TATTERED AND LOST PHOTOGRAPHS: 6/1/11

6/30/11

ANOTHER FRIEND of Juanita or Charles

Another image from THE STRANGEST PHOTO ALBUM I Ever Bought. I think that about says it all. Someone really went to town with their colors on this one, including the dress.

6/28/11

FRIEND of Juanita or Charles?

If you've been following this site since earlier this year you might remember the odd photo album I featured that belonged to Chas. E. Thomas from Kentucky. I called it THE STRANGEST PHOTO ALBUM I Ever Bought. If you haven't seen it you might want to go back in time and check out the series of posts that featured one of his wives, Juanita.

Amongst all the duplicate shots of Juanita, her daughter, her former husband, etc. were some photobooth shots that had been hand tinted. This is one of them.

There's no information as to who this woman is. It's all a mystery. Who is she and who applied the color? With the oddness of the album there are a lot of stories that could probably be told about this woman.

The Gray family got maybe TOO MUCH SUN

I'm calling them the Gray family, though their name is something like Seabcros. They were family relations in some manner of the Kallman family. I just can't figure out the spelling of the name. And try to imagine this "album" which is nothing more than black paper tied together with all photos stapled into the "book." Yes, I said stapled. You can see the staples in the shot below.

For my purpose they are the Gray family. The family that went to the beach and stayed out too long the day before they were getting the family portrait taken.

Another fine example of hand tinting. You can see yesterday's example here.

Click on image to see it larger.

I think you'll agree with me that this is some truly fine fine work. A portrait just calling out from the other side...

6/27/11

HAND TINTED photographs

If you follow my other blog, Tattered and Lost Ephemera, you'll know I've been focusing on nighttime postcard images. I bought a book called Postcards of the Night: Views of American Cities which goes into some detail about how black and white photos shot during the day were often used for old postcards showing nighttime city scenes. A lot of photo manipulation was done to create the images, far more than I'd expected.

This got me thinking about hand tinted photos and what I have in my collection. Some of the tinting was done by professionals, but on the whole I believe most of it was done by regular folks hoping to enhance their photos, not always successful.

Over the next several days I'll be posting images of varying success. I'll leave it to you to determine on how well the job was done.

I have no information about this young lady. I do have two black and white photobooth shots of her taken when she was younger. I'm wondering if she did the hand tinting on this photo, making sure her striped skirt reflected what it looked like in real life. A slight blush to the cheeks, a blue hair ribbon peeking over the top of her "yellow" hair, and the decorative "needle work" on the front of her blouse. Interestingly, no color was added to her eyes.

Click on image to see it larger.

To see the postcard images click here, here, here, and here with more to come this week.

6/25/11

It's my street, GO HOME!

Did any of these fellows end up in juvvie? Remember when that was a common phrase? You behaved bad and you'd up a JD, juvenile delinquent. I still remember my folks driving me by the "boys home" on Oahu. Just the thought of it scared me straight. One of my friends mother used to tell her a gypsy was going to take her away. I think all parents had their breaking point and some mysterious place they were going to send us.

What were these boys told, especially the one in the middle who is anticipating a rumble.

Click on image to see it larger.

These little darlings are from the Three Buck Big Box of Photos which continues to give and give. I'm thinking perhaps these boys have something to do with the boys in this photo. I'm seeing a family resemblance.

6/23/11

AIRLINES used to be fun

I'm glad to be old enough to remember what flying on commercial airlines used to be like. You dressed up and you behaved yourself. Flights took longer, but you were treated with respect and not spam in a can. These days I'll do everything I can to avoid flying. The airlines stink and too often so does the person you're sitting next to. Yes, I'm glad I have my memories, my vinyl Pan Am bag, my little United wings, old TWA folders, my postcards, etc.

The worst flight I ever took was from the West Coast to Dulles. It took over 32 hours. These days, that's normal. How the mighty have fallen, which brings me to these vintage snapshots of planes.

This weeks Sepia Saturday image shows two people working on an aircraft engine which logically made me think of vernacular photographs I have of people traveling by plane.

These first three photos all show a man by the name of Mr. Roberts who led a fascinating life. I've posted images of him in the past. I have been told what this first seaplane is, but now I can't remember so I'm open to suggestions.

Click on any image to see it larger.

The image above shows Mr. Roberts about to fly with Century Air Lines on a Stinson Tri-Motored 10 passenger plane. On the back it says "September 1931." To see a 1932 brochure from Century click here. They even provided chauffeured transportation to and from the airport. Imagine that?

Century Air Lines was formed in 1930 by Errett Lobban Cord who seems to have had his fingers in many pies.

In the final week of 1930, Cord announced the formation of Century Air Lines, Inc. an air-mail and cargo carrier based out of Chicago. Simultaneously, Stinson Aircraft announced the $3 million sale of 100 Lycoming-powered airliners to Century.

In early 1932, Aviation Corp., (AVCO) the parent company of American Airways, launched a hostile takeover of Cord’s Century Airlines by creating a labor dispute with Century’s pilots. Cord was not amused and spent the next few months secretly purchasing large chunks of Aviation Corp. stock.

At AVCO's fall board meeting, its directors were unpleasantly surprised to learn that Cord was now Aviation Corp’s majority stockholder (34%), which effectively gave him control over Century and American. On August 3, 1933 Cord purchased the New York Shipbuilding Corp. of Camden, New Jersey, and two weeks later purchased a controlling interest in the Kalamazoo, Michigan-based Checker Cab Co. (SOURCE: Coachbuilt)

I have no idea when the shot below was taken, but geez, even the ground crew is dressed up and they probably didn't rifle through your luggage stealing whatever took their fancy. And if that's the pilot dragging the steps away who's flying the plane?

The image below is from a photo album of a trip a couple took between June 27-July 15 in 1954.

And this is a photo I have posted before. Click here to see the fascinating response I received after posting it.

Like I said, people used to dress up to fly. Flying was an adventure, not a chore.

6/21/11

Deconstructing SCHOOL CHILDREN: The End

Within this class photo there is a mystery, a photo of a woman being held by the last little boy in the top row. I'm guessing it's of the teacher. I wonder who decided to do this? Another teacher, a student, the principal? Was the teacher just out sick the day the shot was taken? Had she passed on? Left town in a hurry? I don't think I've ever seen a class photo with a photo in it.

This is the end of the class of Pala 1942.

I don't know about you, but I'm thinking this little girl never took any guff from anybody.

Click on image to see it larger.

6/20/11

Deconstructing SCHOOL CHILDREN: Part 5

Somewhere there are people related to these little girls; children, grandchildren, perhaps even great-grandchildren. I'm always fascinated to look at photos of children and wonder what became of their lives.

Perhaps someday someone will do a search for Pala 1942. Unlikely, but possible.

6/19/11

BILL WITH BOY along Columbia River Highway, 1920

The Columbia River Highway in Oregon is a lovely drive with a lot to see. Along the way you have Portland (which has Powells!!!) and then the river just moves along through the Bonneville Dam and beyond. Beautiful campgrounds, waterfalls, boating, windsurfers...

Here's Bill back in 1920 along the highway at one of the many vista stops. Hope he wasn't traveling too far on that tire.

An image for Father's Day, whether this is his son or not. Today would be a nice day for a drive with dad.

6/16/11

Ship shape AT THE SHORE

Last week, on Sepia Saturday, I featured photos from a trip two fellows, Bill and Dick, took across the United States in 1914. This week I begin with another photo from that album, then, using the theme of going to the beach/coast/shore, I give you a variety of folks having fun in the sun.

This first shot was taken on May 16th in Atlantic City, New Jersey. That is Dick in the cart. The journal entry says that you could rent one of these carts for 30 cents an hour. It's depressing to think about.

I remember going to Atlantic City as a child. I fondly remember the boardwalk and the beach; I have no recollection of people being pushed in carts.

The rest of these are nothing more than glimpses of past beachwear from the early 20th century to the late 1950s or early '60s.

And last, but certainly not least...I just don't know. Prison uniforms, cult, or beachwear? I'm thinking if these outfits got wet they took a very long time to dry and could easily take you down in a riptide. What would they think of the beachwear today?

6/15/11

Deconstructing SCHOOL CHILDREN: Part 4

Though I do not have any definitive information about this school photo I do think they went to a school in San Jose, California. Judging by their age, it's quite possible some of the boys served in the Korean War, often called America's forgotten war. The war that to this day sees troops stationed along the DMZ.

Now after hearing the report of how woefully ignorant high school seniors are in American history I don't expect very many to have the slightest idea about what these young boys faced. With only 12% of seniors having an understanding of their own country I imagine most will believe DMZ is simply a typo and I meant to type in TMZ. If ignorance is bliss, there have to be a lot of blissful teenagers.

These boys, from Pala class of 1942, understood their country was at war. War was not something far removed from their lives. It wasn't a hidden class of people fighting the war. It touched all lives. Not so today. Again, ignorance is apparently bliss.

These are the forgotten children of this country who fought the wars, built the highways, constructed the homes, invented technology to take us into space, worked in factories building products to be exported around the world, etc. What will the future bring for the kids in school today who aren't even being asked to learn cursive handwriting? Where will their creativity come from if machines constantly guide their every thought? I'd like to say I'm hopeful, but I'm starting to believe maybe it is easier to be ignorant.