One of the collections born from my junking habit is a box full of old black and white photos. They’re easy to find- usually for fifty cents or a couple dollars apiece.
They often aren’t labeled but sometimes you hit the jackpot and find something with names, a date or even a description of what’s happening.
This weekend I stopped by my favorite local antique mall and picked up a few small pieces including the above picture.
Isn’t he dapper in his uniform?
But I didn’t buy the picture just for the picture. What caught my attention is what’s written on the back.
It’s a passage from the Gettysburg Address, evidently read during a memorial service in Witchita Falls, Texas in 1945.
I’m not clear on whether the memorial service was for the man in the picture- I assume that’s the case but it doesn’t really say.
A quick google search proved that the auditorium still exists and actively hosts events. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything about the man listed on the back.
Consider this a gentle reminder to print and label those family photos. While you may know who is in the pictures now, it’s easy to forget and future generations may want to know as well.
The ink pen signatures are still easily discernible but there are several in pencil that are darn near impossible to read.
We shopped for a few hours but eventually surrendered to the sun, leaving for lunch and a trip though the Heart of Ohio Antique Mall which is also huge and which I adore.
You don’t have to travel very far on the National Road in Indiana to see some interesting things. Route 40 is four lane most of the way and cuts through farm country and small towns. You’ll see a lot of kitsch along the way and there are tons of antiques stores as the eastern section of this route had been branded “Antique Alley.”
This is one of many neat things I pulled over to take pictures of during my last trip through. It’s right along the highway in a cute town called Dublin.