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