Friday, September 2, 2011

Time Capsule


I’ve posted before about the artistic impulse to ‘leave something behind.’ (‘Why?’ August 16 2011) I think of it as creating time capsules.

I just opened an unexpected time capsule.

My father died on November 28th, 2009, in Jerusalem. His wife and life-partner, my step-mother (though she rejects the title) still grieves. Sorting through and making order in the home they had shared for forty-five years, she found a roll of never-developed black and white film.

Nothing on the outside told of the film’s age or content. But a specialist film developer brought it out.

From the many images of my siblings, it seems the photographs are from 1972. Nearly forty years after they were taken, and almost two years after his death, my father is peaking at me from behind a tree.


He was a gentle man and a gentleman, who chose to describe himself (tongue-in-cheek) as “an optimist and a guide for the perplexed.” He even had this printed on his name card.

I look at the tree, which forms a V.

I make the sign back to it with my hand.

Peace.

4 comments:

Evelyn said...

Oh WOW! What a treasure! I love the picture and getting to see this younger side of your father. And what a good V message.

Blessings, dear Mirka.

Hava Rembrand said...

How wonderful that the photos could be developed after to long. Considering the fact that he was always the one taking the photos (and he was a great photographer) it is rare to find a photograph of he, which the find even more moving!
From one who knew him then and cherishes the memory

Ann Stampler said...

What a lovely post. May his memory be a blessing -- but clearly it already is!

Tina said...

How neat to have discovered this photo of your father and his V message!
~Tina