While looking through a box of photographs the other day, I came across some negatives from the 1970s.
The first strip was taken in 1970, when I was a revolutionary librarian at the Black Conscience Library in Detroit. I was pregnant with my first daughter, Jilo. Uri grew up to be an engineer. Phil later confessed to being a snitch, Miriam is Tyra’s mother. I was 23.
The second strip was made in 1974 in Atlanta. Shirley was visiting from Detroit, as was Tyra. Jim, my husband, was a printer with the Atlanta Voice. I was at home full time. Ife, my second daughter, was about to turn one year old. Jilo was 3. Tyra was 2. I was 26.
Although this is not a clock, which was the theme for this weeks Sepia Saturday, it does reflect time. You can see more timely entries here.
What a good idea you had to show the passage of time like this after all each photo is just a snapshot in time,
Kristen, I like how you presented these photos. Did you scan the negatives? However you did it, they look great!
Nancy, I did scan the negatives – they were in the strips just like that. I don't have a negative friendly scanner but I did them using various settings until I got a decent one and then did some photoshoping. I have a few photographs from that time but I don't think I ever developed all of them. But maybe one day, while looking for something else, I'll find the whole set developed beautifully.
I like seeing the sequences of photos. The whole is more than the sum of the parts.
I guess I'm reiterating what everyone else said, but I love the strip of negatives. I never thought of doing that. It makes a very powerful statement.
I agree with the others : posting the strips of photographs gives a magical sense of time. What a delightful post.
A fascinating way of presenting those snapshots in time – separate, yet joined sequentially.
Your negatives go well with the time theme and posted clearly enough to view! Excellent!
i did invert them so they show the photo not as a negative.
Just like the old days, printing contact sheets in the darkroom.
Really love those 1970 images.
I am very curious how you did this from negatives, please share. Are these just scanned? Never would have thought of that. I like your display of time in a strip. Also, what is a "revolutionary librarian"?
Pat, I scanned the negatives. I don't have an attachment for negatives on my scanner so I set the scan settings at various settings until I got the result I wanted. next I opened it in Photoshop and inverted the negative so it became a positive. I did some changes to the contrast using various Photoshop functions until I liked the result.
It was the late 1960s, early 1970s in Detroit. The time of movements – black power movement, anti-war movement, etc. A group of us started a library to bring information on understanding our situation (that of black people in Detroit), how we got in the situation and how to get out of it. Not by way of a violent revolution but through a revolution in knowledge, thinking and lifestyle.Hence "revolutionary librarian".
Oh, I have got to try this on a package of negatives I have had stuffed in a box!!
Great take on the "time" theme for this week's SS-
Bravo for finding such a fascinating collection in a box and displaying it for a time theme!
Really good photos, I think they deserve blowing up. The negative strips look great, but i'd really like to see some detail.
What a unique post for today. Perfect. What a wonderful way to learn creative ways to do things. Thanks Kristin for this sharing.
QMM
great photos…
time well represented. the best frame for me is the first one on the second strip. very expressive!! leave it to kids!!
:)~
HUGZ
Thanks for sharing these, Kristiin–and for the information on how you did it! Ill have to give it a try. They presentation is just great.
How much easier is digital photography now? I remember the fiddle of developing and printing with amazement!