Earlier today I received this email from an old friend & classmate (who I haven’t seen in 45 years), Ron A.
Hey Doug,
Hope you've been doing well. John and I were watching this YouTube video last night......At the 55 second mark, does anyone look familiar?........LOL
Ron Adamson
I clicked on his Youtube link, and sure enough at the 0:55 mark… that’s my family, from 1977. That’s me on the top left in the white sweater. My brother Steve in the center, our brother Duke on the right.
On the bottom is my sisters Shawn, Courtney (who was only 2 years old here) and Donda-Lin. Our parents names were Don & Linda, if you stick them together… Donda-Lin.
This portrait was a surprise anniversary gift for Mom from our Dad. I think he got the idea from the Brady Bunch!
Anyway, I don’t know the owner of this video or how he got this old portrait. But it just goes to show you, none of us are safe in today’s world. Don’t be surprised if you turn up in some online museum!
Wow! You guys were the Brady bunch, sort of (since you're not a blended family). That is such a cute photo, but it is a surprise, I'm sure, to see this on Youtube. You are such a beautiful family. I'm sure that's why it was chosen although Courtney's expression is adorable.
ReplyDeleteHi Kay, thanks so much you're very sweet! Oh and you're right, the Bradys were a blended family--my mom had 5 of us before she turned 29, what the heck were my parents thinking! Anyway you're too kind, thanks again :^)
DeleteWhat a wonderful gift for your Mom! But this shows how far reaching the internet can be. It is kind of scary because back then there were no home computers or internet. I imagine you could get hold of whoever did the video (even if you had to contact YouTube) and have it taken down if you wanted to. I love the picture though - what a beautiful family!
ReplyDeleteThanks Bonnie! But yes, you're exactly right -AND- you just inspired a future blog because this has happened (with other pics on other sites) a couple times before! This one certainly didn't bother me, but I can't speak for the rest of my family... but anyway Bonnie, THANK YOU for the kind comment!
DeleteWow, I would be so torn. Happy to see the time capsule of the family and while it is a great picture, I also find that a bit scary. How did the guy get it? It is kind of an invasion. You are right, we are all vulnerable.
ReplyDeleteThanks Patti--well, I have so many sibs & so many cousins... for all I know it was something I shared with someone... I honestly don't know. But it's disconcerting alright! Oh well, we're all out there now :^)
DeleteThat’s great that you have this, and kudos to your old friend for spotting it and sending it to you.
ReplyDeleteIt’s extremely unlikely that this will happen to me. I can’t remember anyone in the small country town where I grew up in the fifties having a movie camera. Of course, there are a lot of photos – my mum was a happy snapper. In my teenage years I asked her not to take my photo, which I now regret as there are few of me from then. Maybe a good thing; who wants to see a teenage me?
I wouldn't mind seeing a teenaged Music Man! I'm sorry you don't have more childhood photos, Peter.... as for movie camera, you know those are just a bunch of still photos strung together--oh I see you've sent a second comment.. :^)
DeleteAs usual, I jumped in too quickly. Obviously they are photos strung together in a video, and that could be possible for me, but I don’t remember anyone taking photos of us as good as those.
ReplyDeleteWell Peter, there's only the one of myself & my brothers & sisters in this video but I know we actually posed for several studio shots, growing up.
DeleteThat is fascinating but also a bit scary. We are all out there in cyber space! I am constantly shocked by how much I can find out about people--and them about me.
ReplyDeleteThanks Margaret, and yes me too (surprise at all the info out there). I need to do a blog about this because it happened to me in a very embarrassing (but funny) way 4-5 years ago!
DeleteOh, PLEASE DO! I love embarrassing stories, especially if they're not about me! ;)
DeleteMarg you're too funny!
DeleteI don't think any of my old family photos would ever appear online anywhere. I don't think there even is such a photo with all of us together.
ReplyDeleteWell River, to see us all together you have to go back almost 50 years!
DeleteThat certainly must have been a surprise, Doug. Perhaps someone found the studio's stash of customer pictures.
ReplyDeleteFlorence it was surreal alright! I have a couple siblings who share a lot of old photos on Facebook, I'm guessing it came from there--but the studio stash, I like that!
DeleteAt least it wasn't used for laughter at how embarrassing it was as some videos do. Even all these years later, it is still a respectable family photo.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Ed, much appreciated. I actually have another story about this, on an Aussie movie forum of all places where a photo of mine WAS used for a joke--I'm doing a blog about it!
DeleteThat really is incredible. What a hoot! You had a beautiful family back then. This picture is a keeper.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gigi--haha that was a hoot wasn't it! I know I have a hard copy of that Olan Mills photo somewhere in the back of my closet!
DeleteSo wonderful that someone saw this and sent it to you! I've had similar experiences where a cousin sent me pics of my dad at work way back before I was born. It's always fun to get things like that. And those 70's pics are sure obviously the 70's! Brings back good memories as we were only married a few years then and the kids were babies. Thank for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Rian! Yes I thought it was amazing that someone I once knew saw that and remembered me & my siblings! I was very glad he took the time to reach out and show me that! Wow so it sounds like you have good memories of the 70s too--I wouldn't mind going back for a visit :)
DeleteHi Doug, I love this! I imagine your Mom did too. My brother, sister and I did the same thing one year for my parent’s Christmas present. But being the 1970’s we all had dressed in rather wild patterned shirts. The result was interesting to say the least. I do have a copy of the photo put away.
ReplyDeleteHave a good weekend!
Robin
Hi Robin, thanks so much for your very kind comment! Also, I'd love to see that photo you & your sibs took for your parents Christmas present, I bet that meant a lot to them! Maybe someday you'll start your own blog and... :^) Hope you have a good weekend too!
DeleteI will look for the photo and email it to you Doug.
DeleteI did have a blog for a few years. It is still up. I think some days I should go back occasionally and blog.
Take care!
Robin I'm sorry, I have looked at your blog before, you have some wonderful photos! I'm adding it to my blog-list in the right column for when you come back. 🙂
DeleteIf you don't know who discovered the image and put it online in the video, that could make you feel conflicted about it. If it's someone we know I guess I wouldn't care... and who knows where old photos end up? I myself collect old things and old photos are part of my collection... I call them our adopted relatives since we have no idea who they are, whether relatives still living or not. I assume at some point the photos got discarded, along with old photo albums in some cases. Salvaging and Rescuing them from destruction is better than the alternative, otherwise they could become forever lost. Nostalgic to see old pixs I was in and didn't know about, or my Family was in... extended Family and Friends have some that I'd never seen before, cool to be given a copy of them to add to my own Family Archives now.
ReplyDeleteBohemian, exactly--it's just too weird seeing a photo of my family being used in a video by someone I don't know. It's no big deal, but I am curious how the person who made that video got all his photos in the first place! Oh well!
Delete