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Wednesday 10 June 2015

Behind the Photo: Soldier in Farewell, 1914 by L. B. Foote

Often, I will see an old photo or ad and spend some time digging into its back story. Sometimes I find a great story, sometimes not. Either way, I learn a few things about the city's history. Here's my latest attempt:

Source: Archives of Manitoba, Foote Collection, 2280 – N2954

I was at the Manitoba Archives today tracking down a photo for use in my column in Sunday's Free Press. It was part of the Foote Collection, which means that you have to sort through a stack of photos in a file folder to get to the image number you're looking for.

While searching, I came across this unrelated gem entitled Soldier in Farewell, 1914 showing a young soldier in uniform kissing his mother (?) goodbye. 

The image quality isn't great. It's a little blurry and the lighting is too hot, perhaps it was something Foote caught quickly, without time to properly set up. Those issues aside, the photo is touching. It's hard not to try to imagine what must have been running through their minds at that moment. 

Unlike my other "Behind the Photo" entries, there is no back story to tell about the subjects. The image contains no information as to who they were or where the photo was taken. No way to know if the two ever met again. 

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