At The Zoo

No animals can be seen in this photo, nevertheless, it's a zoo.  I can remember a childhood visit to The Pittsburgh Zoo, with it's iron bared cages.  Eventually, Pittsburgh updated things with "humane" enclosures like the one in this photo.  Open air, concrete levels, and moats replacing bars to keep the animals confined.  I've mixed feelings on zoos.  I like to hike and backpack, and after seeing large animals in the wild, (Including a mountain lion in Griffith Park) it's hard to watch a bored grizzly bear pacing back and forth like some sort of deranged mental patient.  On the other hand, I suspect that, eventually, most large animal species will go extinct in the wild and zoo stocks will be it.

According to the caption, these three people are "Verne, Ed, & Betty."  I can't think of a woman's name that would be shortened to Verne.  But, I went to high school with a girl we all called Charlie.  I always assumed that it was short for Charlotte.  I latter found out that her father wanted a son and when he didn't get one, he named his daughter Charles.

Relax

Written on the back, "Now who says I didn't take it easy coming over?  Every second and never had such a quiet relaxed time.  Hope on next trip will be with You & Chaty to Manilla?  Why not?"  It might be difficult to relax with Chaty along.  Of course, Chaty might be short for something other than Chatty. and since Manila is misspelled.....well, who knows.

Private DeFay

Don't these two photographs look peaceful?  With the trees in the background, it gives the impression of a kid playing soldier, with no real war in the future.  I don't know when these were taken, but it seems that we can't go a decade with out some sort of war.  With any luck he became such a good builder of foxholes and trenches that the bullets flew over his head and never hit the mark.   Labeled DeFay.

No It's Not.....

Harold Lloyd.  Same glasses but it's not him.  So was this a popular eyeglass frame design or was this guy a fan?

The Waterbury Paper Box Co. Wedding Album 10

Have I said how frustrating it is that this album has no captions.  Anyway, I'm going to leave this album for a month or so.  Click on Waterbury Box Co. Album in the labels section at the bottom of the post to see more.

The Waterbury Paper Box Co. Wedding Album 9

This one's a real question.   Is this the owner of the album, or did the person who put the album together just like the image?  I've got another explanation, that I concede is almost certainly wrong, but I'm going to throw it out anyway.  Is this a 1920s version of a boudoir photo?  Did the lady in the photo travel to Chicago to have an exotic picture taken of herself?  Probably not.

Click on Waterbury Box Co. Album in labels to see the rest.

The Waterbury Paper Box Co. Wedding Album 8

Bride, groom, maid of honor, and best man would be my guess.   Click on Waterbury Box Co. Album in labels to see the rest.

The Waterbury Paper Box Co. Wedding Album 7

Back to The Waterbury Album.  This one looks like it's from a 5 x 7 negative.  When I worked in the lab, we had exactly one rack for film that size and in the decades I processed and printed film for a living, I don't think I used it more than a couple of times.  Hey, when you need it, you need it.

Click on Waterbury Box Co. Album in labels to see what's up.

Views Of The World, Statue Of Liberty, New York Harbor

Little known fun fact: In the United States, far right conservatives call French fires, freedom fries because France gave the statue of Liberty to us as a gift.  The average Tea Party member equates France and freedom.  I kid you not.

Click on Views of the World in labels to see the rest of the lot.

Views Of The World, The Brooklyn Bridge

There's so much to be found about the Brooklyn Bridge, that I'm not going to put too much info in the post.  A couple of things, the engineer who designed the bridge was German immigrant  John Augustus Roebling.  While on a survey trip for the bridge, his foot was crushed between a ferry and dock piling.  He had to have his foot amputated, developed a tetanus infection and died a few months latter.  His son, Washington Roebling, took over supervision of the project got caisson disease, also know as decompression disease, or the bends.  His health was so damaged, that he over saw the building of the bridge from his apartment window.  There was a certain amount of fear that the bridge wasn't strong enough to carry great weight.  To prove the strength of the design, a parade of elephants, lead by Jumbo the giant animal owned by P.T. Barnum, were walked across the bridge.  And my favorite involves the so called war on terror.  One of the first announced success of the patriot act was the foiling of a plot to destroy the bridge.  Yes, there was a man who planned to rent an acetylene torch and cut the support cables.  I can just see some nut spending months cutting the massive cables and no one noticing.

Click on Views of the World in labels to see the rest of the collection.

Views Of The World, Wall Street And Trinity Church, New York City

I know, I know.  The Views of the World series seems to be a Views of the United States series.   Not so.  Be patient, and we will see other parts of the world.  Anyway, I've owned these old postcards since I was in high school, and I just turned sixty in January, so, they've been in a box for a very long time.  Click on Views of the World in labels to bring up the others.  Who doesn't hate Wall Street?

The Medallion

Woman with magic medallion turns her enemy into small child. Dated "MAR 1961"

R40-14324

I don't know why I have so many of these.  It seems like every time I buy a large lot of photos, there's a few of these in the envelope.  The title refers to the code number at the bottom of the print.  No doubt, needed to order more prints.

The Painted Lady

Every so often, I run into one of these.  Most colorists try and make a black & white photograph into a color photograph.  And then, there are those who try and make a photo look like a painting.

Written on the back, "My mother my children grandmother."  And yes, that's how it's written.

Trikes and Walls

I have no idea when this photo was taken, but it makes me think of post war America with it's baby and building booms.  My English born mother (The marriage didn't work out and she was a very bitter woman.) hated the United States.  She was quite critical of a country that she thought didn't take things seriously.  My father lived through the great depression, had been a homeless teen, and while as a cryptographer was held out of combat, had also spent six years in the army.  He thought, after all people had been through, they deserved to have a good life.  Suburban single family homes, new cars, and too many kids, most Americans agreed with my father.

Guys On Trains

I love trains.  Always have, always will.  I grew up 50 yards from an active train line and it seems like trains have always been a part of my life.  Those of us who live in California may live to see the first, true, high speed rail line in the United States.

ERSONS

Yes I know.  It's actually persons, as in lifeboat capacity.  Was this couple out for a stroll on the deck, or were they checking out the boats, just in case.  Maybe they saw A Night To Remember, the best Titanic movie ever made, just before boarding ship.

Throw It In the Garden

Interesting message on the back.  "This is Dicky's one year old picture.  May have sent you one if so you can put this in your garden."  Okay, I don't get it.  Why would it go in the garden.  To the best of my knowledge, photographs won't work as plant food.

Ukulele Ladies

What can I say, I love the ukulele.