Skip To Content

    A Photographer Is Trying To Solve The Mystery Behind These Beautiful Vintage Photos She Found

    Thousands of people have joined in the hunt for the women featured in the pictures.

    A photographer from Virginia is on a mission to track down two women who were featured in a series of breathtaking vintage photos she found -- and thousands of Facebook users are joining her in her quest.

    Meagan Abell wrote on Facebook last week that she found the photos while thrift store shopping.

    "Now, I've seen plenty of vintage prints, but never a set of negatives that was in such beautiful condition," she wrote.

    Abell wrote she originally thought the pictures were negatives, but later learned they were actually slide transparencies.

    Abell bought the photos, then had them scanned. When she saw the result, she was stunned by the beauty of the pictures.

    Being a photographer herself, Abell wrote she decided to post the pictures on Facebook to see if anyone knew where they had come from.

    She has recieved a huge response. More than 14,000 people have liked her original post, with many chiming in to try and solve the mystery.

    Many users told Abell the location of the shoot looked like Southern California, possible Playa Del Ray or Dockweiler Beach.

    Abell said many people had guessed the photos were taken anywhere from 1940-1960.

    Some commenters have accused Abell of a hoax or said the photos aren't vintage at all.

    But the naysayers haven't stopped the quest to find the women. People are even sharing their own vintage photos to support their argument.

    One commenter even said he would contact the Smithsonian to solve the mystery.

    Abell wrote on Facebook she is shocked that the photos have reached so many people, and that she is following up on "multiple" leads.

    Facebook: alwaysabell

    She told Mashable that she is excited to have shared the photos with so many, even if the mystery is never solved.

    "I think it's amazing how so many people have fallen in love with these photos just as much as I have," she said.

    BuzzFeed News has contacted Abell for comment.