Allegheny City

I have to confess, I would have never bought this postcard if it hadn't been of Allegheny Park.  I grew up about fifty or so miles from Pittsburgh, lived there for a few years, and visited this park, and yes it's still there, hundreds of time.

Allegheny Park was opened in 1867, in Allegheny City, a community that was first laid out in 1788.  It was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907, and it was not voluntary.  One of the interesting things about this card is that it was mailed, and has a 1906 postmark, yet the park is identified as part of Pittsburgh, a year before the annexation became official.  Famous people born in Allegheny City; painter Mary Cassatt, dancer Martha Graham, poet Robinson Jeffers, Steeler founder Art Rooney, writer Gertrude Stein, and early film pioneer and director, Lois Weber.

The postmark is from Crafton, PA, "JUL 24, 10 AM, 1906,"  It was mailed to "Lillian Clark, Johnstown, Pa."  Think what the country was like when that was all that it took to deliver the mail.

Potluck

As I've noted before, sometimes I buy envelopes of old photographs, some of which I want and others, not.  Anyway, I don't throw any of them away, but I do have a box of old snapshots that will never get posted on this blog.  This one was kind of floating between those two poles, but in the end, I decided to publish it because it reminded me of my childhood.  I grew up in a small town where there was an endless stream of fundraiser/potluck dinners.  My mother couldn't cook worth a damn, so I enjoyed eating other people's food, and while it's true that those potlucks were dominated by macaroni casseroles and ambrosia  (I'm still not certain what ambrosia is) it was a hell of a lot better than what I got at home.

There's a processors stamp on the back, "PRINT MADE BY KODAK, R, SEP. 76."  The R stands for R-print, a reversal image made directly from a color transparency.

Things Go Better With Coke and Shoes

Look who I found.  I went back to the antique store and found another picture of the shoes off, shoes on lady.  (Navigate back a few posts or click on shoe lady in labels.  I suspect I might find even more of her if I have the time to go through the photo bin, and if not...)  Anyway, different dress, different pose, but it sure looks like the same shoes.

The Statue

Anyone out there recognize the statue?  How about the location?  My guess is that it's still there, and people are still sitting on the base.

Playing With Her Ear

It sure looks like he's going for the lobe, but then again...Dated, ""OCT 72"

A Night At the Movies

Stamped on the back, "MISSION PHOTO SERVICE, 278 Franklin Street, Phone 3571, Monterey, California."  And it's dated, "9/15/41."

The Monterey of today is a town of millionaires, and probably a few billionaires as well.  It's tourists visiting the aquarium and shopping and high end boutiques.  In 1941 Monterey was a working class fishing town, the Monterey of Steinbeck's Cannery Row.

It's hard to know what this gathering was about.  There's a screen and a 16mm movie projector in the background, so they must have been there to watch a film.  The suit wearers have a banker vibe, while the open collar types could be captains in the fishing fleets.  But why were they all gathered to watch a movie?  I wish I knew.

Shoes Off

It's one thing to sit on a cannon with your shoes on, but standing on a man's shoulders, that's a barefoot job.

Shoes On

And she's sitting on a cannon.

Stick It In the Eye

I don't know why they're playing with that guys eyes, but at least they're not sticking their fingers in his nose.  And yes, those yellow streaks are where the Polaroid paper didn't peel off properly.

On the Road

Had she seen It Happened One Night, she'd know to show a little leg.

Beat Me With a Stick

I can't remember where I heard it, but beat me with a stick is something I've heard at one time or another.

Anyway, written on the back, "Rebeal 1947, Malcolm Salinger, Jan Castsanien."  Now, I guess that makes some sort of sense, two names, two people.  But then, "Peggy Schull, Jan Castanien, Salinger, Denison, N W Ines."  Okay, I've got two names and since Malcolm and Jan get named twice, I guess that's Jan and Malcolm fooling around in the photo, but why did Peggy, Denison, and Ines all get mentioned?  And Rebeal?  I did a search, and Rebeal is an actual surname, so is that yet another unseen person, or the name of the beach?  As usual, more questions than answers.