The find of today is Found magazine. I’m sure many of you are aware of FOUND, but those who aren’t, you should check out the site.

FOUND is about found stuff.

We collect found stuff: love letters, birthday cards, kids’ homework, to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins, doodles—anything that gives a glimpse into someone else’s life. Anything goes.

Jason Bitner, co-founder of FOUND, is now promoting LaPorte, Indiana (Princeton), a publication detailing his find in the small town of LaPorte, Indiana.

Not long ago, in the back room of a small Midwestern diner, Bitner stumbled upon a forgotten archive: over 18,000 studio portraits, taken from the 1940s to 1960s, of the people of LaPorte, Indiana.

Jason and the Found crew will be in Canada this summer:
May 31, 2006 in Toronto, ON
July 1, 2006 in Vancouver, B.C.
July 2, 2006 in Roberts Creek, B.C.

(Details still to come.)

Here’s what Jason had to say in a recent email newsletter:

“The photos are these amazing studio portraits all taken by one photographer, Frank Pease, back in the 50s and 60s. He archived an entire town in beautiful black-and-white photos-- it’s like a huge yearbook of the Midwest.

“Each Friday, the LaPorte Herald-Argus prints a half-dozen photos and asks readers for help identifying the subjects. Hundreds of phone calls and emails have poured in, and the mysteries are beginning to be solved.

“In the past couple weeks, we’ve tracked down over two dozen people from the book. It’s nuts-- we’ve been staring at these found photos for years, and they’ve suddenly sprung to life. And as more and more people come forward, we’re beginning to reconstruct the town and reunite some friends from across the country--the book’s becoming a real community event ... it’s the ultimate find!"

The book is in stores now, and there’s a dedicated website for LAPORTE, INDIANA, www.LaPorteBook.com

Independent booksellers
Amazon.ca
Chapters.indigo.ca