There's a stamp on the back, mostly faded, but I can make out Eichwalde which is a suburb of Berlin in the Brandenburg area. There's also a date, "3-21/71." At least I assume it's a date and the man's haircut looks like it's from the right period. They must have lived near the wall. Of course, I guess everyone in the Berlin area lived near the wall.
I do love the color restoration feature. Dated "NOV 69" so it's either early Christmas with all those candy stripes or a slumber party with the sleeping bag and all those feet.
Hey you, look over here. Or where they just angry that the intrusive relative with the camera was taking another photograph?
For the life of me I can't think of another explanation. It looks like her family thinks she's crazy.
More East German actors serving the state with portrayals of western decadence. Dig the greaser beatnik in the background. The stamp on the back, "Reproduktion u. Anderungen verboten. Aenny Jungermann Photoarelier Rudolstadt, Registr. Nr. 8" Rudolstadt is a city in Thuringia, a German state that was onc epart of the East.
There is a stamp on the back, most of which can still be read despite a certain amount of fading. "Wolfgang Swietek Theaterfotograft, 7033 Leipzig 33, Wilhelm Liebknecht Platz 14" And the rest has faded into oblivion though at least some of it is a phone number of some kind.
So, Leipzig was the second largest city in the former East Germany, and Wilhelm Liebknecht was a German revolutionary and one of the founders of the German socialist party so pretty much a hero to East German communists. I'd love to know what play these two actors are appearing in. Something revolutionary I'd bet. Either that or a silly, meaningless comedy. Even communists love a good laugh now and again.
I suspect they aren't official army photographers. The cameras are a bit low end for official U.S. military use. I have several of them in my collection. And who is the woman sitting with a camera of her own. She's not in uniform and neither is the other woman looking off into the distance.
Sometimes I see a photo and there's something about it that says Europe to me, and this is one of those images. So, without really knowing and not really having any idea what they're doing other than sitting in the forest, I'm guessing a bunch of central European people are too drunk to get home.
For those who don't live in southern California, this post might not be of much interest. Before the construction of the I-5, this windy, two lane road was how people got from Los Angeles to the San Juaquin Valley. Published by "WESTERN PUBLISHING & NOVELTY CO., LOS ANGELES, CALIF."
I've been saving this one for election day. The couple in the middle are Herbert and his wife Lou Hoover. It's dated on the back, 1928, the year he won the presidency. Herbert Hoover was a farm boy from Iowa, graduated with an engineering degree from Stanford, went to Australia and worked as a mining engineer. After a year, he made a brief return to the U.S. to marry Lou who was the first woman to get a degree in geology from Stanford. Between them they made a fortune in both Australia and China. They were in China during the Boxer Rebellion. During World War 1, Hoover headed up the food relief program for western Europe, and he did the same thing during the aftermath of the Russian Revolution. What's sad about Hoover was that he was a very accomplished and decent person who didn't know what to do about the great depression. It kind of destroyed a well deserved good reputation.
Because of the pandemic I haven't been able to get around to the flea markets and antique stores to grow my collection. Anyway, I've had this photo for quite awhile. There's the happy people standing in the foreground with their luggage and that small house among the trees. Are they moving in for a couple of weeks in the woods or are they headed home? Dated "August 1960"
Probably not hobos. More than likely the wives or girlfriends of railroad employees. Of course, I grew up next to a railroad and even in the 1960s people weren't as upset about the idea of civilians climbing over parked trains. From the steam era.
I'm not sure why a restaurant in Mazatlan is the embassy for Bakersfield, but there you go. The caption on the back, "In Los Angeles it's La Brea Tar Pits...in Dogpatch it's the Skunk Works. In MAZATLAN, MEXICO it's Carlos Anderson's EL SHRIMP BUCKET (Hotel La Siesta). Nightly entertainment. Mexican-American-Seafood-Patio Bar. Carlos Anderson and Chuy Juarez, Owners." It's still in business. There's also a brief written message, "From Bueno Amigo, Sandy."
Looks like he's wearing a military uniform. When there's a draft, the military must have some really good bands.
Finally, the end. The last of The Music To My Ears Collection (Click on in labels to see all.) I don't think this one is the oldest, but I wanted to save it for last because, in the background, you can see a head shot seen in an earlier post. It looks like Ann Parker, or Mary Reagan, or Ruby has had a long show business career. Not a star, but as a working entertainer. Something few pwople are able to pull off.
This is "John" At least that's what is says on the back of the print. I doesn't look like he's in the marching band. Perhaps the high school orchestra.
Oh that loving stare. Is she in love with the accordionist or is she wishing he'd stop so they can all play Monopoly? My guess. Monopoly.
