Children in Vintage Photos

A cabinet card photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park monthly topic of CDVs and cabinet cards . "Fritz, 418 N. 6th St., Reading, Pa. Extra Fine Finish." Printed on the other side: "Additional Copies of This Cabinet can be had at any time at Reduced Rates."

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of wheelbarrows and carts . Stamped in ink on the back of this photo: "Made by Harry B. Killian, 624 First St., Lancaster, Pa." This is a real photo postcard with a Cyko stamp box on the other side that suggests a date sometime between 1904 and the 1920s. For a similar photo, see Hartman Gish, Farmer, Three Years Old, 1907 .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of bridges . Eight girls and two women pose for a photo on a rustic wooden bridge. There's an Azo stamp box (with four corner triangles pointing up) on the other side of this unused real photo postcard that suggests a date that may be as early as 1904 to 1918.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of tricks and treats for Halloween . A cute and amusing Halloween snapshot that's a little out of focus. Although the photo was developed in "Feb. 73" (as indicated on the left-hand border), the girl evidently posed with her jack-o'-lanterns during the previous October. For a similar picture, see I Love My Jack-O'-Lantern!

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of tricks and treats for Halloween . A young boy dressed in a clown or hobo Halloween costume holds the hand of a scarecrow as he poses for a picture. On the table behind him is a grinning jack-o'-lantern wearing a pointed hat. The same scarecrow decoration coincidently shows up in another photo. See Funny Easter Bunnies at Halloween, 1961 . The 1961 date on that photo suggests that this one dates to the late 1950s or early 1960s.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of disaster . The handwritten caption on the other side of this unused real photo postcard identifies it as the "Fred Duenow Barn." The Azo stamp box (with four corner triangles pointing up) on the back suggests a date that may be as early as 1904 to 1918. I haven't had any success in uncovering any information about Fred Duenow, the location of his barn, or what windstorm or tornado might have destroyed it. I also can't figure out why more than 50 men, women, and children are sitting and standing in front and on top of the remains of the barn to pose for a photo. Some of the men standing on the barn are dressed in overalls, so perhaps they're getting ready to start work on taking apart what's left of the barn. The other men and women, however, are wearing suits and dresses more appropriate for a picnic than a work crew. For better views of the group, see cropped versions of the left side and right side of the photo.

A close-up of the left side of a real photo postcard showing children and women posing in front of a destroyed barn. See also a cropped version of the right side . For more information, see the full version .

A close-up of the right side of a real photo postcard showing showing men, women, and children standing in front and on top of a destroyed barn. See also a cropped version of the left side . For more information, see the full version .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of with Santa . "Merry Christmas." Two girls and a man pose for a photo next to a remarkably tall Santa Claus. This real photo postcard has a "Devolite Peerless" stamp box on the other side, and it's likely that it dates to the 1950s.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of visitor from the future in a photograph . Perhaps I've been watching too many science fiction films recently, but those peculiar sunglasses make me wonder if the mother and son in this vintage snapshot might be alien invaders from some far-off galaxy. Or maybe they're travelers sent back in time (circa 1940s?) in a so-far fruitless attempt to save us from our current societal and environmental afflictions. I suppose, though, that it's possible that they're just normal sunglasses that look a little quirky to modern eyes. See Earliest Known Texting Photo? for a vintage photograph of what might be a texting time traveler from the 1910s or 1920s.

Twenty-four adults and one child posed for this real photo postcard, which was used as a New Year greeting. Handwritten message (at right): "Wishing you all a Happy New Year. Lovingly, Emma." Addressed on the other side to Mrs. John Kreisel, 17 Cherokee St., S. Bethlehem, Pa., and postmarked in Allentown, Pa., on Jan. 3, 1908. Compare this photo with New Year Gathering, Chicago, Illinois, 1912 .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of balloons (toy balloons, hot-air balloons, and other inflatables) . This Kodachrome slide dated May 1965 shows a birthday celebration with balloons overhead, candles on the table and cake, and party hats for everyone. The birthday girl and her friend are blowing party horns as her mother and another girl look on. For another view of the festivities, see Birthday Party with Cake, Candles, Balloons, Hats, and Eyes Closed, 1965 , For another birthday celebration with balloons, see Happy Birthday to—Hey, Are You Taking My Picture?

The birthday girl has her eyes closed in this view of a 1965 birthday party captured on a Kodachrome slide. Note the elaborate scene of buildings, roads, and lawn on the wall in the background. For another photo of the celebration, see Birthday Party with Cake, Candles, Balloons, and Hats, 1965 .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of a favorite vintage portrait, formal or informal . This is a combination of two slides ( Pipe-Smoking Television Man and Birds at Home ) showing the opposite sides of a room in the 1950s home of a man I've called -- for lack of his real name -- "Pipe-Smoking Man" or "Yellow Socks Guy." These images were among the ones in several slide trays I bought at an antique mall a few years ago. They're some of my favorites for their bright and colorful depictions of mid-century people and furnishings. For more examples, see Pipe-Smoking Man in Front of the Fireplace and my album of Pipe-Smoking Man and His Family .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of holding a ball . Two boys strike baseball player poses in a backyard -- one holds a baseball bat over his shoulder and the other holds a ball in his right hand and wears a baseball glove on his left hand. The boys are dressed identically and look so much alike that I wonder if they might be twins. This is a picture from a real photo postcard with a Rexo stamp box on the other side, which suggests a date range of 1905 to 1920.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of out in the yard or garden . Handwritten note on the other side of this snapshot: "The Lemonade Stand, .88 profit - Maine '49." Out in the yard with a couple of kids operating a profitable lemonade stand.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of lines/stripes . Five boys are sitting at a patio table in the back yard as they drink Food Fair root beer and orange soda and snack on Wheat Thins, twin pops, and Fruit Flavored Slices. Three of the boys are wearing striped shirts, and the two oldest boys look similar enough to be brothers or maybe even twins. The Kodak Paper stamp box on the other side of this real photo postcard was first used around 1950. The design of the Wheat Thins box on the table suggests a date sometime in the sixties based on the Nabisco Wheat Thins - 1960s image posted on Flickr by Brandon (Waffle Whiffler). Update: After another Alan commented on Flickr that he was getting a sixties vibe from this photo, I did some additional checking and found a clearer example of the side of the box (see Nabisco Wheat Thins - 1960s ). I revised the title and description to reflect that these kids were probably snacking in the sixties rather than the seventies.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of someone's in the kitchen . Seven students and two teachers pose for the camera during a cooking class in a school kitchen. Judging by the recipes visible on the chalkboard, the subject of the day's lesson was "Butter Cake" with "Boiled Frosting" (see a cropped version of the photo for a close-up of the recipes). This is an unused real photo postcard with an Azo stamp box (four corner triangles with two pointing up and two pointing down) on the other side, which suggests a date as early as 1917 to 1930.