Early Photo of John F. Curry

Started by FARRIER, February 09, 2009, 06:55:19 AM

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FARRIER

Photographer/Photojournalist
IT Professional
Licensed Aircraft Dispatcher

http://www.commercialtechimagery.com/stem-and-aerospace

Gunner C

Cool!  Nice to see something a bit more candid than the portrait that we have.

Smithsonia

#2
I've got that one in the Curry Collection. He took 5-7 photos around the same plane, in the same uniform at the same time. I think the occasion was when they were organizing to go off to WW1.
But I really don't know. Some sources say it is from his flight cadet class (it is not) It is a little later by a year or two.

You are right, in that - regarding almost all the Curry photos that I have (or know of) -- this one looks among the most candid. I've got a couple with him at home with his children. His face is quite warm and fatherly... but he's not smiling much. He's somewhat posed. Or at least Jack Curry appears "camera conscious." Or perhaps the right word is constantly self-conscious. Photos of him were an outward expression, not an interior revelation.

According to his daughter -- he was playful, jovial, and loved to laugh. "he was a perfect teaser and joker."  That said, his smile was muted by his personal embarrassment about his teeth (which were fine if a little beat up. Think George Washington with better dentures.) and by his professional baring which was straightforward but never rigid ramrod-straight. He was not a poseur but he posed. Among his personal collection of photos, very few exist that one would call "carefree." The only one I can think of is with his wife on board a ship, on their honeymoon
cuddling and smiling. There's another when he's old and with a grand-child. He is laughing with the baby in a coochy-coo moment. Although on that one... you see his happy eyes and not much of his mouth.

Also, don't forget that big toothy grins were considered undignified and low class.
So even my grandparents had fewer photos of themselves waving and smiling, than I have. I have fewer photos of myself being goofy than my kids have on their Facebook site.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

Smithsonia

#3
To my embarrassment - I made a mistake on my post above in this thread. John Curry's picture referenced in this thread was taken in Oct. 1915 at North Island Field, Coronado CA. as a series of pictures in and around a Martin B-2 bomber. It is his personal flight training graduation portrait. There are various poses in his flight helmet, and without. In the pilot's seat and in front of the plane. These are not official photos but are obviously taken by quality equipment and quality produced. I have copies taken from the originals -which are in the possession of Sheila Curry DeKalb. Please forgive the misstatement in my previous above. I shouldn't have trusted my memory in this case.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN