Grandma Rides a Motorbike

Here are some of the photos I picked up on Monday and Tuesday at the antique store in Hebden Bridge.

First, a portrait that I think was taken to commemorate a first communion or confirmation in the Catholic church. I rarely buy posed portraits but as a non-Catholic I was intrigued by the big elaborate armband, the traditional white gloves and rosary and the various pins on the boy's jacket. The back is stamped "P. Costesèque Photo, Lézignan (Aude)." Lézignan is in southern France near Narbonne.

In fact, many of the photos I purchased this time around had French writing on the back or seemed associated with France, despite the fact that I was in deepest Yorkshire. They're probably all from the same family.

This looks like a girls' gymnastics or physical education class, with those long clubs or batons. What do you think?

Ah yes. The bridesmaids. Gotta love those tiara-like hair bands -- very '60s.

I'm always drawn to photos that are very worn or seem to have been carried around by their owner. This one is quite tattered and folded as if kept in someone's wallet. On the back it's stamped "Clarograph Photos, 105A Union Road, Nottingham."

Look at Grandma, sitting side-saddle! Part of the reason I persisted in going through all the pictures at the shop was in an attempt to find the other half of this image, which is dated 1932.

Written on the back: "Finest lady in north Wales."

You gotta love the way that guy on the right jumped into the picture at the last minute. I assume he was in charge of the self-timer on the camera. Aunt Josephine behind him doesn't seem to approve.

Written on the back: "Lundi 29 Mai 1930 Pentecôte"

On the back: "Maison de Paul et Christiane, Charrot, 1953." Looks like a fixer-upper.

On the back, this is stamped "Kodak Colour Enlargement, made by Kodak Limited London, October 1957." Google Image Search shows that distinctive building is located in San Sebastian, Spain. A favorite vacation shot, enlarged for framing, I guess? That younger girl looks rather glum.

And finally, the exotic foliage makes this shot intriguing. On the back: "Bamboo Grove (Silver Springs), Kampala, Aug. 1956." The Silver Springs Hotel still exists in Kampala, Uganda. I'm not sure what the Bamboo Grove is or was, particularly since it seemed to feature primarily banana trees, but it made for a good photo. Kampala must have been quite an exotic destination for Europeans in the mid-1950s.

These are just ten of the 50 or so pictures I bought and scanned. I'll let you know when I've put them all on Flickr so you can check out the rest, if you're interested.