I was lucky to have grown up in an artistic family. My dad and my sister are both musicians. My grandfather, a tough Yankee, grew up on a farm, which was all about hard work. But as an adult he was lucky enough to work for a local artist, Kenneth Bates. Mr. Bates opened up a whole new world to my grandparents, who developed a true appreciation for the arts.
We grew up with art lessons and piano lessons (which I hated, but that’s a whole other story), going to see musicals in which my dad played in the orchestra. So art and music were always a part of our life.
My first exposure to photography (no pun intended) was through my dad. He caught the photography bug as a kid. My grandparents gave him a Kodak Brownie camera, and he and his little brother Bob were smitten. They would take photo walks after dinner. When I asked him why they went at that time, he said “because we liked the light.” Smart kids huh? They also used it to capture their ball games. (My grandfather’s huge side yard in Mystic was known for it’s epic baseball games.) My dad remembers telling his friend, “Before you slide into home, grab a handful of dirt and throw it into the air.” I wish we had those prints!
Later, my father joined the Air Force and was stationed in Ramstein, Germany. He bought a Zeiss Contaflex 35 mm camera that was manufactured in East Germany and smuggled into West Germany by another Air Man. That camera came home with him, and served him for many, many years.
I remember going through his boxes of prints and slides, appreciating them more after I got into photography myself. When I worked at a lab in college, I pulled out a few special ones and had them reproduced. This one is my favorites.
He used a tripod and his trusty Contalfex to shoot this at Sturbridge Village shortly after he and my mom were married. It’s faded over time, but I love the sweetness of it. And could my mom be any cuter? Vintage love.
Do you have any favorite old photos?