HAPPY NEW YEAR: Possibility 1

I'm going to give you three possibilities for how to spend your New Year. You'll need to come back the next two days. I can tell you the entry for January 1st is R-rated; so you've been warned.

So you have to ask yourself, "Buddy, are you feelin' lucky? Well, are ya?"

Click on either image to see them larger.

THE PARTY is in full swing

I hadn't even noticed this shot went with yesterday's shot of the musicians. I had it separated into a different envelope. There are, I believe, 12 large envelopes full of photos and ephemera from the Ten Buck Box.

This is proof there was a party. These are the ladies of the party. If you look closely you'll see the band still sitting next to the building off in the distance.

Still no information as to where this was taken. Time period would be late 1940s to early '50s. Neither photo has any information on the back. Usually for photos that Arthur took he had them processed in Wiesbaden and there is processing information on the back; no such luck with this and yesterday's image.

Click on image to see it larger.

Take a moment to imagine the sights and sounds of the party. The little band sitting in the warmth of the sun playing a little swing while others drank, smoked, and chatted. No raucous noise; nothing amplified. Hoping they had a good time. Also hoping food was provided, though there's none to be see in either photo.

A HOLLYWOOD PARTY

There used to be elegant nightclubs in Hollywood. Not so much today.

Yesterday morning I got up really early...okay...early for me. I headed out for an estate sale. I didn't expect much and that's what it delivered. I was in the door with the first group so I know I didn't miss anything. It was more of a moving sale than estate sale with personal items not for sale. The house itself was very nice with a beautiful private grove of redwoods out front. A personal park. Lovely.

I zipped through the house, not finding anything of interest. But then what I zero in on is what most people are ignoring. On the way out I thought, "What the heck, check out the garage." It was there behind a large framed photo of a little girl in some sort of bright gymnastics costume that I found this photo. It was in a crummy black metal frame. You know the kind, black metal with some "gold" beading on the edge near the glass. Cheesy cardboard on the back that has a die-cut so you can fold-out a stand. They wanted a buck. Okie dokie. I'm a sucker for things for a buck.

Click on image to see it larger.

As soon as I got home I took the photo out of the frame and then it was my wonderful surprise to see the back of the cardboard souvenir frame in which the photo was inserted. Oh sure, the front has all the wonderful signatures, but it was the back with the War Bonds stamp that excited me. I'm easily pleased. And then to see "Hollywood Nite Club Photos" had me all a twitter (no, not the stupid minimal character posting social networking drivel).

Click on image to see it larger.

I have no idea what nightclub this was. I'm hoping someday someone finds this post and recognizes the painting on the wall in the background. It was très elegant. Look at the waiter with the white bow tie. You don't find that at Applebees.

The more I looked at the photo I found myself becoming nostalgic for a time that was already past by the time I was born. And I wondered about the people. Who were they and what was the occasion? I'd imagine most of these people, if still alive, are in their 80s. Were any of these smiling fellows sent off to Europe or the Pacific never to return? And what of the smiling young ladies with their corsages? Well, okay, the one isn't smiling. She seems to be longing for someone across the table and not who she's with. The guy on the lower left reminds me of Leo Gorcey from the Bowery Boys. I was addicted to the Bowery Boys when I was a kid, watching them every Saturday morning on a local channel. This fellow is far too young to actually be Gorcey, but he's got that Muggs look.

All and all it was a good estate sale, even if I only found one item. I got to walk around a private redwood grove, see a garish photo of a little girl in a gymnastic suit (I did not buy it), and found this joyous moment caught on film. People appearing happy AND there's a cake. Love photos with cakes.

Now if someone could just identify the nightclub I'd be so happy myself.

UPDATE: Received a comment with a bit of information about Hollywood Nite Club Photos:

I just inherited a few of these pictures, address for Hollywood Nite Club Photos was 6304 Riley Way, Carthay Circle Theatre Bldg, Los Angeles 36,Calif. YOrk 5293.

If this is indeed where the company was headquartered it would mean the building is gone. The Carthay Circle Theatre was torn down decades ago. It was a part of old Hollywood and the location of the "Gone With the Wind" premiere. Thanks to Craig Satersmoen for the information.

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Found another vernacular photography blog, The New Found Photography. Stumbled upon it while hunting for information about "Hollywood Nite Club." Perhaps others are already aware of this site. I'll be adding them to the links to the left.