Sepia Saturday 192 : 31 August 2013

Our theme prompt for Sepia Saturday 192 features a wonderful 1947 portrait of the jazz musician Stan Kenton by the noted photographer William P Gottlieb. The photograph forms part of the Flickr Commons collection of the Library of Congress - indeed if you are a lover of classic jazz photographs there is an entire Flickr stream dedicated to Gottlieb's work. That is Kenton in the middle of this trio, dressed in typical 1940s style with his striped trousers held high with the obligatory suspenders (or as we call them here in Europe, braces). So there is your first possible direction of travel, but you may also choose to go with neckties, jazz, men sat down or  ... anything you want to. Your choice of subject can be as free and innovative as the best of Kenton's music: all we require is for you to post your post on or around Saturday 31 August 2013 and then link it to the list below.

But before you start to orchestrate your submission for Sepia Saturday 192, you might like to look ahead and see what is in prospect for the next couple of Saturdays.

193 : Girl in a rowing boat in the middle of nowhere. So there are four potential themes for starters : girl, boat, middle and nowhere.

194 : Here is a woman making an American flag which might point you in the direction of flags, sewing, books or even chandeliers.

But that is all for the future. Now it is time to brace yourself and get ready to tie yourself down to this weeks' post.

Sepia Saturday 191 : 24 August 2013

 © Rob Steven via Flickr

This week we have Rob Stevens, better known to regulars as Rob From Amersfoort, to thank for our prompt image. Nothing is known about the sitters, so your imagination when interpreting the prompt is limitless. Rob wonders if it's a man with two wives, so there's your first helpful hint. There's a similarity between the lady on the left and the gentleman, so perhaps they are siblings; they certainly share a penetrating gaze (hint number two). If neither of those ideas appeal to you, there are other details to take off to your own albums in search of a match: bonnets, shawls, gloves, beards, hands on shoulders or any group of three. Of course, there's no need to theme at all, just share something old and interesting in whatever form you choose - see the box on the right. Then, when you've published on your own blog, post your name and URL of your actual post  in Mr Linky, on or near August 23 and leave a comment in the box below. Please link back within your post to this Sepia Saturday page. There's a mini-banner to add as well if you choose.

Now you've ticked all the boxes, off you go and fill some more by leaving words of appreciation and exclamations of wonder in your fellow contributors' comments section (or you can just say hello to let them know you called). Your reward, apart from the warm glow of having made someone happy will be return visits, because that's what Sepia Saturday is all about, sharing and spreading the word. 

Now before you start gazing intently at your own albums, here's a sneak preview of the coming weeks for those who like to think ahead.

Marilyn

(aka Little Nell)

192 : Over the years we have featured all manner of items of dress - hats, boots and most things in between. But now is an opportunity to look at the humble necktie and the smart suspenders (braces).

193 : Girl in a rowing boat in the middle of nowhere. So there are four potential themes for starters : girl, boat, middle and nowhere.

Sepia Saturday 190 : 17 August 2013

Unidentified group seated on lawn, c.1900-1905. Lantern slide (83 x 83mm) by unknown photographer. 

Image © and collection of Brett Payne.

Summer means picnics and there are plenty of themes to choose from here, if you are an SS themer (not compulsory). You can home in on the details: teapot, primus stove, chicken, straw hat, blanket, shy girl, garden, or just delve into your albums for a picnic-pic. I asked regular contributor Brett Payne, for permission to use this image, when I spotted it in his response to SS 185. We're keen to use Sepians' own images as prompts where possible, so if you have one you think would fit the bill, let either Alan or me know. We used the other image of Brett's from that same week, as a caption competition on our Sepia Saturday Facebook group page. We have a lot of fun there too and we welcome requests to join from Sepia Saturday contributors.

When you've published your post on your own blog, somewhere around August 17, don't forget to add the link to your actual post (by clicking on its title within the post and then copying the URL which this generates) to Mr Linky, and then leave a comment below. Please link back to this Sepia Saturday page, and there is a mini-banner to add too if you choose. 

Complete this whole enjoyable experience by visiting as many other contributors as you can. If the mood takes you, leave them a comment as well; we Sepians thrive on comments, and being a courteous bunch we will try to return the favour.

Now before you break open the ginger beer and uncover the cold meats, whet your appetite first with a few hors d'oeuvres. You can chew over these in the coming weeks.

Marilyn
(aka Little Nell)

191 : A man and his sisters, his two wives, or is it one of each? Groups of three come to mind or how about gloves, shawls, bonnets or penetrating gazes!

192 : Over the years we have featured all manner of items of dress - hats, boots and most things in between. But now is an opportunity to look at the humble necktie and the smart suspenders (braces).

Many thanks Brett for the use of your image; I'll save you a Scotch Egg!

Sepia Saturday 189 : 10 August 2013

What a curious contraption. I am not sure how it works, I am uncertain of the thinking behind it, I have no idea where it is going, and it appears to have been designed by an absent-minded committee : but for all its' manifest failings, it seems to do something. I am talking, of course, about Sepia Saturday which, you will notice, is chugging away towards its' 200th Call (more on that soon). Our theme picture for Sepia Saturday 189 (post your posts on or around Saturday 10th August 2013) comes from the Flickr Commons Collection of the National Library of Ireland and is entitled "What An Amazing Contraption". It provides us with an opportunity to search out photographs featuring all manner of strange or unidentified contraptions. And if you are fresh out of contraptions there is always cars or people sat in ridiculous positions. All you need do is find an old photograph, say a few words, post it to your blog, link it to the list below, welcome a band of merry commentators to your blog, tootle off to visit as many other Sepians as you can manage .... and marvel at the workings of this strange contraption that we call Sepia Saturday.

Before you do so, here is a look ahead at the next few Sepia Saturday calls. You will notice a slight change in the running order from the one published last week and this is because the driver of our strange contraption (myself) fell asleep at the wheel and took a wrong turn. That means that this week you get a preview of three future calls.

190 : Summer means picnics and this image offers plenty of themes: picnics, kettle, primus stoves, teapots, chickens, gardens and straw hats.

191 : A man and his sisters, his two wives, or is it one of each? Groups of three come to mind or how about gloves, shawls, bonnets or penetrating gazes!

192 : Over the years we have featured all manner of items of dress - hats, boots and most things in between. But now is an opportunity to look at the humble necktie and the smart suspenders (braces).

So all you need do now is to get yourself in gear and motor off in search of all manner of strange contraptions for Sepia Saturday 189. 

Sepia Saturday 188 : 3 August 2013

Take a look at this 1905 photograph (from the collection of the Library of Congress) of the pier and harbour of the English port of Littlehampton. What you see is a tall ship and a remarkably small lighthouse. Or you might want to focus on the high windmill and the squat little tugboat. So if you want a theme for Sepia Saturday 188 (post your posts on or around Saturday 3 August 2013) you could look for photographs that bring together large and small, or big and little. Or, there again, you could focus on the sea, ships, lighthouse, piers or men leaning against bicycles. As ever with Sepia Saturday, the choice is up to you : all we ask for is an old photo and some new thoughts. Once you have published your post, just link it to the list below and try to visit as many of the other participants as possible to see what their approach to the theme is.

But before you do that, have a quick look at what is in store over the next few weeks on Sepia Saturday.

189 : This picture is entitled "What an amazing contraption!". For SS189 we are asking you to feature pictures of amazing contraptions of all sorts, shapes and sizes. Interpret this as you like.

190 : Over the years we have featured all manner of items of dress - hats, boots and most things in between. But now is an opportunity to look at the humble necktie and the smart suspenders (braces).

But such thoughts are for the future. For now all we are asking is for you to post your posts - be they long or short or tall - for Sepia Saturday 188.

Sepia Saturday 187 : 27 July 2013

What is precious, tattered, torn and handed down? To so many of us Sepians, the answer is photographs - family photographs passed on from generation to generation are the currency of Sepia Saturday. But occasionally other things are handed down - and in so many cases it is the family bible that becomes the linchpin of family history. So for Sepia Saturday 187 (post your posts on or around Saturday 27 July 2013) we focus our attention on family bibles. But in the best traditions of Sepia Saturday themes, you can interpret the theme in any way you want : books, lettering, printing, hand-me-downs  ... they all fall within our theme this week. Our theme image was specially created from a collage of family bible pictures provided by seasoned Sepians Kathy and Martha and stitched together by Marilyn.

But before you start your bible studies, here is a quick preview of what is in store for Sepia Saturday for the next couple of weeks.

188 : A tall ship, a small lighthouse, and a windmill feature in this 1900-ish photograph of Littlehampton. But there are also cycles, ladies with hats and men with caps.

189 : This picture  is entitled "What an amazing contraption!". For SS189 we are asking you to feature pictures of amazing contraptions of all sorts, shapes and sizes. Interpret this as you like.

But for now let us concentrate on Sepia Saturday 187. So open your books and start at the beginning.

Sepia Saturday 186 : 20 July 2013

What can you say about this week's Sepia Saturday theme image? Well quite a lot I suppose, but I am too much of a coward to say most of it. Therefore I will simply leave you with the words of my co-administrator, Marilyn, for it was her choice after all : "This fine figure of a woman is either ‘Boadecea or Mother England’ or possibly Britannia. You can choose; or go with armour, helmets, shields, fancy dress, pantomime, theatricals, warlike women or big sticks". Personally I find the prospect of a warlike woman with a big stick pretty terrifying, and if you do too you might want to join me and make sure your sepia post is posted on or around Saturday 20 July and linked to the list below. The picture, by the way, is taken from a glass plate negative in the collection of the Powerhouse Museum and shared with the world via Flickr Commons.

Here, by the way, is a sneak preview of what is coming in the next week or two :

187 : This theme originated from an idea by Wendy, Kathy, Martha, Marilyn and others on the Sepia Saturday Facebook Page. Bibles, books, and all manner of old family keepsakes could fit in with this theme.

188 : A tall ship, a small lighthouse, and a windmill feature in this 1900-ish photograph of Littlehampton. But there are also cycles, ladies with hats and men with caps.

But now we need to concentrate on old Boadecea, otherwise she might hit you with that big stick of hers.