When I started this blog on November 13, 2007 I expected it to be a scanned picture, a pithy caption and hoped readers were interested.
Fairly quickly into it I could tell from the comments that readers wanted more than a brief caption, they were interested in the stories. Turns out I was too, and Photos From the Vault became more than just a picture from the past.
Over the course of the last 5 years the blog has been produced on three platforms and our parent website [sanluisobispo.com] on two but no matter what the tools are hopefully the stories still come through.
I remember how hard it was to produce a quality photo in the days of manual focus-exposure and mechanical cameras that didn’t need batteries to operate. Mixing chemicals, developing film and making prints, sometimes a few minutes after the exposures were made. Back then you had a good image if it didn’t look like an Instagram.
Thank you to the readers who have contributed comments, photos and guest blog posts. It is exciting to see the level of interest folks have in local history. Your thoughtful comments have improved the level of understanding and brought new energy to this space.
Page view statistics and the comments you write help me decide what future material to look for. Post a comment about what types of stories you would like to see more of. Keep in mind that nothing from before the year 2000 is indexed so if you have a specific request I’ll need to know the date.
I have one favor to ask of readers. Please, if you enjoy the stories and want to share, share the link via your favorite social media. Page views are the metric for success in this arena and when you share the link that helps keep this forum vibrant. Swiping photos and re-posting without attribution is bad form and damages Photos From the Vault.
Feel free to follow the Photos From the Vault via Twitter or friend my Facebook page — David Middlecamp.
Here are the top locally viewed stories from the last year:
Alex Madonna could not resist picking up a loose fire hose but by then a 12 units section was fully involved. San Luis Obispo firefighters responded to the Madonna Inn May 27, 1966. ©Jim Vestal/Telegram-Tribune
1. Madonna Inn fire of 1966
2. Grumpy old men in Los Osos, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, Odd Couple II
3. Olive orchard moved to Laguna Lake
4. San Luis Obispo Tank Farm Fire
5. Horse drawn chemical truck, San Luis Obispo firefighters in 1906
6. Higuera Street 1978
7. When was the first fatal car accident in San Luis Obispo?
8. Morro Bay Power Plant built
9. Masonic Temple in San Luis Obispo dedicated
