Whatever happened to those faces in the old photographs?

When the Apollo 11 astronauts were hurtling back to earth in 1969 after the first moon walk, ground control picked up some unusual sounds. It turned out one of the astronauts had on his early version of a “Walkman” some music – the track was “Mother Country” by John Stewart. In another life (and definitely under another name) I have recorded some of Stewart’s work and gained radio airplay, but not this track.

A key line in the song is: “Whatever happened to those faces in the old photographs?” I always find this fascinating to consider. And the photograph below from a Photodrama of Creation showing in Toledo, Ohio at the end of January and beginning of February 1914 is in such good definition in the original that you can make out many of the faces.

Here is the photograph along with some selective enlargements. With thanks to Brian for sending it.

Then selective enlargements. Click on them to make them larger.

The Photodrama may have made a big impression on all those young people standing there. So, whatever happened to those faces in the old photographs?

Allegheny Cemetery Registers

For those who take an interest in such things, below are the burial registers for some of Charles Taze Russell's relatives, buried in the family plot.

The entry for James Russell, CTR's uncle who died before he was born. 

James bought the family plot when his wife, Sarah, died.

The entry for Thomas Birney Russell, CTR's older brother.

The entry for Charles Tays Russell, CTR's uncle after whom he was named. 

His entry is the third from the bottom of this page.

As sold on eBay

Film of C T Russell from the Photodrama of Creation.

 

When sold on eBay the blurb gave the following story:

This is a genuine strip of 35mm film from the Photodrama of Creation, taken from one of the introductions, featuring Pastor Russell. There are seven frames in this strip, although only six are shown. (The bottom frame had the seller’s thumb in the way.) I have resisted the commercial temptation to cut the film into smaller pieces to sell individually. That was the fate of other Photodrama films of Russell that ended up on cards as souvenir bookmarks.

The provenance of the strip of film goes back well over 40 years, when someone gave it to me. It had gone through various hands but came originally from an elderly JW who was a projectionist at Princes Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, London, when the Photodrama first came to Britain in 1914. I traced this person and where he lived and after some correspondence travelled to meet him. During his time as projectionist he was normally entombed in a metal projection box because of fear of fire. Under carbon lighting of the day, he would strip down somewhat, but still roasted.

When the showings ceased he somehow ‘inherited’ a two minute reel of film which languished in his attic for decades. But he’d now taken to cutting off little bits as souvenirs for friends. I was able to climb into his attic and borrow what was left of the film. Although the sprocket holes were considerably damaged in places, I got a colleague in a London laboratory to run me off 35mm and 16mm prints for the minute or so that remained. The original reel then went back to its owner, and I don’t know what happened to it. I used the reprinted film in several projects, and if you obtain a DVD of the Photodrama today, or just watch it online, my minute or so of reprinted film is incorporated into that restoration.

So that is the story behind these few frames. Although most 35mm film of the date was highly dangerous nitrate stock - leaving safer film for the substandard gauges (17.5mm, 9.5mm, 16mm etc.) - the film of CTR was actually produced on a safer version of stock. That is why it could be copied safely and legally and it is why these few frames can now be offered on eBay.

It sold for 206 GBP in 2016.