A few weeks back, LIFE received an email from a woman in Arizona, mentioning that relatives of hers had appeared in some pictures in LIFE magazine many years ago, and asking if there was any way to perhaps get copies of the few photos from that long-ago issue. This request, in and of itself, was not unusual: people frequently contact LIFE to ask if they might buy old copies of the magazine in which they, or someone they knew, once appeared. (The answer, by the way, is yes - but not from us. One can always find old issues at flea markets, garage sales and, of course, online, via eBay and other sites.)