Editor’s Introduction: Most of the black-and-white photographs displayed in this post depict classroom scenes from St. Augustine School in 1976–77. One mounted set of photographs is labeled as “Our Lady of Good Counsel [School],” instead of St. Augustine.
Each PDF recreates one mounted photograph or a mounted set of thematically linked photographs. The images were mounted on sheets of cardboard approximately 16 inches long by 11 inches wide — large enough to cover almost all of the scanning plate on the Epson Expression 11000XL Photo Scanner used to digitize them. In cases where there was writing on the back of a photo board, I scanned the back. Photos were saved as lossless TIFF files, then compressed with ImageMagick as PDFs. The PDF format allows for the front of photo boards to be paired with a scan of the reverse side.
Four recurring names that appear on the front or back of photo boards — E. Sauer, Greg Benson, Stephen M. Lette [best guess for the last name], and Phil Ruderman — likely refer to the photographers. Written documentation of the people who worked on this project has not been found, however. Other names on the back of photo boards identify children in the image. Alt-text descriptions for screen readers are provided beneath each image.
Special thanks go to Lisa Wright and Clara Auclair for their help with the scanning process, and to Josh Romphf for his help compressing the photos with Image Magick.
— Daniel Gorman Jr.
Reverse: “St. Augustine ’77. [Obscured text] Sauer.” Alt-text: Four photos depict children seated at classroom desks and doing various activities.
Alt-text: This photo depicts children playing with dice on a classroom rug.
Alt-text: This photo depicts children in a St. Augustine School classroom, facing toward a television mounted on a cart.
Name written on front: “Greg Benson.” Reverse: “St. Augustine Kindergarten ’76.” Alt-text: These three photos depict children in a kindergarten classroom. One boy marches toward the camera.
Reverse: “Lloyd Gohn.” Alt-text: Lloyd Gohn, seated on a classroom rug, smiles toward the camera.
There is a second photograph of Lloyd Gohn, taken at a slightly different angle:
Reverse: “Lloyd Gohn.” Alt-text: Lloyd Gohn sits on the rug in a classroom. He smiles at the camera.
Reverse: “Steve Trotta.” Alt-text: Steve Trotta leans against a classroom chalkboard and reads a paper. He is wearing pants with vertical stripes.
Alt-text: A boy looks over the stone railing on the front steps of St. Augustine School. His shadow is visible on the wall.
Reverse: “St. Augustine.” Alt-text: A girl in a Catholic school uniform stands on her chair and raises her hand. She looks toward the right side of the frame.
Reverse: “St. Augustine.” Alt-text: Two girls are seated on the rug in their classroom.
Reverse: “St. Augustine.” Alt-text: Boys from St Augustine School stand beneath a crucifix mounted on the wall.
Reverse: “Karen McCarry?” Alt-text: Two girls sit on the rug in their classroom. The girl on the right raises her hand.
A second copy of the previous photo board identifies the student seated on the right:
Reverse: “Karen McCarry? Kathy Chappell [best guess for last name].” Alt-text: Two girls sit on the rug in their classroom. The girl on the right raises her hand.
Reverse: “Marge Laia.” Alt-text: A woman (presumably Marge Laia) reads a “Curious George” book to seated elementary students.
Alt-text: A girl is seated at her desk in a classroom. Her uniform features a patch for St. Augustine School, abbreviated as “SAS.”
Reverse: “David Gohn.” Alt-text: David Gohn, seated at a wooden desk, looks up toward the camera. He is holding a paper butterfly.
Reverse: “Jeff Spence.” Alt-text: Jeff Spence stands in a classroom, his hands near his face.
Reverse: “Paul Senger.” Alt-text: Paul Senger sits at a classroom and works on a spelling book.
Reverse: “Mary Peasley.” Alt-text: Mary Peasley and several other girls sit in a classroom.
Reverse: “Wilfred David.” Alt-text: Wilfred David sits in what appears to be a library. He is holding a copy of “The Catcher in the Rye.” Other male students sit on either side of him.
Reverse: “St. Augustine.” Alt-text: Boys sit in their classroom, listening to a speaker (not seen in frame). The boys all face to the right of the frame. Several rest their heads on their arms.
Reverse: “Patrick Gavin[,] Todd McCarthy[,] Said.” Alt-text: A group of boys is seated on the floor of a classroom. The reverse of the photo identifies three boys from left to right (presumably in the middle of the image): Patrick Gavin, Todd McCarthy, and Said. Said is wearing a tunic of some kind.
Name on front: “Greg Benson.” Reverse: “St. Augustine [Number obscured]th Grade Puppets.” Alt-text: A group of students are standing inside or next to a cardboard puppet theatre in a classroom.
Reverse: “St. Augustine ’77 Sauer.” Alt-text: Students wearing winter clothing sing in a classroom. They stand in front of Christmas decorations made of construction paper. The students face toward the camera.
Reverse: “St. Augustine ’77.” Alt-text: Two photographs. Top photo: Students sit in wooden chairs, reading. The chairs are arranged in a semi-circle in front of a fireplace. Christmas stockings are on the wall above the fireplace, surrounding a “Merry Christmas” sign. Bottom photo: Students wearing winter clothing face toward the camera. Construction paper Christmas decorations are on the wall behind them.
Front: “Stephen M. Lette [best guess last name].” Reverse: “St. Augustine ’77.” Alt-text: Three photographs depict students stretching and doing exercises in a basement room.
Reverse: “St. Augustine ’77 [first name obscured] Sauer.” Alt-text: Students read while sitting in wooden chairs. The chairs are arranged in a semi-circle in front of a fireplace, a “Merry Christmas” sign, and Christmas stockings.
Front: “E Sauer.” Reverse: “St. Augustine ’77 [first name obscured] Sauer.” Alt-text: A boy sits at a desk, writing intently. A bookshelf is behind him.
Front: “Stephen M. Lette [best guess last name].” Reverse: “St. Augustine ’77.” Alt-text: Two photos related to a nativity pageant. Top photo: Girls pantomime playing trumpets made of foil. Bottom photo: Two girls are seated, while another girl speaks into a microphone. The girl in the center of the photo holds a doll (likely standing in for the infant Jesus).
Front: “Stephen M. Lette [best guess last name].” Reverse: “[Our Lady of Good] Counsel ’77.” Alt-text: Boys seated on the floor of a classroom play with blocks.
Front: “Phil Ruderman.” Reverse: “St. Augustine ’76.” Alt-text: Two photos of boys sitting and writing at their desks in a classroom.
