Children in Vintage Photos

A photo of children for the Vintage Photos Theme Park . An undated photo by Morrows Studio, Newport, Perry County, Pa., shows schoolchildren posing in front of a blackboard. The expressions on the kids' faces range from angelic sweetness to stoic forbearance to utter impatience. My favorite is the girl sitting third from left in the front row (mouse over the image to see a close-up view of her and some of the other children ). Her dramatically amusing appearance--with puffed-out cheeks, bulging eyes, and a hand over her stomach--either indicates that she's going to be sick or that she's ready for the photo session to be over.

See also the full version of this photo:

A bunny, a tiger, and Santa? "Merry Christmas, Cynthia, David, Betty, and Don."

"Merry Christmas. Miles, Geal, and Rosalie Hudson."

A Christmas photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park . Toys in the foreground that I was able to identify include a 1962 Ponytail Barbie Case, a 1962 Margie the Majorette Doll Craft Kit, and a Mickey Mouse Club Counting Jump Rope. Wikipedia reports that silver aluminum Christmas trees like the one in the photo were popular in the U.S. from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, when a silver tree "was used as a symbol of the over-commercialization of Christmas in the 1965 Peanuts holiday special, A Charlie Brown Christmas ."

"Christmas Greetings, 1962. David, Ricky, Diane, Richard, and Helen Hughes." For another card from the Hughes, see Merry Christmas from the Hughes, 1963 :

The inside of a "Santa and Me" photo folder displays a picture of a bespectacled Santa holding a wary-looking kid. The red-and-green decorations at the top and bottom of the photograph are part of the paper frame and help to hold the photo in place. The cover (below) on the outside of the folder depicts a colorful scene of a Christmas tree shining brightly among city skyscrapers.

Hope you have a holiday celebration filled with as much fun and excitement as these kids seem to be having (well, the youngest one, at least, appears to be having a good time)! Best wishes, Alan

A hand colored photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park . "Vœux Sincères. Dédé, Paris, 1200." This French hand-tinted real photo postcard combines images of a house, flowers, and a carload of babies to deliver a message of "Vœux Sincères" (sincere wishes) for the New Year.

A St. Valentine's Day or love photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Mouse over the image to see an enlargement of the top portion of the card . "It certainly is a 'snap' to love you" is the caption for this valentine, which includes an attached photograph--a snap shot, of course--to deliver it's punning message. The photo shows a young girl who's wearing headphones (or perhaps some kind of radio headset--are those antennas extending from each side?), and she appears to be startled by what she's hearing. It's not obvious why the card publisher chose the girl's photo for this valentine. Was she a child actress? Were the headphones new and trendy? It's certainly not a snap to figure out!

See also the full version of this valentine:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of photos with the subject's name written on it . "Rodney Miller. Die Wunnernaas. 'Shreib Alsemol.'" This is a snapshot signed by Rodney Miller, a young accordion player, and "Die Wunnernaas" ( Pennsylvania Dutch for "the busybody" or "the inquisitive one"), whose real name was G. Gilbert Snyder (1897-1956). Snyder was an educator in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and he also hosted a popular Pennsylvania Dutch radio show in the 1940s and 1950s. He wrote "Shreib Alsemol" on the photo, which means "write sometimes." It's possible that Die Wunnernaas and Rodney Miller signed the photo at a public appearance or performance.

The automobile is a Ford Country Squire station wagon. Handwritten on the back of the photo: "1961."

"Hartman Gish - 3 yrs. old." A real photo postcard postmarked Richland, Pa., July 26, 1907. Addressed to: Miss Charlotte Gable, Schaefferstown, Leb. Co., Pa. Handwritten message on back: "Thanks for the beads. Hartman likes them so much. He even slept with them. Pardon me for not writing sooner. Don't Hartman look natural. Clara is coming on Sat. Lovingly, Christie."

Slide, location unknown, probably late 1950s. Birds at Home , a children's book by Marguerite Henry that was first published in 1942, is one of the few identifiable titles on the shelves in the background (the yellow letters of the title are visible at center top).

A zoo photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Handwritten note on the back of this undated photo: "Uano Zoo - Tokyo." A fashionably dressed mother and her canteen-toting son pose impatiently in front of a fenced-in pond inhabited by ducks and other birds. Other zoo visitors (some holding umbrellas to protect against the sun) are visible in the background of the photo. The Ueno Zoo (its name is actually "Ueno" with an "e" rather than "Uano" with an "a") opened in Tokyo in 1882 and is Japan's oldest zoo.