Polaroids

I saw this evening that Found Magazine is publishing a book of lost and/or discarded Polaroid photos that people have come across. Reading this, I was reminded of the time I met the late Red Skelton back in 1984 or 85. He was in Raleigh to do a show at Stewart Theater (or was it Thompson Theater?) at NCSU as part of their Center Stage Series. A friend of mine was a reporter for the Rocky Mount Telegram and invited me to come to the press conference as his "photographer." There were only about 8 or so people at the press conference, and the event turned into more of a visit between all of us and Mr. Skelton. At one point, the venerable comic asked all of us to stand together in a group so he could take a picture of us with his Polaroid camera. Once the picture came out, Red Skelton smiled and said, "Now, you're my friends, and I can put this with the other pictures of my friends." He then produced from his coat pocket a huge stack of Polaroid photos he had taken of his other "friends," and passed the photos around for us to see. It seemed odd to be holding a Polaroid of Queen Elizabeth, and another of Ronald Reagan... these are not folks you generally find in a Polaroid picture! But, needless to say, I was honored to now be a part of such an elite group of friends!