WHEN I LOOK AT THAT TABLE OR LAMP OR WHATEVER, I SEE MOM. NO JUNK IN THIS HOUSE ANYMORE. GOT RID OF EVERYDAY JUNK BUT KEPT THE GOOD JUNK. ME

    GRANNY

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  6. I JUST HAD A NEED TO COME BACK TO THIS POST AND SAY ONE THING CASEY.

    HOOHOO YOU DID GOOD.

    GRANNY

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