Sit on My Back

  

I wish I knew where this was taken.  The bluffs in the background could be Santa Monica, but I'm sure there are other beaches in the world with bluffs.  

Nivea

 

So why is this guy sitting with a big Nivea ball between his legs?  Curious. 

Bikini

Dig that early bikini.  Wow, I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've posted something. 

Aquamaids!

No, I'm not converting The New Found Photography into a postcard blog.  As a matter of fact, I'm going back to photographs soon.

So, Cypress Gardens.  Founded by Dick and Julie Pope in 1936, it was originally a botanic garden.  The Popes were both enthusiastic water skiers, so then came the shows.  Then there was amusement park rides, and before anyone new it, Florida had its first theme park.  Sadly Cypress Gardens couldn't compete with the newly opened Disney World in nearby Orlando.  After a number of ownership changes, Cypress Gardens was purchased by Legoland.  Bye bye water skies, hello plastic blocks.

The caption on the back, "BEAUTY ON PARADE: The Aquamaids of Cypress Gardens ski in four daily water ski shows and really exemplify the youthful spirit of Florida as they skim over the water in formation."

Sailing, 28G359, She

Once again, it's time to take sail on the good ship 28G359.  The top photo, like yesterday's is labeled 1936.  The second one in the column has the rather intriguing notation, "Doris & Harry's first boat (Date)"  I have to confess, before I read what was written on the back I assumed that both of the people in the photo were women, and I'm still leaning that way.  Harry can be short for Harriet.  Harry does, however, seem to lack feminine curves.  But that hair says woman.  At least it does in 1936. 

In the Summertime

With one winter storm after another pummeling the east coast, I thought I'd remind people that summer is coming with a look back at "JUL 69"  I grew up in a small town in western Pennsylvania, and every time there was a blizzard, people would wonder how they were going to survive the big storm.  Same way they always did. 

More Depression on the Beach

The flip side of yesterday's post, dated "August 1930."  It looks like the beach trip required a boat ride.

Depression on the Beach

I've made this point before, and with this album page, I'm able to make it again.  While the Great Depression was devastating to the lives of many, others survived, and even thrived during the era.  It looks like these two kids were never hungry or homeless.  My father, born in 1919, was both.

For those who can't make out the writing: Above the kid with the toy airplane, "July 1930."  Below the beach photo, "August 1930  3yrs 10 mos."

The Here, There, and Everywhere Collection-Finally, Swimming

Swimming lessons over, it's time for the test.  I'm guessing that no one drowned, but one can never tell.  Go back to the previous post and see the photo of all the kids lined up in front of  a building.  I'm guessing that they're all from the same school, but I'm also guessing field trip to a local athletic club.

So, as usual, click on The Here There and Everywhere Collection in labels fro more photos and more info on the collection.

The Here, There, and Everywhere Collection-Learning to Swim

Well, this one was a pain in the ass to scan.  Believe it or not, this was once the way swimming was taught, and for all I know, it's a method that's still being used.  As a matter of fact, I once found myself on my belly, on a gym floor, practicing the crawl.  Problem was, I had been swimming for almost a decade.  I can't remember if I got splinters or not.

There aren't any photos on the reverse of this album page.  Click on The Here There and Everywhere Collection in labels for more photos and more info.

Momie, Ruth, and Helen

Written on the back of the second photo, "Detroit River, summer 1938.  Momie & Ruth." The third picture, "Detroit River, summer 1938.  Ruth & Helen."

The Detroit River connects the not so great Lake Saint Clair,  Detroit, and Lake Erie.  (The Saint Clair River connects Lake Huron and Lake Saint Clair.) It also separates Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, Canada.  In 1938, it was one of the most polluted waterways in North America, so if these three ladies were actually swimming, they risked at least a few weird  infections.  More likely, they were headed to Lake Erie for a week of sailing.

1938 was near the end of the great depression.  In a few years, World War 2 defense spending would make Detroit one of the wealthiest cities in the world.  After the war, with no real competition from foreign car makers, Detroit continued getting richer and richer.  If this family could afford a sailboat during the depression, they probably were in a position to really cash in during the war and the post war boom.

And yes, who ever wrote the message on the back of the photos did spell it Momie.

Beat Me With a Stick

I can't remember where I heard it, but beat me with a stick is something I've heard at one time or another.

Anyway, written on the back, "Rebeal 1947, Malcolm Salinger, Jan Castsanien."  Now, I guess that makes some sort of sense, two names, two people.  But then, "Peggy Schull, Jan Castanien, Salinger, Denison, N W Ines."  Okay, I've got two names and since Malcolm and Jan get named twice, I guess that's Jan and Malcolm fooling around in the photo, but why did Peggy, Denison, and Ines all get mentioned?  And Rebeal?  I did a search, and Rebeal is an actual surname, so is that yet another unseen person, or the name of the beach?  As usual, more questions than answers.

Sweetie

This one has one of my all time favorite  captions, "Sweetie Looking Pleasant For Me."  

The Green Album 2

It looks like the same location as the first post in this series.  Click on The Green Album in labels.

The Green Album 1

It's time to put up another album.  Since each page has a number of images, I'll be returning to my usual practice of scanning the whole page  to show position, and then an individual scan of each individual photograph.  There are a lot of pages in this one, but most of them are blank.  Some of the pages have empty corners, or bits of glue and paper, and some of the blank pages are pristine.  Even though there aren't all that many pages with actual photographs, I may break up the way I post them, so, I'll label everything The Green Album so that they can all be brought up together.

None of the photos are labeled, so, once again it's conjecture time.  I bought this album from an eBay dealer in the mid-west.  It's been awhile, so my memory is a bit hazy on where exactly, but I do remember it was great plainsish.  Of course, photos and albums travel.  Sometimes with people as they move around the country, and sometimes, through the mail, from one friend or family member to another.

There's one thing we can be sure of, these beach side photos weren't taken around the great lakes.  Take a good look in the first photo.  There's a palm tree behind our lounging lady.  I've been all around Florida, and I don't remember any bluff side beaches, so I think California is a pretty good bet, but not near any of the cities.  Even when these were taken, Los Angeles, Long Beach, south bay, Orange County, and San Diego were all developed and crowded.  Perhaps a bit further north near Oxnard, Ventura, or Santa Barbara.

On the Beach

Los Angeles now has a light rail to Santa Monica and the beach.  It's no longer necessary to sit in traffic and pay $15 to park.  This is not Los Angeles or Santa Monica. Dated "JUL 70"

Swim Season

I've been putting up some of my many pictures of women, and while I've still got lots and lots to go, it's time to mix things up again.  With Memorial Day upon us, it becomes swim season.  Although, in this day, the whole idea of a season for things is becoming a thing of the past.  Anyway, it looks like a pool rather than the beach.

Long Beach Album Photo, Side One

Over the years, I have often written about my displeasure when antique dealers cut up photo albums.  Well it's time to do it again.  Please, I know you can make more money selling individual photos but come on, there's history here that should be preserved as a whole.

So back to this photo.  It's been cut from an album.  It's still pasted to a section of the page.  There's another photo on the other side, which well be the next post.  This one is captioned, "Red Star Yeast, Long Beach, Cal. 1914."  I doubt that this man was an employee of the company.  I looked it up, and the star on the man's bathing suit looks just like the one on the Red Star Yeast logo.  Just speculation, but I'm guessing that this album was put together by a woman, because, what man would see that star and think of baking.  Well a baker maybe, but the handwriting is kind of fine and delicate.

Is that the photographer's thumb?

The Good Life In California

This is how I imagined things as a kid,  way back east, in coal country, western Pennsylvania.   I thought Californians lounged by the pool when they weren't at the beach, surfing.

Summer's End

Well, we think of September as summer's end because the kids are back in school, even though it's still hot and there's still plenty of beach weather left.