Hand Colored Photograph by Ray Jerome Baker: Lemon Guava

Right now, a hanging bunch of lemon-green fruit and glossy leaves, pinned against crumpled white.

This hand colored photograph is by Lemon Guava, 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. Looking closer, a vertical image of a branch with four round, yellow-green fruits and long dark green leaves. The branch hangs from a thin twig against a creased white backdrop. The color looks lightly hand-tinted over a grey base. It is 5 inches wide and 7 high.

A still life that has thoroughly rehearsed its patience.