P3D Paul Milligan remembers Mattie Sanford, II

["Dr. George A. Themelis" <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

    During my tour as president of the Utah Stereo Society, the ravages
of senility took their toll on Mattie.  One day, a PSA leader called me
frantically from Louisiana.  She had sent Mattie a box of stereo slides
for evaluation.  The slides disappeared.  Mattie did not answer her
letters. I knew what was the trouble.  Mattie would go around looking
for her glasses when they were hanging on her nose.  Also, Mattie's
heart was failing. I drove out to Mattie's house, picked up the slides
and mailed them to Louisiana.  The doctor had advised her against any
strenuous physical exertion.  However, she wanted to make one more
stereo sequence.  Would I help her?  Yes, of course.

    My children were small.  She wanted to dress them up in costumes and
photograph "The Fairies of Goblin Valley".  She made the costumes
herself, for my youngest daughter, age 5, and a borrowed boy, age 4.  A
teen-aged daughter of mine went along to help carry the costumes, dress
the children, position them, etc.  Now Goblin Valley is rugged country,
more than somewhat.  Mattie quickly fizzled out.  She was nothing but
skin and bones.  I carried her piggy back.  When the children were
positioned according to her instructions, she tried to focus the camera,
but her eyes were too dim.  I operated her camera, probably the finest
Realist ever made.  When the sequence was completed, I piggy backed her
back to the car.  She informed me that the doctor had advised her not to
make the trip and her daughters had vigorously opposed the idea.  But,
what more wonderful way to die than composing a stereo sequence?
Shortly after this, she died in a nursing home.

       Her daughters contacted me.  Could they have the sequence?  It
would be a valuable heirloom for them.  I hesitated, but finally
agreed.  They got into an argument as to which one of them would get
it.  With the wisdom of Solomon, they took a pair of scissors, cut each
stereo image in half, so each could have a set.  I was afraid to ask
them what happened to Mattie's many award winning stereos, or the
Realist camera.

    Mattie was 90 when she died.  I am now 87.  So it behooves me to
record what I know about Mattie.

    Paul Milligan, FPSA



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