By Mike Jackson
Posted on Monday, November 4th, 2024
A 1976 trip from the Oklahoma flatlands to Colorado’s mountain towns resulted in a treasure trove of inspiration. I burned through dozens of rolls of film in my old Minolta film camera, printed them, then filled a photo album with 3×5 prints. That was 48 years ago when photo prints and photo albums were the norm.
Fast-forward to 2024. I found and dusted off the old photo album to take a nostalgic trip back in time.
To put a “time stamp” on 1976, this was before personal computers, before the Internet, and before cell phones and digital cameras. And it was four years before the first issue of SignCraft magazine was published.
Over the years, the photos in the album have yellowed and somewhat faded. I scanned the photos and then did a few Photoshop adjustments to help remove some of the yellow cast and bring out the lost contrast.
Most of the photos were taken in Aspen, Colorado. I had noticed that several of the signs were signed by Guard’s Graphics. I found the shop and met Guard Moses, who was not only friendly and outgoing, but willing to spend some time with me to tour his shop. Other signs had signatures, but in these photos they are too small and too blurry to read 48 years later.
Aspen, along with many mountain towns, features Victorian era buildings and intimate pedestrian-favored streets. Signs are typically smaller and more decorative than signs found along highways and faster moving roadways. Many of the signs are supported by decorative iron brackets to enhance the overall look.
At the time I took the photos, they appeared so “fresh and new”. Looking back at the photos now, following several decades of computer-assisted production, I still feel the handmade freedom comes shining through. As a result, many of them have a fresh new feel again.
Mike and Darla Jackson operate Golden Studios in Loveland, Colorado, and do a variety of sign-related projects. Mike’s website is www.goldenstudios.com. His email address is golden@goldenstudios.com. You can see more of Mike’s photos at www.tetonimages.com and www.goldenstudios.com.
