The North Texas State Normal College Album 27, The Loose Ones

There are still plenty of these to go, but after this lot I'm going to take a break on this particular collection for at least a couple of weeks.  The top photo is another real photo postcard, and despite the inscription, it's labeled, on the back, as "Ethel."  The only other photo with any info on the back is the bottom image, "Denny age 11."  Love that tie.

As usual, click on NTSNC in the labels section at the bottom of the post to bring up the whole lot.

The North Texas State Normal College Album 26, The Loose Ones

Now that the album portion of this collection has been posted, it's time to start dealing with all the loose photos that were stuffed between the pages.  I'm not going to put them up in any particular order.  Just pulling them out of the box at random.

The top photo is a real photo postcard.  The young boy, in black & white, with the crew cut, written on the back, "Rodney L. Wallace. Age 6 yr. 11 mo. Best year in school 1963."  I've long thought that the owner of this album was a school teacher, and that message is more evidence for that assumption.  The bottom photo is also printed on postcard stock, but it's been trimmed down.  Written on the back, "Lots of love, Lorna."

As usual, click on NTSNC in the labels section at the bottom of the post to bring up the whole collection.

The North Texas State Normal College Album 25

Well, it's time to wrap up the album portion of this series.  (There are about fifty or sixty loose bits to go.)  We've got a couple of names, Miss Cypert and Mrs. S. W. Ruths.  Probably one of those two women owned the album, but which one...My guess is Miss Cypert, but unless someone out there in blog world recognizes the album we'll never know.

The last couple of pages were damaged, and it looks like someone pasted the Three Kings back cover as a repair.

As usual, click on NTSNC in the labels section at the bottom of the post to bring up the whole lot.  Start with post number one, and it will be a bit like going through the album in order.

Auntie Belle

Yesterday I put up a photo of a man dressed as a woman.  Well, maybe.  I'm still not 100% sure.  No questions today, though.  Without a doubt, a woman dressed as a man.  Written on the back in a faded pencil, "Mrs. Cullum, Belle, & Frank."  Written in ink, "Grandmother, Auntie Belle, Dad."

Dr. A. L. Kalin Optometrist

To refresh memories out there, about a year or so ago, I bought the grab bag of photos, a sealed envelope with 100 plus snapshots.  Anyway, I was going through the unpublished left-overs, looking for something worth posting, when this one caught my eye. There was something about the profile, the shoulders, the kind of straight down body shape.  I think I may have found another photograph of a man dressed as a woman.

Perhaps it was Halloween, and Dr. Kalin told his staff to come in costume.  Finally, a chance to go out in public.  Then again, it might be a woman who looks kind of manly.  I guess we'll never know.

Crazy Ostrich People

America has always had it's fair share of crazy dreamers willing to pursue their mad ideas.  Most fail, but occasionally one succeeds.

In 1885, Edwin Cawston of South Pasadena, California chartered a ship and headed off to South Africa in search of the finest ostriches he could find.  He ended up buying fifty birds, and sailed to Galveston, Texas with his flock.  Between the voyage to North America and the cross country train trip, Cawston's dream almost died.  Out of fifty birds, only eighteen survived.  Still, Cawston persevered, and in 1886 he opened his ostrich farm in South Pasadena, just five miles north of downtown Los Angeles.  In time, Cawston expanded his flock to over 100 birds, he sold meat, ostrich hides, and feathered hats, boas, and fans.  He also supplemented his income by turning the farm into a tourist attraction.  One could ride on the back of an ostrich or drive an ostrich pulled cart.  Eventually, changes in fashion and the great depression ended the Cawston Ostrich Farm.  It closed in 1935.

But, the story isn't over.  The factory building where Cawston made the hats survived.  It's at 1010 Sycamore Ave. in South Pas, and has been converted into lofts.  Got $299,000 and you can buy one.  Prefer to rent and it's a lot more affordable.  Only $2200 a month for a small, furnished space.  Unfurnished, $2000.  And if you're willing to live on the second floor in the back, $1500.  Actually, in the L.A. area rental market, that's not all that bad.

This image is printed on postcard stock.

He Didn't Miss the Train

This one's got a great message on the back, "Well Myrtle didn't succeed in getting Russell to miss the train.  Edwin F."  It was addressed to "Miss Rebecca V. Evans, Newport, PA."  It was postmarked, "LOYSVILLE, PA.  SEP. 23, 6 AM, 1907"  Loysville and Newport are both in Perry County, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

This is another one of the postcards from the flirtation collection.  All the ones that are either photographs or based on photos will be published here, but the few cards that are pure illustration will be on my other blog, www.fairuse-wjy.blogspot.com  "Flirtation" will appear in the labels section from any image in the collection, on both blogs.