DeJa'Vu All Over Again

 

Have I done this before?  As I've written in other posts, I didn't start posting my photo collection out of any great desire to share with the world.  Over the years I had accumulated so many old photographs, they were strewn in drawers, envelopes, and who knows where, so I started this blog just so I could look at my collection without having to clean my apartment to find things.  As it turned out, my attempts at getting things organized have, at times, fallen short.  I just have this feeling that I've done this before.  These two images go with another post titled The Family Piano and should have been posted there, but they got separated somehow so I've had to put them up separately.  The thing is, I've got this funny feeling that I made the same mistake before.  Anyway, that post wasn't put up that long ago, so it should be easy enough to scroll back and find it.  Dated "1958."

The Family Piano

 

Dated "1958."  

The Pianist

 

Looks like he's wearing a military uniform.  When there's a draft, the military must have some really good bands. 

Music To My Ears 5

Stamped on the back, "PLEASE CREDIT Kerr 43 west 51st street new york, n. y. eldoarado 5-3178."  And yes, they did use lower case letters as I've typed them.  Well, I did find a bit about The Kerr Studio.  It was opened in 1951 by husband and wife team, Justin and Barbara Kerr.  Originally they specialized in theatrical portraits, but by the late 1950's they began restoring and photographing pre-Colombian artifacts from Mexico and Central America.  I dug up a bit on Barbara, but nothing about Justin.  Barbara went to the Pratt Institute and died in 2014.  As I wrote, a bit.  This collection isn't finished yet, but I'm going to shelve things for awhile and move on to other photos.

Once again click on Music To My Ears to see other posts from this series.

Bertha Bradish at the Piano

Well, I thought I might be able to find out something about Bertha Bradish, and about all I could find was that there was a Bertha Bradish who was a resident of Huron, Ohio recorded in the 1900 census.  The Norwalk, Ohio exposition (?) and piano contest is a mere 11 miles from Huron, so I'm going out on a limb and saying that the Bertha from Huron, who played in the piano contest are one in the same.  Too, Norwalk is the county seat of Huron County, so yet another link.  This postcard was mailed.  It has an undivided back from the era when people weren't supposed to write messages on the back.  It was mailed to "Jno. Bellamy, Norwalk, O"  It has both a postmark for where it was mailed from and where it was sent.  ""WAKEMAN, OHIO JAN 7, 10-AM"  The other postmark, "NORWALK, OHIO JAN 7, 5-PM  1907"  Wakeman is also in Huron County.  Any guesses on what the full name for Jno. is?

Song Writers

These guys look like Brill Building types before rock and roll completely took over.  I can see these guys writing Dungaree Doll, a hit for Eddie Fisher, but not the type of song that Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote.  On the other hand, maybe they're just tow guys entertaining at a party who work in sales.

Culver City Trash, In Color

To me, the least interesting of the Culver City Trash Collection.  (Click in labels, of course.)  Anyway, the top photo is the only one of the bunch with any identifying marks, a date, "JAN 83"

The Pianist

There's a stamp on the back of this one, "PHOTO BY JAS. ABRESCH, 200 WEST 57th ST., N.Y.C."  I did a quick search and found an autographed picture of Bruna Castanga, an Italian opera singer, dated 1936, with the same stamp.   Perhaps Mr. Abresch specialized in classical musicians, possibly not.  At least 1936 gives us a clue to when he was active.  No idea who the lady is.

Choking Grandpa

Is it just me?   The high collar, the stiff pose, the blank, lifeless stare.  Doesn't Grandpa look as if he's about to keel over?

Written on the back, "Rhoda."  Processing stamp on the back dated "Week Ending Jan. 28 1956."

The Amazing All America Mid Century Modern Suburban Dream/Nightmare

We are a perverse people.  For thousands of years, people wanted a life of material comfort.  And then, here in the United States, we got that life.  From the early fifties through the late sixties it was suburban homes, cars with tail fins, televisions, refrigerators, good schools, a university education for the kids.  And we were discontent.  At least it gave John Cheever something to write about.  Dated "SEPT 60"

The Interview

At first glance this one seems pretty straight forward.  Two people sitting in a living room.  Well dressed, so maybe a party or a couple getting ready to go out for the evening.  But then, we see the microphone, and the man holding some papers.  Is it someone's home, or is it an office of some kind?  There is a piano and some chairs, but no couch.  A waiting room, maybe.  The woman is paying attention to the man, but is she also speaking into the microphone?  Is she someone famous being interviewed?  On the radio, perhaps, or maybe a recording?  Does the piano indicate that she's a musician, or is it just a bit of furniture, a bit of status for the middle class?  Even the picture in the background raises questions.  It has a label on the frame, so probably not a family photo.  Is that little metal plate for the benefit of visitors, or did it just come with the picture, bought at a local furniture store?  Such a small photograph, but so many mysteries.  Dated, "OCT 58"

Writing Away

This one is strangely fascinating to me.  It's dated "12/25/71" and with the open gifts strewn around, you'd think she's writing thank you notes.  But then I took a second look, and I wondered who would write a thank you note on a legal pad.  Anyway, in an age when writing cursive is a disappearing skill, I like looking at pictures of people writing.  In my grade school, one of the exercises we used to learn cursive was the writing of letters.  Another disappearing skill.  Now it's all a couple of quick lines in an email.  The tech age doesn't know what it's loosing.