1940-50's	1960's	1970's	1980's	1999's	2000's

1945 We begin with the earliest image of me, and my Mom, Dorothy Helen Taylor, painted by her mother, Kathryn Taylor, a French-Canadian from Montreal. For me, the” Big Bang” happened in Brooklyn while my father was on leave from the war in Europe. I am still a "babe" (in the woods) … I can still feel myself growing, especially my work. Likewise, this collection of memories will grow, as more from my past is re-discovered.

1950 Grandma, Kathryn MunroeTaylor, and her namesake, Kathryn Muriel Mesney, my sister, in a rare candid shot in the dining room of the family home in Douglaston, New York.

1955 Raising tropical fish became an obsessive hobby during late grade school and well into Junior High. At one point I had a dozen large tanks in my attic room. To save money I went to a local pond and collected plants for the fish tanks. Then, in the middle of winter, my room filled with dragonflies and other insects hatched of larvae on the wild plants. Today, at my Vashon studio, I have a pond with goldfish.

1955 Music was a big part of my early years. Dorothy Mesney, my Mom, taught piano lessons and, together with Dad, Peter Mesney, sang in the choir of Zion Church in Douglaston, New York. Mom aspired to be a professional singer and specialized in early American music, particularly then-called “Negro Spirituals.” Dad attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and when he chimed in he did so with great gusto, adding vaudevillian dramatic flourishes.

1955 Kathy Mesney's 8th birthday. That's her portrait by Grandma, Kathryn Taylor on the wall in the background.

1957 Blanche Dickie, a close friend of the family, was there so much she almost acquired live-in status. By watching her crochet, I learned the value of craftsmanship and the patience required for it.

1957 Backyard of the Douglaston family house after a heavy snow.

1957 Some neighbors' houses in Douglaston after a heavy snow.

1957 Bob Banning was more a father to me than my real progenitor. Peter Mesney was a British gentleman… masculine stuff like hunting wasn't his cup of tea. Bob was our neighbor, and besides innumerable fishing trips, we shot guns and cameras together, too. He taught me many of life's important skills… like drinking (and with that he did a good job). Eventually, I developed a crush on his daughter, Mona Banning. Somehow, our friendship survived.

1957 At Junior High School 67, Allan Seiden became my closest friend (he still is). We shared a lot in common, including fishing. Here we are on a fishing boat out of Sheepshead Bay with Allan’s father, Milton Seiden. Allan and I started a gardening business together, cutting grass and trimming hedges. Our favorite customer was Mrs. Francis Dodd McHugh, who always had plenty of ice cold sodas for us.

1957 This was among the first pictures made with the Minolta SR-2 camera given to me by Grandpa, Roger James Mesney… "RJ." It won a medal in a contest sponsored by The Little Neck Camera Club, of which I was a member. My obsession with winning competitions probably was instilled by a Mom herself obsessed with vicarious fame.

1957 Family fireworks at our East Marion vacation house… and an experimental shot that worked. My paternal grandfather had given me the camera a month earlier. It was a gift that changed my life.

1957 Grandma, Kathryn Munroe Taylor, in her Easter bonnet in the backyard of our home in Douglaston, Long Island, and relaxing by the back porch on a summer afternoon. She was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. New York judge Franklin Taylor married her and begot two children: a son who died young, and my Mom. He was well known for his work on the "Murder Incorporated" trials and sent up Lucky Luciano.

1957 One of the first photos made with the camera Grandpa Mesney gave me was this one of Zion Church, Douglaston, on Easter.

1958 Starting when we were very young, our mother encouraged my sisters and I to earn our own money. One way was backyard fairs with all sorts of games, attractions and eats. In this tent, my grandfather's glass eye became part of a witch’s brew... and got lost in the process to the great chagrin of my parents.

1958 Dorothy Mesney, my Mom, in a more formal portrait taken in the living room of the family house in Douglaston, New York. From the lack of furniture, I suspect that the room was being painted, and that I grabbed that opportunity for a plain background. From the cropping I can see it was one of my first pictures.

1958 Grandma, Kathryn Taylor, in the backyard of the Douglaston family house, in front of a makeshift tent at one of our backyard fairs.

1958 Yours truly, Douglas Mesney, at the ripe old age of 13, in the living room of the family house in Douglaston, New York. My sister Kathryn Mesney’s portrait is on the mantle. You can see my mom in the mirror, taking the picture. I was already out there making money with the camera Grandpa gave me, selling the neighbors pictures of their pets, houses…whatever. Before that I wove potholders and sold those along with homemade costume jewelry. Mom made me into a real little salesman.

1958 Yusef Karsh and Pete Turner were the lens men I emulated. For darkroom genius it was Arthur Tcholakian (Tcholak Laboratories… a Life Magazine contract lab). I strove to get Arthur's look in my little basement darkroom out in Douglaston. But it was Life Magazine lens man Ted Russell who took me under his wing and lit the passion of photography within me… it's been an eternal flame.

1958 Barbara Mesney, with her favorite dolls (Raggedy Ann and Lobster) by the fireplace in the family house in Douglaston. Some of these negatives have been through the mill, as you can see from this one which I intentionally didn’t touch up. I guess she took the one of me.

1958 Barbara Mesney, my sister, enjoying the sprinkler on a number afternoon in Douglaston. In the background is the Brown’s house on Manor Road.

1958 Barbara Mesney with the family hound dog, Rin Tin Tin (Rinny) waiting for Santa to come down the chimney at the family house in Douglaston, New York.

1958 Here I am as a high school sophomore…probably shot by David Nolte. A lot of people still think I'm sophomoric.

1958 This picture was a lucky accident, which started me along the road to SFX (special effects). Actually, it was the first picture on a roll of Kodachrome and the "tongue" of the film got pulled out accidentally, re-exposing it to light. It was serendipity and alchemy combined… magic.

1959 It’s Barbara Mesney’s birthday and she’s having a backyard party at the family house in Douglaston, New York. Older sister, Kathy Mesney is leading the kids with the help of her friends, Jill Walters and Gretchen Moody, with Mom, Dorothy Mesney keeping a low profile. Barbara’s friends include Cindy Connelly, Gail Banning, Ginger Banning, Mona Banning, and a few others I don’t know.

1959 It’s Barbara Mesney’s birthday and she’s having a backyard party at the family house in Douglaston, New York. Everyone is having a scavenger hunt with Barbara second from left. Kathy Mesney is at the top of the swing set.

1959 It’s Barbara Mesney’s birthday and she’s having a backyard party at the family house in Douglaston, New York. Kathy Mesney is entertaining the kids with a hula-hoop and Cindy Connelly is shown in the inset.

1959 Gail Banning and Ginger Banning -- the Banning Twins -- at Barbara Mesney’s birthday party in Diouglaston. It’s springtime and there are pollywogs everywhere.

1959 I found these two pictures of Peter Mesney, my Dad, together with the ones of Barbara Mesney’s birthday party... maybe it’s a “before and after” thing? Anyway, this is before he built the little house for Barbara and I suspect the pile of lumber on the right is the house waiting to be built. The Fintell’s house on Beverly Road can be seen in the background.

1959 Barbara Mesney has gotten a new coat for Easter and she’s taking the family dog Ron Tin Tin (Rinny) for a walk down Manor Road in Douglaston.

1960 Barbara Mesney, my sister, circa 1960 at the family's summerhouse in East Marion, Long Island, near Orient Point.

1960 Barbara Mesney & friends in Douglaston on her birthday.

1960 Barbara Mesney, my sister, in the backyard of the family home in Douglaston.