Old Photo #31 – Rob Barrow 1

Robert Barrow, Swan River's zaniest son.

Rob & I met as co-students of the Red River photography course. I was immediately drawn in by his sense of humour, joie de vivre, his passion for photography, and his innate ability in the medium. Our life-intersection has been somewhat sporadic over the intervening 35 years, but a phone call yesterday book-ended another 3-year period. On answering the phone, I was greeted with an über-schmaltzy rendition of "Are you lonesome tonight."

On the day of this photograph back in '78, Rob had come over for a barbecue. On his shoulder was a Leica. He handed it to me, and this was my first exposure.

Old Photo #30 – Jill & Wanda 1

One morning, baby Jill wigged out on her Mom's hair.

Old Photo #29 – Elevator, ND I29

I remember taking this photograph but, until the original slide is exhumed, can't recall the time-frame. But then, I'm not clear on the relevance of the date of capture.

As to location: on the east side of U.S. Interstate 29 between the International Border and Grand Forks, possibly near Drayton.

Old Photo #28 – Tony B Navigating his Rover

In '79, I worked as manager of export sales for a pulp and paper company. Our agents in Europe felt that a visit from a mill representative would help to develop sales, and my superiors agreed. They also agreed that my wife and daughter, then 7 months old, should accompany me.

Our agent's sales representative was Tony Butcher, a somewhat imperious Brit. This photograph of Tony was taken on a Sunday morning, having left London en route to Dover in his Rover saloon.

Old Photo #27 – Hooker

The invariable rock group photo shoot. Every photographer my age has to have documented one music act or another.

Location: the throughway between Albert and Arthur Streets just north of the Royal Albert Hotel.
Time: Summer night, likely 1980/81.

One of this hirsute quintet is one of my brothers. At least one – not my brother – is deceased.

Brother Ken picked up a guitar very early. Dad had always played, then I joined a band in '68, then brother Bob took up the mike, which led to Bob and Ken starting a band that jarred Plum Coulee's placidity for much of the '70s. Ken moved to Winnipeg and started this band (Hooker).

Old Photo #26 – Geranium, Tinker Creek

A little colour for a gray day here in Manitoba. Taken circa '89/'90 at about the same time as "Cole, the Dragonslayer."

Recently, the outstanding photographer, Steve McCurry, posted the images from his last – the world's last – roll of Kodachrome. This image is also a Kodachrome capture. Shame on you, Kodak.

Old Photo #25 – Cubiculo 13

Another image from the Cubiculo Theatre Laboratory's William Blake production in 1976. I still have a copy of the program, but I'll be hanged if I'm going to attempt its recovery from the scores of boxes that are still unpacked after our move to the house we built in the country (buildingruthsridge.blogspot.com). I believe this actor's name was Peter Spencer and that his character was the play's narrator. Peter Nodelman (previously posted here) will be able to confirm or correct my memory.

Those were halcyon days, the latter '70s. My spare time was filled with poesy, photography, exercise, friends, music, cultural activities. Life in all its limitless potential lay stretched out ahead of me like a Montana highway (before the establishment of speed limits in 1999) with no signs of aging or frustration for a hundred years. Hmmm.

Old Photo #24 – Bert Freeman 2

I first met Bert in December 1971. The father of a dear friend, Jeannie Gilbert, he was at the time still a loyal employee of Her Majesty's Mail Service in Bexhill-on-Sea, England. I think it took all of two minutes to feel like I'd always known him. Bert – other than in this image – was a tease, a jester. We bloomed for a month in the nurturing hospitality he and his wife, Margaret, bestowed on us.

I saw him in '79 and a few times when they came to visit Jeannie & Paul here in Manitoba. Too few times.

Rarely without a roll-your-own, he loved to walk his dog on Bexhill's seashore, his metal detector always casting over the sand in search of vintage or ancient treasure. My daughter, Jill, is the proud trustee of some gold coins Bert melted down into a convoluted nugget necklace. I have a ring he made with a thrupenny as its feature, and his Royal Navy woollen tunic shirt. Bert, now deceased, has my undying love and respect.

And Bruce Springsteen never pulled off this look so well.

Old Photo #23 – Don't Heed Every Sign

Old Photo #22 – Grant as Neptune Rising

One of the prime influences in directing my early-adult photographic skills was Grant Ball. I was introduced to Grant by a mutual friend, Ken Zacharias, who had met him when they were students in the Red River College photo course. Grant was – and is still – a Leica enthusiast who had attended Minor White workshops, who had a limited edition folio of Paul Strand prints; in short, a superb influence.

But Grant is also a delightful goof. Now, why would that appeal to me, I ask rhetorically?

It's also delightful to see the love of photography move across generational lines. Grant influenced me, I influenced Cole and, recently, Grant bought a Leica M9 through Cole – and now they are friends. Of such is made the richness of a life.

Old Photo #21 – Voyeur 50

My office in the '70s was within a minute's walk of Winnipeg's infamous Portage & Main. The Childs Building was just west of that intersection at Notre Dame Avenue, and the wide sidewalk there always provided easy fodder for my photographic perambulations at lunch.

I can't recall whether an adult was near-at-hand for these urchins. Maybe they were looking for Fellini or a military parade...

Old Photo #20 – Plum Coulee 23

I photographed the 75th anniversary celebration (in '76) of Plum Coulee's founding quite extensively, as I did a number of subsequent anniversaries. To my eye, we just don't see the range of character in peoples' faces these days. On that day in '76, I had just photographed the first "official" coming out of a widow and widower (I'll post that photo soon). I turned and saw this heavily-dressed woman standing in the shade of the former Toews' Meat Market. I'd never seen her before. I imagine she was a recent arrival to Plum Coulee. I feel profound pathos for the chill of isolation I project on her as she observes the festivities from a distance.

Old Photo #19 – Graffito 6

Another in the Kensington Market (Toronto) series from May 2007.

Old Photo #18 – Abstract 3

Light & shadow, dark & bright, texture & line, substantial & projected. I tried to seek out visual oddities whenever I was out shooting – whatever and wherever they were, and I'm working toward that again. I don't remember when or where I photographed this vent/heating oil/something-else pipe, but it may have been the stone condo complex on the SW corner of Wardlaw & Nassau in Winnipeg – likely in the mid '70s when Jackie & Zach lived next door to it. Good memories, those.

Old Photo #17 – Abstract 44

With apologies to my son, Cole (our second child), my most photographed subject is undoubtedly my daughter, Jill.

Both of my children were much anticipated and, upon arrival, greatly loved. The fact is, with the first child, I was still playing at being a "responsible" adult. Work/career was an unfortunate necessity that provided the funds for fun. As a consequence, I seemed to have plenteous time to document her early life. When Cole was born (yesterday in 1985 – Happy Birthday, Son), I was launching into the application for and set-up of a Honda franchise for a couple of investors. Life got very busy and intervened in my photographic indulgences.

This photo of Jill & her Mom was taken on our palatial country estate, Villa Hova. While the name may sound high-flown, it is Low German and means, "wild oats." While certainly not seedy, the place was humble, and our time there was blessed. Jill loved to run and explore, and she was particularly captivated by a fence post on the south-east corner of the yard where, if she listened carefully, she could hears the hammers of Santa's elves in the workshop below.

Old Photo #16 – Cole, the Dragonslayer 2

Happy Birthday, Son.

Old Photo #15 – Graffito 9

Superman, Lois & Necrofu Lovers: a mystery to me.

Another in the May 12, 2007 Kensington Market (Toronto) series.

Old Photo #14 – Graffito 3

"... Animation have been bowdlerized...."

Don't you want to dig in and de-archive what's being said here? What about the wigs and Frankie Sinatra and Mr. Beetle? Nothing but a splash of type and colour in a photo "put through the wringer" by an obscure street photographer.

Old Photo #13 – Graffito 8

Having just posted a new image taken with my old Lumix LX1 on onenewphotographperday.blogspot.com, I thought I should reprise some of the LX1's earlier captures.

Ruth had a conference in Toronto in May 2007 and, as often happened, I took time from my business to accompany her. I ambled through Kensington Market on May 12th and happened on a small building in a side lane which had handbills deposited on handbills: a cultural sedimentary deposit.

We got Cole Jonathan Safran Foer's "Tree of Codes" for Christmas. Foer used Bruno Schulz's "The Street of Crocodiles" as the bedrock for his book, then cutting windows in the pages to align the text of one page with various snippets of text from others. The majority of the photos I took of this wall "read" in the same way.

First, however, a stencil of one of America's spooky cinema masters.

Old Photo #12 – Plum Coulee 9

The Plum Coulee Curling Club was the village's social hub during the winter – through the '50s and '60s at least. The outdoor skating rink, with its ramshackle warming hut, was immediately adjacent, so hot chocolate, potato chips and parents were always near at hand in the curling rink.

As hard as it is to hold to the assertion now, growing up in that tiny burgh was (mostly) a wonder-filled, magical experience. From my perspective, several non-related developments in the early-to-mid '60s spelled an end to whatever vibrancy Plum Coulee might have laid claim: Dr. Hugh McGavin, the village's only doctor, had died in 1958 and was never replaced; the province's consolidation of schools into divisions resulted in the high school being moved to Winkler; and, some of Winkler's business owners began an aggressive expansion and advertising campaign. The commercial locus became our rival, Winkler. Only one Plum Coulee business, the Co-op store under the management of Jake Penner, demonstrated vision. He switched the store's focus from general merchandise and groceries to white goods, which resulted in dramatic market expansion – rather than stagnation and closure like virtually all the other businesses of Plum Coulee.

Without the benefit of contextualizing this image in my negative files, I'm guessing this photo was taken in the late '70s or early '80s. It's almost certain the curling club was still operational at the time, but the use of a permanent marker to inscribe "Closed" (for the season) on the wooden door seems more generally prophetic.

Old Photo #11 – Len, the Barber 8

I did a series of environmental portraits of my then father-in-law, Leonard Pelser, (likely) in the late '70s. He was, in fact, a favorite subject of mine. A devoted family man, golfer and woodworker, he fed and raised a family of five on a few dollars per haircut. I seems to me that in his latter years as a full-time barber in the '90s, his fee had risen to the stratospheric sum of $7.

Our friends, Jim & Johanna Rodger, presented me with a bottle of Booster after-shave for Christmas. This gift brought to mind my earliest experiences of that nostalgic fragrance in the hands of Erich Janz, the Plum Coulee barber... which brought to mind this photo of Len. The bottle of Booster is the left-most in the picture.

More background on Pelser's Barber Shop can be found at: http://www.threshermensmuseum.com/pelsers.htm

Old Photo #10 – Abstract 4

Curious-cum-hilarious tautologies are a common subject of street photographers' reconnoiterings. I found this example in the parking lot of the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue, located at Wellington Crescent and Academy Road, Winnipeg. Perhaps the sign was deemed necessary following an incident of driving under the influence of a few too many "mazel tovs" at a wedding??? Let's see... a fence to keep folks from driving down a steep, treed bank into the Assiniboine River, a sign to protect the fence, snow drifts to protect the sign...

A surprise coincidence is that, centred directly behind the sign, is the home Ruth & I shared when we first became a couple in 1999. Now that was mazel tov for a couple of goyim.

Old Photo #9 – Abstract 54

When I photographed All Saints' Victoria years ago, it didn't occur to me that someday I might live less than a dozen miles from its door – or that I would be attending its sister church, All Saints' Winnipeg.

The former is located just west of the junction of Road 81N and Hwy. #7, some 14 miles north of Winnipeg's Perimeter Hwy. Though the nameplate above its door states that ASV was renovated in 1982, it still has no heating system. This despite the fact that some area residents like our friends, Jim & Johanna Rodger, still worship there at least once each Advent season.

An Explanatory Note: The term "abstract," used in naming some of these photographs, obviously does not refer to abstract art, but to fact that the photographs' subjects have been abstracted, to a lesser or greater extent, from their contexts.

Old Photo #8 – Liam & Nathan

My nephews, some 14 years ago, at a family get-together in Sandy Hook, MB.

Old Photo #7 – Abstract 36

My workplace in the '70s was in the Electric Railway Chambers just off Portage Avenue on Notre Dame Avenue. The back lane across from the front entrance led to Garry St.; still does.

At some point, a structure was demolished on the north-east corner of the lane on Garry, and site hoarding went up. The brick building that was built on that site has demonstrated considerably more structural integrity than did the hoarding.

Old Photo #6 – Abstract 41

"The Movie Theatre is Dead, The Movie Theatre is Alive!"

Gone are the days of the grand old movie houses. It's the day of the cavernous, big-box, suburban comfy-chair mega-theatre.

The Metropolitan has languished unused in Winnipeg's downtown for decades. As evidenced by the marquee, The Met closed shortly after the 1977 run of Carl Reiner's "Oh, God!"

Life as a celluloid projection: Larger than, fragile, flammable, rolling on, transitory.

Old Photo #5 – Peter Paul van Camp 2/'77

Through a quixotic network of social acquaintances, I became a fan of the early Winnipeg Folk Festival before it ever was a festival. As a result, the first half dozen years or more saw me out in Bird's Hill Park the first full weekend of July.

One of the most charming U.S. emigrés to Winnipeg was a performer who claimed Coshocton, OH as his home. A vaudevillian at heart and persona, Peter Paul van Camp (aka Randy Woods) was a perennial favorite. His recitations of poems like "Dairy Products," done in a high, strident voice were, by turns, charming and hilarious.

It was a kinder, gentler time. At least, it felt like a simpler time.

Old Photo #4 – Perry Nodelman/'76

During my second year at University, I met Jeannie Gilbert, who had just immigrated from Bexhill-on-Sea, England. Back then she was an actress and dancer and, over time, she became involved with Cubiculo Theatre Laboratory, a experimental theatre troupe under the direction of U. of Winnipeg English professors, Kay Unruh and Perry Nodelman. One of their most ambitious productions centred on William Blake and incorporated acting, voice, dance and music. It was entitled, "Blake: Seize the Fire."

I had been an enthusiastic supporter of their work from the outset. I don't recall whether I volunteered or was asked, but I became the photographer for the Blake production. A few years ago, my wife, Ruth, and I began attending All Saints' Anglican (Winnipeg) and joined the choir. One of Ruth's alto colleagues is Billie Nodelman. Over time I learned that her husband is Perry. We have come to know them and their offspring socially, much to Ruth's and my enrichment. Recently, Perry gave me a Japanese scarf he'd bought at a sidewalk sale and then made notorious by publishing its poor translations on Facebook. I reciprocated by unearthing my portrait of Perry for the Blake production.

Old Photo #3 – Abstract 2

The apartment I lived in while at Red River, had one living room corner that mesmerized me. I took many photographs of it. This one which still hooks me.

Old Photo #2 – Abstract 1

In the summer of 1974, I received my acceptance to a one-year Photographic Technician course at Red River College, Winnipeg. A then dear friend of mine, Ken Zacharias, had taken the course and he subsequently introduced me to Grant Ball (still a friend) who had also taken the course and whose brother-in-law, Malcolm Patterson, was one of the instructors.

In retrospect, I wish I had been more committed to the course description and less concerned about my hubris as an aspiring, self-expressive creative photographer. But that's water long under the bridge and through the system many times.

At the time, I lived in an apartment at the corner of Lilac and McMillan in Winnipeg. Convergences had always fascinated me, and the house at the corner of Lilac and Grosvenor had lots of those. I saw it twice a day going to and returning from Red River. One day I photographed it.

Old Photo #1 – Voyeur 30

Back in the 1970s, I worked in downtown Winnipeg and lived about 30 minutes from work by foot. I bought an Olympus OM1 in 1975 or so and, thereafter, it became an almost constant companion on my daily commutes and otherwise.

By the way, my son (Cole) sent me a link to a YouTube story on Vivian Maier today. It is an amazing story of the love of photography, of dedication, and a testament to keen vision.

At any rate, I was hugely influenced by Cartier-Bresson's work back then and sought to emulate his pursuit of the "Decisive Moment." One such instance of good fortune occurred one bright summer day while trolling the grubby denizens of Main Street near Higgins Avenue. I can't be sure of the year, but 1976 might be close. While keeping a watchful eye out for ruffians, I saw an older man, wearing a hat and top coat – and out of character with the down-and-outers around him, heading north on Main Street. As he was about to enter the shadows of the underpass, I was able to make one exposure.

Sometime later, when I had set up a darkroom at home, I tried in vain to pull an acceptable print of the image; the tonal contrast was too extreme. It was only a few years ago, having purchased a Konica/Minolta Dimage scanner and SilverFast software drivers, that I was finally able to realize the image as I had hoped it might be.

Starting Out by Catching Up

It seems I'm always trying to catch up. On reading, on bills, on exercise, on time with my children, on time with friends. on motorcycling, on getting my house build (buildingruthsridge.blogspot.com) completed.

I've started this blog at my son, Cole's (colepeters.com) insistence. I set a New Year's resolution to see how close I could get to doing at least one photograph per day for 2011. Then, yesterday, I decided to start posting an old photograph per day to Facebook. That's when Cole suggested that I create a blog to make the images more widely available.

So, without further delay, please find the first four images posted individually, following.

I hope you enjoy some of my blasts from the past.

By the way, please feel free to comment on what you see in this blog.