It is indeed possible, if not likely, that a photo discovered in the backyard of a south Fayette County home was carried hundreds of miles by the violent storms came here the evening of April 27.
Storms such as these have been documented to lift debris miles into the air and carry it for long distances, said Lans Rothfusz, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City.
The black and white print, discovered the morning after the storms by resident Jim Harris, depicts a young girl of unknown age cradling a baby doll. The girl wears a striped sundress, or is it a swimsuit?
The photograph, which landed feet from Harris’ fern garden, weathered the storm, a bit tattered but mostly intact. Stamped on the back are the words “Lollar’s. Birmingham. Aug. 14, 1941.”
It was common of that era for photofinishing companies and portrait studios to stamp the date and company name on the backs of photographs.
The fact that it landed in Harris’ backyard is something of a testament to fate. It could easily have become lost in the thick forest of trees that dot the rural southeast Fayette landscape.
Some might say the girl in the photo just wants to go home.
Unlike the storm, the photo stood the test of time. And The Citizen has posted it on a Facebook group dedicated to reuniting photos and documents retrieved in the storms’ aftermath with their rightful owner.
