A photograph I happen to find very sad, I have collected photographs of people making folk art for many years now. It is usually a pleasant enough pursuit for subject, photographer and later collector...but for some reason this is the only one which hurts.
All photograph collectors try to fill in the details. In our haste to acquire we often browse too quickly to see. In this case, a somewhat hapless jigsaw hobbyist is not just selling creations from his trunk, there is more.
There is an 8 x 10 photograph propped up behind the wares. It depicts several gentleman (one of whom is surely the man posing with plywood products) and a prize-winning horse. Is the photo on exhibit to lend authenticity to his handmade rudimentary toys? A reminder of earlier triumphs and past glory?
There is no partner, no humor and a desperation in the photo not all of my own projection. Is he raising funds for one more bet? Is there another winner's circle? Is this the end of the track?
Anonymous photograph, no date (1950, Ohio?) Collection Jim Linderman
I think he's just an Ohio horseman at the 1957 Great Darke County Fair in Greenville, OH. This looks like a newpaper photo to me, and I don't think he's selling the figures, just showing them off. I suspect that he was a well known breeder or, perhaps, a racing official since I agree that he's in the photo.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a 1951 Buick Eight, too.
BTW, according to the August 26, 1957 issue of Billboard, there were two afternoons and four nights of parimutuel harness racing at the fair.
Good. Now I'm only normal sad! The photograph wasn't taken for the press, as there were maybe 20 or 30 of them where I found this one, and he was an amateur who developed his own, but worked as a high school coach. I didn't get his name, and this was about the only "good" one. Thanks much for contributing. Jim
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