Sunday, November 13, 2011

Olan Mills Photos, Oh the Agony!

How many times were you dragged by your parents to an Olan Mills studio to have that yearly photo made? What background would you use? The autumn leaves, the southern grove or my least favorite, the fake library with all the books, that was the worst! Lucky for me I couldn't find as many for me as I did my little brother! I threw him under the bus and bailed for college leaving him behind to fend for himself!

My favorite is of course the one where Robert is holding his Star Wars Toy! I wonder how much that would go for on Ebay these days?? He loved Star Wars anything! I'm not sure what he did in the photo with the band-aid on his head, no telling, Robert has two gears to this day, full throttle or hitting a wall!
So is there still an Olan Mills Studio today? Are there still crying babies, bad hair and that gawd awful library background? In these days of digital everything it makes me wonder if this right of passage into adulthood still exists? I love all our new advances in technology but sometimes I wonder if it's left us with less sentimental memories of things like this.Then again, I do love a little air brushing here and there in my aging years!!

10 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh I am so cracking up!!! I totally remember the Olan Mills photo times ~ I would drag my hubby and kids for family pictures which was totally like pulling teeth ~
    I am curious now too if Olan Mills is still around ~

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  2. Been there! Thanks for the SMILES!

    xoRebecca

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  3. Oh, the memories....of course our Olan Mills family photo featured me with "crooked" glasses. Now I ask you, why didn't the photographer notice that?
    Funny, too funny!

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  4. Well you know we don't have an Olan Mills here in Canada, but we do have Sears. My mom never had our family pics taken. The only one I have is when I was 18. I had super short short hair and the ugliest outfit on, but I was smiling ear to ear standing next to my mom, dad and sister. It was taken by my sister's neighbour. He said he was a professional, HA!!
    I also remember he put us up agains a dark fake wood panelling, OMG!!!
    But I cherish it, because it's the only one of all of us. Now it's a memory.
    Love seeing your pretty face Miss Cindy.
    xoxoxoxoxo

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  5. I wonder if 100 years from now if people will be collecting our 1970's era pictures and altering them like we do with the 1800's pictures! That would be something to see!

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  6. Oh my goodness, thank you so much for the memories!

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  7. Oh the backgrounds bring back such memories! And the haircuts! Don't tell your brother, but my daughters and I had the same haircut. I have a photo of us sitting in front of the Olan Mills outdoors (the one with the fence) background. Back in the 70s and 80s, I believe Olan Mills was one of the few affordable photographers around. Sigh... the good ole days:) SC

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