The Frontal Cortex

Bill Wood

Posted by Jonah Lehrer on June 11, 2008
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I wandered into the ICP a few weeks ago, wandering amid Midtown with an hour to spare. I ended up transfixed by an exhibit called Bill Wood’s Business:

The Bill Wood Photo Company supplied local snap shooters and amateur photographers with cameras, flash bulbs, accessories, and quality photo finishing. In addition, the business provided commercial photographic services: using large format cameras, and shooting mostly black-and-white film, Wood offered studio portraits and professional photographs, taken on location. The variety of subjects and situations he captured provide an in-depth photographic record of life in Fort Worth, Texas, a post-World War II American city just hitting its stride.

I’d say the photos left me feeling like an anthropologist on Mars, but I’m not sure Martians would do anything this ridiculous.

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Thanks to VSL for the reminder!

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Comments

  1. #1 Scott Belyea
    June 11, 2008

    I’m not sure Martians would do anything this ridiculous.

    I’m not sure what your point is. No, that’s not firm enough – I have absolutely no idea what your point might be.

    Middle-aged men shouldn’t play basketball? If they do, nobody should photograph them? Or is this just a generic “They’re sure not as hip as I am” comment?

  2. #2 Jonah lehrer
    June 11, 2008

    Being a white, male basketball player myself, I have no problem with middle-aged men playing basketball. I was just snarkily commenting on their attire, which involved putting on short basketball pants over their (much longer) boxers. And then they paid Bill Wood to take their picture like this…

  3. #3 P. C.
    June 11, 2008

    This is so funny!

  4. #4 Khalid
    June 11, 2008

    They woke up, put their astronaut underwear on over their sleepwear, and stepped into dress shoes for the picture. What’s not to get?

  5. #5 Jen
    June 17, 2008

    Now what is wrong with wearing boxers under your shiny pants? And the dotty boxers…come on…live a little!