This browser does not support the Video element.
Search for mystery photographer who captured Bay Area history
The search is on for a mystery photographer who took thousands of photos in the 1960s and 70s, documenting a time of protests and rallies tied to civil rights here in the Bay Area. The people in possession of the film have posted some of the developed photos to social media but more undeveloped film remains.
SAN FRANCISCO - There's a mystery that has remained unsolved for decades. No one knows where a bag of undeveloped film actually came from, but there is much determination to find out who was behind the lens. Some of the film that has been developed reveals iconic Bay Area scenes from the flower power heyday.
It was back in the 1980s that a bag filled with dozens of colored slides and hundreds of rolls of unprocessed film went up for sale at a public auction. The person who bought it then sold it to a collector and now two Bay Area historians have it.
Uncredited photos provided by SpeakLocal.
Roll by roll they are trying to unravel the mystery of the person behind the lens.
The work is dated from 1966 to 1970 and captures some incredible moments in history.
Uncredited photos provided by SpeakLocal.
Commercial photographer Bill Delzel was brought into help and says the collection includes 5,717 images. About half of them were black and white.
"Everything from the civil rights movement to the Summer of Love, Black Panther movement, the United Farm Workers movement. That photographer was everywhere," Delzel said.
In those pictures are the answers and so they've shown the images to at least two million people.
In these images people have actually found themselves. One woman saw herself as a six-year-old holding her sister's stroller at a United Farm Workers rally.
Poster artist Stanley Mouse was spotted in another picture walking through Golden Gate Park to see The Grateful Dead.
Uncredited photos provided by SpeakLocal.
Yet another shows photojournalist Michael Zagaris at a City Hall rally with Muhammad Ali.
But it is one picture that has the biggest clue yet. It is a picture of a plate glass window and in that window is a reflection of the person taking the picture.
"There's a reflective reflection of the photographer and a plate glass window. And you can make out a silhouette," says Delzel. It's not much to go on, but he says he thinks he can see bracelets and loose-fitting clothes.
Uncredited photos provided by SpeakLocal.
So now comes the ask for help.
Delzel created a Kickstarter called Who Shot Me - Stories Unprocessed. It expires on January 15 but if they can meet their goal they will send the remaining rolls to a Film Rescue Lab in Canada, and try to find the identity of this photographer. Delzel said establishing ownership is critical to making this accessible to the public.
If they can do that then they can share these photos with the world through public showings and access to the schools. His hope is that they can finally solve the mystery behind these photos and give credit where credit is due.
Grateful Dead founding member Phil Lesh dies at 84
Phil Lesh, a founding member of the legendary Bay Area rock band The Grateful Dead, has died at 84, according to a social media post from his account.