That Stinks!

You can tell!  There is a lab stamp on the back.  "Fox Full Frame.  Fox, Co.  San Antonio, Texas, October 1957."

Old Polaroids

Here's a fun fact, old Polaroid photos have a distinct chemical smell.  I'm talking about the ones from the fifties, sixties, and seventies.  This one is dated "1965." 

Four Women, One Man Stranded Along the Road

Alright, probably not stranded. 

Music To My Ears 9

Dressed up for a night out or for a night on stage?  As a former professional printer I'm insulted that the printer couldn't be bothered to clean the negative.  I'll be taking a break before putting more up from this collection. Click on Music To My Ears in labels to see more. 

Music To My Ears 8

 

This is the only photograph I have of Mary Reagan, or Ann Parker or whatever stage name she was using, while actually performing.  The guys at the bar are drinking beers rather than cocktails.  A low rent dive or do the drinkers just prefer beer? 

As usual, click on Music To My Ears to see more. 

Music To My Ears 7

I had hoped to use the name of the act to hunt down some actual information about this duo but the best I could find was the location of The Hotel Penn Alto.  Philadelphia? Pittsburgh?  Nope, Altoona, home of the horse shoe curve rail tracks.  I've been to Altoona though it's been so long that I don't really have any memories of the place.  I figured that this picture was probably from the 1950's so I did look up some census numbers.  In 1950, 77,177.  In 1960, 69,407.  Basically, Altoona is one of those medium sized American cities that has been in a state of decline for a very long time.  The fact that the act was playing the hotel lounge in a small city hotel helps explain why this duo left almost no record of their careers.  Acts that headline in Altoona don't get a lot of recognition.  Still, it's almost impossible to make it in show business.  For every job, there are hundreds of talented performers capable of getting up on stage and entertaining people.  It's why so many of them quite and get a regular job.  Mary Reagan, or Ann Parker or whatever professional name she was using when this picture was taken actually made a living as a singer.  That's admirable.

Click on Music To My Ears in labels to see more.

Music To My Ears 6

I still haven't quite figured out what name this woman eventually ended up using, at least professionally.  Mary Reagan and Ann Parker are my two best bets, but who really knows.  I did, however, find a lot about photographer Winifred Gail  I know she was born on October 2, 1917 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.  I know she was a photo retoucher and eventually opened up her own photo studio in Hollywood.  In 1940 she married Jay Richard Bailey, an aeronautical engineer, and in 1953 she moved her studio from Hollywood to Palos Verdes, California.  According to the March 5, 1953 issue of the Palos Verdes Peninsula News she had been in Hollywood for 15 years.  If that figure is correct then she opened her Hollywood studio in 1938.  During her life she moved around a bit, and ended up in Alaska,  She died on October 6, 2017 in Sitka, Alaska.  Four days past her 100th birthday.  And, as an extra added bonus, she was a life long Christian Scientist.  So, we now know that this photo was taken before 1953.

Click on Music To My Ears in labels to see more.

Raised Republican

But did it take?   Written on the back, Pete 7 mos. Jan. 1969."

Middle Aged Drag Racers.....

Or a drive-in theater?