Cupid Awake?
I’ve done a pretty thorough job of sorting and releasing years and years of stuff I inherited at my mothers death. Caught up in the nostalgic conundrum of “what do I want to do with this?” several items were stuffed back into a closet.
Thank heavens for the scent of mildew which tends to be a driver in my actually getting things done when feeling stuck. One of the items was a 21” x 25” framed photograph of my Ukrainian (really) Jewish maternal grandparents, probably 90 - 100 years old. (They arrived at Ellis island in 1906.)
I decided to try dislodging the photograph from the mildewed frame to save it. Putting the heavy frame in a garbage bag, I carved away at the backing. Yay. It worked! I began to toss the detritus into the garbage bag. Suddenly, I looked down and discovered a sepia photographic reproduction which had been the backing for my grandparent’s photo in the frame. Yowzers.
It said “Cupid Awake,” 1897, and the photographer’s name. Of course, as a Google addict, I was on it in a flash! Easily discovered a series of these same photographic reproductions for sale, framed, on eBay and elsewhere. Prices ranging from $20-$100.
Soooo, I have absolutely no idea why the professional framer, back in the 1920’s, inserted the “Cupid Awake” reproduction as a backing for my grandparents’ photograph. But, you know, I don’t care. It’s a wonderful reminder that many things are not what they seem. There’s really magic when we’re least expecting it. Just be on the lookout - it’s there….
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Thanks for another delightful read. Not sure why people collect these. I find them a bit scary. But the story is great!
Much nicer than the photos I remember as stock photos in the frames when I was growing up.