More Name Tags

Photos of people wearing name tags drive me crazy.  It's usually impossible to read them. 

What Was She?

What was she? A waitress or a maid?  That might depend on what part of the country she lived. 

House Proud

I'm a big believer that people feature things in portraits that they're proud off.  At a time when cars were becoming common, but still hadn't become so ubiquitous that they were kind of just there, you'll find pictures of people leaning against their cars.  In this case, we've got a low angle and a house that dominates the image.  Nothing written on this photo, but going by the clothes I'm guessing right before World War 1. 

Going to the Gym, Really Tired

Believe it or not, there was a time when it was against postal regulations to write anything on the back of a postcard, except the address.  Not wishing to be so limited, people wrote their messages all over the front.   I'm not sure how easy it will be to read this, even if you click on the image and bring it up in a bigger window.  In a more things change the more things stay the same, the sender of this card is complaining about being tired after going to the gym.  I doubt it was a spin class.

Addressed to "Miss Mae E. McGovern, Lowville, Lewis Co., New York"  Postmark, "NEW PALTZ, OCT 26. 7 AM, 1905, N.Y." 

Dinner Party

The room looks too big for someone's home, so I'm guessing this was taken at a banquet hall, and this is probably a company party.  Management only, of course.  From the fifties would be my guess.

The Bulgarian School Boy Album 15

The bottom picture is a shot of school boys and a few school girls, but the top photo is clearly an adult in an army uniform.  Why the suitcases?  Going to the front or fleeing the Germans, or Russians?  Click on The Bulgarian School Boy Album to see more.   I'll b e going back to regular programming in the next post, and will finish up things in a month or so. 

The Bulgarian School Boy Album 14

The top photo really suggests some big questions.  Dated April 1944, it looks like Stara Zagora was spared the ravages of World War 2.  The city looks untouched and the two gentlemen in uniforms seem rather happy and self satisfied.  In April of 1944, Bulgaria was still an ally of Germany, but the Soviet army was just five months away from tossing out the Germans as well as the fascist  government.  Were these two young men  happy to be living in a Nazi state or were they looking forward to liberation, as short-lived as that turned out to be?  Of course, they may have been thinking about the two ladies in the second photo.  I almost didn't scan the back of the second photo, but I thought it might be a local way of  writing a date.  February 9, 1942, or perhaps September 2, 1942.  Then again it might be a notation that only the owner of this album could understand. 

Click on The Bulgarian School Boy Album in labels to see more.