This negative box, in-spite of the Feb 49 expiration date, contains images of three shoots with Shirley Salini. August 24, 1953, July 1954 and July 28, 1954.
A little bit of research shows that Shirley Elizabeth Salini lived at 711 West Walnut, two blocks west of Joel. Furthermore, Shirley’s father Alton Salini, worked for the Stockton Fire Department, as did Fred Tulan Sr., Joel’s neighbor. So there was ample opportunity to know each other and be friends.
Shirley graduated in 1952 from College of the Pacific, and is a teacher during the 1952 Summer program at the Waverley School in Stockton.
It looks like Joel arranged all the images from these multiple shoots into the Kodak Sheet film box after the fact.
I believe the first shoot is the dress shoot, most likely at the 711 W Walnut address. The full sun makes it difficult for Shirley to keep the eyes open.
From Shirley’s High School yearbook, we know that she was part of the music program, performing in a mini-version of “The Barber of Seville”.
Shirley Salini pledged to the honor society Orchesis, a dance fraternity in May 1947. Mary Ann Ferguson pledged at the same time, and you may remember that Mary Ann Ferguson also did an extensive photoshoot with Joel in 1947. So another angle for Shirley to know Joel as Joel was still at COP in 1947.
There are two images of Shirley and a friend in a small motorboat in the Stockton Harbor.
There are clearly some mothballed WWII war ships in the background in the above image.
The last shoot in this box is most likely the umbrella shoot. There’s definitely more variety and flow in this one.
From a Pacific Review edition in 1972, under a Honor Roll article, we can summarize that Shirley Elizabeth Salini became Mrs. John H. Jacobs at some point in time.
Next blog post we’re back in sync with the program, back to 1948.
Cheers !
Finding Joel Pahl Dardis 