May

I can't remember when I came by the negatives but my mother gave them to me. "These are from your Uncle Elmer, he said you should be the one to get them." It was an odd assortment; roll film of different sizes and some glass plates, sitting in a cigar box. The people in the pictures were dressed in styles from the early twentieth century. Scattered through the collection though were negatives of my uncle's wife, Florence. They stood out. There were 17 individual portraits of her and several with other people.

I knew my aunt and uncle when we were growing up. They had a farm in Manchaug, Massachusetts. It was a treat to visit. My uncle had two tractors parked in the barn. He'd bring them out. I'd ride with my uncle and my brother would ride with our dad. We'd go down to the river. It was better than an amusement park ride.

The pictures of my aunt, though were of someone I didn't know. She was much younger. My uncle called her "May."

They seemed carefree, posed in different locations. Probably taken on a Sunday, they were an early record of a relationship that endured a lifetime.

I do wonder about my uncle's gift. That somehow he wanted these pictures to survive and say something. Today everything is stored in digital. And even though May's likeness started on 116 and 620 film, they too are now in digital. Hopefully the technology will be around 80 years hence to view these images. At least the negatives are resting in archival sleaves now. Maybe one of my children will look after my cigar box.