Wsh,
Whenever posting questions on these forums, please give us as much information as possible about your computer. We need the operating system, processor speed, amount of RAM installed, plus anything else you think might help. In your case, we need to know the e-mail program that you're using. The more information you give us, the better informed our answer will be. Enough of that, back to your question.
Check this setting.
While in Internet Explorer, click on "Tools' in the upper left, choose 'Internet Options'. When that loads, click on the "Advanced" tab, scroll down to the "Multimedia" section and make sure to CHECK the box next to "Show Pictures" and UNCHECK the box next to "Show image download place holders".
Hope this helps and let us know what programs you're using.
Grif
Sometimes emails come thru with a little white box with a red x inside it. Example, I copied a picture I'd received into a new message. When I looked at my message tonite, the picture disappeared and there's this little box instead. Any ideas why? wsh

Chowhound
Comic Vine
GameFAQs
GameSpot
Giant Bomb
TechRepublic