Gallery of Found Photos
 Updated on May 07, 1997
  1. Dave Witt of the University of Akron found this while rummaging through the attic of a recently deceased centenarian grandmother. So, see it, and QUIT CLOWNING AROUND!.
  2. After a parching dry spell, I've come across a fine pair of photos that I am excited to display. They even come with a long story to accompany them. The most helping-desk administrator I know -- Ms. M. E. K. (lately of the Mid-West) provides them all for your enjoyment. Do note the Kafe.
  3. Cyber pal Jon Armstrong of Fertnel cheese fame sent me two wonderful files, found during April walks in Long Island City, Queens NYC.
    • This wistful composite of several fragments of a torn image is a satin, lustful attempt at forgetting.
    • Having a texture like the rusted iron nickel in the coin collection of my youth, two women in black & white sunday finery pose before their perambulator when out for a walk.
    Be sure to visit Phos4 after leaving this place.
  4. Regulars to the site may be quite fond of this photo (19k). It's one of my faves, and was found by Louis Brawley on Union Square East in NYC during the Spring of 1995.

    An interesting coincidence arose around this photo when, in September, I received an email from Jeffrey Zeldman who, it turns out, worked with the fellow pictured in it years ago. I'm always glad to get feedback on the site, and owe him something of an apology for not putting a link up to his site . . . particularly when he's had a link to mine for almost a year. Thanks Jeff, and I've spelled your name right this time as well!

  5. Remember your childhood. Is it a dream or a nightmare? Keri Advocat, roving photographer here in NYC passed on this mystery in a sandbox on November 6th (Though it is duplicated elsewhere).

  6. Kurt Jacobs from a pacific standard time location, in early November sent me this doo-dad bachelor's last stand under a garter belt. "Wow" is all I can say. He found this roaming through wedding albums in his attic...say, Kurt, is this guy related to you?

  7. Three conundrums delivered to me via email this past October from Joe Ashear of NYC:

    • Tangled legs and frayed edges in the Southwest, I think.

    • Mannequins in underwear may be sexy, but not when they're bored and paid for.

    • Obfuscated obstruction blocking two lanes of traffic.

  8. Mike Zohn, also of NYC, submitted these three images:

    • Set in what seems to be a not-so-classy overnight motel room from the early sixties, joe knifethrower (19k) plays around with his ready target.

    • Its mom's 70th (or so) birthday (26k), and she doesn't look very happy about it.

    • A simple portrait from a French portrait studio (10k), complete with carrying wallet (7k).

  9. This is a submission from the WWW. J.D.Sapir, Anthropologist and presidium of "straight" photography and of the Fixing Shadows site, provides a two part narrative conundrum of Rocket Ruth disembarking (24k) from the S.S. Homeric, and her adventures (32k) on the high seas.

  10. Entitled "Agony or..." (16k). This submission (perhaps not exactly fitting my definition of a "found" photo, but what the hey...) from my co-worker Double L of NYC was found in his father's home.

  11. Here is a scan of a glass plate negative found by Bill Moretz in South Carolina. Bill is the owner of a camera repair shop in Charlottesville, Virginia. The image was submitted by J.D. Sapir. Taking advantage of digital technology, we offer you the negative (52k) and a reversed image indicating what a print from it (52k) may look like.

  12. I found this one on Staten Island, New York near the house of myformer employer and mentor. I had to scan it at high resolutionin order to clearly show that it's all scraped up from thesidewalk. Otherwise it looked like a lot of white and wasn'tvery clear. This picture is approximately 53k .

  13. The original of this image is about an inch high. Scanned at a high resolution, in order to make it a little larger, resulted in a file of 21k . It was found on the upper west side of Manhattan.

  14. This image was found in Brooklyn, NY, and is about 37k .

  15. This is a pair of complementary photos juxtaposed by me into one scan of about 69k.

Do you have a stash of unexplained images?

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Leaf