A Thousand Words
By Jock Lauterer
Several years ago, when I asked my photography students to bring to class a single meaningful family snapshot, Kafi Robinson, then a senior journalism major from Oxford, turned in a photo of her great grandmother, “Aunt Roxie,†who worked for years as a maid “for this rich white family,†according to Kafi. Following her graduation, Kafi has stayed in touch – and recently brought me a tiny 1-by-2-inch proof of a studio photo made in 1940. In the faded, cracked photo, Roxie Royster-Johnson holds her 6-year-old daughter, Carolyn Johnson (Kafi’s grandmother). This is what Kafi wrote about the picture:
“Her eyes. It’s just something about Gran’s eyes (Gran is what all of the great-grandkids called Roxie). Her eyes jump to the forefront of this photo, something like that well-known photograph of Sharbat Gula in National Geographic. Gran’s eyes aren’t quite as intense as Gula’s, but both photos leave you wondering the same questions about their lives: What she was doing right before the photo was taken? Where’s she from? What’s her ethnicity? Is she married? Is she happy? … What do you think?
“For me, I think Gran had something serious on her mind right before the photo was taken. She tried to perk up a little for the sake of a nice family photo; she pulled her hair back and fastened the edges with a small, but noticeable barrette, pressed the collar of her top and had her daughter (my grandma) put on her nice Sunday pea coat. Still, she was unable to hide the fact that something was on her mind. Maybe she was worried about Pop, my great-grandpa. He may have had to work late guarding the tobacco plant the evening before and hadn’t made it home yet. Maybe she was a little stressed about bills, knowing that she didn’t make enough money cleaning those large houses on College Street. Gran’s face lies there emotionlessly, but her eyes tell an entire story … not sure what it is though … that’s left up to our interpretation (and that’s the beauty of old photos!).â€
A THOUSAND WORDS
Do you have an important old photo that you value? Email your photo to jock@email.unc.edu and include the story behind the picture. Because every picture tells a story. And its worth? A thousand words.
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