In a heartwarming tradition that spans five decades, newspaper photographer Sam Farr has documented his friendship withbarber Joe Pace through a series of self-portraits taken every 10 years. The touching photos — taken at “Giuseppe’s of Bath” in England — capture the passage of time, the growth of their bond, and the changing technology. The series of selfie shots reflect a remarkable friendship and the joy of two friends growing older together.
The Beginnings of a Tradition
The heartwarming tradition began in 1973 when Sam Farr purchased a new Rolleiflex camera for around $130. Curious to see what he looked like on the other side of the camera lens, he decided to take a self-portrait while getting his hair trimmed by his barber and friend, Joe Pace. Little did he know that this candid selfie would mark the inception of a touching tradition, which would endure for the next five decades.
Selfies Through the Years
Over the years, the series of selfies showcased the deepening friendship between Sam and Joe. In each photo, their smiles grow wider, reflecting the joy of their connection.
The camera models evolve as technology advances, from vintage cameras to the modern convenience of an iPhone — but their bond remains the same.
Celebrating Friendship
The milestone of 50 years marked a special celebration of their friendship, with Joe giving Sam a free haircut. The tradition has become a cherished part of Sam’s family with his daughter, Nicky, expressing her appreciation for the lasting bond between her father and Joe. The photographs have garnered attention on social media, evoking heartwarming comments. According to Nicky, as Sam’s battle with Parkinson’s makes it increasingly difficult for him to hold a camera, the latest photo may be the final one in the series. Nevertheless, the cherished tradition of friendship captured through the years stands as a testament to the power of lasting connections.
5 Little-Known and Fun Facts About Ancient Egypt’s Hieroglyphics
Next to the Sphinx, the pyramids, and the pharaohs, one of the most interesting things about the ancient Egyptian civilization is its use of hieroglyphics. It’s a form of writing that appears like stylized pictures of objects, animals, and people.
The ancient Egyptians adorned the insides of their monuments, tombs, and temples with hieroglyphics that recounted different stories and historical events. They used this form of writing for millennia up until the 4th century C.E.
Here are five interesting and mind-blowing facts about the writing form used in ancient Egypt.
1. Hieroglyphic Writing Is Quirky
Unlike most modern languages, hieroglyphic writing doesn’t have punctuation and spaces between the words. This means that readers must know something about the context of the message in order to differentiate individual words, phrases, paragraphs, and chapters. In addition, hieroglyphics can be written and read horizontally and vertically in both directions.
2. Few Egyptians Could Read Hieroglyphics
During the later stages of the ancient Egyptian civilization, only priests were able to read hieroglyphic writing. Messages that were intended for larger audiences were carved in Demotic in order to make things easier for the population and save the priests time from translating.
3. Hieroglyphic Writing Isn’t Picture Writing
Many people confuse hieroglyphics with picture writing because the ancient Egyptian form of writing featured pictures of people, animals, and objects. However, the pictures don’t always represent the depicted items. Some hieroglyphs are ideographic signs, meaning they represent concepts while others signify a sound like the letters in most modern alphabets.
4. The Rosetta Stone Deciphered Hieroglyphic Writing
The Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799 by French soldiers serving under Napoleon in Egypt. The servicemen were conducting repairs to a fort in the town of Rashid (also known as Rosetta) when they found a stone slab featuring carvings in three different scripts – Demotic, ancient Greek, and hieroglyphic writing. The engraved languages enabled researchers to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, which led to the translation of numerous scripts and wall carvings.
5. Ancient Egyptians Used Other Forms of Writing
Because of the complex nature of hieroglyphic writing, the ancient Egyptians developed other types of writing that were easier to read and more convenient to write. For example, Hieratic writing is a cursive script that was written on papyrus with a brush or pen while Demotic writing was used for literary works and everyday documents.
No matter how popular ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic writing is, there are still new things to be discovered about the civilization that used it to document its stories and history.