Sepia Saturday 171 : 6th April 2013

This year is the centenary of the introduction in Britain of the 1913 Ancient Monuments Act which recognised for the first time that the state had a duty to ensure the continued survival of certain key physical and historical remains. Pointing this out to me, stalwart Sepian, Marilyn Brindley, suggested that it was time for an old ruin (could she have been referring to me) or at least time for a castle. And so our theme image features an old photograph of Conway Castle in Wales which forms part of the collection of the Library of Congress which is available via Flickr Commons. You could perhaps feature a castle or a monument or a ruin or ... well the choice is yours. Just give us an old image and a few words of explanation and post your post on or around Saturday 6th April 2013 and then link your post using the Linky List below.

Before we cross the drawbridge and enter the castle keep, let us have a look at what lies ahead for Sepians during April.

172 : Spring is just around the corner (we are told) and it is time to get your walking boots on, pack your haversack, and head out into the hills and valleys. There is nothing like a jolly hike (I am told).

173 : Now this particular photograph is just plain odd. What on earth is going on here I can't begin to imagine. But we all have odd old photographs in our collections and here is your chance to feature them.

But for now, take your place on the battlements, it's time to pay tribute to all that is grand, all that is old and all that is ruined. As for me, in the words of the singer Meatloaf, "two out of three ain't bad".

Sepia Saturday 170 : 30 March 2013

I don't know about you but I could do with a cup of coffee. Or a warming pot of tea perhaps? Whatever your choice of beverage, why not head on down to the local cafe? And if, like these two gents you are on Rowe Street, Sydney, Australia, that would be the Lincoln Coffee Lounge and Cafe (well, at least it would have been back in the late 1940s). Whether you are in Australia or America, Europe or Africa, Asia or Heckmondwyke, there is usually a tea shop or cafe, coffee lounge or milk bar ready and waiting for you to break your journey. And whilst you take a breather, why not get your camera out and take a quick snap? Our theme photograph comes from the collection of the Powerhouse Museum on Flickr Commons. It was taken by Brian Bird and the chap on the right is Dick Gooding, a well known Sydney journalist of the time. The Lincoln was a popular meeting point for artists and writers, so you could also go with that particular thematic thread if you wanted to. Whichever way you decide to go, just post your post on or around Saturday 30th March 2013 and link your post to the Linky List below.

Here is a preview of the next two Sepia Saturday theme images:

171 : Marilyn suggested it was time for an ancient monument (could she have been referring to me?) or at least time for a castle. People have always been fond of taking photographs of grand old monuments so you should have one or two in your collections.

172 : Spring is just around the corner (we are told) and it is time to get your walking boots on, pack your haversack, and head out into the hills and valleys. There is nothing like a jolly hike (I am told).

All that hiking around ancient monuments is for the future. This weekend relax. It is Easter; time to sit down, put your feet up, pour yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy Sepia Saturday 170.

Sepia Saturday 169 : 23 March 2013

If there is one thing that unites us Sepians, it is the love of an image. And to have our constant stream of images we are dependent upon photographers and artists. So this week we are celebrating those who paint with oils or pastels and those who paint with light. Whether they are recording great international events (as with our theme image last week) or the natural beauty of cherry blossom in Washington, our heroes stand out in all weathers, clicking their shutters in order to bring us our daily diet of images. Our picture comes from the Library of Congress stream on Flickr Commons and was suggested as a theme by regular Sepia Saturday participant, Postcardy. There are all sorts of possibilities for the inventive themer : all you have to do is to decide which petal you are going to go with and post your posts on or around Saturday 23 March 2013. Add a link to the Linky List and call and see as many other Sepians as you can conveniently manage.

And if you can manage to look away from your viewfinder for a moment, you might want to have a look at what we have lined up for the next couple of weeks.

170 : Time for a coffee? This particular coffee lounge was a famous meeting place for Australian writers and artists. So that gives you coffee, art, writing, and men leaning against doors as possible directions, not to mention all the adverts in the shop windows.

171 : Marilyn suggested it was time for an ancient monument (could she have been referring to me?) or at least time for a castle. People have always been fond of taking photographs of grand old monuments so you should have one or two in your collections.

Such topics are for the future. For SS 169 let us return to our viewfinders and get our subjects to smile and watch the birdie. Keep very still now .....

Sepia Saturday 168 : 16 March 2013

Our theme image this week was suggested by John Newmark of the Blog TransylvanianDutch and it was taken on the 17th July 1945 at the Potsdam Conference which brought together the leaders of the USA, Britain and the Soviet Union following the end of the War in Europe. The photograph comes from the Truman Library Archives and if you search carefully enough you might find President Truman, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. Now it is not my job to point you in the direction of potential themes, but there is all sorts going on here : meetings, round tables, famous events, famous people, photographers, flags, not to mention one or two bald heads. All you have to do is to decide which theme you want to follow (or you can abandon themes all together if you want), post your post on or around Saturday 16 March 2013, add a link to the list below, and join in the Sepia Saturday fun.

And here is your look ahead at the next two theme images : 

169 : Nominated by Sepian Postcardy, here is a picture of lots of people taking photographs of cherry blossom in Washington. There are all sorts of possibilities here : blossom, monuments, photographers being photographed.

170 : Time for a coffee? This particular coffee lounge was a famous meeting place for Australian writers and artists. So that gives you coffee, art, writing, and men leaning against doors as possible directions, not to mention all the adverts in the shop windows.

But the meeting is being brought to order and it is time to return to the conference and Sepia Saturday 168. If you want to raise an issue in the plenary session, there is no need to raise your hand - just add a link to the list below.

Sepia Saturday 167 : 9 March 2013

For Sepia Saturday 167 we are beside a river or a bay. There are trees, houses, a pier and a steamer. There is also a powerful clue to the exact location because etched into the emulsion of the glass plate negative is the word "Mosman". Mosman is a suburb of Sydney Australia and in this picture we see it as it was about 100 years ago, long before it was absorbed into the growing city. The photograph is part of the collection of the Powerhouse Museum which has been made available via Flickr Commons. Our thanks to Sepian Kathy Matthews for suggesting this as our theme image for this week. You might want to go with boats, water, steamers, piers or writing on photographs : or you might want to paddle your photographic boat in an entirely different direction. This is Sepia Saturday, the choice is yours. All you need to do is to post your post on or around Saturday 9th March 2013 and then add a link to the list below.

And here is our usual preview of what is in store over the next couple of weeks.

168 : Nominated by Sepian John Newmark, this photograph of the Potsdam Conference could make you think of meetings, round tables, famous events, photographers being photographed or almost anything else.

169 : Nominated by Sepian Postcardy, here is a picture of lots of people taking photographs of cherry blossom in Washington. There are all sorts of possibilities here : blossom, monuments, photographers being photographed (again).

Such things can be forgotten for the moment whilst we concentrate on Sepia Saturday 167. So get your post ready, get your link included and make sure you don't miss the boat.

Sepia Saturday 166 : 2 March 2013

I did have a feeling that we had once had a picture of a boxer as a Sepia Saturday theme, but after a quick check through the list produced by Kristin Cleage and Marilyn Brindley (and available via our wonderful Facebook Group) I must be mistaken. However, the boxer we have for Sepia Saturday 166 (post your posts on or around Saturday 2 March 2013) is of a different kind altogether because she is a worker in a factory making paper boxes. The photograph is by Lewis W Hine and comes from the George Eastman House Photography Collection which is available via Flickr Commons. Far be it from me to suggest theme interpretations to all the Sepians out there, but boxes, paper, workers, machines and dangerously long skirts spring to my mind. All you have to do is to select an old photograph or two and say a few things about them and if you can tie it in with your interpretation of the theme image, well that is a bonus. Post your posts, link it to the list below and then pop in and visit as many other Sepians as you can manage. Easy peasy!

Here is our usual look ahead at the next two Sepia prompts:

167 : 9 March 2013 : Nominated by Sepian Kathy Matthews, this photograph might want to make you take a paddle steamer down a river ... or interpret the writing on the photograph itself.

168 : Nominated by Sepian John Newmark, this photograph of the Potsdam Conference could make you think of meetings, round tables, famous events, photographers being photographed or almost anything else.

All that is for the future, for Sepia Saturday 166 all you need to do is to open up those cardboard boxes we all keep our old photographs in and search out a suitable contribution. And speaking of cardboard boxes, the shoebox full of old photographs has always been a favourite phrase of Sepian Peter Miebies of Peter's Blog. Peter has been in touch with us to say that he is taking  break from Sepia Saturday to pursue some other interests. I always think that one of the fine things about the Sepia Community is that people can step in and step out when they want to and always be sure of a warm welcome back. So this is merely to say, "come back and see us when you can Peter, you will always be welcome here".

Sepia Saturday 165 : 23 February 2013

Out theme image for Sepia Saturday 165 comes from the Flickr Commons collection of the Australian National Maritime Museum and is entitled "Group Portrait of an Unknown Family". All lovers of old photographs are familiar with unknown people, unknown families and unknown places, we all have them in our collection, and Sepia Saturday 165 provides an opportunity to give them their moment in the limelight, not because of who they are but because of who they may be. Just post your post on or around the 23rd February 2013, add a link to your post on the Linky List and don't forget to try and visit as many other Sepians as you can fit in.

And here is our preview of the next two Sepia Saturday theme images :

166 : 2 March 2013 : A photograph of a worker making paper boxes. You might want to go with workers, machines, paper or boxes ... or with whatever you can find in the picture.

167 : 9 March 2013 : Nominated by Sepian Kathy Matthews, this photograph might want to make you take a paddle steamer down a river ... or interpret the writing on the photograph itself.

Please note that the theme image for SS167 was nominated by regular Sepian, Kathy Matthews. I would welcome suggestions for future image prompts from all Sepians, but remember, our prompts are images rather than subjects. Just send me a link to a suitable image : the only qualifications are that it should be copyright-free (either your own image or from one of the on-line copyright-free collections listed on our Facebook Group page and large enough to make a suitable web image (800 x 600 pixels or more). Let me have your suggestions either as comments on this blog or via our Facebook Group.

Enough of all that : let us now turn our attentions to those we don't know. Who knows, someone out there might recognise them.