The rest of negative box 80 covers familiar and unfamiliar subjects, none of these subjects were photographed at the same time or even in the same year.
First images I actually found in this box, was most likely not photographed by Joel, but by his father. This is not a press negative format but an older roll film format, 116 or 616, determination made on the size of the negative.
The 116 format dates back to 1899 and was used in early Kodak box and folding cameras. The negatives were big, at 2.5 x 4.5 inches, six frames on a roll. In 1932, Kodak introduced 616 film. This has a slightly slimmer spool to fit more compact cameras.
Time, and further research, may tell who this woman might be, and how she fits in the Joel Pahl Dardis narrative. Most likely option is a family members at the Dardis side of things. And this negative is not an original, it is a copy of what could be the original. The quality of the original is compromised and there are signs of retouching the negative.
Next in the box were two interesting images of a straw bale house construction. Joel has taken many structure construction images so far, but this one is interesting as it shows a stage where a residential building appears to be constructed out of straw bales, rebar, and most likely some form of shotcrete.
I couldn’t immediately find California history on building residences with straw bales, other than that it was a common practice in the plains of Nebraska starting some 100 years ago.
Next two images are from a 1942 or 1946 series Joel photographed in San Francisco. Moonrise over Golden Gate bridge. We’ve seen at least one image before in an earlier blog post. The negative is on infrared stock, and the only time Joel experimented with infrared was in 1942 during his early years of photography.
The next image is equally from a San Francisco photo trip, showing Alcatraz and the Ghirardelli sign. Photographed on Isopan stock, so these two San Francisco images are not from the same trip.
Next image is a lost negative from one of the photo shoots with Dr. Scott’s children.
We’re probably back at a COP skit or joke with the next image. No context available on the box.
Three negatives from a Stockton local (worker ?) group made this box.
And the younger man with the camera around his neck at left, photographed the next image with a distracted Joel in the picture.
The pamphlet in the above images reads; “Vote for Edmund N. Heinbockel for Supervisor, Fifth District, San Joaquin County.”
Edmund Nicholas Heinbockel (1917-2012) served two terms as a San Joaquin County supervisor and was active in the Tracy Rural Fire Department, having served as president and as a board member
Last group of negatives are portraits of a young woman. There is a “Van Dike” scribble on the box, and in light of genealogy and Stockton City genealogy research, this could be Lenore or her younger sister Emma Jean Van Dyke, or Freddy Van Dyke’s spouse. They are actually the only ones that could fit the bill based on age. The absence of a wedding ring suggests Lenora or Emma Van Dyke.
Lenora van Dyke was at COP/SJC in 1941-1942, equally a time when Joel was at SJC.
I have to point out that Joel made a lot of progress in his portrait work over the years.
Last image was an outdoors natural light image. All the above images were indoor or studio with diffuse lighting.
All these Van Dyke images were printed, a sign that Joel or subject were happy with the outcome.
Cheers !
Finding Joel Pahl Dardis 