10/17/15

FROWN and the Whole Class Frowns With You


What did the photographer say to these kids? It sure wasn’t “cheese!”



Behold the deconstructing of the frowning school kids. More to come each day until the final reveal. 

10/9/15

The FAMILY PORTRAIT + House


Sepia Saturday's theme is a Victorian family portrait. I'm sure if I really thought about it I'd find a portrait worthy of the theme. Instead, with nothing coming to mind, I'm taking the theme in a slightly different direction.

Portrait photography was generally done inside with a studio background. I'm not sure when it became popular to have the family pose in front of their home. It's a category that I jokingly call The American Dream.

Were the photographers just passing through in a wagon offering to take the family photo? Or did the photographers come out from town?

I especially enjoy the photo below because the house is so very much part of the portrait. A happy little house, eyes wide open, mouth open beckoning all to enter (or a dark hole ready to suck them in). It looks indeed to be a small house which had the family bursting at the seams; nine people in that house. Granted, we don't know how far back it went, but I'm guessing it was about as deep as it was wide. Of course it is possible that some of the relatives just showed up for the photo shoot, but we'll never know.


Click on image to see it larger.

It's a fun category to collect, but also an expensive one. That's the main reason I have collected so few. I try to generally find unusual ones that tell a story. In more than one I'm convinced the daughter in the family ran away with the photographer. At least I'm hoping they did; struck out for some adventure. Their version of running away with the circus.

In a house with nine I'm guessing every day was a bit of a circus.

10/6/15

CLASS A trailer


Ever been inside one of those Class A motorhomes that sells for around a half-million dollars? Mind blowing. Some of them look like Vegas on wheels. But some of them are stunning. I was in one years ago that was so beautiful all I could do was stand in the middle of the room and drool. Incredible cherry stained cabinets with no sharp edges, a bit of stained glass, luxury all around. You almost felt like you were aboard a classic and beautiful cruise ship from the first part of the 20th century. Unfortunately the company that made this beauty went out of business during the recession. I have never seen another rig to compare to it. But do the people in those expensive rigs have more fun than the family below?


Click on image to see it larger.

On the back it says:

Inez & Vergil & her little boy with me. A flash taken inside our trailer.

So I guess the song "Over the River and Through the Woods" should be changed from "to grandmother's house we go" to "and here come grandmother's house to us."

10/1/15

PIN THE TAIL…Hey, Wait a Minute


I had this donkey. I had the very same donkey and I remember playing it several times at my birthday parties. Now I'm wondering whatever became of that hole ridden piece of paper. I loved the donkey. He was so happy. So happy to have blindfolded kids nailing him with thumbtacks.

I'm sure there are others out there that also fondly remember this donkey.


Click on image to see it larger.

I'm really bummed to think my donkey got tossed. Not nice to toss a donkey.