BEST OF SISSYDUDE TUMBLR: JAN 9, 2010 “Dorothea Lange subject THOMAS CAVE”

Jockohomo shared this Dorothea Lange image last week. I’ve always loved it… such a cute couple. I found out some more stuff about this strapping fellow.

Oregon, August 1939. “Unemployed lumber worker goes with his wife to the bean harvest. Note Social Security number tattooed on his arm.” (And now a bit of Shorpy scholarship/detective work. A public records search shows that 535-07-5248 belonged to one Thomas Cave, born July 1912, died in 1980 in Portland. Which would make him 27 years old when this picture was taken.) Medium format safety negative by Dorothea Lange.

On great photo blog Shorpy, his readers using Cave’s social insurance number tracked him down and found & shared findings… these new images, his tombstone etc… So cool.