Absolutely beautiful photo booth friends

Sometimes I find myself thinking about all of the incredible pictures – whether for their subject matter or skill level – that have been taken since the invention of photography. I would venture to guess that most of them were taken with the hope of preserving a moment in time for as long as possible. This common thread amongst photos is a large part of why people adore taking them so much. We all want to grasp onto the present, however fleeting it may be.

Many of the photos taken over the decades – and now centuries – have been lost to the hands of time, but thankfully (and perhaps almost amazingly given the very delicate nature of photo paper) some of them have been preserved. I adore old pictures even if I haven’t the slightest clue who the people in them are. In fact sometimes not knowing is part of the joy. You can write your own narratives for the faces – and the lives behind them – of the people in these wonderful snapshots of history.

Such was the desire I was struck with as soon as I chanced upon the photo below. The two women in this seemingly simple photo booth shot are undeniably gorgeous. Their hair, make-up and outfits appeal to me on so many levels. Yet I am equally struck by how happy – content in the moment, perhaps – they both seem. There is a glint of flirtation in the brunette’s dark eyes, a sense of worldly wisdom in those of the blond. Each woman is strikingly attractive on her own, together they are even more majestic.

I wonder, looking at this decades old photo, who were these gals? Were they friends, sisters, cousins, classmates, coworkers? Had they been in each other’s lives for years or only recently meet? Were they taking the photo to remember they day themselves or to pass it along to someone else? Could they have possibly known at the time how wildly stylish they were?


{Vintage photo discovered via Hastingsgraham’s Flickr stream.}

I like to think they were lifelong BFFs. Deeply similar in many ways and starkly opposite in others. Through the good and the bad, the rough and the incredible, they were always there, with perfectly coiffed hair, for each other. Their unwavering bond preserved forever in this moment as photo booth friends.