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.

Sepia Saturday 164 : 16 February 2013

It is our closest Sepia Saturday to St Valentine's Day, so what better prompt picture for Sepia Saturday 164 (post your posts on or around Saturday 16th February 2013) than a picture of ...... a tortoise. You might think it is strange the way the human mind works, but when I was young I was very fond of tortoises and turtles. So it turns out was Captain D Michelson of the Australian 2/2nd Battalion, for here we have a picture of him with the regimental mascot - Tim the turtle. The photograph dates back to March 1940 and forms part of the Australian War Memorial Collection on Flickr Commons. If you are looking for a theme for SS164 there are tortoises (or turtles), pipes, watches and all sorts of other things in this picture. You might also want to go with a wartime theme or a pet theme : or with whatever theme you want. Just post your old picture, say a little about it, and link the post to the list below.

But before you race off to put your post for SS164 together, you may want to have a sneak preview of the next two theme prompts.

165 23 February 2013 : The photograph is called Group Portrait Of An Unknown Family. We all have some unknowns in our collections and this is their special week.

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.

Before I finish, can I take this opportunity of recommending a visit to our Sepia Saturday Facebook Group with its two new Joint Administrators - Ticklebear and Marilyn. Now back to this week. Make haste, don't be late, post your post for Sepia Saturday 164.

Sepia Saturday 163 : 9 February 2013

When I chose the theme image for Sepia Saturday 163 a few weeks ago, we were still in midst of winter snow falls. And then the snow went away and I was left with a theme image that was becoming more unseasonable by the day. But as I put this post together, I look out of the window and the snow is falling once again - the Sepia Saturday weather forecast has got it right. Of course there is snow as a potential theme, but there are also lamp-posts, long coats and those ubiquitous barrels again. You can dig out whatever theme you like as long as you post your post on or around Saturday 9th February 2013 and add a link to it on the list below. And, don't forget, if snow isn't your thing you can let the theme melt away like a snowball in an oven and post any old picture you like.

For those who like to plan ahead, here is a sneak preview of the next two Sepia Saturday theme prompts:

164 16 February 2013 : Let's slow things down to sepia speed. There are tortoises, pipes, watches and all sorts of other things in this picture.

165 23 February 2013 : The photograph is called Group Portrait Of An Unknown Family. We all have some unknowns in our collections and this is their special week.

Such things are in the future, for the moment we are stuck in the snow. So get your snow shovels out and starting clearing a path to Sepia Saturday 163.

Sepia Saturday 162 : 2 February 2013

I am sure we have had bicycles before on Sepia Saturday, but there again we have had most things before. The skill - as old Sepians know too well - is to search through the Theme Image in order to find some connection to your own featured archive image. With this weeks' picture - Western Union Messengers, Danville, Virginia  (1911, from the Flickr Commons collection of the Museum of Photographic Arts - you might want to go with bicycles, or young lads with caps on their heads, or that wonderful lettering on the wall. This is Sepia Saturday and you can go where you like : just post your post on or around Saturday 2nd February 2013 and link to the Linky List below.

Searching through images looking for inspiration takes time, and therefore here is a sneak preview of the next two Sepia Saturday Archive Images:

163 9 February 2013 : Snow, snow and more snow. But there is also lamp-posts, long coats and those ubiquitous barrels again.

164 16 February 2013 : Let's slow things down to sepia speed. There are tortoises, pipes, watches and all sorts of other things in this picture.

There we are, that is what is around the corner. Before you get to the corner, why not jump on your bike and pedal on over to the Sepia Saturday Group on Facebook ; there is always plenty of activity and discussion taking place there. 

Wherever your bike ride takes you, make sure to post your post for Sepia Saturday 162, link it to the list below and get around and visit as many of the other Sepians as you can manage. 

Sepia Saturday 161 : 26 January 2013

There are none of my uncles or aunts in our archive theme image this week. But there is a lot going on in this hundred year old photograph of the Dughi family store in Raleigh, North Carolina. The photograph is part of the collection of the State Archives of North Carolina which they have made available on Flickr Commons and they inform us that the two gents on the left are Antonio Leo Dughi and John J A Dughi. As I have already suggested, you might want to go with old store fronts, oysters, fruit and veg, barrels, or odd machines on curved legs. Or you may find some other potential theme in there; or abandon themes altogether and go with any old image. The choice is yours and, if the front of Dughi's store is anything to go by, there is plenty of choice available inside. Just post your post on or around Saturday 26th January 2013 and link it to the list below.

Our Sepia Saturday Facebook Group is going from strength to strength and they have asked for a little mini banner which people can put on their sites to direct people to the group. I have produced one, but I am not sure how people will be able to use it to steer people to the Facebook Group. I will throw that question out to that group and hope that an answer emerges.

I have also put together a little banner which can be used to draw attention to the post I wrote last week (or rather, the one I wrote along with Auntie Miriam, which looks at how Sepia Saturday works. As her fans will instantly recognise, the mini banner features Auntie Miriam herself.

Now let us have a look ahead to the next couple of Sepia Saturdays. Here are the next two theme images for those who like to work on them in advance.

162 2 February : Bicycles, lads with caps on their heads ... the writing is on the wall.

163 9 February 2013 : Snow, snow and more snow. But there is also lamp-posts, long coats and those ubiquitous barrels again.

So, there we go. Sepia Saturday - there is so much to choose from. Who needs an oyster saloon when you can have so much fun with old photographs?

Sepia Saturday 160 : 19 January 2013

We had a bumper week last week, obviously the theme image was far too easy. So for Sepia Saturday 160 we have this odd photo, or rather an odd bit of a photo. It has been cropped off the edge of a picture of my Auntie Amy and Uncle Wilf (is there no end to Alan's aunties, I hear you ask?) As usual, it is up to you to decide what the theme might be, but we all must have pictures in our collections where what is happening in the background is far more interesting than what is happening in the foreground. There is also the looking out possibility : what is the man looking at? Or the old waggon, or seaside piers, or candles and andles and randles. Or you can, of course, totally ignore my silly theme suggestions and go down which ever road you care to choose. Just post your posts on or around Saturday the 19th of January 2013 and link your post to the list below. If you are unsure about how Sepia Saturday works why not take a look at the handy new guide produced by my late Auntie Miriam - it answers all those questions you have always wanted answering but never had the courage to ask.

As usual, here is a sneak preview of the next two Sepia Saturday theme pictures in case you want to make use of the cold, dark January nights to prepare your posts in advance.

161 26 January : Old store fronts, oysters, fruit and veg, barrels, odd machines on curved legs - take your pick.

162 2 February : Bicycles, lads with caps on their heads ... the writing is on the wall.

But those two themes are in the background. For this week let us concentrate on the foreground ... or rather the background. Oh dear, even I am confused now.