Photo Mystery of Unidentified People in Grand Junction Colorado

For this Robert Grant photo gallery featuring images from around Grand Junction, Colorado, I'm borrowing from the recent critically acclaimed movie "Everything Everywhere All At Once." In this case, though, it's "Unidentified People Doing Unknown Things Across The Decades."

The gallery below features Robert Grant's images of people from Grand Junction and Western Colorado doing fun and exciting things. Some are summer photos, others are winter. Some are from the early 1950s, others from the late 1970s. They all have a few things in common: They're all from western Colorado, and in each case, no information was provided as to why they are, or what they were up to.

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People Unidentified

Of the thousands of prints and negatives I inherited from Robert Grant, most were stored at random in a number of file cabinets at his home. After he passed away in 2000, those images were relocated to my home. Most were in complete disarray.

There were, however, a handful of boxes that were labeled. Unfortunately, the labels provided very little information. In this case, the box was labeled "People Unidentified."

A Grand Junction Photographer With a Remarkable Memory

Robert Grant had an uncanny ability to remember names and faces. He could remember the name of every person he ever came into contact with. As a result, when it came to his personal collection of photos, he never jotted any information down.

Taking The Next Step With These Photos

The images featured in these Robert Grant galleries are those that, shall we say, didn't make the cut. In other words, the print's exposure wasn't quite right, or he didn't like the cropping, or he dodged it too much, and the print was vanquished to the darkroom floor.

Bob Grant was ultra-conservative when it came to some things, so he rarely threw things away. That's where these prints come into play. Back when I was a kid hanging out in Bob's darkroom, you could literally get paper cuts on your ankles from the prints on the floor.

Archiving These Western Colorado Photos

Researching, documenting, and archiving thousands of photos from Bob Grant's 60-year career is proving to be far too big a job for me. I'm not a historian. With that, I've made the executive decision to hand over all of Bob Grant's personal prints and negatives to the Museum of the West. These prints were delivered to the museum less than an hour after I scanned them.

Robert Grant Exhibit In Grand Junction, Colorado

Robert Grant's 100 birthday is coming up. With that, the Museum of the West is putting together a permanent exhibit of Robert Grant's photos. This will not be open to the public in time for his birthday (May 27), but it is coming soon.

Have fun with the gallery below. Like with any other Bob Grant photos, look closely. You'll pick up on a number of fascinating details. You may have to look two or three times, but Bob had a talent for incorporating clues in his photos. Like always, be on the lookout for someone you recognize.

Unidentified People Doing Unknown Things Across The Decades In Grand Junction Colorado

Here's another collection of Robert Grant photos from Grand Junction and Western Colorado. Today's theme: unidentified people doing who knows what. These images were pulled at random from a box marked "People Unidentified." Put simply, Bob Grant did not jot down any information on the prints, and the handful of people who've perused these prints were unable to come up with the identities of those pictures.

Take a sharp look, you may see someone you recognize. You may even see a shot or two of yourself.

NEXT: More Robert Grant Photos - Classic Images of Western Colorado Selected at Random

Here's another round of Robert Grant photos of people, places, and events around Western Colorado. These images came from a box of prints labeled "People Unidentified."

These prints feature locations including Grand Junction, Fruita, and a few other areas around the valley. Unfortunately, every print has one thing in common - no information was provided as to those pictured, the places, or the events.

Take a close look. You're bound to recognize someone. It's entirely possible you may be pictured somewhere in the gallery. It happens every time I publish one of these galleries, someone recognizes a face or two. More often than not, someone sees a photo of themselves.

MORE ROBERT GRANT PHOTOS: People In Western Colorado Having Fun

A number of Robert Grant's negatives were recently uncovered. From those, a handful of random images were selected. These images feature Western Colorado residents simply having fun. Images include balloon rallies, boating, tubing, air shows, and a round or two of golf. These images date back to the 1960s, 70s, and early 80s.

These negatives came from the "negative cabinet" Robert Grant left behind. These are the shots that, shall we say, didn't make the cut. They didn't wind up in the Daily Sentinel or in Bob's calendars. Put simply, the file cabinet represents what journalists call "File 13."

With any of the Robert Grant galleries we publish, please look closely. If you've been around the valley for long, you're bound to recognize someone... maybe even photos of you.

Source: Intriguing Photo Mystery of Unidentified People in Colorado

Categories: Colorado News