Landscapes Magazine is an award-winning publication of the Texas Farm Credit District lending associations. POSTCARDS
Showing off farm equipment on the Dierschke homestead in Runnels County, Texas — late 1920s
Submitted by Patricia Hohensee
Members of the Fuchs family enjoy refreshing watermelon after a day of field work near Westphalia, Texas — early 1940s
Submitted by Patricia Hohensee
A harvesting crew threshes oats on the Prescher farm near Clifton, Texas — early 1930s
Submitted by Keith Finstad
Weighing cotton on the Niehues farm near Olfen, Texas — 1925
Submitted by Linda Gail Binns
Chickens gather to feed in rural Cherokee County, Texas — 1920s
Submitted by Cheryl Snipes
At a sawmill in Sherard, Miss., the manager, William Thornberry, sits atop a log estimated to be 60 inches in diameter — 1945
Submitted by Tyler Mullins
Redin Burt and baby daughter pose on a mule-drawn mower near Hillsboro, Texas — 1920s
Submitted by Karen Doskocil
A child and his pet goat in Coryell County, Texas — late 1800s
Submitted by Karen Doskocil
The Glenn Morgan Turkey Farm at Hillsboro, Texas — approximately 1950
Submitted by Karen Doskocil
The Mathiesen family harvests wheat in Runnels County, Texas — 1914
Submitted by Linda Gail Binns
In Mississippi, pigs cool off in the mud — 1940s
Submitted by Mississippi Ag Museum
Visually impaired farmers near Cuero, Texas, gather for a poultry husbandry class offered by Texas A&M University and sponsored by the Work Projects Administration — early 1940s
Submitted by Kathleene Runnels
– Staff
“The pictures you want tomorrow, you have to take today.”
- Anonymous (Kodak advertisement)
Photographing Tomorrow's Memories
The simple truth behind this old Kodak slogan is timeless.
Even in this age of high-definition television, video, blogs, websites and smart phones, it’s worth it to step back, grab a camera (whether good old-fashioned film or digital) and record some memories. Years from now, family and friends won’t care about photos of today’s celebrities — but they will enjoy reminiscing about rural life in 2010 and viewing images of their ancestors on the farm.
To assure that records of the past withstand the test of time, follow these tips:
- Store old photos in a cool, dry place. Humidity is the enemy of photographs.
- To make sure old photographs are preserved indefinitely, have them digitally scanned.
- Websites like www.scanmyphotos.com and www.britepix.com will scan them for you, so you will always have a record of the photo, even if the original deteriorates.
- Many sites, such as www.scancafe.com, will digitally restore damaged photos.
- Remember that even digital photos can be lost — always back up your records.
Photos are a wonderful way to share anecdotes and memories. When we photograph our lives, we preserve those moments in time for future generations.
– Staff