Hasselblad, WPPI - 1992?

The fun of Throwback Thursdays goes way beyond just finding old photographs. Throwbacks are all about the memories they bring back. Whoever said you can never go back, didn't spend enough time looking at old photographs!

I'm not sure I'm right on the dates on this one but I know it's in the early '90's and I remember the show being WPPI. Jim Morton is the first one on the left and did an incredible job at every show getting the booth set up and giving each convention a more professional look for Hasselblad. 

I also found out when I left Hasselblad that Jim used to leave something easy to fix just to keep me out of his hair. There were always some prints to hang or straighten out, and for all those years I thought it was my talent for displays he needed! LOL But that's one more thing about Throwback Thursday, it brings back some incredible memories about the friendships that grow out of working together.

Mike Bowen is next to Jim. Mike and I worked together for many years at Polaroid. He came to work at Hasselblad and passed away much too young, 7-8 years ago. He was the Sales Manager for New England, and did an outstanding job. This was one of his first conventions in his new role.  

​And that brings me full circle to WPPI. I think this was the first year WPPI was at the RIO Hotel but it could also be the Tropicana. If somebody wants to challenge me on that, feel free. I noticed Art Leather's booth in the background. They were a powerhouse in the album business at that time and in fact, one of the biggest in the country. Plus, that year there were probably only 6-8 album companies doing business in the US. Ten years later there would be 40+ albums companies exhibiting at WPPI.

It was a fantastic show in the early days, even with attendance at approximately 3000 people. It was all about family. Every show was a reunion of great friends, educators, and attendees. Years later I'd have people tell me how the Hasselblad guys were always too well-dressed. I was told we became less intimidating when we went more casual. 

Take the time today and dig through a box of old pictures. If you use it for your blog content, make a point to remind "Mom," the target audience for most of you, how fast the kids are growing, and her family is changing. Plant the seed for a new family portrait this holiday season. And, if you don't want to share your throwbacks, still take the time to appreciate those old photographs.

We're in the business of helping people capture memories, and while that's such an over-used expression, so often we forget about the importance of taking our own trips down Memory Lane.