When I saw this weeks Sepia Saturday prompt my first thought was of can't bust 'ems, aka overalls. I have photos of my dad on the ranch in his can't bust 'ems with a big smile on his face. He wore them to school for years along with his hobnail boots. I have no idea who the people are in these vintage snapshots.
For me overalls have always been the clothing of hard working people who came home with dirt under their nails and a longing for a good meal and sleep...and country kids.
Click on image to see it larger.
Click on image to see it larger.
TWO NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE: I have two books now for sale on Amazon throughout the U.S./Canada and Europe, including the UK. One is a revised version of Tattered and Lost: Childhood, the other is completely new and called Tattered and Lost: Telling Stories. Take a look at the links in the left column to find out more about them or click on the Amazon links farther down the page.
I am currently revising the original first volume of Tattered and Lost and hope to have it available soon. Each of the volumes is in a new trim size with more photos at a reduced price from the previous books.
And if you're quick of eye you'll notice a man wearing overalls eating watermelon in the Telling Stories example in the lefthand column.
Posts
You are so right about the association there exists between overalls and good, honest hard work. One is almost tempted to say that is why one sees so few overalls these days but that would be unfair. The work might be different but it is, in the main, as hard and as honest as ever.
ReplyDeleteI was wishing I had a pair today as I was digging mud out of trenches along the driveway. I'll sleep sound tonight!
DeleteIn the first half of the twentieth-century, it was also quite common for pre-teen males to wear overalls in non-country settings, even including suburban and urban areas.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to turn your photos into books for sale! Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteLoved the overall pictures that you showed us today.
Kathy M.
There seems to be more what I call bib and brace overalls in posts from America this week. Noticeable to me as I can't remember so many in the UK. Good luck with your books.
ReplyDeleteYou're probably used to the sort of overalls my grandfather wore on the railroad. He did have a blue and white stripped bib overall, but he also had an all in one suit that to this day my dad still wears when working on really dirty things. It too is in the blue and white striped material. You step into it and button it up the front.
DeleteI especially like the kids all in overalls. I'll be taking a look at your books.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kristin. Let me know if you have any questions about the books. They are produced by Amazon as print on demand and are quite nice. I'm very pleased with the quality. I'll keep adding more books to the series as I acquire more images.
Delete"Can't bust 'ems" ~ what a great name!
ReplyDeleteAh, the trusty workhorse! And those "Can't bust 'ems"! ( wasn't that a rap song?) such a great name! Who knew that the common overall had so many incarnations?
ReplyDeleteNever heard of "can't bust 'ems," but I like it a lot. We called them "bibbers" when I was little...great photos!
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was a California thing left over from the Depression, but everybody called the can't bust 'ems.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of "can't bust 'ems" either but I guess you would never guess how overalls are called here in Holland. Overalls, no kidding. I like the second picture, it radiates real life. Do I see corn?
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of overalls being called "can't bust 'ems" but it's a great name. I associate them with hard-working men, too, except when they began being worn by college kids in the 1970s. I like your photos, especially the men and the mule in the corn.
ReplyDeleteWell, here we call them "salopettes".
ReplyDelete:)~
HUGZ
Three super images. The first group looks like maybe two sets of twins. The other two are two terrific farming photos especially with mules as I think they were the more common and practical draft animal around the farm. But when you can add that endless Midwest horizon it really takes the photo to another level.
ReplyDelete