Tuesday, November 29, 2016

The Really Big Radio Has To Warm Up




Who out there is old enough to remember when radios had to warm up?   There was a time when radios, record players, televisions, and early tape recorders ran on tubes, turn them on, and until the tubes actually got warm, there was this low level hum that came out of the speakers.  I sometimes think I might have been born in the wrong time.  I like old technology.

Printed "Week of July 7, 1952"

Sunday, November 27, 2016

The Green Album 6







I admit it.  It's easy for me to complain about boring baby pictures, which doesn't mean these photos don't have a certain interest.  If I'm right, if this album is from World War 2, then these boring babies are the kids that some soldier wanted to live for.

And, of course, click on The Green Album in labels to see more.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

The Green Album 5






Starting with this page, there will be a lot of baby pictures.   Oh well, I wanted the beach and small town stuff, so I've got to live with the boring babies.

Click on The Green Album in labels to see the rest.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Soul Kiss



Alright, as far as the whole photo based cards go here and illustrated cards go the Fair Use blog...well, not 100% sure on this one, but my best guess is that this one started life as a photo, so for better or worse, it's The New Found Photography for this Soul Kiss

Anyway, the postmark on this card has been smudged so I don't know when it was mailed, but most of the cards from this collection have been around 1910 to 1911, so that seems like a good timeline.

The message on the back, "this is your Martin and on the other side sunday it raining and I am so long Maude if you only new you would come and see me  M.L.J."  And yes,  the small T, S, the spelling of  knew as new, and the odd wording are how it's written.  And the addressee, "Mrs. Maude Tracy, Augusta, Maine, R.F.D. no. 3."  So, is Maude Tracy and the Maud Billings of earlier cards the same person?  If so, she's quite the coquette.  All the guys seem to long for her.

As usual, click on Flirtation in labels to see more cards from this collection.

Monday, November 21, 2016

Quiet Nooks



Well, it looks like a hand tinted photograph to me.

I've got a number of this style card from The Taylor Art Company, and it seems to me that they send really mixed signals. On one hand, they have a romantic feel to them, but on the other they seem like a confession of cheating.

Written on the back, "April 19, 1909.  from your old sweet heart with love.  A.R. Jr."  Addressed to "Miss Maud M. Billings, No 1 Cleveland St., Hamilton, Maine."  And finally, the postmark, "BANGOR ME. APR 19 11:30 PM '09."  

First of all, why would anyone think that the time on a postmark was important?  Was there a special postal worker whose job was to go around and change the time on all the stamps?  And secondly, this Maud lady shows up on a lot of these cards.  She must have been quite popular.

As usual, click on Flirtation in labels and all that.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

May Time Is Play Time



This is the collection that never ends.  I've been doling it out since 2013, and I've still got plenty of these cards to go.  To recap, I bought an envelope of postcards from a dealer who called it the flirtation collection.  (Click on flirtation in labels to see other cards from the envelope.)  Those cards that are either photographs or are based on photos get posted here.  There are a few cards that look like illustration, so those end up on my Fair Use blog.   I'm not going to go into the history of the publisher, Theodor Eismann, but, info on Theo can be found on other posts.

This card was used.  The message, "Dear Etta, I have intended to write you a letter but I have been so busy I couldn't find time to write to any body.  How is everything at Kingfield.  Write when you can.  Love Edna.  Hebron Academy,  Hebron Maine."   Mailed to "Mrs. Anis Vose, Kingfield, Maine."  And no, I have no idea how Anis became Etta.  And, the postmark, "HEBRON ME., JAN 5 9 AM, 1912."  No indication whether Edna was a student or teacher at the Hebron Academy.

Now, about Hebron Academy.  I confess, when I Googled the school, I didn't expect much, but was surprised by what I found.  Hebron, both the town and the school, were founded by revolutionary war veterans who were granted land in recompense for their military service.  At the time, Maine was still an unincorporated territory of Massachusetts.  The  Hebron Academy admits students from the sixth through twelfth grade, and is one of the oldest private schools in the United States.  It was chartered in 1804 and opened to students in 1805.  It's a coed boarding school that also accepts local day students.  It  has accepted both girls and boys since it opened.  During the nineteenth century students ranged in age from ten to the thirties. Today, enrollment is capped at 300 students.  Fifty percent of students are from other countries.  Forty percent are from China.  Some of the graduates have included Leon Leonwood Bean.  Yes, that L.L. Bean.  Hannibal Hamlin, Abraham Lincoln's first Vice President.  And finally, in a category all his own, George Lincoln Rockwell, founder of the American Nazi Party.  .  

Friday, November 18, 2016

Ladies In Hats



This is a really small print, about an inch on the long side.  As the title implies, I like the hats.  That and the twenty five cents price is why I bought it.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Look Who's Laughing




It's the curtains that told me these two photos were related.  The top one looks pretty straight forward.  Despite the exit sign, someone is arriving and getting the whole name tag treatment.  But what's going on in the second image.  The people at the main table are all looking at something behind them while the lady in the foreground covers her mouth to hide the laughter.  Pratfall is my guess.  The honored speaker, possibly the man receiving his name tag, jumped up to address the audience, but instead he goes down in a heap.  The art of comedy.  Fall and don't get hurt and it's funny.  Fall and break a leg and it's not.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

The Green Album 4








The last entry from the Green Album had military pictures which made me think of World War 2.   Think of this page as the home front.  Makes me wonder if this album got sent to some military base.  So if it did travel, where did it travel?

Click on The Green Album in labels, etc., etc., etc.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

The Wall



As I understand things, we may be building a wall on our southern border at some time in the near future.  Stamped on the back,  "Foto Ruciger 28.IV.51 Mexico D.F."  Also dated, "IV-26-1951."

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

A Day In the Park



Fountains, a bench, some trees...Seems kind of nice.  But is it still there after all these years?

Friday, November 4, 2016

Farm Girls

 


Same theme as yesterday.  School girls and fences.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Ranch Girls



Sounds like an Andy Warhol movie.  Well, it's not.  Just three gal pals sitting on a wooded fence, photographers shadow included.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

The Green Album 3






Well, I did write that I was going to break up publication of this album.

The first two posts gave us a probable location, somewhere along the California coast.  This one gives us a general time frame, probably World War 2.  It looks like one son was in the army, and the other in the navy.  Take a close look at the sailor and you can tell that the photo wasn't taken on a ship, but in a photo studio.

Click on The Green Album in labels to bring up the other posts.