Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Saving "Sam The Man"

This photograph had no business being saved. It had major rips and major creases and was extremely curled. And it was outside in the elements. It should have been in a trashcan, gone forever.

But I guess I came along at the right time. Just like Charlie Brown did with his Christmas tree1, I gave it some love and attention — just enough so that I could scan it for posterity. Here it is...


Written in large cursive writing on the back of the photo is "Sam The Man." There is also a stamp for River's Edge Studio on Front and Market streets in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I don't think that business is around any more. There are also some pencil notes pertaining to the price of additional prints.

So, we're left wondering about a number of things:

1. Is the smiling gentleman in the photo "Sam The Man"?
2. What bar was this, and where was it?
3. When was this photo taken?
4. What do Jeri Carter and "Exotic" refer to?
5. Whose picture is this, on the shelf?


The bar served an interesting mix of beverages. I see Seagram's 7, Piel's Beer (a regional lager out of Brooklyn)2, National Bohemian, and Würzburger Hofbräu. Plus some other standard hard liquors.

If this photo rings a bell for anyone, let us know in the Comments or email me at chrisottopa (at) gmail.com.

Footnotes
1. I have used this analogy before, in December 2011. I might be starting to repeat myself.
2. According to Wikipedia, Piel's, now owned by Pabst, continues to be sold on a limited basis in New York, New England and, somewhat randomly, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.

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