chuckography: Dress to suit the job..get it? "Suit."

Thursday, June 07, 2018

Dress to suit the job..get it? "Suit."

As I've mentioned before, I receive a daily newsletter from San Diego.

It's written for and by former editorial employees of the Union-Tribune newspapers, where I worked for most of the 1960s.

The topics bounce all over the place as writers are wont to do.

The focus the last few days has been on the "dress code" of the paper, back in the time frame I worked there as a staff photographer.

Not only was I sporting an impressive LARGE format 4x5 Speed Graphic camera, we drove around in distinctive red and white camera cars.

We were highly visible and dressed the part.

We eventually switched to a smaller (21/4 x 21/4 format) square image camera and that lightened the load. but we kept the "uniform" we were required to wear.

I have not sent this mid-sixties coat and tie outfit I basically wore every day -yet - but I do plan to respond to the current newsletter topic.

I still have some of these very thin ties in my closet, even after all these years. I found a few skinny knit ties that have been ignored by moths.

Retired, I seldom dress up (Uh, my suits shrank while hanging in the closet) but I do recall feeling pretty sharp looking as I sauntered along on my way to take some society photos.

Yes, that is a cigarette in my hand.

In those days, actors dressed as doctors endorsed smoking in ads as "good for you." Cough, Cough.

Hmmm, now and then you didn't spot an ashtray in sight. An empty 35mm film canister often was used to knock off an ash or even to snub out a cigarette when needed.

Actually, the dress code was a good plan.

You could always slip off your coat, loosen your tie and roll up your sleeves if need be. Easy to "dress down."

I mean, each day you had no idea who you might meet and greet and take their photograph.

It might be San Diego shakers-and-movers or sometimes it was a well-known out-of-towner on the campaign trail.

One day I was sent to what sounded like a massive car crash.
When I got there, I doffed my coat and start focusing on at least 6 or 7 badly crushed cars!

The police and I finally realized a truck carrying junked crashed vehicles had flipped on an overpass, dropping cars in every direction.
Good pictures for the paper and, best of all, zero casualties.

But, nowadays, as a retired guy, I tend to dress less formal.

I still carry a camera with me (a small pocket-sized digital Canon about the size of a deck of cards) and have been known to be in shorts, wearing a t-shirt.

Did not buy this one though.

It seemed too complicated and I would have to be explaining it too often.

I did buy one that featured a Speed Graphic mage on the front.

Just a simple image of a type of heavy camera I carried in high school, for almost four years in the Marines and for my first several years at the San Diego newspapers.

Mainly for the memories, I added it to my "dress code" here in sultry South Carolina.

(Click on the photo and links for more details.)

For anyone keeping score, this is my 998th posting on my 12-year old blog.

Inching closer to that 1,000 entries mark.

Thanks for stopping by. Come by often. Thanks.

*Her's a few more U-T Photographer's photos from the 1960s.

We were a well-dressed bunch of guys.