Bunches of People

 

I'm trying to figure out what the two photos were mounted on.  I'm thinking something to do with a silent movie star.  It's too bad it was cut down to fit the photos.  Honestly, it looks like it might have been more interesting than the photos themselves.  For those who can't make out the writing, the top image is labeled, "Whity, Marie, Aunt May, Loulla, Allen."  I'm assuming that Whity should be Whitey, and Loulla should be Louella.  The bottom, "Babe, Aunt Mamie, Mom, Aunt Gertie."  On the back, "Allen, Aunt Gurtie, Mom, Aunt Mamie, Babe."  So, is it Gertie or Gurtie?  Written quickly, or poor spelling?  You can also see just how little I spend on my collection. 

The Trio

 

Another true found photograph.  I had to walk to the store this morning, and there it was, in the middle of the sidewalk.  It looks like it's been stepped on a few times.  I'm beginning to think that my fascination with other people's snapshots is entering crazy town.  Oh well, at least I'm not doing any harm to others. 

July 4th., a Piece of History

 

Platoon 35.  On July 6, 1948, Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981, integrating the United States Armed Forces.   This photo is dated July 1, 1950, so it's one of the first integrated Marine Corps training classes from Parris Island, in South Carolina.  Unless I missed someone, I counted five black troops in the class.  Anyway, a fair amount of info on the front of the photo.  M.C.R.D. stands for Marine Corps Recruiting Depot.  Just for the hell of it, I did a search for the three sergeants named, H.A. Eravi, H.E. Moore, and P.H. Myers.  Nothing came up.  There is an Ashley Moog, professional photographer located in Beaufort, South Carolina.  A daughter or a granddaughter of the Moog credited as the photographer on the front of the print.  Possible, perhaps even probable, but not guaranteed.  

The Wisdom of the Crowd

 

 I'm not sure how wise this crowd of what looks to be teenagers were, but at least it's a crowd.  

T.C.W. CO.

  

What is the T.C. W. Co.?  It's in the lower left corner, so maybe this isn't a school class photo.  It probably is.  All the children look like they are around the same age, and they are in the classic class photo setup.  Also, 2908, which is also visible in the lower left corner.  Is that a date?  August 1929?  The clothing and hair look right for that era.   

Faded Friends

 

I have a few more faded prints in the box, but I'm going to move on for a bit to other things.  I think, but I'm not sure, that at least some of this series come from the same source. 

It's a Dog!

 

This is a fairly small print, and when I just looked at it, I wondered what the woman on the left was holding.  Then I scanned it and blew it up and got a good look.  It's the family dog.  

Looking Angry

 

Well, maybe not angry.  Perhaps glum would be a better description.  One of the things I've noticed in my years of collecting old photographs is that in older photos, many people don't know how to pose.  They are often stiff and rarely show emotion.  How to pose must be a learned skill.  

The Cool Chick

  

Dig those cool shades.  That's sunglasses to the non-hipsters.  

Bad Weather, Everywhere. Three Couples in the Snow.

 

I like the lady on the left.  She has chosen style over winter warmth.  Now that's commitment. 

Somewhere in Europe

 

Good Germans between the wars?  I have no idea where this photo was taken, but it's printed on Gevaert Ridax paper, manufactured in Belgium from 1905 to 1959.   

Where will he be deployed?

 

There are a lot of photos out there of men in uniform.  From the clothing, my best guess is that this photo was taken around the late 1920s to early 1930s.  Did this young sailor hope for deployment in Hawaii or the Philippines?  Plum assignments before the Japanese attacks that brought the United States into World War 2. 

The Staff

  

Who are these guys?  With their pocket protectors and their numbered identity badges, well, I think we can say they are not high school teachers.  I can't be sure, but I think a couple of guys in the back row, the ones without ties, might be military.  Some secret research project, perhaps? 

Don't Forget the Dog

  

Written on the back, "July 1952  Ruth, Clint & David, Clint's son."  A farm family?  Perhaps a house right on the edge of the new, post-war subdivision?  Was Clint a widower or divorced? 

Crazy Looking Women

  

I'm not sure what these angry-looking women are standing beside.  An old water trough, perhaps, though with a very visible hole in the bottom.  One woman in the back looks like she's holding a book, perhaps a Bible.  A baptism delayed due to a lack of water?  Who knows.  I don't. 

Lost Feet

 

Written on the back, "28th Dec 1947, Doris June, Emily, Vida, Dicy.  Our feet got lost somewhere in the camera.  Ha."  What kind of name is Dicy?  It has to be short for something.  There's also a processing lab stamp, "JAN 1948  STUDER  S. A.  TEX."  I assume that S.A. stands for San Antonio. 

Little Girls, Mostly

 

It looks like this one was cut down from a larger print.  And it's still out of focus.  With those haircuts, I'm guessing the 1920s.  With the exception of the kid in the lower left, who is looking down, all appear to be little girls.  Notice that he's wearing an Indian headdress with a single feather.  

The Little Sisters

  

Written on the back, "The four little Sisters taken at Elinor & Bills.  Thanksgiving Day Nov 24, 1950."  

Friends on the Couch

 

 It's getting harder and harder to come up with a good title for these posts.  My guess is that this photo is from the 1950s. 

Three Girls and a Guy

 

Dated "1954."  Is the guy having fun, or is he being tortured into submission?  My guess he's having fun.