Albrook AFB, CZ, 1959--I was a 14 year old Army Brat and had just stepped off a Super Constellation airplane from Charleston, South Carolina. Immediately, I felt hot and sticky; a feeling that was to last for the next three years. 

        In a few minutes our sponsor had us on our way to Fort Kobbe. We went over the canal, by the lake, and onto the grassy, forested plains. The tropical smells were heavenly and the vegetation beautiful. I loved the place already! My feelings would find an outlet in this photography. 

        Like the other new teens, I wanted to get settled, make friends, and was anxious about beginning high school. I was very excited the day our household items arrived containing my rudimentary darkroom equipment. My "maid's quarters" bathroom was converted into a great little darkroom and the results are on these pages. 

Production History
2000
        Volume I was scanned from original paper prints kept in an album using those tedious photo corner stickers. These paper prints had survived several relationships; a marriage and family; and being lost, tossed or given away.  Most of my printing was done just once, if even that much. Almost all original prints were done in my humble darkroom, and my finances were nickel-dime. So not many prints existed, if you got or bought one, that was it! 

2001
        It has been touching and emotionally charged to share these images. Letters sent to me after the first album ALL had beautiful emotion and sharing of awakened memories. It was ordained worthwhile to find the negatives and try Volume II.  All the scans in "Two" were made directly  from the original negatives. This allowed a very full range of tones compared to my old, faded, and often "experimental" prints .  Much of this film was tightly wound; roll stuffed into roll. These negatives sat in their boxes with little interest and no care until Jack and Sandy awakened the Kobbe Kids!  

        I had not seen most of these pictures for over 40 years. It was exciting to hold an old tarnished, mold-patterned negative up to the light and see something I had long forgotten. Mold? Hm-m-m, it really was humid down there!  And that antique looking silver sheen seen on my parents negatives was also growing on mine!

        The scanner was loaded over and over and I thrilled as each picture came "back to life!" I scanned the black and white negatives using my favorite color negative settings which often produced a natural warm look.  I liked that look and matched its hue to all the subsequent images.

2002
        After Volume II, I thought I had all the Panama pictures located. This was not true.  An old friend needed some pictures from college years and I had to find the negatives.  I starting finding rolls of negatives from Kobbe and Panama mixed in with the later film!  All in those aggravatingly tight little rolls. I was interested again and Volume Three was created.

2003
        Many Zonian Brats, Panamanian Brats, and Panamanian people had been writing their feelings and interests about the albums.  I went back through the negatives and made another selection of images oriented towards Balboa High School, the Canal Zone, and Panama of the early 1960's.  This would have been Volume Four but the album was getting a bit cumbersome to navigate; most have been combined.

2007-2010
       Most photos were rescanned for much higher resolution. I once again went through my slides and negatives intending to publish a wider variety. More color images were added as the newer scanning software took care of the faded Ektachrome. The web page photos now allow a great deal of one-click enlargement. Many photos give the feeling "being there" when enlarge. I spent time with Google Earth and Google searches to establish honest "facts" and locate exact positions of the images; I intend this to be a creditable document of this time period.

2012
        Sandy and I agreed to merge the Kobbe Kid Album onto the Kobbe Kid website.

2015
        The Kobbe Kid Album has been moved to its own GoDaddy location.
The Kobbe Kids have been moved to their own GoDaddy location.

2016
        The Kobbe Kid Album was moved onto Kobbe Kids.

2017
        The Then and Now pages were unlinked as they had become "back then" themselves. We are becoming Old Farts and Gone Farts.

Seeking Names and Corrections
        Please let me know if I have made errors in information.  It has been over 50 years!   I don't think the Scotch and beer have helped.  People's names are as I and other Kobbe-Zonian Kids remember them.

Use
       Most images are my property and are not for free commercial use.
       Please Contact me for current commercial prices.

       You may use my images on personal web sites by crediting: Gary Lee Strong ©2017.

       You may use my images without approval in your educational studies such as school papers.  
       If you do use them, please credit Gary Lee Strong ©2017.

                                                                                                                     -- Gary Strong, 2017