Jocko
Off With The Pixies
A few days ago, as part of my relentless pursuit of old junk, I bought “Correct Exposure In Photography” by Morgan and Lester. Thus began a tale of love, war and intrigue, not unsuited to the approach of Valentine’s Day....
The book, published in New York, in April 1944, is little more than a 100-page puff for the Weston exposure meter. The real point of interest lay in the inside cover....
In superb, slightly manic script, the original owner had written her name -
Euphemia Smallhope
Saddleworth Church Vicarage
Saddleworth
Oldham
Lancs.
So - the Vicar’s wife, or possibly his daughter. Her name is a novel in itself. The leftward slant, graphologists claim, would indicate shyness, yet the wild downward strokes suggest hidden passion: Here is a lady of impeccable decorum, betrayed only by her flamboyant scrawl.
Yet in 1944, books on photography were not the stuff of transatlantic trade. How did Euphemia get her copy?
The answer lies in one word: Saddleworth.
You may recall the movie “Yanks” (1979) starring Richard Gere. It tells how, in the weeks before D-Day, a small Lancashire town is overwhelmed by American troops preparing for the invasion. With most of the local men long gone, love blooms in unlikely places.
But it isn’t just a film. It all really happened. At Saddleworth, where much of the movie was shot. What occurred in April-May ‘44 became a legend - one of my own cousins is in fact a product of those tumultuous weeks. So: a photo-enthusiast GI was surely the source of Euphemia’s book... But could that be all the story?
A glimpse at the Saddleworth web site [http://www.saddleworth.net/] reveals a town of striking charm. Perhaps they met on those photogenic hills, she with an Ensign, he with an Ektar.
Possibly even now in an Iowa farmhouse or plush Long Island mansion, “Grandpa” keeps a ragged snap: Euphemia, still rapt with love, gazing back through her rain-splattered glasses. Or perhaps a boy lies in the St Laurent Cemetery, beyond Omaha Beach.
Either way, Saddleworth has not forgotten them. The town celebrates its spasm of love with a yearly “Yanks” festival, which, in itself may be a photo-op - http://www.yanksevent.com/. And we should not forget them either: We may not find true love this Valentine’s day, but thanks to Mr Weston we can have Correct Exposure.
Cheers, Ian
The book, published in New York, in April 1944, is little more than a 100-page puff for the Weston exposure meter. The real point of interest lay in the inside cover....
In superb, slightly manic script, the original owner had written her name -
Euphemia Smallhope
Saddleworth Church Vicarage
Saddleworth
Oldham
Lancs.
So - the Vicar’s wife, or possibly his daughter. Her name is a novel in itself. The leftward slant, graphologists claim, would indicate shyness, yet the wild downward strokes suggest hidden passion: Here is a lady of impeccable decorum, betrayed only by her flamboyant scrawl.
Yet in 1944, books on photography were not the stuff of transatlantic trade. How did Euphemia get her copy?
The answer lies in one word: Saddleworth.
You may recall the movie “Yanks” (1979) starring Richard Gere. It tells how, in the weeks before D-Day, a small Lancashire town is overwhelmed by American troops preparing for the invasion. With most of the local men long gone, love blooms in unlikely places.
But it isn’t just a film. It all really happened. At Saddleworth, where much of the movie was shot. What occurred in April-May ‘44 became a legend - one of my own cousins is in fact a product of those tumultuous weeks. So: a photo-enthusiast GI was surely the source of Euphemia’s book... But could that be all the story?
A glimpse at the Saddleworth web site [http://www.saddleworth.net/] reveals a town of striking charm. Perhaps they met on those photogenic hills, she with an Ensign, he with an Ektar.
Possibly even now in an Iowa farmhouse or plush Long Island mansion, “Grandpa” keeps a ragged snap: Euphemia, still rapt with love, gazing back through her rain-splattered glasses. Or perhaps a boy lies in the St Laurent Cemetery, beyond Omaha Beach.
Either way, Saddleworth has not forgotten them. The town celebrates its spasm of love with a yearly “Yanks” festival, which, in itself may be a photo-op - http://www.yanksevent.com/. And we should not forget them either: We may not find true love this Valentine’s day, but thanks to Mr Weston we can have Correct Exposure.
Cheers, Ian
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FrankS
Registered User
Lovely, thanks!
robin a
Well-known
Ian,one word says it all,intrigue.............Robin
Ash
Selflessly Self-involved
I love looking at the names in old books.
Looks like the previous owner of 'My Way With The Miniature' (1st edition too!) was an avid fan of Amateur Photographer. Its address is in the front of the book, but Amateur is spellt wrong!
Nice history there. I stare at the names inside the case of the Zeiss folder - my dad, grandad, dad's uncle, and another name I'm not familiar with!
Looks like the previous owner of 'My Way With The Miniature' (1st edition too!) was an avid fan of Amateur Photographer. Its address is in the front of the book, but Amateur is spellt wrong!
Nice history there. I stare at the names inside the case of the Zeiss folder - my dad, grandad, dad's uncle, and another name I'm not familiar with!
Ian, thank you for the fine story well-told. 
Spyderman
Well-known
Maybe you could take it as a sign...
Go and find her... and return back with a few rolls full of images and a story
At least that's what I'd do...
Go and find her... and return back with a few rolls full of images and a story
At least that's what I'd do...
dreilly
Chillin' in Geneva
Ian,
Awesome. You should dig further.
Awesome. You should dig further.
shadowfox
Darkroom printing lives
Wow! I think this is the beginning of a beautiful movie-script...
Jocko
Off With The Pixies
Gentlemen, in about twenty minutes I'm posting letters to the current Vicar (who will have details of the previous...) and to the Saddleworth Historical Society! We shall learn more!
Euphemia Smallhope - Isn't that a name?
What makes it even stranger is that in 1961 a local film company made a comedy about naughty goings-on in a Lancashire town - She Knows. Y'Know in which the leading character is called Euphemia Smallhope. I wonder if she had already entered legend...! http://www.answers.com/topic/she-knows-y-know.
Cheers, Ian
Euphemia Smallhope - Isn't that a name?
What makes it even stranger is that in 1961 a local film company made a comedy about naughty goings-on in a Lancashire town - She Knows. Y'Know in which the leading character is called Euphemia Smallhope. I wonder if she had already entered legend...! http://www.answers.com/topic/she-knows-y-know.
Cheers, Ian
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Xmas
Veteran
The movie is called Yanks.
People were quite cynical during WWII
They were orgainsed, if you were 16 or under you got national health orange juice, the gov certified practical things with a utility mark, I think it ws two c characters in a heavy script.
The one liner about utility knickers, the normal word one would use for female underware - not in a perjorative sense, was 'just one yank and they would come down' - a 65 year old joke.
Noel
People were quite cynical during WWII
They were orgainsed, if you were 16 or under you got national health orange juice, the gov certified practical things with a utility mark, I think it ws two c characters in a heavy script.
The one liner about utility knickers, the normal word one would use for female underware - not in a perjorative sense, was 'just one yank and they would come down' - a 65 year old joke.
Noel
zuikologist
.........................
Good luck with the search. Intriguing stuff.
R
ruben
Guest
Ian, don't forget to add your own name, at least at the back inside cover. Who knows ? ....
markinlondon
Elmar user
Lovely stuff, Ian. All I get in my old manuals are speed tables and development times for 50 year old films. Although my 1952 Ilford Manual of Photography belonged to a schoolboy in Berkshire, went to New Zealand and fetched up in a second hand bookshop in Shannon (the Hay on Wye of the Manawatu ) where I bought it for NZ$3 (about a pound) and brought it home.
Surely no one could forget a Euphemia Smallhope, especially in a place like Saddleworth?
As for the knicker story, Noel, you must have met some of my mother's contemporaries
) where I bought it for NZ$3 (about a pound) and brought it home. Surely no one could forget a Euphemia Smallhope, especially in a place like Saddleworth?
As for the knicker story, Noel, you must have met some of my mother's contemporaries
