Athens woman finds 1940s-era photos along highway. Now she's in search of their owner.

Wayne Ford, Athens Banner-Herald
·2 min read
This photo of soldiers enjoying an evening off duty in the South Pacific islands of New Caledonia was among those found recently scattered along Atlanta Highway in Athens.
This photo of soldiers enjoying an evening off duty in the South Pacific islands of New Caledonia was among those found recently scattered along Atlanta Highway in Athens.

Emily Elrod recently took a break from her job at Target in Athens and was walking along Atlanta Highway when she spied papers strewn across the roadway.

“I’m a curious person and I noticed what looked like old pictures,” Elrod said about the April 26 find.

The young woman began collecting the photos and gathered more than two dozen that lay in and along the highway near the busy Jennings Mill Road intersection.

“The pictures were scattered everywhere, some run over and others in fine condition,” she said.

A photo found along Atlanta Highway carries a notation that it was a "sales meeting," dated May 194-, with the last digit unclear. An advertisement in the rear is apparently from a bread company.
A photo found along Atlanta Highway carries a notation that it was a "sales meeting," dated May 194-, with the last digit unclear. An advertisement in the rear is apparently from a bread company.

She realized these were old photos, most appearing to date to the 1940s. Several were photos of what appeared to be a military site and were once likely owned by someone serving in the U.S. Army.

She posted a few of the photos on her Facebook page hoping that word might spread and reach the owner of the photos.

“I do want them to go to whomever they belong to,” she said.

Three men lean against a jeep in a military-approved photo from New Caledonia in the South Pacific.
Three men lean against a jeep in a military-approved photo from New Caledonia in the South Pacific.

Also in the road was an old photo album from which the photos likely came loose.

“Someone on Facebook commented that somebody was probably eating at the Olive Garden (located nearby) and put the album on top of their car and forgot it. That would make a lot of sense being it was in the center of the road under a red light at Jennings Mill,” Elrod said.

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One photo shows a group picture of men and women with the back marked as “sales meeting” and a date of May 194..., with the last digit unclear. An advertisement at the rear of the group appears to be from a bread company.

A photo showing what appears to be a military base repair shop on New Caledonia in the South Pacific.
A photo showing what appears to be a military base repair shop on New Caledonia in the South Pacific.

The other photos are marked often with 13th Air Depot, U.S. Army, with some apparently giving a location as New Caledonia. New Caledonia is a group of islands in the South Pacific east of Australia.

The photos do show a tropical environment along with scenes of the ocean.

One photo has a plane with wording painted on the side saying “Buck Benny Rides Again.” The movie website IMDb shows that is the title of a movie starring Jack Benny released in 1940.

Anyone with information on the photos may contact Elrod at her e-mail address eavp@ymail.com.

Most of the photos found recently scattered along Atlanta Highway in Athens are marked on the back with a stamp showing the photo was apparently approved by the U.S. Army.
Most of the photos found recently scattered along Atlanta Highway in Athens are marked on the back with a stamp showing the photo was apparently approved by the U.S. Army.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens woman seeks owner of old military photos found on Atlanta Highway