Let it Snow

 

It's hot out, and I wouldn't mind some cool weather.  Not snow, but lower temperatures.  I can't make out what's written on the front.  

Random Japanese Snapshots 1

 

Despite money being tight right now, I recently purchased an envelope of random Japanese snapshots.  Well, I don't know that for sure.  For all I know they all come from the same family which makes them far less random.  Anyway, I have a couple with some writing on the back.  They'll be published with a scan of the back that, with any luck, someone can translate for me, or at the very least tell me if they're upside down.  Some will be posted in lots of three, but I'm starting with a one-off of this group shot in the snow.  I'm thinking class photo considering the institutional-type building in the background.  Eventually, when I get around to putting more up, click on Random Japanese Snapshots Collection in labels to bring everything up. 

Winter Is Over

 

Winter is over in the Sierra Nevada, but the snow melt will be flooding things for awhile. 

Let It Snow

It's been raining in Los Angeles, and snowing in the mountains above the city.  I bought this picture in the L.A. area, so it was likely taken in the Angeles National Forrest.  For all you White Christmas fans.  It's the only Christmas movie I can watch over and over.

In the Camps

Three Asian ladies, standing in the snow, looking none too happy.  I almost passed on buying this photo, then I turned it over and looked at the military censorship stamp.  I couldn't help but wonder if this snapshot was taken in one of the World War 2 Japanese interment camps.  Certainly places like Tule Lake in northern  California and Heart Mountain in Wyoming were more then cold enough for lots of snow.

The Bulgarian School Boy Album 10

I only have the word of the seller that these are school uniforms, though these two photos seem to confirm that.  The younger people, both the male and female are all wearing very similar clothing, but there are a few older men who have very different looks.  There is one who is wearing a grey uniform and has been seen before, three older man who look to be wearing suits, and one who looks like he's wearing work clothes.   So, students, faculty, and the janitor?  In any case, we've moved back a bit in time.  A few posts back  had dates of 1941 and 1944.  This one, 1938.

Click on The Bulgarian School Boys Album in labels at the bottom of the post to see more.  I finally got around to actually counting the pages, and I think two more runs will do it, for a grand total of twenty posts, so I'll be moving on to other things for awhile.

The Bulgarian School Boy Album 7

I haven't forgotten the Bulgarian school boys, I've just been busy the last couple of days.  In any case, it's Bulgarian school girls today, though the 1944 date on the back of the first print is far enough from the first few pages of this album that these ladies might be Bulgarian school girl graduates.  In any case, I'm not going to try and translate the back.  I can, to a certain extent, read Cyrillic lettering, but it's a bit too much for me to piece everything together.  I think, however, we can conclude that the line above the date is the name of the two girls, and, of course, it's easy to translate Zagora, referring to the city, Stara Zagora in Bulgaria.

And, of course, click on The Bulgarian School Boy Album in labels to see more.

Snow Ball Fight

Pre World War 1 I would think.  Maybe even late 19th century.   All those white spots on the one woman's coat looks like she's been hit by a few snow balls.  She seems to have had some winter fun.

The Bulgarian School Boy Album 5

Winter and summer in Bulgaria.  There is the same lab stamp on the back of the first print in the column as there is on the prints from the first post in this series.  I finally got around to actually counting the pages in this album and I've decided to break things up, so I'll be returning to regular programming with the next post and pick things up again in a few weeks.

Click on The Bulgarian School Boy Album in labels to see more.

It Never rains in Southern California

Actually it does.  It also snows, which it did today.  Father and daughter, I think, rather than husband and wife.

Standing In Snow

For those of use who miss cold, snowy winters in our ever warming world.

All Bundled Up

With one winter storm after another pummeling the east coast, I thought I'd publish a photograph of how people used to dress for cold weather.

The Here, There, and Everywhere Collection-Snow Clouds Around the Heads

I've gone through this before, but what the hell, let's repeat.  Awhile back, I bought an envelope of photos from an eBay dealer who assured me everything was from a Wisconsin estate sale.  Anyway, I'm always aware that dealers are as likely to tell you what they think you want to hear, as they are the truth, so with a big grain of salt....another from The Here, There, and Everywhere Collection. (Clickable in labels for more pictures and info.)

This photo is mounted on a fragment of an album page.  Written on the back of the page, "Bedford 1944."  Bedford, Massachusetts is my best guess.  New England, snow, it's a fit.  Although, I also found a Bedford in New Hampshire, another snowy, New England locale, and a Bedford from my own home state, Pennsylvania.

And for those wondering, if it's white on the print, it's black on the negative.  The snow is easy to explain, but the white out around the parent's heads: the film may have been exposed to direct light while the film was being loaded or unloaded from the camera, or that area might not have been developed.

Heat Wave

Because it's 100 + degrees outside; Because I have a fan rather than air conditioning in my apartment; Because I've just come back from running errands in my car, which has a broken air conditioner, I'm taking a break from Russland to think about snow.

The Here, There, and Everywhere Collection,-Dearborn

As can be seen on the full album page, this one is dated "Jan.- 1944."  I've actually written about this before, but here it goes again.  During World War 2, millions of young American men were in the service.  There were women in the military, of course, but their numbers were far fewer.  In other words, there were millions of American women, on the home front, with no male companionship.  When I find pictures from the war years, especially mid 43 through late 45, I'm never surprised when there aren't any young men in the photos.

There are no pictures on the back of this page, but it's labeled "Dearborn-Sept-'43."  I've known about Dearborn, Michigan for years, but I have to admit, I've always assumed it was Deerborn.  I figured some early pioneer had founded the city where he had seen a doe and her fawn.  Well actually, I never thought about it all, but I did think it was Deerborn.  It turns out the city was named after  Revolutionary War General Henry Dearborn.  Who knew?

Click on The Here There and Everywhere Collection in labels to see more photos and for information on the lot.

The Here, There, and Everywhere Collection-Me, Without Her

Since I'm spreading this collection out over such a long period of time, I suspect I'm going to be typing out these explanations quite a few times.  I bought a collection of old photos and album pages from an eBay seller who assures me they are all from an estate sale.  I have my doubts.  There are a few repeat characters through the lot, but not many.  Too, there are a lot of different locations, too many I think.  Anyway, that's why I've chosen  The Here, There and Everywhere Collection, which is also the clickable label at the bottom of the post that calls up whatever is up and ready for viewing.

Written on the back of this photo, "Me & Her 1918."  At some point, her got cut away from me.  I suspect me got another her in his life.  No location, but someplace snowy.  It looks like the man in this image is shoveling snow in front of a church.

Early Winter

For those of us who miss winter.

Snowball

It's hot.  It went over 100 today, I don't have air conditioning, I'm covered in sweat, and very uncomfortable.  I could really go for a snowball fight right about now.

Snow

For all those people in the northeast who are enjoying a 70 degree Christmas Eve, this is what you're missing.  The printers mark dates this one from "Week of June 7 1954."  Obviously, the photo was taken earlier in the year.

The Bleak Midwinter

With respect to Christina Rossetti, I doubt this image is what she pictured in her head.  Still, even here in southern California, it's getting a bit cold, gloomy, and bleak.  At least by our standards.