The Brown Suitcase
Some time back, I was driving through rural Kentucky and stopped at a yard sale. The family mentioned they were trying to clean out their shed. There wasn’t much that caught my eye, other than a brown, rusted-out old suitcase. The suitcase was barely holding itself together, with a couple of strips of white masking tape on top that read “Jeannie’s Family Photographs.” I asked how much they wanted for the neglected old suitcase. I don’t remember the answer, but it was cheap for a lifetime of memories.
I tried to gather some information about the images. They didn’t seem to remember anything about where they had come from or who they had belonged to. It seemed as if maybe they had bought the photos somewhere as well.
I didn’t know exactly what I had bought when I laid it in the back seat of my truck. I knew there were a couple of envelopes with photos in them and a large framed photo of a man in uniform.
When I got home, I started to dig into the suitcase. There were a couple of albums full of photos, brown envelopes filled with photos, packets of negatives from Italy. Someone had lived quite the life and left it behind in this yard sale suitcase.
Over the course of a year, I’ve pondered about what to do with the contents of the suitcase. I’m a fan of photos from times forgotten. I thought it would be a crime to leave these photos untouched, sitting in a corner. They need to see the light of day. As I go through the contents and scan the photos, I’m planning to share them here.
Together, we can figure out some of the mysteries held within the suitcase. Who are the people in the pictures? Where were they taken? What year are the photos from? As I work my way through the suitcase, we can dive into clues in the photos. Some photos even have information on the back.
These photos will be available for purchase for a limited time over on our Esty store! Each purchase of a print helps me bring you more vintage photos! Also feel free to make a small onetime donation or even a reoccurring donation here!
Who knows, maybe we can put together a whole life based on the contents! See More on the blog at Burton Media Group and check out our Facebook page for updates
