About 40 years ago I told Mom that for Christmas and birthdays I wanted cool framed stuff. And Dad gave her photos and she framed many, and I hung and took care of them all for decades. The first time I wanted to scan one, and would have to take it apart, I felt guilty. Mom was dead and these were my parent’s gifts to me. They all stayed untouched on the wall for a few more years. But then, yes, these are their gifts to me and all the rest is just some wood, glass, and paper. It is easy now, they preserved these for me, safe from the Studio fire. Box cutter, needle noses, slice, yank, slide it out and onto the scanner, hi-res digital. These presents are even better the second time around.
Here, as Granddad put it, “Bill asked me to come out to the house and take a few shots of him riding.”
John Cofield is a HottyToddy.com writer and one of Oxford’s leading folk historians. He is the son of renowned university photographer, Jack Cofield. His grandfather, J.R. “Colonel” Cofield, was William Faulkner’s personal photographer and for decades was the Ole Miss yearbook photographer. Cofield attended Ole Miss as well.
Stay tuned for more information on Cofield’s forthcoming book: Oxford, Mississippi ~ The Cofield Collection — a pictorial history book with John’s writing on the history to go along with the photos.
Contact John at Johnbcofield@gmail.com.
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