As photo requests continued to pour into my office I began to feel a real connection to our audience. Those customers who called to place photo requests started sharing with me the stories behind the photos. For the first time I understood the nostalgic feelings these photos commanded and how our ads could inspire, for many, an exciting walk down memory lane.
One story that immediately stands out in my mind was about a Baltimore Colts cheerleader. One morning a woman called and requested a reprint of her riding 'Dixie' the Baltimore Colts mascot. She also shared with me the times she and the other cheerleaders practiced their routine in Druid Hill Park and how they had to purchase their own clothes and supplies to construct pompoms and posters for the games. This woman turned out to be Carolyn Clark, the first female mascot in a professional football league and one of the first Colts cheerleaders. What an amazing experience. I just spoke with someone rooted in Baltimore history. Ms. Clark would not be the last. Over the five-years I worked with photo collectibles, reproductions and licenses I spoke with countless people of note. One was the daughter of the man who invented the first metallic replacement hip!
So in my next campaign for Baltimore Sun I continued pushing this feeling of nostalgia into the local marketplace and promoted the Sun Store as THE place to find photos of yourself, your friends or your family. These ads were meant to promote community. You didn't need to be a celebrity to have your picture taken with the chance of being featured in the daily news. A baker, a zoo-keeper or even a young boy and his dog 'Frosty' had the chance for their time in the spotlight.
In closing, I must credit my supervisor, Timothy Thomas, for developing the great tag line we used, "The Past Makes a Great Present." -ZJD
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