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Stanley Dry Plate Photos

Three men, three dogs, one visible shotgun. Going hunting?

I recently discovered a box of old-time glass plate photos in my garage. The box labeled, Stanly Dry Plate Company, has ten exposed 4×5″ plates. I scanned some of the plates on my flat-bed scanner and then inverted and massaged them in Photoshop Elements. The photos were grossly underexposed and I was unable to pull any more detail than what is shown in these images. I have no idea of the identity of the people in the photos.

Woman sitting at her prized possession, a piano.

There was a faded piece of paper glued to the back of the box with a description of the photos. While the writing is in English, it is written in cursive script making most of it difficult to read. There appears to be a few references to places called Campbell’s Dam and Campbell’s Pond.

A quick search on the Internet and I found a likely place in Millburn, New Jersey named Campbell’s Pond Dam.

Description of exposed plates from Stanley Plates

Description of exposed plates from Stanley Plates

According  to the Stanley Museum in Kingsfield Maine, twin brothers F.E and F.O. as they were known, had an interesting life. They started out as teachers, manufactured violins, and then purchased a photo studio in 1875 at age 26. They invented and perfected the dry plate process after ten years of research. They developed other projects and became enamored in a steam engine automobile that they encountered. They sold the dry plate company to investors that eventually made the dry plate company the cornerstone of the newly launched Eastman Kodak Company.

The Stanley brothers went on to fully develop the steam engine and the famous Stanley Steamer Automobile.

Boys on boat

Boys on boat from Stanley Dry Plate collection

 

The Stanley Company Dry Plate Box Cover

The Stanley Company Dry Plate Box Cover. Note that this box cover is from before the company was sold to Eastman Kodak.

 

Steam engine at station

Steam engine at station

 

Unknown group of people doing something I can not identify

Unknown group of people doing something I can not identify

And the Winner is…

Lois Davis held the winning ticket at the Starbucks of Toms River Grand Opening on Thursday, August 21, 2014. [L->R] Brian Higgins, District Manager; Caroline LaVallee, Assistant Manager; Lois Davis, Raffle Winner; Merideth Newman, Store Manager.

Lois Davis held the winning ticket at the Starbucks of Toms River Grand Opening on Thursday, August 21, 2014. [L->R] Brian Higgins, District Manager; Caroline LaVallee, Assistant Manager; Lois Davis, Raffle Winner; Meredith Newman, Store Manager.

A few weeks ago I was asked to make some photos at a Starbucks store grand opening in Toms River, New Jersey. There are more than 20,000 Starbucks stores worldwide, and I was able to do a shoot at one of them. I feel pretty good about that.

The layout of the store is unique and not a cookie cutter version of another store. I don’t believe that Starbucks has ever built a store in that fashion. Every store that I have ever visited, coast-to-coast, was always a unique layout.

I had a lot of fun making the photos and got to do some coffee tasting and some new pastry tasting. I’m a plain black coffee guy and was able to taste some of their most interesting blends brewed ‘french press’ style.

A raffle was held for a door prize and Lois Davis of Toms River, NJ held the winning ticket for a basket of Starbucks Coffee Cheer.

New Addition to the Lukaszewicz Family Tree

My son Robert and his wife Jackie increased his branch of the Lukaszewicz Family Tree by one on Friday, August 22, 2014. Gavin Robert Lukaszewicz entered the world at 10:22AM, presenting at 7 lb. 5 oz. and 22 inches long. Both mother and baby are doing well. Gavin makes me a grandfather for the fourth time and he’s also the first grandson. Welcome Gavin Robert Lukaszewicz.

Gavin Robert 6 lb 5 oz

Gavin Robert – 6 lb 5 oz

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