What can you tell from this old photograph of a dead horse? PLENTY, as shown in the new book "The Dead Horse Investigation: Forensic Photo Analysis for Everyone" by Colleen Fitzpatrick. Ms Fitzpatrick is chairman of the Dead Horse Investigation Committee and involved with the fascinating Forensic Genealogy website. Each week photo collecting members submit a mysterious photograph for consideration and other members try to date, identify and figure out the image. For example, "how can you tell this couple had five or more children" and such tips as "which way is the flag blowing." GREAT stuff, a wonderful book and just damn cool. Site AND Book Highly Recommended.
Life size deer made of 657 Texas Rattle Snake Rattles "the patient and artistic work" of Mrs. Albert Friedrich, San Antonio Texas."
Life Size Deer" Curteich Postcard c. 1950. Collection Jim Linderman
The congregation of Reverend Elder Bishop Anderson Johnson numbered in the thousands, but they were virtually all painted by the preacher himself and most hung by threads from the ceiling instead of sitting in pews. Surrounded by crime, blight, drugs and wig shops, he appeared to lead a quiet life on Ivy Street in Newport News, VA following a long career of selfless ministry. I am only now beginning to appreciate, some 15 years after my first visit, how special was his gift and talent. Within the door of his church and home a dark cave of religious passion entirely of his own making awaited. Completely surrounded by his own paintings of "followers" he performed on guitar, pedal steel and piano, hidden within the walls and largely for himself. I was surprised years later to find he had recorded commercially. Despite many conversations about his life, service and mission, he never mentioned his gospel steel guitar recordings made by Henry Stone in Florida in the late 1950's released on the Glory and Angel Labels. I understand there has been a resurgence of steel guitar gospel players in Florida since, I suspect the roots of this movement were planted by Reverend Johnson. He passed away near poverty, but at least one painting was added to the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 1998. He once told me, in all seriousness, the reason he painted so many portraits was that he hoped to find work as a courtroom artist. The house he transformed was destroyed by urban renewal (which in this case was needed, believe me) Portions of the environment also remain in historic preservation museum projects in Virginia and in private collections. There is a beautiful essay about his life on the website of the Middle Passage Project run by the College of William and Mary. Some of Mr. Johnson's recordings have been reissued, one appears on the Dust-To-Digital "Goodbye, Babylon" box set of 2003
Original 35mm photographs 1993-1995 collection Jim Linderman
Must be HOT in these suits, note tacky air-conditioner and wire next to the fellow in the middle here. Some "museum." Sponges are alive but don't have any guts! They just sit around with water rushing through them for nutrition. If you want to read some big words, look them up...(gemmules, viviparous, spicules, syncythia, homoscleromorpha, halkieriids, chancelloriids, sessile, calcareous, cchonocytes, asconoid, endosybionts and on and on and on) No wonder we prefer plastic ones. By the way, these are indeed "bobbers" as they would float unless wearing lead shoes.
Three "spongeworthy" postcards, c. 1960 collection Jim Linderman
Say...isn't that something? Bob "Ski-Nose" Hope's head packed securely for a trip to the wax museum back room. Mr. Hope lived until the age of 100 yet never told an old joke. This is a press photograph, earlier known as wire photos, radiophotos, telediagraph and belinograph (jeepers, am I looking up words today) There has been some question as to the legality of buying and selling press photos, they have copyrights after all...but I guess if the agency wants this one back, they need just ask."Heading for Cold Storage" UPI press Original Photo 1968 Collection Jim Linderman
Not Harmonious. Lacking Propriety. Incompatible. Incoherent and Illogical. Those are dictionary entries. "That's just wrong" says it these days. Incongruity marks most tintype photographs. ANY photo was still just about fine, since a good part of the country still had very few photo albums indeed. The photographers who were in business collected around crowds for the most part...vacation spots, large cities, and at the end of the train line where folks joined horse transportation to REALLY reach home. 1880 or so, this baby might be incongruously posed against a sunny seashore (or even a raging storm for that matter) but I'm pretty sure it was the first time she had her image documented and given the life-span and lack of antibiotics, it could have even been the last. My book The Painted Backdrop will be published in 2010.Original tintype with backdrop c. 1880 Collection Jim Linderman
