Dec 13, 2015 2 min read

This week’s Mystery Photo was probably taken in the mid-1950s in the Washington area. But that’s all we know about it, and we hope our readers can help identify the two young people and exactly when and where their images were captured.

This is one of several hundred images donated to the Observer-Reporter archives by Wheeling, W.Va., writer and photographer Jim Thornton, who found the negatives at a flea market. We have published several of these photos with the hope of identifying the photographer. So far, although we have collected some interesting evidence, we can’t say for sure who the person was behind the camera.

“Just an old fashion Christmas” is written on the side of the refrigerator, which is of a vintage not too far removed from the coffee grinder atop it and the spinning wheel in the corner of the kitchen.

A note to younger readers: Before microwave ovens and air-poppers, people used to make popcorn in pots and frying pans, like the one the young man is holding in the photo. The pooch seems to be as interested in the treat as the youngster in the rocking chair.

The most promising clue is the impressive collection of trivets mounted to the wall. One of these wrought-iron pot stands has the letter “R” on it, and another spells out the word “SENSIBLE.”

If you think you might know who the boys or their trivet-collecting parents are, or where or when the photo was taken, email Park Burroughs, retired executive editor, at pburroughs@observer-reporter.com, or call and leave a message for him along with your telephone number at 724-222-2200, ext. 2400.

With a little assistance from our readers, we may be able to solve this puzzle and publish our findings later.

In the Mystery Photo feature published Nov. 23, we were able to identify only four of the five women of Greene County’s Ladies Golf Association. After publication, a few readers called to tell us the fifth golfer was Dorothy Lewis.