Sepia Saturday 60 : 5 February 2011

Photograph : The National Archives, United Kingdom

Most of the "themers" amongst us were stumped by the ice lake last week, so this week my archive photograph is perhaps easier to follow. The driver of the car is the Hon Charles Stewart Rolls - who later went on to become one of the founding partners of Rolls-Royce - and sat next to him is Prince George, the Duke of York (who later went on to become King George V). The photograph was taken in 1900.

Of course you don't need to follow the theme. All you have to do is to use an old photograph (whether sepia or not, it doesn't matter) as the basis for a blog post. Try to publish it on or around Saturday 5th February and add a link to the Linky List below. Link back to the Sepia Saturday Blog in your post and try and visit as many of the other Sepia contributors as you can. It's an easy and smooth process : as smooth as a ride in a Rolls-Royce.

Sepia Saturday 59 : 29 January 2011

Source : Keene Public Library and Historical Society of Cheshire County (Flickr Commons)

So do we have a theme? It is interesting to note that since I have been touring the photographic archives in search of an image for the weekly Sepia Saturday Call, several people have used whatever image I have come up with as a theme for their own posts (last week, for example, there were a number of posts reflecting either the canning industry or hats). It was never my intention to inject a theme element into Sepia Saturday : but there again I never intended to launch Sepia Saturday in the first place. Sepia Saturday had always sauntered, aimlessly, through life (which, I think, is one of its' strengths; there is not enough aimless sauntering in this world). So if some people want to saunter aimlessly in the direction of seeking out a theme, so be it. But this is an image-based meme, so let us make things interesting for the "themers" amongst us and let them determine - from the heading photo each week - what, for them, the theme might be. For the "non-themers" let them continue to post whatever image they wish : the only rule remains - an old photograph and a few words.

So whether you are a themer or a non-themer, the next Sepia Saturday (No 59) will be on Saturday 29 January 2011. Just post your posts on or around then and link them to the Linky List below.

Sepia Saturday 58 : Saturday 22 January 2011

University of Washington Library

Our tour of digital image archives takes us to the USA and the University of Washington Library Digital Collection for this image of a Californian cannery worker filling cans of tuna. The photograph, which was taken by John Nathan Cobb in the early 1930s, forms part of a splendid little collection of images with the generic title "hats". In a way it illustrates the difficulty of categorising images : good images are so full of potential categories, you could identify layer after layer of potential meaning.

Sepia Saturday invites you to submit your old images to Sepia Saturday 58 which will take place on or around Saturday 22 January 2011. You have no need to categorise them, just post them and describe them and let others wander through the various layers. Link your post to the Linky List below.

Sepia Saturday 57 : 15 January 2011

From The Archives of the London School of Economics

The great thing about a virtual tour of on-line photographic archives is that you don't need to go in a straight line. So this week I fly back from America to London and the photographic archive of the London School of Economics and share this delightful photograph of the LSE Women's Hockey Team of 1920-21. If you think you recognise your Great Aunt Mildred or even you Uncle George, there is a list of names on the Flickr page.

As we sail into 2011, there are a couple of housekeeping points I need to raise. I noticed that last week a few links came in rather late and there is a danger that these will have been missed by those who confine their posting and reading to the Saturday in question. Would it be better if I tried to post each new call at the beginning of the week (say Monday morning) and therefore latecomers become early-birds and there is less chance of us missing their posts. Also, for the sake of those new to Sepia Saturday, can I remind you to (1) make your Linky List link a link to a specific post rather than your Blog in general, and (2) include a link back to the Sepia Saturday Blog either within or at the end of your post.

Early-birds or latecomers, grab your hockey sticks and prepare to take part in Sepia Saturday 57 which will take place on or around 15 January 2011. Everyone is in the team. Have a great game.

Sepia Saturday 56 : Saturday 8th January 2011

Picture Bain News Service, Library of Congress Collection

A new year and a small makeover for the Sepia Saturday Blog. Although the look might have changed, the rules stay the same, or rather the lack of rules stay the same. Use an old image as the basis for your post and as a jumping off point to .... well to wherever you might want to go. Post on or around Saturday 8th January 2011 and link your post via the Linky List below. Check out other Sepia posters and .... well enjoy yourself.

My header picture this week continues my tour of image archives and the new year has found me within the confines of the mighty Library of Congress Print and Photographic Division. The Library was one of the major forces behind the Flickr Commons initiative which presents archive images with no known copyright restrictions. This wonderful photograph of a strike in London dates back to the second decade of the twentieth century and comes from a wonderful collection entitled "News in the 1910s".

You don't need police protection to participate in Sepia Saturday. Just post, link and read. What could be easier.