Hand Colored Photograph by Ray Jerome Baker: Cactus or Prickly Pear

Right now, a prickly pad sprouts a yellow flower, with spines out in every direction.

This hand colored photograph is by Ray Jerome Baker, and dates to the mid 20th century. Ray Jerome Baker was a photographer who worked in Hawaii in the early twentieth century and was known for images of its people, scenery and plants, often finished with delicate hand coloring. Framed simply, a vertical image of a green paddle-shaped plant with fine pale spines scattered across its surface. Small buds along the edge swell toward a crown of yellow blooms at the top. The background is a smoky grey and the colors are soft. It is 5 inches wide and 7 high.

Sharp-tongued, but it did bring flowers.