Thursday 17 May 2012

Strangers' portraits

In my preparation for the onslaught of 8 visitors this weekend, one of my tasks this week has been to ensure there are enough toys  for babies and toddlers, and big grown up 4 year olds to play with.

I had a successful trip to a vide grenier this morning, at nearby Rieux Minervois.
I hope the kids will enjoy "Going on a Bear Hunt" in French.

However, despite my bargains, it is the image of these pictures  that will haunt me for some time.

Who were they ? Was there no one in their family that wanted to keep these beautiful photos ? …and where will they end up ? Will someone buy them for the frames and dispose of the gorgeous images ? I nearly bought them myself, but decided starting a project of salvaging other family’s unwanted portraits would not go down well with Mark……..and we might need to buy a house with more walls.

16 comments:

  1. Those photographs always upset me.
    My mother, now 96, is clearing ruthlessly and says she'd rather burn old photographs herself than have them end up in a junk shop or on a dump.
    I feel just the same.

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    1. My paternal grandmother burned box loads of photos and articles written by my journalist grandfather, without checking if anyone wanted them. I was heartbroken...as was she when she realised how I would have treasured them. However, I agree in principle, much better than they end up in a car boot sale.

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  2. That is one advantage of the computer, the photos are safely locked away, I think! The lady looks particularly lovely with her 1930s hair and string of pearls.
    Going on a Bear Hunt, was one of my grandchildren's favourite books.
    Your lettering is much better. As I mentioned to Perpetua, it is easier on the eye.

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    1. Thanks Rosemary, the learning curve that is blogging continues. You are right about the computer, we just need to make sure we leave passwords to our children and grandchildren, so they can find them. The wording of wills will change in the future, as we ensure all our treasures, preserved on some cloud somewhere, can be found.

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  3. Hello Janice:
    We really do wish you well with your visitors as we know that we should be hopeless when it came to entertaining young children. Yes, the abandoned photographs do make one feel somewhat sad.

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    1. Thanks for the good wishes Jane and Lance. I have to say I'm less worried about entertaining the 4 year olds than making sure the adults have a good time. The 4 year olds seem to see fun and adventure everywhere. As for the photos, I'm already thinking they would have looked excellent in my hallway. J.

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  4. We can still go on a bear hunt if we want - it's ingrained in our collective memory!
    It is very sad to see such personal items at a car boot sale, though not, in my opinion a good enough reason for you to try and rescue them. You have some wonderful photos of your own. I think the three life-jacketed boys, blown up nice and big and framed, is probably perfect for your hallway.
    (Actually, I'm have a very strange reaction to the thought that you might want unknown people - real people, not 'art' - hanging in your hall. And put like that makes it sound even worse! No, I think we should only hang people in our hallway with their permission. I'm now shuddering for some reason!!)

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    1. I'm with you as far as the permission is concerned...but I reckon they might have given it in preference to ending up on the grass at a car boot sale. It not going to happen though Annie, I promise. I have far too many treasured photos of my grandmothers, my great grand mothers and even a couple of my great great grandmothers that adorn my walls.
      As for the bear hunt, I'm delighted the way "swishy swashy" translates to " froufrou friselis".

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    2. How lovely - new wonderful words. Must dig out a Spanish version too.
      I'm impressed you have great great grandmother photos! I can only go back to great in terms of photos, though I have been digging around in my ancestral past recently, which is fascinating. Axx

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  5. Oh, Janice, I always tear up when I see such pictures at a sale or shop and wonder the same. I sometimes imagine how I would feel if a picture showed up of someone I knew (I know I would probably buy it). I did find my cousin in a yearbook once, rummaging around in a store. I told him I found him in an antique shop. We give each other a hard time. He is 26 days younger than me and we lived in the same house until we were almost five.

    I think the children will enjoy their time at your home. I hope you do as well. Have a good weekend.

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    1. Thanks Penny, I love the year book story, they do capture a moment in time dont they. I still enjoy looking through the year book for the year I taught in Wisconsin. The photos of the students ( and faculty) have a very stylised hazy rosy glow...and it was years before photo-shop. J.

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  6. I love your toy finds, Janice. One can find some real bargains at a vide-grenier if one looks carefully enough. I agree about the melancholy of the unknown family portraits - expensive and once prized possessions now discarded like this. And was that lace-edged linen peeping out of the red box?

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  7. It was only when I looked at the photo that I saw the linen. There were quite a few people selling linens, but as I was focussed on a toy hunt, I didn't really think about them.When you think about the quality of old linen compared to the (incredibly expensive ) stuff available in the shops...well I think I may go on a linen hunt next time. As for the photos, I just hope they found a good home. J.

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  8. So nice of you to think of your guests and go out of your way to make them comfortable for a visit. Cute toys and book, I'm sure they will be enjoyed.
    I've seen old pics also at garage sales, Tag sales and yard sales in people's driveways and I too think....was that some member in your Family that they didn't want their photo. I still have my Grandma's old pics...which she dragged over here to NA during the war all the way to the other side of the world to another continent..

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  9. Thanks Erica ( Irene). My guests have arrived...the peace and quiet is over ! The vide grenier was really good for picking up toys for the kids, but the photos did make me sad. They were so beautiful, it is hard to imagine anyone throwing them away. Its wonderful to think your grandmother's photos made such a long journey, and that they are still loved and enjoyed. J.

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  10. It is sad to see the discarded photographs. We can only hope that the people weren't as easily disgarded - or disregarded!

    I love to visit brocantes. I'm always on the look out for knife rests - both beautiful and tacky!

    Enjoy your time with the family.

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