WHITING — Gayle Kosalko is hoping to meet a 75-year-old woman who once served as a flower girl at a wedding in Whiting.
That woman might help her identify some of the people in about 1,000 photos donated to the Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society.
From 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, the historical society is holding a Photo ID Day at Studio 659, 1413 119th St., hoping to learn the names of people in the photos left behind at George Vrabel’s photography studio.
“We were looking at a batch when we first got them, and I immediately recognized my high school gym teacher from her first communion photo when she was little,” Kosalko said. “That was exciting, and I hope visitors have similar experiences at our Vrabel Studio ID Day.”
At past photo ID days over the last 10 years, more than 400 people have been identified in all kinds of photos, she said.
The Vrabel photos include graduations, first communions, weddings and more, Kosalko said. Many are individual photos of women, which appear to be senior photos.
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“These are beautiful, professional photos,” she said. “The only problem is that nobody knows who they are.”
People in their 70s and 80s will enjoy looking at the photos because they might have known the people back in their 20s and 30s.
Kids will be amazed to see photos that aren’t on a cellphone, Facebook or Instagram, she said.
“These photos haven’t been seen in years,” Kosalko said.
The Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society has about 1,000 photos from the Vrabel Studio but no identification of the people in the photos. On Feb. 12, the public is invited to help ID the people in the images.
Vrabel’s son Jim was helping the historical society with a project when he told Kosalko about the boxes of photos left behind at his father’s photo studio, which opened in the early 1940s and closed around 1960, she said.
The wedding photos were taken at the studio because the Catholic churches in Whiting didn’t allow wedding photos in the sanctuary, she said.
On a Saturday, Vrabel could photograph as many as three wedding parties. His wife, Ann, would help him, making sure the dresses looked perfect and the shoes were just right.
Professional photos were 42 cents for an 8×10 and 50 cents for a 5×7 back in the day.
According to family history, Vrabel worked for the government in labs at the University of Chicago. He also photographed the site that would become Cape Canaveral, served as a trusted government courier and reliable Russian translator, and worked on the atom bomb and the lunar probe.
Often, the family would have to make themselves scarce while FBI agents visited Vrabel’s studio for special government photos. He reportedly held a high security clearance.
Vrabel’s studio, at 1830 Indianapolis Blvd., was later home to P&H Printing.
When his wife died, it took their sons a dozen dumpsters to clear out the studio.
“Over the years, the darkroom in the studio building basement had become something else: an accidental archive of the city of Whiting in the 20th century, containing a collection of prints and film and negatives that documented decades’ worth of wedding photos, historical documents, local histories and documents of the day-to-day lives of residents of a steel mill town in Northwest Indiana,” son Jeff Vrabel wrote.
Many of the prints and negatives were distributed through St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Whiting. Others were given to the Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society.
Gallery: The Times Photos of the Week
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Purdue Northwest sophomore Duncan McCourt celebrates after the Pride score a goal at home against DePaul on Saturday afternoon.
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Pride forward Craig Herman, right, looks to break free from a DePaul skater during PNW’s 6-2 loss at home on Saturday.
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With control of the puck, Purdue Northwest freshman Sam Bourdages, left, looks to break away from DePaul forward Konrad Wujkowski during Saturday’s match up at Kube Sports Complex.
Boys DAC swim meet
Chesterton’s Alejandro Kincaid, right, sports a red nose and hoists an inflatable dumbbell as he celebrates his first-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley on Saturday during the Duneland Athletic Conference boys swim meet at Valparaiso. Lake Central’s Griffen Weber, left, finished second.
Boys DAC swim meet
Chesterton’s Scott Pejic competes in the 100-yard butterfly on Saturday during the Duneland Athletic Conference boys swim meet at Valparaiso.
Boys DAC swim meet
Valparaiso coach Adam “Boomer” Nellessen and fellow swimmers react after George Patterson’s third-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle on Saturday during the Duneland Athletic Conference boys swim meet at Valparaiso.
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Illiana Christian’s Tayceon Parkman works against Hebron’s Jack Reinhart at 120 pounds during the wrestling sectional at Crown Point Saturday.
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Lake Central’s Adam Glass works against Hanover Central’s Tony Tully in their match at 145 pounds during the wrestling sectional at Crown Point Saturday.
Winfield police K-9 carries on name of late resident
Marie Buckingham embraces Rak, a black Labrador retriever she donated to the Winfield Police Department in honor of her late son. They are joined by the dog’s handler, Sgt. Stephen Garpow.
Bailly STEM Academy kicks off its Black History Month celebration
Former NBA All-Star Terry Cummings takes a shot at the Bailly STEM Academy in Gary.
Bailly STEM Academy kicks off its Black History Month celebration
Former NBA All-Star Terry Cummings speaks to students at the Bailly STEM Academy in Gary.
21st Century at Hammond Central boys basketball
Hammond Central’s Vynce Overshown shoots for 3 on Friday in Hammond.
21st Century at Hammond Central boys basketball
21st Century coach Larry Upshaw Jr., right, huddles with Quintin Floyd on Friday in Hammond.
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Lake Central’s Jake Smith gets the rebound away from Chesterton’s Owen Guest in the fourth quarter on Friday night.
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Lake Central head coach Dave Milausnic watches from the bench in the third quarter against Chesterton at Lake Central High School in St. John Friday night.
Portage/Michigan City, Boys Basketball
Portage’s Grant Clark drives toward Portage’s basket as Michigan City’s Kanye Roberson defends on Friday at Michigan City.
Portage/Michigan City, Boys Basketball
Michigan City coach Tom Wells argues a call with an official during Friday’s game against Portage.
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Valparaiso’s Eron Gordon takes a shot off a rebound against Bradley’s Connor Hickman in the second half Wednesday evening at Valparaiso University.
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Valparaiso head coach turns away from the action during the second half of the game against Bradley Wednesday evening at Valparaiso University.
East Chicago has opened its Martin Luther King Center as a warming shelter
East Chicago Parks and Recreation Director Vanessa Hernandez-Orange gives instructions to security guard Shakiya Thomas at the Martin Luther King Center warming shelter Tuesday.
East Chicago has opened its Martin Luther King Center as a warming shelter
East Chicago Parks and Recreation Director Vanessa Hernandez-Orange moves cots into position for the warming shelter.
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Lake Central’s student section celebrates as their team inches closer to the Mustangs on Tuesday night in Munster.
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Looking to improve their 11-2 record, the Munster Mustangs huddle together shortly before taking on Lake Central at home on Tuesday night.
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Lake Central senior Jaiden Clayton smiles at teammates after scoring during Tuesday night’s match up at Munster.
Sledding at Northgate Park
After last Saturday night’s snowfall, sledders and snowboarders took to the hill in Dyer’s Northgate Park on Sunday.
Mike Clark
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