Male or Female

I'll run into this from time to time, especially in very old photos.  Are these photos of a woman dressed as a man or of a man with feminine characteristics? 
 

A Really Faded print

 

Super faded, actually.  I can make out the teddy Bear, but I have no idea what she's holding in her other hand. 

Straigh Outta Compton

 

Whenever possible I try and do some research on my posts, and I found a lot of interesting stuff about these three photos.  It starts with the top photo on the column. Written on the back, "Johnny Bond, Jay Stewart (Let's Make a Deal), Skeets McDonald."  Those names gave me a starting point, and the first one I looked up was Jay Stewart, who, from 1952 to 1961 worked as the announcer for Town Hall Party, a live country western show, broadcast from Compton California, both on radio and television, so while I can't be 100% sure, I'd say it is highly likely that these three photos are backstage shots from the show.

Johnny Bond was a country singer and guitarist who appeared on Town Hall Party, as did Skeets McDonald, another singer, and guitarist, who was born Enos William McDonald. After all, who would name their kid, Skeets? 

The middle photo is labeled "Jimmy Pruitt, Singer" another Town Hall Party regular.  It also has a printer's mark in the front margin dating it "JUL 55" Again, we can't be sure, but it's at least somewhat likely that all three photos were taken around the same time.

The bottom photo in the column only has one name written on the back, "Eddie Kirk." Kirk was born in Greeley, Colorado and actually grew up on a ranch, and learned a lot of the songs he'd go on to perform from the ranch hands he knew growing up. He was a national yodeling champ. I didn't know such a thing existed.  He was a boxer, served in the navy during World War 2, and was even in one movie, Prairie Raiders, made in 1947, starring B movie star, Charles Starrett, who pretty much did nothing but poverty row westerns.  Kirk was uncredited, though he may have been part of Ozie Waters and his Colorado Rangers. 

The other three people in the photo are not identified, but I think I've figured it out.  Kirk is wearing the cowboy hat. The brunette standing next to him is, at least I think so, lap steel guitarist Beryl Harrell. Harrell was another Town Hall Party regular, but she didn't start out as a country artist. Born in Vancouver, Washington, she started out doing Hawiian music, and she was in a lot of different groups. including Sweethearts of the Air, The Hula Bluettes, Eva Harpster and her Four Coeds, The Saddle Dusters, Coby Jones and her All Girl Western Band, and Carl Cody and His Country Boys.  Besides playing the guitar, she was also a featured vocalist, as well as being a solo artist in her own right. 

It took a bit of digging, but I'm fairly certain that the other man and the blond are Wes and Marilyn Tuttle. Wesley Tuttle had a fairly long and successful career. He lost all but his thumb and one finger on his left hand in an accident and had to relearn to play the guitar and ukulele. If you look closely at Marilyn's left shoulder, you can see just a thumb and single finger.  Anyway, Wes Tuttle acted in a dozen westerns, yodeled for Dopey in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and was the director for the Town Hall Party television broadcasts. He was also elected to The Western Music Hall of Fame. His wife Marilyn, born Marilyn Myers, was in one movie, Down Home Missouri as a member of the Tailor Maid Trio. She was a singer, and while I couldn't find any record of it, I'd say it's fairly logical to assume she sang on the show.

Compton is one of the oldest cities in Los Angeles County, having been incorporated in 1888. In the twenties and thirties, it had a large Japanese American population that were forced from their homes during World War 2. During the war it was home to many of the war workers employed in the south bay aircraft plants. It wasn't until the mid-fifties that black families began moving into the city. Today the population are mostly Hispanic and black, and Compton itself is known as the home of west coast rap scene. Think N.W.A. and Snoop Dogg. 

Christmas Is Coming

 

I haven't lost interest in this blog, nor have I stopped collecting old photos, but I have been very short of money for a while, hence the big gaps in posts.  Anyway, there's a Christmas tree in the background, and we are about three weeks out, so I thought I put this picture up. 

What Are They Playing?

   

Well, it's some sort of game though one I'm not familiar with.  There's a game board, a ball, areas with point totals marked.  But the name of the game, I haven't a clue. 

Ona

 

That's what's written on the back.  I'm guessing that Ona is someone's name, someone in the picture. It looks like the young ladies and young men in this picture have received some sort of plaque. 

On the Courthouse Steps

  

Well, I don't actually know that she's on a courthouse steps, but the building has that heavy, institutional feel. 

Women in Uniform

 

I'm fairly certain that this young woman is wearing a uniform of some kind.  I know I've seen it before, but where? A World War 1 era military nurse is my best guess, but I can't be sure.  Anyway, there's an American flag in the restaurant window, and the pencil line drawn on the top image may indicate a crop for newspaper reproduction. 

DeJa'Vu All Over Again

 

Have I done this before?  As I've written in other posts, I didn't start posting my photo collection out of any great desire to share with the world.  Over the years I had accumulated so many old photographs, they were strewn in drawers, envelopes, and who knows where, so I started this blog just so I could look at my collection without having to clean my apartment to find things.  As it turned out, my attempts at getting things organized have, at times, fallen short.  I just have this feeling that I've done this before.  These two images go with another post titled The Family Piano and should have been posted there, but they got separated somehow so I've had to put them up separately.  The thing is, I've got this funny feeling that I made the same mistake before.  Anyway, that post wasn't put up that long ago, so it should be easy enough to scroll back and find it.  Dated "1958."

A Century of Progress 1

 

I've written before about my fascination with World's Fairs and my disappointment that I've never had the chance to visit one.  This is one of four postcards I own from this series from The Chicago Word's Fair that ran from 1933- 1934.  This one is numbered 223, the lowest number of the four I have in my collection.  The highest, 235.  The caption, "Official post card of A CENTURY OF PROGRESS, 223. Northerly Isle from the Lagoon."  Published by the Ruben H. Donnely Corporation, Chicago.  I won't be posting the four cards I have in a row, so click on The Century of Progress Collection in labels at the bottom of the post.  I don't know why, but it's fairly common for Blogger to slice just a hair off the right side of horizontal images, so just click on the postcard to bring it up into a window. 

The Cheap Wedding

 

Ah for the good old days when ordinary people didn't go into massive debt for a wedding.  Great band in the background. Guitar, bass, accordion and marimba. 

The Classic Look into the Future Pose

 

This is a favorite pose of politicians, running for office.  Slightly below eye line, looking off at a slight angle.  Though, I suspect this lady isn't throwing her hat in the ring.  I suspect she's looking away from the sun. 

Palm Springs

 

Written on the back, "Palm Springs 1946."  The man looks like he's about the right age to have been a World War 2 veteran, and Palm Springs would have been a nice place for a romantic reunion after being released from service.   Before blowing up the print, I actually thought he was wearing a military uniform, but now I don't think so. 

Pierpoint Landing

 

This postcard was never sent, so I don't have an exact date that I can reference in this post.  Just going by the cars, I'm thinking sometime in the 1950s to the early sixties.  I have one clue, the identity of the publisher.  "X.45 WESTERN PUBL. & NOV. CO., 259 SO. LOS ANGELES ST., L.A. CALIF."  The hint is that there is no zip code, which were first used in 1963.  Pierpoint Landing was a sport fishing venue with some kiddie rides and exhibits that was in business from 1948 to 1972.  And the caption on the back, "PIERPOINT LANDING LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA. The landing at the tip of Pier A draws nearly as many spectators as fishermen. There are many shops and cafes here as well as live fish and seal exhibits." The Long Beach inner harbor is far different now. 

Along the Youghiogheny

 

Not the most exciting postcard in the world, but I grew up in western Pennsylvania, and while the Yough wasn't that close to me, I did some walking along the river.  The river actually starts in West Virginia, flows through Maryland before entering Pennsylvania.  It was damned in 1944, just north of the Pennsylvania border, but apart from that reservoir, it's mostly free-flowing.  I don't know exactly where this photograph was taken, so it could be in any of the three states, but it was published by "The Union News Company, New York and Pittsburgh" so I have a feeling that the location is near Unionville, PA.  Ohiopyle State Park in Pennsylvania was somewhere I liked to visit from time to time.  The Youghiogheny meets the Monongahela at McKeesport, PA.  The Mon meets the Allegheny in downtown Pittsburgh and forms the Ohio. 

Krystal Gloss Prints 6

 

Time to finish up with a couple of dogs trying to climb a ladder. I suspect it leads to a rickety wooden bridge crossing the river.  It looks like the bottom dog needs some help.  Click on The Crystal Gloss Collection in labels to see the now completed collection. 

Krystal Gloss Prints 5

 

We're getting near the end of this collection.  Only two more images and then it's done.  I tried blowing the top print up, and while I can't be 100% sure, I think that dark spot in the middle of the river is a raft.  And, of course, there had to be one picture of a woman washing clothes.  It's not that men are lazy, it's just that we don't mind being dirty.  Click on The Krystal Gloss Collection in labels to see everything. 

North Hollywood

 

Just enough of the license plate holder is readable to see that this Rambler station wagon was purchased from a dealership in North Hollywood, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley, and not really all that close to Hollywood itself.  I wonder if she's off to dance class for the aspiring child stars of the 1950s. 

Krystal Gloss Prints 4

 

As a rule, I don't post lab stamps, but I rather like the Bear Photo Service logo.  So, is it a river, or is it a lake?  I'm about 99% certain it's a river.  Look close and you can see what looks like rapids.  As usual click on The Crystal Gloss  Collection to see more. 

The Panama Canal

 

Written on the back, "Gatun Locks Panama Canal" Construction of the canal started in 1904 and was finished ten years later in 1914, so if nothing else, we know this picture was taken after that.  The Gatun Locks are on the Atlantic side of the isthmus, near the city of Colon, and right off of Limon Bay.  This view is looking north towards Gatun Lake.  The men standing on the boat on the left side of the print are wearing hats worn by members of the U.S. Navy, though it's quite possible that sailors of other nations, as well as sailors of the merchant marine, might have also worn them.  

Barney Seamon's

 

 I did a bit of research and found some information about Barney Seamon's Modern Clothing Store.  In February 1917, Barney was liquidating his store.  He had to retire due to ill health.  There is something written on the back, "Out on the State road near Coffin Crops-the same day we stopped at Coffin's & returned to the gorge behind Aunt Min's."  Well, I'm not sure about Coffin Crop's.  It could be Coffee Drop's, or perhaps Coffin Drops.  It's bad when someone has worse handwriting than me.  There are over 150 waterfalls in the Ithica area, all with their very own gorge.  I have no idea which one is behind Aunt Min's. 

Bullies

 

I know what it's like to be bullied so I can recognize what's going on in this photo.  The white line on the right of the print and all those little white spots are from dirt on the negative.  

Krystal Gloss Prints 3

 

Of the pictures in this small booklet, it's the second one in this column that interested me the most.  It looks like a river ferry.  The top photo looks like a man tending a field, which points to private land.  As usual, click on The Krystal Gloss Collection in labels to see other images from this small photo album. 

May I have Your Attention Please

 

Judging by the way some of the people are facing, someone interesting, or more probably in a position of authority is at the head of the table.  A company dinner, perhaps.  Anyway, there's a lab stamp on the back of the print, but it's mostly unreadable.  I can make out "PRO-JEC-TED" and a word just below that that I think is either enlarged or enlarging.  The top part, however, is just too faded to make out, and that's probably where the lab's name, and perhaps, its location, was.  

Krystal Gloss Prints 2

  

There are only a few photos in this collection that I would have wanted if they hadn't been in this little photo booklet, and the second one in the column is one of them.  Since Bear Photo Service was headquartered in California, I'm guessing these photos must have been taken somewhere in the state.  But where?  The footbridge should give a clue.  Is it on the upper Kern River?  The Truckee?  So far, my research hasn't come up with an answer.  Click on The Krystal Gloss Collection in labels to see the rest. 

See the U.S.A. in Your Chevrolet

 

Yet another postcard from the New York City World's Fair.  And the caption on the back, GENERAL MOTORS FUTURAMA BUILDING New York World's Fair 1964-1965.  Peace through Understanding.  This night view of the largest building ever constructed for a Fair exhibit is keynoted by an enormous slanting canopy 110 feet high over the entrance to the exhibit area.  The exhibit projects its visitors into the life of the future as predicted by GM's technicians."  I'm guessing that future didn't include comprehensive, off-road mass transit. 

Have a Pepsi

 

I've always been rather fascinated by the idea of a World's Fair, and it's one of the regrets of my life that I've never been to one.  So, the caption, "PEPSI-COLA PAVILION, New York World's Fair 1964-1965.  Peace through Understanding.  Animated figures representing children in national costumes entertain visitors on a Walt Disney-created cruise taken in specially designed boats.  A UNICEF exhibit is also included."  Child labor laws, I guess. 

Krystal Gloss Prints 1

 

If you're old enough, and I am, you'll have memories of taking a roll of black and white film to the local drug store and coming back a week later for a little booklet of pictures.  The cover usually had the name of the service, the lab's name, and sometimes the name of the local store that took in your film.   I'm not quite sure how I'm going to put up the twelve prints in this booklet, and I'm more interested in the booklet itself than in the prints, which seem to be from a camping trip of some kind.  Click on The Krystal Gloss Collection to bring up the rest of the prints. 

The Streak

 

So, does she have a blond streak in her hair or is it just lighting?  

Archery

 

Take careful aim and release the arrow.  And try not to shoot someone. 

Cool Shades

  

Someone should bring back those sunglasses.  I bet they'd sell.  The one woman looks like she has some sort of guidebook in her hand, but the photo isn't sharp enough to figure out where it's from, 

The Mothers of Revelations

 

I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist the pun.  Written on the back, "This was Taken Mother's Day." 

The Family Piano

 

Dated "1958."  

Veda & Cambell

 

There was a time when many people carried family pictures around in their wallets.  The type of photo labs that I used to work in was more about large industrial accounts, but all of them did a certain amount of over-the-counter personal work.  Anyway, we had this very old, beat-up wallet-size easel that we used so little, that sometimes it would get shoved away in some corner, and when we had to make a wallet-sized print like this shot of Veda and Campbell, we'd have to go searching for the thing.  

Page 6

 

Is she a nurse?  The uniform looks right and that big clipboard that ended up in the shot makes this look like some sort of award ceremony.  "Page 6" is written on the back, so perhaps this shot was meant for the local newspaper.  Back in the old days when there were local newspapers that covered things like this. 

Cooling Off at the Ducklake

 

Written on the back of the top photo, "Virginia Fraser, Carolyn, Bonnie, Helen Cameron, at the Ducklake, July, 37."  The bottom photo, "Bonnie Thompson, Virginia Fraser, July 1937."  I wonder how hot it was in July 1937 at the Ducklake?