Jean and Tommy

'Jean and Tommy' collage by Paul Vallance

This photograph of a girl and large cat comes from a book on the photography of Rose and Emma Windmill. It was taken in Geelong, Victoria, Australia in 1918 by Emma Windmill. The sitters must have both sat quite still as photographs then had quite long exposures. The parrots have flown in from another book on jungle flora and fauna.

Absence

'Absence' collage by Paul Vallance

White blood cell

'White blood cell' collage by Paul Vallance.

Photograph of woman at work by Lewis W. Hine circa 1225, with background scanning electron microscope image of white blood cell surrounded by bacteria from 'Inside the body: fantastic images from beneath the skin'.

Candy

'Candy' collage by Paul Vallance

For this collage I've used a photograph 'Candy worker' taken circa 1925 by the great American documentary photographer Lewis Hine. I love this image. I found it in a book 'Women at work' which features 153 of Hines photographs of women doing humdrum work-typists, telephonists, mill and garment workers and the like. In most of the photographs the faces of the women aren't visible, their heads are downcast watching over machinery. The 'candy worker' is different, she returns the cameras gaze. It's a haunting image. The expression on her face seems a bit forlorn, and what was she thinking? 'Why the heck does this guy want to take a photograph of me'?
I find old photographs strangely melancholic.  We'll never know what her name was or how many years she spent working in the candy factory, or what those chocolates tasted like. I hope she had a long happy life.