Great web site of Vernacular Photography

[Jim Chinn]

I just stumbled onto "Square America"- http://www.squareamerica.com/index.htm

a fantastic site dedicated to vernacular and found images. If you are like me and go directly to the photo bin at thrift and antique stores, this site is for you.

 

[kaygee]

As an avid collector of old photographs of people and places I never knew, I'm a huge fan of this site. Thanks for sharing!

 

[dc1215]

Great great site. Some of those photographs are absolutely amazing. Thanks for sharing.

-Dan

 

[Kino]

Wow. Now I KNOW where I will be for the next week or two! Ha!

thanks!

* One of my favorite vintage found photos from my collection below...

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

Thanks! A lot of these pictures are fascinating to say the least.

 

[catem]

Oh, a great site. Lots to investigate here, thanks. Bookmarked.

 

[Jeremy]

Let me also add the database of images & text dealing with Texas History at http://www.texashistory.unt.edu/

I'm a little biased in posting this, though, as this is where I work

 

[Jim Chinn]

Very cool Jeremy! Thanks for the link.

 

[Jeremy]

http://texashistory.unt.edu

here's the correct link!

 

[Jim Chinn]

I wish all states and counties would do something similar to the Texas site.

I always view vernacular photographs with a touch of melancholy. Mostly due to the fact that such images will no longer be available in the future. Most images will be stored on hard drives or memory cards that will probably end up in landfills or become corrupted and unreadable years down the road. What does someone do with the memory cards you find in grandpa's dresser drawer 30 years from now? Even color machine prints have a fraction of the longevity of the old B&W. I feel that a window into the American past will become much smaller and limited.

 

[Jeremy]

For that matter, let me add that if anyone in Texas has "vernacular" photographs you would allow to be added to the Texas Portal please contact me.

Jim, at APIS this year Kevin Sullivan & Joe Sarff spoke about how they are starting to try and do this for New Mexico