It wasn’t me who took this picture. It’s a scan of one of the hundreds of 35mm slides I’ve picked up at auctions and other places over the past few years. Despite it not being mine I think it’s worth making photos like this available to be seen, if just for the historical and social interest they offer.

This photo depicts Donner Pass Road in Truckee, California, USA. You can see the same location on Google StreetView here. The slide is un-dated but I’m assuming that it was probably shot sometime in the 80s or 90s – perhaps one of my American readers can spot tell-tale signs in the shape of the cars and trucks present?

I had no idea of the location from first glance BTW. It’s only the fact that, from looking closely at the scan, there’s a sign for Truckee Mall in the background.

I really enjoy looking at old slides such as this, seeing the view through someone else’s eyes, wondering what it was about the scene that made them press the shutter, and wondering who they were, what they were doing there, and where they are now.

The latter question is always somewhat sad to consider as I expect, in many cases, that the photographer is no longer with us and this is the reason that the slides are now in my posession. Either they had no one to pass their old photographs on to, or perhaps their next-of-kin just didn’t feel the attachment to keep hold of them, and so they drifted off in a stream of stuff to be sold and wondered at. I wonder if this will happen to my photographs when I’m gone?

Anyway, here is someone’s view of Donner Pass Road photographed at some undisclosed point in time. Whoever you were, I like your picture.

Kodachrome slide. Un-dated. Original photographer unknown.