Sepia Saturday 300 : 10 October 2015

This week, we reach the big 300; a celebration for Sepia Saturday and also the fifth anniversary of the prompt image appearing in a blog, where it instantly grabbed my attention. It comes from a Victorian photo album that was destined to be pulped. It was saved, and posted, with some other examples from the album, on this post in ‘The Age of Uncertainty’ blog, on 10th October 2010.

The photos, and the blog, generated a huge amount of interest at the time and promoted the blog into Wikio’s top thirty, which is how I was alerted to it, and subsequently became interested in blogging. Since then, the blog owner has posted them onto this remarkable Flickr album. I urge all Sepians to visit; you will not be disappointed. I have full permission from the owner to use the photos and I have chosen the one which started the whole thing off.

Some commenters believe that at least one of the subjects is dead, and that this is what is known as a ‘post-mortem’ image. This week the blog challenge is wide open. You may indeed have an example of post-mortem photography in your albums, if not, take any thing you want from the image as a prompt. For once we are not going to give you the ideas. We want you to study the photograph and choose something, no matter how small, that will light that creative spark for your own post; an old photograph, fact, fiction, poetry, prose, family history or social history. Whatever you come up with, post your posts on, or around, Saturday 10th October, then add your link and leave a comment below. A little bit different? I thought so; enjoy SS.300.

Marilyn (Little Nell)

And here is a reminder of the theme image for Sepia Saturday 301. And don't forget, you can see all the theme image prompts for the rest of 2015 by following THIS LINK

Sepia Saturday Theme Images : October to December 2015

Here are the Sepia Saturday theme images for the period October to December 2015.

Good luck Sepians

Sepia Saturday 299 : 3 October 2015

If ever there was a man in need of some Wampole's Preparation it is me. Sickly, nauseous, aching, tired and bad-tempered perfectly describes my condition the morning after a late night at my local - just the kind of condition that Wampole's Preparation was designed for. A couple of spoonfuls and I am ready to face life again; ready to trawl through my boxes of old photographs, ready to put together my Sepia Saturday post. And if you too have been revived by a spoon or two of Wampole's you too can post your post on or around Saturday 3 October 2015 and link it to the list below.

There has been much debate within the splendid Sepia Saturday Facebook Group about the advantages of having more notice about forthcoming themes. I could write a book about the history of themes on Sepia Saturday - indeed I have done so and "A Short Treatise On the Development Of Verbal and Imaginary Themes Within The Context Of A Web-Based Multinational Community" is available from Amazon.com - and I recognise that there is a powerful argument for providing Sepians with an idea of what is around the next few Sepia corners. The thing which has made me reluctant to do this in the past has been little less than pure laziness, but now that my fellow administrative guru Marilyn has put together a list of theme images for the rest of the year I can do this and claim all the kudos myself. You will notice that these are theme images rather than named themes - it is up to you to search for connections in the images themselves. If you like the idea it was, of course, mine: if not, it is Marilyn's silly idea. So here is what awaits you for the rest of the year:

Now you are beginning to wish you hadn't have asked aren't you. Well don't come running to me with a headache from looking at too many theme images. Just go for an afternoon nap after drinking a glass or two of Wampole's.

Sepia Saturday 298 : 26 September 2015

Our theme image this week shows Nadine and Sylvia Szechenyi with their dogs in front of the Vanderbilt Mansion in New York. The two girls were the grand-daughters of Cornelius Vanderbilt, whose daughter, Gladys, had married the Hungarian Count Lazlo Szechenyi. The photograph - which can be found on the Estonia State Archive stream on Flickr -  was taken in 1931 and suggests themes such as girls, twos, dogs, steps and the mysterious number 18. As usual, all you have to do is to post your post and then link it to the list below.

Before you take your digital dog for a walk, why not see what is around the next lamp-post.

So there you are and as you are thinking of what to post for Sepia Saturday 298 on the 26 of September 2015, just think if you add all those numbers up, add one for luck and divide by the theme two you get the mysterious 18. Who says, Sepia Saturday isn't clever?

Sepia Saturday 297 : 18 September 2015

"Bright Monday" is the title of this rather nice photograph from the Louise and Omar Putman Collection of prints held by the Missouri State Archives and shared by them with the world via the Flickr Commons Initiative. The subject of the photograph is un-named, the location is un-noted and the shot is un-dated : but nevertheless we have a striking image, which is typical of the work of amateur photographers Louise and Omar Putman (you can learn more about their photographic collection HERE). As far as themes are concerned there is always things like washing line, pegs, laundry and the whole range of domestic duties that are so often forgotten and largely unrecorded. But you might also want to follow a different line : what makes this photograph memorable to me is the composition - this is photography as art. What ever you decide to go with just post your posts on or around Saturday 18th September 2015 and link them to the list below.

Whilst your washing is drying you might want to cast a glance at what is around the sepia corner.

And here is your first sight at the theme image for Sepia Saturday 300. You will notice there are no prompt suggestions, we are leaving this entirely up to you - but more about that soon.

So whilst that gentle warm breeze slowly series your washing, why not settle down to a well-deserved cup of tea and plan your contribution to Sepia Saturday 297.

Sepia Saturday 296 : 12 September 2015

By now we will all be aware that Sepia Saturday 300 is fast approaching: and what do you need for a 300th birthday party but a good few bottles of wine? So I thought I would give a little free publicity to the Californian winery of H. Boettcher in the hope that - in way of a little thank you - they might care to sponsor our 300th birthday party and send us a crate or two of wine (just send them to: Alan Burnett, Sepia Towers, Huddersfield UK). And whilst I wait for the wine to arrive you might care to join me in thinking about such things as adverts, wine and old labels as possible themes for your Sepia Saturday 296 post (post your posts on or around Saturday 12th September and add a link to the list below).

Of course, a good bottle of wine needs to breath a little before you drink it, so you have a few moments spare to look ahead to what still lies in the future as far as Sepia Saturday is concerned.

I will reveal what awaits us for SS300 next week.  But for now, let's crack open the wine and get this sepia party started. Cheers!

Sepia Saturday 295 : 5 September 2015

For Sepia Saturday 295 (post your posts on or around Saturday 5th September 2015) we are asking you to cut through the fog, reach out into the void, build bridges between different lands and, most important of all, not to miss the bus. Whatever prompt you care to find in our theme image this week, just link it to an old photograph of your own and tell us about it. Once you have posted your post, add a link to the list below.

Next week the theme is an old label from a wine bottle which is the last of my themes for a while - the themes for the rest of the year have been chosen by my fellow administrator, Marilyn. Thanks to her for her choices and to all of you for your continued support of Sepia Saturday.

For now, let us see where the bus will take us once it has crossed the bridge