Sepia Saturday 63 : Saturday 26 February 2011

With Thanks To The State Library of Queensland and Wikimedia Commons

I am still in the archives of the State Library of Queensland (via Wikimedia Commons, via my desktop computer) for my featured photograph of the week. The photograph shows the four-masted barque, "Richelieu" under tow from two tug-boats. The steel sailing boat was built in Germany in 1916, named the "Pola" and originally intended for the South American nitrate trade. Her delivery was delayed by World War I and in 1919 she was seized by the Allies as part of post-war reparations, and handed to the French who renamed her the "Richelieu". Her sailing days came to an end in 1927 when her cargo of pitch caught fire in Baltimore Harbour.

The archive image is of uncertain date and unknown author, but it is one of the 50,000 archive images generously handed over on a copyright free basis by the Queensland Library to Wikimedia Commons. All lovers of old images will welcome such a move which allows enthusiasts all over the world to enjoy this rich treasure-house of historical images.

You can add to our very own Sepia Saturday treasure-house by linking your posts to the Sepia Saturday Blog using the Linky Form below. Post your post (on or around Saturday 26 February), add your name and the post URL to the Linky Form and leave us a comment to let us know you are joining in. If you want a theme, there are themes galore in my featured image, but remember you don't have to follow any theme. Think image, think old, think Sepia Saturday.

Sepia Saturday 62 : Saturday 19th February 2011

Queensland Museum Digital Collection (Via Wikimedia Commons)

My featured archive image this week focuses on the Ipswich Cycle Club and dates back to the very beginning of the twentieth century. In case you are about to criticise me for a notable lack of geographic adventurousness, let me quickly assure you that the Ipswich concerned is the antipodean inception - just outside the city of Brisbane - rather than the one in Suffolk, England (or, for that matter, the one in Massachusetts, or the one in South Dakota). For the "themers" amongst us, they can seize on bicycles, or bare knees, general storekeepers, or even the multiple inceptions of Ipswich. For the "non-themers" (someone called us "memers" the other day and I rather like that) amongst us, they can go where the spirit takes them and post whatever old image they want to. 

So, "themer" or "memer", just hop on your bike and pedal your post on the Sepia Saturday Blog by linking it to the following list on or around Saturday the 19th February 2011. Ding, ding!

Sepia Saturday 61 : Saturday 12 February 2011

State Library and Archives of Florida

This photograph is listed in the catalogue of Florida State Library simply as "Men Standing By A Silo". There is no record of the photographer, no date, and there are no names of the four men themselves. It is listed as being part of the photographic collection of the Agricultural Experiment Station, so we can perhaps assume that they are State employees rather than independent farmers. Two connected things made this photograph stand out to me : the  prosaic nature of the given title and the anything but prosaic body language of the four men in question. Each one is a chapter in itself and together they form a book-full of stories and personalities. And like a fine impressionist painting you can read your own interpretation of the lines and shapes that make up the scene.

Sepia Saturday 60 achieved, I think, a record number of participants and it was great to visit all the posts and see such a wide variety of subjects and interpretations. Remember, you don't need a silo-full of old family photographs to join in with Sepia Saturday, all you need is an old image and a new thought. You can follow the theme if you wish (if you can find one) or you can explore your own path through your own little bit of history. Try to get around as many of the other Sepia contributors as you can : and don't forget the latecomers, it is always worth a return visit once Saturday is over to check-out new posts.

Sepia Saturday 61 will take place on or around Saturday 12th February 2011. Come and join us ..... or the little chap wearing the cap stood in front of the silo might just punch you on the nose!

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.