“I lost everything”: California artist reunites Ricki Lake with photos lost in the California fires after finding them at a flea market
A California artist browsing a flea market stumbled onto a box of old family photos that she purchased for $20. Inside were decades-old snapshots that she realized were of Ricki Lake and her family.
The artist, Patty Scanlon, shared her discovery on Instagram and asked if anyone could help her reach Lake.
She captioned the post, "Anybody know how to contact Ricki Lake? I picked up some found photos at Pasadena City College Flea Market, and the box seems to be full of A LOT of photos of #Rickilake @rickilake! I think she may WANT these. She may not have copies! Thank you!!!!"
California woman used Instagram to track down Ricki Lake
Scanlon bought the box of hundreds of photos for $20 after a vendor offered it to her for even less. She said she bought it to use images as artistic inspiration, yet this box held something far more personal.
"The first one I saw was this one," Scanlon told Lake later in a video the actress posted on her TikTok account. She explained that she loved the woman in the picture without realizing who she was at first.
Then she noticed more images of Lake, her son Milo, and scenes from what appeared to be family life.
She explained that she found a letter from Lake that referenced Milo as a baby. "Thank you for all the gifts for Milo. Here are some of his recent photos," it read. Scanlon googled Lake’s family to confirm what she found. Soon after, she realized she might be holding pieces of a history Lake no longer had.
Ricki Lake reacted after spotting the post online
Eventually, Lake herself responded on Instagram. "I’m still in complete disbelief," she commented. In the TikTok video Lake posted, she called the situation "the craziest thing." Lake explained that she lost her home in the January Palisades fire and believed every photo was gone. She shared, "I lost everything […] I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, 'cause all of it was gone in the fire."
During a split-screen conversation with Scanlon, Lake recognized each photo instantly. She pointed out one image of her holding Milo, saying, "That’s me with Milo, my kid who’s now 28." She also recalled a swing in Connecticut and playground visits. "These pictures are so priceless to me," she said. She admitted she had made peace with the loss, believing her memories would exist only in her mind.
Still, the return of those photos changed that. Scanlon told her, "My heart was racing, and I was like, 'I gotta contact her.'" Lake thanked her repeatedly. She added, "The fact that I’m gonna get something back that I thought was lost forever […] it makes me so happy." She called the experience “a cool story” and said it gave her renewed faith in people.
"And, you know, we all need good news these days," Lake said. "And it just feels like this is leaving me with such a beautiful feeling about just the human race. Good things happen to good people."
@rickilake I’m speechless. Here is a happy story for your holiday season! It’s been almost once year since the fire and I made peace with the fact that my photographs and memorabilia was gone. But turns out they were at the Pasadena Flea Market!!! Party, I cannot say thank you enough for your generosity and kindness in protecting these images. It’s seriously a miracle!!! ????????
♬ original sound - Ricki Lake
Ricki Lake and Patty Scanlon did not respond immediately to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via Instagram DM.
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The post “I lost everything”: California artist reunites Ricki Lake with photos lost in the California fires after finding them at a flea market appeared first on The Daily Dot.