items - Slides: Lost & Found
On a shelf above my desk sits an enormous binder full of 35mm slides, neatly stored in sleeves. These slides aren’t my work though. And it isn’t the work of anyone I know.
I came into possession of the binder some time last year. A co-worker of mine had decided to venture out on his own to follow a dream that involved photography, South America, and Eco-tourism. Arriving at work the day after his departure I noticed the binder, which I had always assumed to be his work, still sitting on his desk. Worried that his slides would be lost forever, tossed away and destroyed, I snatched up the binder for safe keeping.
I have a hard enough time throwing my own work out, even when it belongs in the trash, so I couldn’t watch what was obviously someone’s massive cache of images be tossed. I promptly emailed my former co-worker and told him I’d saved the binder and would deliver it to him safely. I was feeling proud of my good deed, yet wondering why on earth he would have forgotten something so important.
Later in the day another co-worker came up to me and said, “I see you’ve inherited the binder”. Curious as to the somewhat whimsical nature of said co-worker’s comment I raised an eyebrow and replied with something like, “Well, I’m holding onto to it for so and so….” With a giggle my comrade went on to explain that the binder wasn’t our departed co-worker’s slides at all – but that he had found it on the street, and “saved” it from certain doom. Needless to say I felt somewhat deflated in my mission.
Later when the departed co-worker emailed back he explained that he had tracked down the owner of the slide binder when he had found it (which wasn’t too hard since his name was stamped on the back of each slide – a fact I would have discovered had I actually opened the binder) who informed my former co-worker that he didn’t want the slides back – and to, THROW THE BINDER OUT!
The departed co-worker and I both mused over this instruction to throw all that work out. Even if this photographer didn’t want his slides back, there was just something in us that couldn’t toss the hundreds and hundreds of images. That being said, the departed co-worker knew that leaving the slides on his desk would probably equal doom for the work, but at least gone he wouldn't have to see it happen.
I should take a moment for a disclaimer here. Since leaving college some years ago I made a promise to myself to no longer be a pack rat. Interesting boxes from things I'd buy, papers, books, and discarded photos I’d find on the street all made their way into my life during those years – and many other things as well. "Dumpster Diving" was considered a fun past time by me and several of my friends and roommates. In fact, we pretty much furnished our apartment that way. The thing was - we could never throw anything out, or return anything to the garbage that we weren't going to use, for other dumpster divers to seize upon. My issue with.... collecting shall we say?, didn't start in college though, which anyone who saw my childhood bedroom can attest to. As much as I value repurposing things there is a point where you need to be selective.
So, here I was: to keep the unwanted binder or dump it? Since no one wanted it, even its creator, I knew it didn’t matter if I threw it out. And in all truth it’d probably be healthier for me if I did, with my no-clutter pact and all. Yet, more than a year later it still sits on my shelf. I haven’t even looked at the slides much past the first couple of pages which consist of early ‘90s models, some interiors, and product shots… not the most exciting stuff.
So what’s my problem? Why I can’t I toss this guy’s slides? It’s not that I’ve fallen in love with these images and must have them in my life. The binder’s too big for a paper weight, and truthfully, it takes up a lot of room on my shelf. So, what’s my deal? I guess I just can’t bear to destroy somebody else’s work. And, old habits die hard. But if anyone else out there finds themselves having a similar issue, or can shed some light on this quirk of mine, I'd like to hear some theories.
Comments
03/25/2010 - 09:32.
I wouldn't be able to throw it out either. Even if it's the most banal material, it's still a record of a moment in time. The fact they're transparencies even more so -- they'll always be able to looked at, even if a Kevin Costneresque post-apocalyptic postal service/waterworld with no electricity and Dennis Hopper running around quoting Shakespeare and talking about how he use to sell photocopiers.
Sorry, tangent there -- but a decade from now, someone can find those slides and look at them. They might not be high art, but they represent how a man made his living, paid for the roof over his head, etc etc etc...
Back to the movie references, it reminds me of Kane's 'Declaration of Principles.' Joseph Cotten decided to hold on to it, because he felt it would be important piece of paper. In the end, it was just a piece of paper, but if Orson Welles hadn't fallen for that 'singer,' it might have been much more.
03/25/2010 - 09:38.
here in LA we have Charles Phoenix who's made sort of a career for himself collecting cast off slides from garage sales and has slide shows, offers tours & authors books.
www.charlesphoenix.com
03/25/2010 - 09:45.
here in LA we have Charles Phoenix who's made sort of a career for himself collecting cast off slides from garage sales and has slide shows, offers tours & authors books.
www.charlesphoenix.com
Thanks for the link, Keith -- very interesting stuff.
It reminds me of the Prelinger Archies -- a bunch of old 16mm educational films (anything from the ones they showed you in Driver's Ed to safety films for railroads) that Rick Prelinger collected throughout the years, now available for free viewing on the Internet. I believe everything is under a Creative Commons license, which allows you to incorporate them into not-for-profit work as well. Very interesting stuff -- was made aware of it during a documentary in class in college and it's remained in my Internet bookmarks since then.
03/25/2010 - 09:52.
here in LA we have Charles Phoenix who's made sort of a career for himself collecting cast off slides from garage sales and has slide shows, offers tours & authors books.
www.charlesphoenix.com
Mad genius? Wow. Thanks for the link.
Your comment reminds me of two other entities who put slides and found objects to good use: Found Magazine, and The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players - who are awesome live.
Found: http://www.foundmagazine.com
AND
The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players: http://www.slideshowplayers.com/
03/25/2010 - 10:37.
Ok. Time for me to come clean to the world. Twenty-Three years ago my wife and I were moving from our first apartment into a much larger townhouse. I gathered my binders of slide pages, magazines and books which had published images of mine and put it all in a giant lawn and leaf trash bag. My wife thought I was going to pack it on the truck we were using for moving. Instead I put it out with the garbage. To this day it is one of my life's biggest regrets. I have no images to show my kids that before they were born I actually was a "Professional" sports photographer. Too bad you are not talking about my work.
03/25/2010 - 10:39.
Ok. Time for me to come clean to the world. Twenty-Three years ago my wife and I were moving from our first apartment into a much larger townhouse. I gathered my binders of slide pages, magazines and books which had published images of mine and put it all in a giant lawn and leaf trash bag. My wife thought I was going to pack it on the truck we were using for moving. Instead I put it out with the garbage. To this day it is one of my life's biggest regrets. I have no images to show my kids that before they were born I actually was a "Professional" sports photographer. Too bad you are not talking about my work.
What a story. It makes me sorry to say that you are not the photographer in question.
03/25/2010 - 11:28.
Personally, I'd take throwing them out in steps (I have packrat tendencies, too, so I know it can be hard).
Look through and see if any might be of "artistic value" (your opinion), and throw the rest away. At least they'll take up less space! Then go back through again later, after they've sat a while longer... etc., until you finally let them go.
Or find a slide collector (craigslist?) to give them to, if you still can't bear to toss them.
03/25/2010 - 11:41.
Building on Margaret's suggestion, which I think is probably the best. As an alternative though, perhaps there is a way to put them on CD/DVD then you can discard the slides but still keep the images in a lot less space.
03/25/2010 - 11:40.
If I was anywhere near you, I would take it off your hands. Curiosity may be getting the better of me, but I am interested in the slides now.
03/25/2010 - 11:42.
OR You could frame (some of) the slides in double sided glass panes. It might make for an interesting art within art type of effect.
03/25/2010 - 11:53.
OR You could frame (some of) the slides in double sided glass panes. It might make for an interesting art within art type of effect.
Personally, I'd take throwing them out in steps (I have packrat tendencies, too, so I know it can be hard).
Look through and see if any might be of "artistic value" (your opinion), and throw the rest away. At least they'll take up less space! Then go back through again later, after they've sat a while longer... etc., until you finally let them go.
Or find a slide collector (craigslist?) to give them to, if you still can't bear to toss them.
Building on Margaret's suggestion, which I think is probably the best. As an alternative though, perhaps there is a way to put them on CD/DVD then you can discard the slides but still keep the images in a lot less space.
Oh, you sound like such rational people. I have had the following thoughts about the slides:
1. Make things with them: books, cards, post cards, etc. I make things like this and then send them to people I like.
2. Give the slides to someone who would love them
3. Keep them on my shelf because my desk would feel "wrong" if they weren't there anymore (I know, I know... this last one is a pack-rat's most cited excuse. But they've become like furniture to me. That's me trying to rationalize, isn't it?)
4. Jenn - I just saw your last suggestion - I like your thinking!! If only you were out this way - we could have a slide-repurposing-party, or something like that.
03/25/2010 - 12:03.
Megan, you and I are birds of a feather. I am quite a "Compulsive Hoarder;" I just haven't come as far in the clean-up stage. I definitely agree with Jim:
I wouldn't be able to throw it out either. Even if it's the most banal material, it's still a record of a moment in time. The fact they're transparencies even more so -- they'll always be able to looked at, even if a Kevin Costneresque post-apocalyptic postal service/waterworld with no electricity and Dennis Hopper running around quoting Shakespeare and talking about how he use to sell photocopiers.
Sorry, tangent there -- but a decade from now, someone can find those slides and look at them. They might not be high art, but they represent how a man made his living, paid for the roof over his head, etc etc etc...
Back to the movie references, it reminds me of Kane's 'Declaration of Principles.' Joseph Cotten decided to hold on to it, because he felt it would be important piece of paper. In the end, it was just a piece of paper, but if Orson Welles hadn't fallen for that 'singer,' it might have been much more.
I have "rescued" ALL of our families' negatives and chromes (and stereo-slides) that go back into the '40's. For all of the reasons stated in all the postings above, I feel you should NEVER EVER throw away a piece of film (well OK, sometimes the "fuzzy" ones can go.) Even if you have all of them scanned, I believe digital media is MUCH more vulnerable; at least have someone keep the film. How much space does all the film you've ever shot actually take-up? It's probably no more volume than a dishwasher or refrigerator at the most.
On a similar note: ALWAYS back-up your digital images to a USB drive, and maybe even back that up. One hard-and-fast computing rule is that a Hard Drive WILL fail at some point, no matter how hard you try. I lost about six-month's worth of family pictures in 2006, due to my lack of frequent backups. Memories, Gone, - Bye-Bye, - Forever. Fortunately, everything else was saved. My main backup/archive USB drive "died" this year, and I lost a lot of info and programs that that I had archived to make space, but I didn't lose any pictures. Drive space is really CHEAP now, and getting cheaper all the time.
OK, everyone; if you haven't, go back-up your digital pictures RIGHT NOW. You never know when disaster will strike.
-Jamie
03/25/2010 - 12:05.
You know, there are plenty of nonprofits and museums who would be glad to take these. They serve as wonderful historical records. Often people forget that pictures of travel and everyday life are just as important as pictures of presidents and war. They serve as a way for future generations to look at the way that everyday people live. I know that The Briscoe Center for American History (a branch of The University of Texas at Austin) has an extensive photography collection and would be happy to accept this binder as a donation. You can also look to donate them to other institutions who specialize in this sort of thing.
Just a thought...
03/25/2010 - 12:41.
Megan, you and I are birds of a feather. I am quite a "Compulsive Hoarder;" I just haven't come as far in the clean-up stage. I definitely agree with Jim:
I wouldn't be able to throw it out either. Even if it's the most banal material, it's still a record of a moment in time. The fact they're transparencies even more so -- they'll always be able to looked at, even if a Kevin Costneresque post-apocalyptic postal service/waterworld with no electricity and Dennis Hopper running around quoting Shakespeare and talking about how he use to sell photocopiers.
Sorry, tangent there -- but a decade from now, someone can find those slides and look at them. They might not be high art, but they represent how a man made his living, paid for the roof over his head, etc etc etc...
Back to the movie references, it reminds me of Kane's 'Declaration of Principles.' Joseph Cotten decided to hold on to it, because he felt it would be important piece of paper. In the end, it was just a piece of paper, but if Orson Welles hadn't fallen for that 'singer,' it might have been much more.
I have "rescued" ALL of our families' negatives and chromes (and stereo-slides) that go back into the '40's. For all of the reasons stated in all the postings above, I feel you should NEVER EVER throw away a piece of film (well OK, sometimes the "fuzzy" ones can go.) Even if you have all of them scanned, I believe digital media is MUCH more vulnerable; at least have someone keep the film. How much space does all the film you've ever shot actually take-up? It's probably no more volume than a dishwasher or refrigerator at the most.
On a similar note: ALWAYS back-up your digital images to a USB drive, and maybe even back that up. One hard-and-fast computing rule is that a Hard Drive WILL fail at some point, no matter how hard you try. I lost about six-month's worth of family pictures in 2006, due to my lack of frequent backups. Memories, Gone, - Bye-Bye, - Forever. Fortunately, everything else was saved. My main backup/archive USB drive "died" this year, and I lost a lot of info and programs that that I had archived to make space, but I didn't lose any pictures. Drive space is really CHEAP now, and getting cheaper all the time.
OK, everyone; if you haven't, go back-up your digital pictures RIGHT NOW. You never know when disaster will strike.
-Jamie
The size of the typical New York apartment tends to cure one of their pack-rat-ness quickly - although, I'm just gonna guess there are thousands of people all over this city proving me wrong. And yes - back up your digital files. All I'm gonna say is: Time Machine
03/25/2010 - 12:43.
You know, there are plenty of nonprofits and museums who would be glad to take these. They serve as wonderful historical records. Often people forget that pictures of travel and everyday life are just as important as pictures of presidents and war. They serve as a way for future generations to look at the way that everyday people live. I know that The Briscoe Center for American History (a branch of The University of Texas at Austin) has an extensive photography collection and would be happy to accept this binder as a donation. You can also look to donate them to other institutions who specialize in this sort of thing.
Just a thought...
Interesting suggestion....
03/25/2010 - 15:30.
Has anyone checked out the B&H Facebook page?! The suggestions on what to do with the binder are off the hook. I must say there are some suggestions I would never have dreamed of being offered up there.
03/25/2010 - 15:53.
With the holidays coming up next week I suggest the following;
-AW
03/26/2010 - 07:30.
With the holidays coming up next week I suggest the following;
well, that's one idea.... but, I think I'll pass - I'm a vegetarian
03/31/2010 - 03:11.
Hi Megan; I found an interesting link, although it might be tricky using the slides...
www.ismism.net/lighting/
-Jamie
04/12/2010 - 09:15.
Hi Megan; I found an interesting link, although it might be tricky using the slides...
www.ismism.net/lighting/
-Jamie
Hi Jamie,
I just saw your comment. Thanks for the link -That's rad!
Megan
05/25/2010 - 12:36.
Assuming you are still grappling with this weighty problem, consider consulting with the archivists at the nearest historical society. If they deem the collection of interest, you can preserve the work, while at the same time giving it away, getting it off your desk, and keeping your 'no hoarding' pact.
05/25/2010 - 12:44.
OR...you could make use of some of the B&H equipment there that mass scans slides and save everying on 1 disc...
05/25/2010 - 13:06.
I think you should periodically post/print a few of these slides so we can all see what is in this treasure trove of yesteryear. I have a couple of thousand slides that I took back in the 70's . As soon as I get aroungd to getting a good scanner I am going to scan review edit and print the best of them for my family to hopefully enjoy . It is like a gift to the posterity of my family
05/25/2010 - 13:05.
I inherited my Dad's books of slides. He stored them in the attic for years. Is there a good and safe way to clean the slides?
Thanks.
05/25/2010 - 13:17.
If nothing else, scan them and commit them to disk, then see if the former owner's family would have any interest in the images.
Personally, I enjoy scanning peoples' slides and creating slideshows for them; it gives me a chance to see places I've never been almost as though I'd been there myself.
05/25/2010 - 14:23.
I thought this was an interesting idea from someone on Flickr that found some old transparencies:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yarnzombie/4356269005/in/set-72157607000475...
Link them together and make a cool curtain out of them. I've been meaning to hit up yardsales to do something like this myself... someday.
05/25/2010 - 15:08.
Just think how valuable an authentic series of photos showing "everyday" life from the 1890's is today, if just for the historic value, not even counting the financial value. Even if the subjects aren't one's own ancestors, it can still be fascinating material.
Right now, the slides might seem boring. During your lifetime, they may never be worth much, even for historical value. But your great-granchildren may find them one day, and be captivated. Be sure to label what you are able identify, so that future generations will know what they're looking at. The subjects (even buildings and natural features) may no longer exist in the real world by then.
05/25/2010 - 15:45.
I inherited several thousand slides from a woman whose deceased parents did a lot of travelling and always took their cameras. I couldn't get anyone interested in looking at them so after five years, I spent a dozen hours or so looking at each of the slides and dumping all but 21 of the most interesting. Some I kept because they were from 1947. Some were just humorous. Two were of lighthouses and I gave them to a friend who is a "lighthouse photography nut". It was difficult to toss several garbage bags full of slides, but I did. No regrets yet.
05/25/2010 - 16:02.
A lady recently approached us with an album of old photos dating from 1856 (Approx) through to 1900. She had rescued it from a dumpster 30 years ago and just kept it because she liked the old photos. She took it with her on about 20 shifts of house and flat. She asked us to try and trace if we could the owner..After some time we managed too. It turned out to belong to one David Herd, the first man that planted grapes in the Marlborough Province of New Zealand, an area now world famous for its Sauvignon Blanc..Google Marlborough Saugvignon..even Whikipediia has entries.The album was nearly lost until someone like Megan saved it. The precious photos, maybe 100 of them are now back in the hands of the Herd Family.
05/25/2010 - 16:31.
With the holidays coming up next week I suggest the following;
What wine should accompany the meal Allan?
05/25/2010 - 22:58.
Dear M.I.: I'm an Imaging Archivist, here in Rochester, N Y. Home of Eastman
Kodak Co. and the George Eastman house, also, the Rochester Institute of
Technology. I'd like to digitize them, & do some casual research as to whom
they my belong. I can't guarantee anything, but I can at least check them out.
Do you want to send them to me, here in Rochester, NY?
Please RSVP to me when you can.
My E-Mail address is as follows: Kurtphillip@frontiernet.net
Phone# : if needeed. 585/647/2574 (w/vm).
05/25/2010 - 23:52.
During the 60's my mother did a lot of travelling in Europe. She took hundreds, (thousands ?), of slides and bought an equal number. After she died I kept all of these slides in her boxes. They went with me on several house moves but I never projected them. It was only a couple of years ago, some 30 years after her death, that I culled the hoard. I didn't throw them all out just in case I get round to looking at them one day.
05/26/2010 - 08:23.
Dear Megan,
I would like to know about the rights on these photos if at some time those with artistic strengths were to be used on a online gallery. I would be glad to help with the scanning and research. Is the photographer whose name is on the slides able to be contacted? Please get in touch when you have the time.
05/26/2010 - 19:29.
I've got a whole box of vacation slides that I got when I bought the box at a thrift store. No idea who they belonged to. Being a total pack rat I couldn't get rid of them. I just can't stand to see anything that old go away completely.
I still lament a single slide I lost 20 years ago. Couldn't imaging losing all of them. It would be cool if there was someplace you could send these things where they would label them and put them in a giant file for the future. Have a constant slide show playing somewhere of random images where it just goes non-stop. Might be fun.
Being into vintage vehicles, any time I find old images with my vehicle of choice in them I keep them for my collection, it doesn't matter if I don't know the people in them. I bet there are people that collect images of diffent places and things that might like to see some of these slides. Who knows. THe hard part is making that connection between the person and the image.
05/27/2010 - 07:25.
If you get a price for postage to Victoria Australia I will take them off your hands.
Naturally, I would send the money before they were posted!
05/27/2010 - 19:22.
Oh, Goodie! I hope someone like you guys will come across my slides and negatives when I die. And don't forget my external hard drives and my prints and books!!
06/01/2010 - 05:10.
I inherited my fathers slide and print/negative collection after he passed. I kept them through two moves for sentimental reasons - after all he took them so they meant something to him, and he meant something to me.
This winter I began to work through my own stack of thousands of pictures - including some Kodak Instamatic shots (yeah I'm that old) and my first image taken with an SLR. I pitched a lot of stuff and then, on a roll, I pulled out pops files.
Now he was not a good photographer, just snap a shot artist with lots of good subjects and composition. But somehow he never got the hang of depth of field or auto focus. blurry people with a razor sharp plate on the table. And I remain stunned at the number of headless people he knew! I decided that I would keep only pictures of people I knew, sharp well composed ones, people with all their important body parts etc. and pictures of him. It cut the pile by at least 80%.
I'll scan those, print a few and back up the files. Slides are like wax (vinyl albums for you youngsters), fun and nostalgic but I only need a few of them to take me back in time. So have fun with the slides, enjoy them, scan the best of them so the images will be preserved.
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