untold (and told) fortunes !

Today's photo emerges from the 24th of January 1951. Here is Miss Joyce Clark, fortuneteller at the Gorham State Teachers College (now USM Gorham) carnival. A carnival in January, you ask? Well, this was to help raise funds to furnish the student lounge. We can only image- or call forth the essence- of the circa 1950s furnishings!

mystery photo from South Portland

A new-old mystery photo to enjoy this weekend....
The picture was taken in the Redbank Village housing development, in 1947
(and can be clicked for a larger scan).
What is going on here ?

Dare to venture a guess ??

(another) mystery photo !

In these balmy summer days, Strange Maine brings you yet another Mystery Photo. Can you guess where this is ?? (Image below can be clicked to enlarge)

Old Congress Street Photo, Portland ME

Courtesy of Abraham Schechter, who runs the Portland Public Library's Portland Room. Abraham was excavating the storage room last year as he continued his campaign to revitalize and reorganize the Portland Room, and came across a stack of beautiful old glass negatives. He has kindly consented to share a sample of them with us, and here is a great one.

See if you can recognize this intersection on Congress Street in Portland. Abraham estimates the time period of the photo to be circa 1900-1910. Yet many of the buildings shown are still very much as they are today! Click on the photo for a larger version to inspect details.

For any of you interested in researching Maine history, the Portland Room is a one-of-a-kind resource, packed with books and documents with which to while away the hours in blissful historical research.