Vintage Photos of Groups

I chose musicians in order to pick a theme about people (or any other topic) for the first week of Wild Card Month—Pick Your Own Theme! in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. The handwritten message on the front of this real photo postcard (see the left-hand side) is: "Vara Light, 928 Maple St., Lebanon, Pa. Answer soon." There's no stamp or postmark on the other side, but Vara Light addressed the postcard to " Miss Sarah Zimmerman , Linglestown, Pa.," and also wrote a message: "This is a picture taken at Mt. Aetna last summer. The one standing is my uncle, a minister. Also the one with the violin [meaning that the violinist is also one of her uncles?]. The lady with the guitar is my aunt. Am working now in Lebanon. Tell Miles to answer my card." This postcard back has an AZO stamp box (four corner triangles pointing up), which suggests a date as early as 1904 to 1918. Vara Katherine Light married William Hoehle Keller on September 1, 1910, and at that time her address was 330 N. 9th Street, Lebanon, Pa. It seems likely, then, that the card dates to sometime prior to their wedding. I haven't been able to identify which of Vara's aunts and uncles might be the musicians in the photo, but they may have been siblings of her father, Harry Henry Light , who was a prominent businessman in Lebanon, Pa. I previously posted a Small-Town Parade with Cornet Band and Church Float photo for the theme of people playing musical instruments in 2014 and another photo showing Pop Morehead's Family for the theme of musicians and musical instruments this past April. For other photos and ephemera, see my Music and Musicians album.

A sports teams photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. In this undated snapshot, young men strike a pose for a football team picture. The guys in front look ready to spring into action, but nos. 22, 11, 20, and 99 in back are just standing there motionless. Behind the team is a rickety goal post, and beyond the football field is a cemetery.

"Happy New Year — 1911 — from the Morgans." A real photo postcard greeting from the Morgan family, location unknown.

A photo of people looking right at you for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. And this doubles as a photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park monthly topic of the 1960s (submit a photo on this topic each week in addition to—or instead of—a photo for the weekly topic). Yet another snapshot of those Quizzical Kids in Easter Costumes , who were celebrating Easter and springtime in 1963.

An elementary school photo taken by a professional photographer for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Sign: "Savage Elementary School, Mrs. Rhoads, Grade 3, 1964-65." Studio name on accompanying photo folder: "Mealey - Maryland." Although some students undoubtedly find their school to be a savage and unforgiving place, the name of this Savage Elementary School came from its location in the town of Savage , Maryland. The students have assembled in the library for their class photo. Some of the books on display on the top shelf behind them include Hercules: The Story of an Old-Fashioned Fire Engine (1940), A Fly Went By (1958), The Little Twin (1953), Stagecoach Sam (1940), and Caps for Sale (1940). Many of the students are wearing red-colored clothing, but the boy standing at the end of the fourth row in the upper right-hand corner of the photo is dressed in a grey shirt and pants with a "U.S. Army" patch over one shirt pocket. Similarly, the boy sitting on the floor at the end of the first row in the lower right-hand corner is wearing a blue uniform-like outfit with an "Air Force" patch on his shirt. Finally, notice how the boy at the end of the third row closed his eyes and scrunched up his face as the photographer snapped the picture.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of putting on the ritz—dressed up for a special occasion . I picked up this wedding photo at a local antique mall a year or two ago. It wasn't in great shape, but it was a larger photo mounted on cardboard, and I liked the interesting room furnishings, the period clothing, and the amusing facial expressions. When I got home and examined the photo more closely, however, I noticed something strange about it. Were you able to spot it? If not, take a look at a cropped version of the photo.

As I mentioned (see the full version of this photo), I bought this picture at an antique mall and noticed something strange about it after I got it home. I purchased the photo because I liked the furnishings in the room--take a look at the chandelier, curtains, and flowers in the background, for instance. And there's a flowery border running along the top of the wall just below the ceiling. I also found the wedding party interesting. The wide-eyed groom seems to be stunned, but the bride, who's holding a large bouquet of flowers, looks calm and serene. The groom's father (at far right) is sporting a moustache and so is the bride's father (on the left). The photographer happened to catch the bride's mother (standing to the left of the bride) with her eyes closed. I examined all these details and looked at the photo for quite a while before I spotted something downright strange. Did you find it yet? If not, check out another enlargement from this image.

After closely inspecting this photo (see the full and cropped versions) for quite some time, I was surprised to finally realize that there's someone--or part of someone, to be precise--missing from it. Take another glance at the bride's mother, who was caught with her eyes closed. A man's shoulders are visible directly behind her. The man's head, however, has been imperfectly altered so that it partially blends in with the folds of the curtain behind him. Who was this mysterious wedding guest, and who wanted him out of the picture? We'll never know, but I find it amazing how well hidden--to my eyes, at least--he turned out to be. It's remarkable that this simple method of concealment was so successful in hiding this man's presence in the photo.

A photo of folded arms and/or crossed legs for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. "...Base-ball Club, Boswel....weg. [or neg.?] by Wm. Hicks." This is a damaged real photo postcard of a baseball club from Boswell , Somerset County, Pennsylvania, dating to the 1900s or 1910s. Although part of the handwritten caption is missing due to the torn-off corner, the baseball club name appears to have been the Regulars, judging by the shirt worn by the man standing on the left with his hands on his hips. Other players are standing with their arms folded, and some are sitting cross-legged on the ground. William Hicks was a 24-year-old resident of Boswell when he listed his occupation as photographer on a marriage license application dated November 25, 1907 (as viewed on the Ancestry web site). His wife-to-be was Catharine E. Henry, who was 18 years old and also lived in Boswell. I haven't been able to locate any additional information about William Hicks and his photographic work, but I'm guessing that he may have been the photographer for two other real photo postcards from the same town: Nicollette at Boswell, Pa. , and Atlantic Coal Company's Mine, Boswell, Pa.

A religious photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. "St. John's Lutheran Church, 12th Daily Vacation Bible School, 7-1-36, Slatington, Pa." A real photo postcard of the children and adults who participated in a vacation Bible school at St. John's Lutheran Church in Slatington , Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, on July 1, 1936. It wasn't until I attempted to count the number of people in the photo—there are about 215—that I realized that this is a montage combining two or more images. A close-up of part of the photo makes the montage obvious.

A detail from a photo of the participants in a vacation Bible school at St. John's Lutheran Church in Slatington, Pennsylvania, in 1936.The children in the top half of the image look like giants compared to the ones in the lower half, which makes it obvious that this is a montage of two or more different photos. For the full real photo postcard, see Vacation Bible School, St. John's Lutheran Church, Slatington, Pa., July 1, 1936 .

A drinking photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Seventeen of the twenty men in this image from a real photo postcard are holding glasses of beer. The keg in the middle of the crowd bears the name " Lebanon ," which refers to the city that's the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. A handwritten name and address—" Samuel D. Watson , Rexmont, Pa."—and a year—"1912"—appear on the other side of the photo card, but there's no stamp, postmark, or message. Rexmont is now part of Cornwall , which is also located in Lebanon County.

A photo of crowds, throngs, or hordes (a big bunch of people) for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Handwritten note on the back of this real photo postcard: "July 1957. Our boat ride around canal in Gothenburg, Sweden. Beautiful day." More than fifty passengers are crowded into this "paddan" canal boat. Paddan means "turtle" in Swedish, and the boats are named for their turtle-like profile (imagine an upside-down turtle shell), which allows them to pass safely underneath the low bridges along the Gothenburg canals.

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 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 on vacation / holiday . Sign: "The Club." Life preserver: "U.S. Vol. Life Saving Corps." This is a hand-tinted real photo postcard addressed on the other side to Miss G. Manning, 331 W. 29 St., N.Y. City. It was postmarked at Midland Beach , Staten Island, N.Y., and New Dorp , N.Y., on August 25, 1908. Handwritten message (with original spelling): "Dear Grace, I'm having a splendid vacation down here. We have a bungaloe down here for the month of August & part of Sept. It's great sport. I would have written sooner but never think of writing down here. I didn't attent that millinery class in the YWCA because you didn't. Love, F. Cooper." Added to the message: "Drop me a card. My address -- name. c/o W. H. Putnam, New Dorp, St. Island, N.Y. Woodland Beach." See also the full version of this card.