Watch It!

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This might appear to be a moment of high drama in a silent movie, but in fact it’s a real event, and a photographer was there to record it. As Diane Trencansky explains, “This photograph on a postcard was a keepsake of my grandparents Frank and Laura Constable. They lived most of their married life in the Catskill Mountain town of Halcottsville. My grandfather was from there but decided to go to work in the city of Binghamton to find a wife who wasn’t from his little hometown. Sure enough, he met my grandmother in Binghamton and after their marriage in 1921 returned with her to Halcottsville. He told her how peaceful the area was, so free of crime and other disturbances.

“But on the journey back to what would be their new home, they came upon this scene. A woman driver had gone off the road and had caused quite a stir. Locals gathered, some to watch and others to help, and the lady and her gentleman friend were rescued. My grandmother had a great laugh over this. She said it was no wonder Frank had looked for a good woman away from those crazy Catskill dames.”

We continue to ask our readers IQ send unusual and unpublished old photographs to Carla Davidson at American Heritage, 28 West 23rd Street, 10th floor, New York, NY 10010. Please send a copy of any irreplaceable materials, include return postage, and do not mail glass negatives. We will pay one hundred dollars for each one that is run.