Our Sepia Saturday theme image this week shows a rather interesting collection of four images of Tasmania. I have never been to Tasmania - although curiously enough I was chatting with a friend yesterday who had just returned from there - so I am following the four-view element of the theme with this quadriptych (yes, that is an actual word) based on the contents of my mother's purse. These days, any self-respecting parent will walk around with a collection of photographs of their nearest and dearest on their mobile phones, so they can instantly show you a cute photo of little Jasmine or Boggles The Dog whilst you are waiting for the froth on your pint of beer to settle. Back in the fabled Good Old Days, such things were still over the technological horizon and therefore you would have to always have a small collection of tiny prints tucked into your wallet or your purse.
The four photos I feature in my quadriptych (oh, I do like that word) were amongst half a dozen or so I discovered when sorting out my mother's possessions. Clockwise, from the top left, they show:
- My mother on the front lawn at my childhood house in Northowram. The single path and lack of garage suggests this must have been taken in about 1953.
- My father displaying his mighty muscles and his astonishing tan : again taken at our house in Northowram, I suspect around 1958.
- Me. I think. I thought it was me but Isobel says it doesn't look like me. It certainly isn't my brother, so who else would my mother be treasuring a picture of?
- My brother, Roger. This was probably taken around 1958 and behind him I recognise part of the garden of that same Northowram house.
Pulling four images together to create a single entity is a fascinating exercise - one in which the selection tells the story just as much as the content. To see how other people have responded to the challenge visit the Sepia Saturday Blog.
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Now I feel bad -- I have credit cards, no photos.
ReplyDeleteGreat quadriptych, Alan -- and sweet that your mother carried these with her! I remember when wallets all had those vinyl envelope sections for photos...now some of them don't even have places for real money!
ReplyDeleteI never heard of a quadriptych before either. Great photos!
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful photos. These are just great. I had never heard of a quadriptych before this! What a fabulous word. You are such a gifted wordsmythe. I enjoyed every bit of your description. So great.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I carried photos in my wallet. I should start again. Makes for more interesting contents.
ReplyDeleteY must be behynd the tymes. All my photos of chyldren & grandchyldren are in those plastyc photo dysplay pockets yn my wallet - though I do have a cell phone that takes pyctures. Y'll have to thynk about that the next tyme Y'm at a famyly gatheryng. Love your new word!
ReplyDeleteI've been so limited looking at triptychs all my life. Now I can become four-squared! If that isn't a photo of you, or your brother, who do you think it possibly could be?
ReplyDeleteI don't carry as many photos as I used too, but all my sweethearts are there! And two police dogs!
ReplyDeleteHow nice that your family of four can easily fit into a word with four corners. What framework would contain 5, 6, or even 7 and more?
ReplyDeleteYou jumped through the hoops very well for your sepia Saturday.
ReplyDeleteSelecting just four photos has been an interesting exercise and you've managed the task beautifully.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any photos either. I don't thing that phgoto looks much like you either.
ReplyDeleteWe used to call them Brag Books, often very nice covers with plastic sleeves for the photos. Just the right size to fit into a handbag,
ReplyDeleteWonderful, Alan. Just wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHope that you don't mind me saying that you resemble your father.
ReplyDeleteAnd I learnt a new word too :)
An astonishing tan indeed. I laughed out loud (and scrolled back up to make sure I hadn't missed it). Great quadthingummy....
ReplyDeleteI knew the words diptych and triptych, but not quadriptych. I was wondering what other similar words there were for other numbers and found the answer from Wikipedia: "tetraptych or quadriptych describes 4 parts; pentaptych describes 5 parts; hexaptych describes 6 parts; heptaptych describes 7 parts; and octaptych is the term used for an eight-part, or eight-panel, work of art." These are all polyptychs.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you kept your shirt on! These photos must have been favorites of your Mothers:)
ReplyDeleteA most happy foursome family photo!
ReplyDelete