This photo (full image below) was taken at my great grandpa Joe's Prune Orchard in the Gilroy, California area in August of 1896. Grandpa is holding a basket that prunes were put into to be dipped in hot boiling lye in the brick cooker called a dipper behind him. After dipping in hot lye water, the prunes were loaded on the horse drawn wagon to be taken out to dry in the sun.

There is what appears to be an orb between my grandpa's ankles. The camera used was an old time box camera that my grandma Henzi showed to me. If my memory serves, this old camera had no lens. So this couldn't be dust, water or anything else on the lens. If this is the same as modern orbs, at least I know they've been around since the 1890s.

--Ed Henzi
edh28@aol.com