--- a/common.inc.php
+++ b/common.inc.php
@@ -103,6 +103,15 @@
         return false;
     }
 }
+function getFirstDate() {
+    // not romance help
+    $datedFiles = scandir(DATA_DIR); // sorted descendingly by default
+    if (sizeof($datedFiles) > 2) {// always at least 2 even for an empty folder because of ./ and ../
+        return getDateFromFilename($datedFiles[2]);
+    } else {
+        return false;
+    }
+}
 
 function getPhoto($displayDate) {
     $cacheFile = CACHE_DIR . $displayDate . ".png";
@@ -149,7 +158,6 @@
         }
 
         $date = strtotime($displayDate);
-// First we create our bounding box for the first text
         $textDayName = date("l", $date);
         $sizeDayName = 24 + round(($source_image_height - 1000) / 1000) * 2;
         $fontDayName = "./img/mplus-1p-medium.ttf";