$5.00 Fine

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This little 3.5 x 2.5-inch photo was one of eleven I bought together on eBay. They were all vintage snapshots, and like this one, they were mostly candid, amusing images of relaxed, happy people. I assumed that they were randomly grouped together by a dealer, so I was pleasantly surprised that they came along with a handwritten note from the seller, saying they were all pictures from her mother’s family. I wrote to thank her, and she replied that her mother was a very funny woman, and that her family came from Wisconsin. (The seller’s return address was in Arkansas.) Only one of the eleven photos is identified, and even that only a first name. And the seller didn’t indicate which, if any, of the people in these photos was her mother. Part of me wants to write again and request as much information as possible. And part of me wants to let it go and leave a little mystery.