Middle-Aged Bob Lookin' Darn Good

This is a promotional photo made for June Bride (1948).  I have run across a half-dozen photos from this same sitting, some with the blinds opened or closed and one with just the clouds that can be seen through the blinds.  I fell in love with this one as soon as I saw it for sale on ebay recently, paying a tidy sum to add it to my collection.  I had never seen it before, not even as a photo in a magazine.  It's in good shape for a photo of its age, just the not uncommon small corner bend and scotch tape on the back reinforcing a crease on the outer age of the photo.  It has the photographer's stamp, always of interest to me.  I was very happy with it, eager to share it with everyone via the blog. 

So, why am I talking about my collection and the particulars of the photo?  Let me tell you my sad story.  I purchased the photo on January 20th, received it on the 26th.  Being a Bob fanatic, there's always a bit of a high for me when I obtain a "new" Bob, particularly one as good and as rare as this one.  That's why when a few days ago, I ran across "my" photo being sold on ebay ... REALLY??  Someone makes a copy of "my" photo and immediately turns around and has a cheap copy of it on ebay?  Aarrggghhhh!! 

Yes, I know the photo falls under the public domain, making a copy of the photo off of ebay is not illegal.  And, unfortunately, the vendor from whom I purchased it did not put their stamp on the copy they used on the listing.  So, a clean copy was there for the taking.  BUT........  I wrote a note to the vendor now selling the cheap copies, suggesting they could have at least waited a while to give me time to fully enjoy my new possession.  They defended themselves with the "public doman" bit and said they had had it for sale several times before.  It was even suggested that mine probably wasn't an original either, as in "what's the harm?" 

I have been collecting everything Bob for about six years now.  I have shelves full of photo binders and Itoya art profolios.  99.7% of the items used on the blog are from that collection (I've reused a few of Carrie's photos!)  I troll the internet on a daily basis looking for "new" Bobs.  I have never run across this photo before.  And to infer that I do not know an original from a new, cheapo copy .....  ohhhhh, please!

If you would like a copy of this photo, I would be quite happy to send you a high resolution scan of it so you can download and print it.  Please don't waste your hard-earned money on a cheapo copy offered on ebay.