A Christmas Story
I kept the fate of this photo a secret for so long that I forgot about it. It was one of 70 photos featured in the “Accidental History” exhibit at the Westerville History Museum, located in the library, several years ago.
During the exhibit, the mother and her three children unexpectedly saw themselves on the gallery wall, unaware they had been chosen from approximately 14,000 photos I had provided to the museum.
The mother wrote her contact information on a small piece of paper and left it with one of the museum’s researchers, asking to be contacted if the photo ever became available for purchase. The note was slipped into a file and, like Indiana Jones’ ark, forgotten.
When the exhibit ended, the photos were given to the Friends of the Library to sell in the library bookstore as a fundraiser. Every time I walked by, I saw the photo hanging just inside the bookstore doorway. Before that, it had hung on the wall of Museum Manager Jackie Barton’s office.
One day, there was a blank space on the wall where the photo had hung. The bookstore said it had been sold to a grandmother who had visited with her three grandchildren and wandered into the bookstore. One of the children tugged at her sleeve, saying they were the ones in the photo.
She bought it, telling the shopkeeper it would be a Christmas present for their mother if the kids could keep quiet long enough. And, if the photographer who made the photo didn’t write about it in his newsletter.
I was sworn to secrecy, unable to tell the story of how the photo ultimately reached the people who would appreciate it most.
Now you know my secret.
The collection of photos from “Accidental History” is now on sale at the Ohio Art Market in Uptown Westerville. There isn’t enough room to display all 70 on the walls at once, and I’m not sure of which photo will be displayed and when, so check often to see if your favorite is there.
Technical details:
Shot this on my iPhone as I was returning to my car after a trunk or treat at Westerville Community United Church of Christ.
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