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Showing posts with label found. Show all posts
Showing posts with label found. Show all posts
2/2/19
DAPPER Dan
Looking at this week's Sepia Saturday prompt I'm wondering if this might be where the man in the straw boater was heading.
In this case, this dapper Dan, is my great-grandfather with his second wife. His name really was Dan. This was in the backyard of their row house in Pennsylvania, probably around 1914.
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1/31/19
METEOR BOB
Meteor Bob was part of the early space program. It was very low budget. Bob would wander around in his backyard with a badminton racket perusing the sky for any incoming meteorites. For each meteorite he hit back into orbit he would be paid $50,000.
Bob died a very poor man.
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1/30/19
Mrs. S. WICKET
Always available for Sunday afternoon games, Mrs. Stickey Wicket was always the first person invited to croquet parties. She never understood why.
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1/25/19
A MAN and His Car
Living in California we are pretty much raised to think a car is an extension of our body. We also seem to think it's a constitutional right to have a car. No place is this more obvious than Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area during commute time. Pure hell. Car after car going by with a single occupant.
It used to be, I believe, that cars were a statement about a man's manhood. For woman it wasn't the engine—or so the dealers thought—but the color of the outside and interior of the car and whether it had a mirror the ladies could look at to do their makeup. Seriously, they were idiots. Though I find nearly all ads for cars pretty stupid and repetitive (don't get me started on the luxury models that we're supposed to put under the Christmas tree each year), at least there is an attempt to go beyond the clichés of the past with the male/female stereotypes. Now we're supposed to be reckless, off-road, and extremely hot looking. I'm just glad I ended up in publishing and not advertising. I would have been shown the door in no time at all.
This week's Sepia Saturday photo is of a fellow standing in front of a car. I immediately went to the big BIG box of photos I was given for Christmas. Surely in the hundreds of shots in that glorious box there must be at least one of a guy with a car. I stopped after finding the following three.
I do know who this fellow was. His name was Ben and he was a Naval officer.
Click on image to see it larger.
On the back of this one it says "Taken June 18, 8th grade graduation." Diggin' the car and the flattop.
Click on image to see it larger.
NO idea who this fun fellow is.
Click on image to see it larger.
As I recall I have only one photo of myself standing next to a car. It was a bright red Audi in Germany. I loved that car too. It's long gone, but like with most cars, the memory remains.
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1/14/19
The EYES Are the Windows to This Girls Soul
If you saw the previous post you will recognize this little girl. You will also recognize that no matter where she goes trouble follows.
Click on image to see it larger.
________1/12/19
When DISASTER HITS THE BEDROOM!
When I saw this week's Sepia Saturday image I knew exactly what photo I wanted to post. Disaster? You want to see a disaster? I've got a disaster for you. The problem became, "Where did I put that shot?" Some photos are nicely filed away if they are to be part of a series, others not so lucky. This one took awhile, which meant I got to sort, which meant I got to peruse, which meant I got to say, "Oh, I'd forgotten about this one."
There are only two legitimate reasons for what appears in this photo. Two! No more than two!
1. This is Hurricane Hannah who had nightly swirling toys in her bedroom. When you turn on the lights everything settles around her. Turn off the lights and it's all swirling again. Hannah lives in Kansas so this is pretty normal stuff.
2. This is Magnetic Mabel. Mabel's mom has given up asking her to clean her room. In fact her mom has asked her to stay in her room because whenever Mabel leaves her room this stuff follows her...and then everything else metal in the house follows her. Neighborhood kids think it's cool when Mabel comes out the door with the Mixmaster and toaster oven—with her dad's toast inside—tagging along behind her.
I'm sure you can come up with your own reasons as to why this little girl is cornered by her toys.
It's a disaster I tell you! A complete disaster!
Click on image to see it larger.
________1/5/19
1940s GLAMOUR
This is a very large print: 11" x 14". It, along with a large box of photos, was a gift from a friend at Christmas.
I have no information about the woman in this photo or who took it. It's obviously a glamour shot, most likely taken in the '40s. Was this a wife's pinup to send to her husband?
Unlike the glamour shots of today, which often look just a little too tacky, this is done in the style of George Hurell. Done in the style, but in no way captures the magic that he did. Take a look at Hurell's work, especially similar ones, and you'll find that this one is a bit confusing. The photo was taken as a horizontal, but turned horizontal it just looks weird. Well, it looks weird either way. At least with the vertical she's making eye contact. Look at the shots Hurell took of Bette Davis and Veronica Lake. They make sense as horizontal images.
Now look at this one horizontal.
I think her chin should have been lifted up more allowing a better gaze into the lens. But then I'm just being picky. I imagine the woman, and any recipient, must have been thrilled. It is a lovely shot, but it could have been so much more.
And if I'm going to be even more picky, I think the photographer should have touched up the shot by taking out whatever the heck that is on her sleeve. It's really annoying.
This is what I came up with for Sepia Saturday after being gone for so long. Just as the Sepia Saturday selection is a little "off" so is this one.
I have missed participating and I'm happy to see it is still up and running. I appreciate the work put in to keep it going.
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Buyer BEWARE and Then Some
This is just a little note to tell people to think twice about buying any of my books from third party sellers. First they jack them up to ridiculous prices and secondly they don't actually have the books; this is on both eBay and Amazon. They are scamming you to pay for something they never acquired themselves and then charging insane prices for the book and the shipping. Please think twice about buying from them. This is sort of a crooked thing Amazon is aware of and allows to happen. Just buy the book direct if you want one. They're nice books and I don't want people to have bad experiences trying to get them. I have pride in them and these sellers just make me want to take a shower to wash off the disgust.
And now back to my regular programming.
This is a photo my friend Bert gave me. Cute little fella with a very tiny wagon. I mean a really tiny wagon. Not much would fit in that wagon except maybe some gumdrops or a tiny bear. You have to use your imagination with a wagon that small.
There's no information about the little fella or the photographer.
8/18/17
A BICYCLE in Summer
As a kid summer wouldn't have been the same without a bicycle. Summer meant freedom from school. Each morning meant freedom to have an adventure.
A ride up the road to the pear orchards to where the new houses were being built, pilfering wayward nails from the building site, back home to work on the tree house.
Click on image to see it larger.
Or maybe it was a ride into town to check out what was new at the toy store and a stop at the deli for a sandwich.
Maybe just a ride up to the school grounds to see if anyone was hanging around the basketball courts.
Riding with friends. No helmets. No handbrakes. Just bandaids on our knees covering up the scratches that had just been sprayed with Bactine. Apparently Bactine is still made, but I haven't seen any in decades. I'd like to smell it again. It's one of those smells from childhood that I sort of miss.
This is my submission for Sepia Saturday and a wish that all fellow Sepians remember the good times a bicycle gave them.
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8/11/17
The Writing's ON THE WALL
My submission for Sepia Saturday are amateur portraits of women. I'm especially drawn to shots of woman with textured backgrounds. That's as deep as I'll get this week other than to say many women go through life feeling invisible. It doesn't get any better as they get older. You can imagine these women fading into their backgrounds.
Click on images to see them larger.
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6/30/17
The FIREMEN and the DOG
Looking at this week's Sepia Saturday prompt had me scratching my head until I went to an estate sale today. The sale had started yesterday so I didn't have much hope that anything interesting—in my mind—would be there on the second day. I smiled when I found a frame in the garage in a box of junk that contained four interesting photos. This was the one that most caught my eye and I knew immediately I had my contribution for this week.
When I looked at this week's prompt my first thought was a lantern and smoke. Seriously, the dog was the second thing I noticed. I'm easily distracted by my own thoughts. Where there's smoke there's fire. So I give you firemen from long ago with their fire house dog. Think of him as a dalmatian with really big dark spots.
Click on images to see them larger.
I have no idea where this shot was taken. There are a lot of towns named Hastings so I'm clueless as to where this might have been taken.
As to the wild beast in the darkness behind them. Looks like some sort of weird insect monster. Nah, just the fire wagon waiting for the horses to be attached and the race to the next fire.
Now, I want to apologize to my fellow Sepians for something that happened several weeks ago. I visited all the sites for those who had posted for Sepia Saturday 371. I left messages and went on my way. Later that night I discovered only two of my messages actually posted. I've had this happen many times and it's frustrating. Often I have gone back and tried to remember what I'd said so I could comment again. This time I didn't. I have no idea why this happens and I hate that I end up looking like a deadbeat who doesn't participate. I'm sorry. Hopefully this time I'll get through without incident. I'm wondering if anyone else has this happen.
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6/9/17
Once upon a time there was A BOXER NAMED MARCUS VASQUEZ
This is a repost from several years ago that most won't have seen. In keeping with the man with the box for Sepia Saturday I give you boxer Marcus Vasquez. All I ever found about him is below.
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You'd think that starting with "Once upon a time..." I'd have a fairytale to tell. No, just an old picture of a lightweight boxer named Marcus Vasquez wearing an apron. Seriously, I have no idea what is going on or how this photo eventually ended up in my hands.
"To a Swell Kid Marcus Vasquez.
From your manager Ben Marcus"
Marcus Vasquez appears to have fought his first professional bout on Dec. 21, 1948 against Cadilla Clemmons at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. He won the fight. From then on he fought around Southern California, up to San Jose on March 22, 1949, over to Arizona for several fights, even down to Chihuahua, Mexico on Feb. 8, 1950; he lost that fight to Al Lopez.
According to the online information I've found, Marcus had 17 wins, 19 losses, and 7 draws with a total of 197 rounds fought. The last fight listed was on July 7, 1952 to Maxie Docusen in San Antonio, Texas. Marcus lost and is listed as TKO.
So, was this the end of Marcus Vasquez as a fighter? I cannot find any other information about him.
As to the fellow on the left, his manager, Ben Marcus, I cannot find anything about him other than he worked in the Los Angeles area.
I don't know, but my mind spins when I look at this shot with the inscription and I'm sucked into the world of Raymond Chandler and this little scrap of paper is evidence in a murder. I can't say truthfully anything one way or the other. It is what it is and it will forever be a mystery unless some person with knowledge of the world of boxing in Los Angeles in the late '40s to early '50s steps forward to fill in the missing pieces to the story.
For now, I'm riding in my old Buick on a warm summer night along Sunset, hoping I can run a few red lights without getting caught as I try to make my way to a mysterious meeting in Los Feliz. It began with this photo stuffed inside my morning paper with a note that read, "9:40, Jerry's, Los Feliz. Come alone."
UPDATE: I found this image for sale online at a boxing memorabilia site. This shows that Marcus was in an undercard fight on September 9, 1949 at the Hollywood Legion Stadium.
I looked up "undercard" and found the following:
The undercard, or preliminary matches (sometimes preliminary card), consists of preliminary bouts that occur before the headline or "main event" of a particular boxing, professional wrestling, horse racing, auto racing, or other sports event. (In auto racing, however, the term "support race" occurs more commonly.) Typically, promoters intend the undercard to provide fans with an opportunity to see up-and-coming fighters or fighters not so well known and popular as their counterparts in the main event. The undercard also ensures that if the main event ends quickly fans will still feel that they received sufficient value for the price of their admission. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)Marcus, I fear, is lost to history other than this post.
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1/17/17
Always Find the HUMOR
I think this is the longest I've ever been away from this blog. Family health problems filled my holidays with the necessities in life. And now it's a new year and we are facing the end of the world as we know it on Friday and....
We have to look for the humor in everything. No matter how dark the clouds seem we have to hunt for, not the silver lining, but the funny faces in the clouds. Find humor no matter how incredibly insane it all might seem. I mean, look at those wispy clouds blowing in all directions and what do you think of? Orange hair? A hairline that lies as much as the flotsam and jetsam that come out of his mouth?
I wish I knew who these fellas were from my dad's squadron in World War II, but he cannot put names to the faces. But I like the fella with the hat turned to the side in a moment of silliness. And I really like the effort the fella walking away put in to creating that magnificent sweat stain butterfly on his back. That took some serious effort!
Find the humor and then rejoice in it.
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12/25/16
11/29/16
DUSTIN HOFFMAN...Time Traveling Celebrity
It's been awhile since I found a Time Traveling Celebrity, but this was worth the wait.
I give you Dustin Hoffman caught as a time traveler.If you aren't aware of my "theory" you've been missing out on certain facts of life. It's one of the special privileges celebrities have that we lowly peons never even get a chance to explore. They can pop in and out of time at will. The only trace of such activity is if a photo is taken when they're there and not here. Oh I'm sure if caught they simply claim to be studying for a part, immersing themselves in their role. I'm still waiting to find out what Will Ferrell was doing in drag and in my grandmother's photo album.
So where was Dustin and was he just taking a quiet vacation or immersed in preparing for a part? A film still to be made?
Click on image to see it larger.
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An American Dream is the latest book in my series of vernacular photography books. The American dream of owning a home through vintage vernacular photographs. The focus is on the people who lived within the homes as well as the varied architecture from the late 1800s to the 1960s.
11/23/16
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Click on image to see it larger.
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An American Dream is the latest book in my series of vernacular photography books. The American dream of owning a home through vintage vernacular photographs. The focus is on the people who lived within the homes as well as the varied architecture from the late 1800s to the 1960s.
11/16/16
TBMs Aloft
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Introducing the latest edition to the Tattered and Lost series available at Amazon.
Tattered and Lost: An American Dream (Vol. 8)
11/15/16
10/24/16
CREEPY or Not Creepy?
I'll let you decide. I know when I bought it I thought it odd, but then I showed it to a friend and she found it very creepy. These days with what's going on in this country with a particular candidate I can say red flags did momentarily fly.
Click on image to see it larger.
I also have to say that his socks and shoes made me think of Gene Kelly so I could easily imagine the two of them breaking into dance.
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