Don’t throw away your prom photos, or high school yearbooks, for that matter. You never know what may become of your schoolmates, prom dates or prom date’s best buddy.

Kelli Allman (nee McCormack), a 1981 Punahou School graduate, saved hers, and they came in handy when Time magazine called to obtain “exclusively” Barack Obama’s 1979 senior prom photos, which appear in this week’s edition. The magazine identifies them as “previously unpublished photos.”

Allman and her date, Greg Orme, double-dated with the future president of the United States and his prom date, Megan Hughes, who was a student at the Hawaii School for Girls at La Pietra.

The prom night photos show the two smiling couples wearing maile and pikake lei, posing at Allman’s home. They are holding champagne glasses, except for Obama, who appears to have his arm around his date. Allman is standing between Obama and Orme, Obama’s basketball teammate.

Allman, the daughter of Hawaii real estate giant Mike McCormack, told Time they sipped champagne at her home before going to the dance and the after-party.

In the photos, the 17-year-old Obama is sporting a stylish ’70s afro, a white jacket, blue tie, dark shirt and trousers.

Time also published the teenage Obama’s message written in Allman’s yearbook: “Kelly, It has been so nice getting to know you this year. You are extremely sweet and foxy, I don’t know why Greg would want to spend any time with me at all! You really deserve better than clowns like us; you even laugh at my jokes!

“I hope we can keep in touch this summer,” he writes, and concludes with, “Your friend, love (heart), Barry Obama.”

Allman, according to her Facebook page, now lives in Los Angeles.