Life Aboard Ship

 

Not the United States Navy.  At least I don't think so.  The formal, white uniform makes me think passenger ship. 

Where will he be deployed?

 

There are a lot of photos out there of men in uniform.  From the clothing, my best guess is that this photo was taken around the late 1920s to early 1930s.  Did this young sailor hope for deployment in Hawaii or the Philippines?  Plum assignments before the Japanese attacks that brought the United States into World War 2. 

Wings

 

He's wearing wings on his uniform, so he must be a member of the Army Air Corps.  But is he headed off to war or getting home, having survived combat missions over Europe?  Clearly from the World War 2 era. 

The M2 Light Tank

  

I've tried to do a bit of research on this photo, and while I'm not 100% sure, I think this is a photo of an M2 Light Tank, made by the Rock Island Arsenal Company that went into production in 1937.  It was equipped with a 37mm M5 gun and machine guns.  Mostly, it was used for reconnaissance.  It was under armed for serious combat operations.

Cut Down

 

This slim photo has been cut down from a larger photo.   There is some writing on the back, but like the picture itself, some of it has been lost to the scissors.  "Dec. 20/4."  So, from the 1940s.  And, "Taken in Ge."  Perhaps Germany and a soldier on occupation duty.  Or, then again, maybe Georgia, though there isn't that much snow in Georgia. 

The Hospital Ship

 

I can't be certain, but my best guess is that this is a military hospital ship.  But is the man on the right a doctor or a patient?  

The Shadow Soldier

  

This is another of those throw-in photos that I end up with when I buy an envelope of photos and get a few that I'd never buy individually.  Anyway, as a former professional black & white printer it interests me a bit.  There's clearly detail in the subject's uniform and face, but whoever printed this didn't expose for what's really important.  

Random Japanese Snapshots 3

 

I recently purchased an envelope full of snapshots from an eBay seller in Japan.  They may be random, or they may all be from the same family.  I just don't know.  Anyway, I'm still figuring out how I'm going to post them and in what order.  The only thing I'm sure of is that those photos with writing on the back will be placed in a single posting.  I don't speak Japanese, and I can't really use Google Translate, so if someone out there speaks and reads Japanese, a translation would be welcome.  Just knowing that I've got it right side up would also be helpful.  Click on Random Japanese snapshots collection in labels to see what's been published.  More to come. 

Women in Uniform

 

I'm fairly certain that this young woman is wearing a uniform of some kind.  I know I've seen it before, but where? A World War 1 era military nurse is my best guess, but I can't be sure.  Anyway, there's an American flag in the restaurant window, and the pencil line drawn on the top image may indicate a crop for newspaper reproduction. 

The Indian Occupation

 

I'm not sure about the uniform, but I think it's British.  Throw in people who look like they're Indian, and it's a reasonable bet that this photo was taken during the British occupation of India.  Also known as the British Empire. 

The Dancing Sailor

 

No, not Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra or Jules Munshin.  On The Town, for those who don't get the reference. 

Post War

 

My first thought, with the barracks like building in the background, was that this was a photograph of one the interment camps where we imprisoned Japanese Americans.  But then, I noticed that the shoulder badge on the soldier on the right was an air core insignia, so I realized it must be post war occupied Japan.   

The Pianist

 

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

Jam Session

Would these guys even know the term jam session?  The guy with the guitar looks like he's in a uniform, while the mandolin player is clearly a civilian.  The bus in the far background looks 1930's give or take.  A nice outdoor cafe and a couple of drinks so the music sounds better? 

School Girls and Caskets 2

 

I suppose it's something we have to wonder about now a days, but no, the gap in these postings has nothing to do with illness.  I just didn't feel like it.  So, when I see photos taken before a major war, I always wonder how many of the people in the picture survived.  When I see something taken right after a war, and the photos in this small collection are from 1921, I wonder how many of those that they knew didn't make it.  And from a photo from 1921, I wonder how many people did they know who died from the Spanish Flu. 

In the background of the top picture you can see a sign for the Inter State Casket Company.  Considering the year, they must have been very successful.  So it's not really necessary, but click on School Girls and Caskets to see more.

School Girls and Caskets 1

I'm starting another mini collection.  There will only be three posts and I'm putting them without interruption.  Even though it's probably not necessary I am assigning it a tag, obviously, School Girls and Caskets.   And, you'll have to wait for the next post to understand the title.

So, the two class photos are each dated, "Jan. 1921."  I'm assuming the guy in front of the top picture is a teacher.  The third picture is cut out from a bigger image.  The full frame version will be in part three.  It is a good opportunity to really make out the uniform badge.  It looks like either GTV or GTU. 

All Things Considered

We've got two young men in military uniforms and judging by the car in the background, this photo was probably taken some time during the World War 1 era.  Maybe before, maybe during.  Usually when I see images of young men going off to war I can't help but wonder if they survived.  But, considering what we're going through right now I can't help but wonder how many of the people in this picture survived the Spanish flu. 

Band

No, I don't know what type of uniform this is, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't for a marching band. 

The Bulgarian School Boy Album 20

Done.  The Bulgarian school boys (and girls) have come to an end.   As I noted in an earlier post, I bought this album from an eBay seller in Bulgaria who told me that these photos showed school uniforms.  With the passage of time, some of those school uniforms got traded in for military uniforms, but there was a war going on and more than likely the young men in this collection didn't have much choice in the matter.  Making out the dates on the backs of these images was pretty easy but I didn't do as well with the writing.  When I was growing up I was a paperboy.  Does that job even exist anymore?  Anyway, some of my customers were elderly Russians who had come to the United States, after the revolution, and worked in the local coal mines.  I picked up a bit of the language from them.  I can't remember much anymore, but I can still make out the Cyrillic alphabet.  I thought about spelling the words out phonetically and running them through Google translate, but when I realized that I had trouble deciphering the actual handwriting, I gave up, so if there are any native Bulgarian speakers who would like to help me out, I'd appreciate it.  Anyway,  Stara Zagora was easy, and I'm fairly certain that the girl on this page is named Ivanka, but that's as far as I'll go on this page.  I hope they all survived the war and the post war dictatorships. 

As usual, click on The Bulgarian School Boy Album in the labels section at the bottom of the post.  It's now possible to see the whole album, from front to back.

The Bulgarian School Boy Album 19

The penultimate Bulgarian School Boy Album page!  Some of the earliest photos from this album are dated from the mid 1930's.  So, are the men in the top photo the school boys from those pictures?  If those students were in their mid to late teens in those pictures, they'd be pushing thirty after the war was over.  Is the woman in the second photo a school girl from of those pictures a mother by 1946?  Well, there's nothing written on the back of that photo, so we can't know when it was taken. 

Click on The Bulgarian School Boy Album in labels to see other album pages.