Date: 2026 July
Exhibit No: 007
Exhibit Location: Gallery of Faces
Catalogued by: d.b. waters
Description: A high school yearbook photo of my cousin A----. The backdrop is a dark purple cloud pattern. She wears black clothing, her long dark curls frame her face, and she is smiling directly at the camera.
When she first visited me from out-of-state, I was probably a fifth grader. I grabbed her hand and pulled her up to my room to show her my favorite toys. I thought she was the most beautiful person, and I absolutely adored her. I still do! She wrote me a sweet note on the back of the photograph. A few years later, I laminated it to keep it safe.
During high school, I carried a well-worn copy of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. I read it many times, highlighted favorite passages and slowly wore through the spine. The photograph lived in the pages of Leaves of Grass and traveled with me in my backpack for years.
How was the artefact lost?: Ten years ago, I lent my copy of Leaves of Grass to a new acquaintance in 2016. Before handing it over, I showed them the photographs tucked inside and explained how much the book meant to me. It didn’t seem right to lend just part of it. The book was never returned.
Additional information: I am finally purchasing another copy of Leaves of Grass (paperback) to replace my very special lost copy. I know nothing will replace my old photo of my cousin, but we have reconnected recently and that is far more valuable than any artifact on the shelf.