... for 99¢.

It arrived in the mail today, and I have to say I'm about as tickled as the color of the card it came lovingly tucked inside. 

The photo was printed in September of '79, and I think it perfectly evokes the age.  And every element of it piques my imagination — the lack of any indication of where precisely it was taken — was it New York City or Saint Paul, Minnesota? It arrived thirty years later from the latter, but who knows? — coupled with the nearly, but not quite anonymous name on the hoodie.   There's the hint of a young, handsome face with its fledgling sideburns —- but just a hint.

And of course there's the hot pants. 

What is the story here?

If it were a polaroid it would be more Warholian, but infinitely less intriguing.  Most Friends of the Blog remember the days before digital, web- and cell phone-cameras came along, when, unless you had your own lab or knew someone who did, you had to be discreet in what you shot. 

Not that we would consider this racy today (which is yet another of its charms), but it could be considered, in certain climes, somewhat compromising, don't you think?  There is the hint of illicitness, but it's not sordid or ashamed, really.  It's a bit naughty.  And slightly... demure, you might say, in a '70s sort of way.

Whatever the story is — and it is a nearly endless source of fantasy fodder for me — this 99¢ photo:  priceless.