Interiors

For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard.

For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard.

In this real photo postcard, a minister of a church (location and date unknown) stands in the midst of fruits and vegetables that decorate the altar in preparation for a Harvest Home service. "Harvest Home" is a religious celebration that's still held today at some Lutheran, Reformed, and other churches in Pennsylvania and elsewhere during the late summer or early fall. As seen here, the observance typically involves a display of tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkins, cornstalks, flowers, etc. For additional examples, see Harvest Service, Lutheran Church, Strasburg, Pa., 1907 , and Harvest Home Greetings, Methodist Church, Strasburg, Pa., 1909 . In this photo, the inscription at the bottom of the stained glass window on the right-hand side says, "Donated by Robert, Ella, & Sallie Wise." The signboard hanging on the wall on the left-hand side of the photo provides the following information about the church: Register - Attendance & Offering Number on the roll - 200 Attendance today - 114 Attendance a year ago today - 81 Offering today - 236 Offering a year ago today - 104

"Harvest Service, 1907. Lutheran Church, Strasburg, Pa." For other photos that show church altars decorated for a Harvest Service (also called Harvest Home), see Harvest Home Display with Minister and Harvest Home Greetings, Methodist Church, Strasburg, Pa., 1909 .

"Harvest Home Greetings. Methodist Church, Strasburg, Pa." Addressed on the other side to Mr. Roy D. Mowrer, Strasburg, Pa., and postmarked Iva, Pa., Oct. 20, 1909. Message: "The musical is to be held in the Hall. You know. A.B.D." For other real photo postcards of Harvest Home celebrations, see Harvest Home Display with Minister and Harvest Service, Lutheran Church, Strasburg, Pa., 1907 .

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who has the flashiest Easter basket of all? Mom and the kids pose with Easter baskets as the light from dad's flash bounces off the mirror in the background. Location and date unknown.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of appliances—refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, dishwashers, etc. A snapshot of a woman standing next to the stove in her kitchen. In front of her is a dinette set that looks like it might date to the 1950s. The graininess of the photo gives the furnishings a mottled appearance. For some other stoves, see Hooray! Let the Christmas Cooking Begin! and Cooking on the Regal Acorn .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of children with toys . This is one in a series of Christmas photos in a Super Pak Snaps booklet (note the red plastic comb binding) from the early 1960s that shows a boy with a Fred Flintstone "Puncho" (otherwise known as a punching bag or bop bag). The Flintstones , the first prime-time animated television series, debuted on September 30, 1960, but I'm guessing that the punching bag and photo date to Christmas 1961 or 1962. See other snapshots of the boy playing with the punching bag and Fred standing guard in the boy's living room .

A young boy sits on the floor between the RCA Victor television set and the Christmas tree as he plays with the Fred Flintstone punching bag he received for Christmas. See some additional photos of Fred stationed in the middle of the living room and the boy posing next to his punching bag .

Fred Flintstone the punching bag stoically guards the room as Christmas turmoil begins to swirl around him The little boy who received Fred for Christmas is barely visible at right as he stands next to his dad, who's seated in a chair--those are his legs protruding halfway into the room. An aunt (or maybe grandma) has come to the rescue and is holding the boy's baby sister as she starts screaming at the top of her lungs. Perhaps she's already grown tired of her new baby doll, who now sits forlornly all by herself. Take a look at some happier snapshots showing the boy posing with Fred and the boy playing with his punching bag .

Sheltering in place with a fancy stove in a sunlit room during the early twentieth century. This is an unmailed real photo postcard with an Azo stamp box (four corner triangles pointing up) on the other side, which suggests a date as early as 1904 to 1918.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of indoor shots—with a focus on the style of the room. Two women and a boy pretend to read from a book as they pose for a photo next to the piano in the corner of a well-appointed parlor. The sheet music on the left-hand side of the piano is " My Love Is Greater Than the World ," which was published in 1910. Notice all the interesting decorative details in the room—the photos, small bust, vase, and lacy cover on top of the piano; the patterned wallpaper, artwork, and lamp on the walls; the gauzy curtains at the window; and the stylish furniture (what do you call that round chair on the left?). This is an unmailed real photo postcard with an Azo stamp box (four corner triangles pointing up) on the other side, which suggests a time frame—1904 to 1918—that matches the publication date of the sheet music. For similar parlor piano pictures, see Parlor and Sitting Room, Elizabethtown, Pa., March 10, 1912 ; New Year Gathering, Chicago, Illinois, 1912 ; and They Laughed When We Sat Down at the Piano .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of cozy and warm on a winter's day . An undated Christmastime snapshot of an obviously cozy couple. Probably warm, too.

A patterns photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. A young man nervously looks for an escape route as he's surrounded by the patterned designs of the wallpaper, wicker rocker, and carpet. This is an unused real photo postcard with a divided back but no stamp box. For similar photos with distinctive wallpaper, see Girl Cornering on a Tricycle, Harrisburg, Pa. and Girl Standing on a Chair in Front of Patterned Wallpaper .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of beds and bedrooms . To keep your dog off of the bed, place chairs across it. Just make sure you use enough chairs. This is an undated snapshot with no identifying information.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of forks, knives, and/or spoons . This also fits the previous theme of Halloween (costumes, masks, jack-o'-lanterns, decorations, ghosts, gravestones, or anything else spooky or scary) . A snapshot of women gathered around a kitchen table decorated for Halloween in October 1971, as the date printed at the top of the photo indicates. The centerpiece is a honeycomb tissue owl, originally packaged as a "Dennison Halloween Owl, 10" Tall," as I was able to determine after a Google Images search. The pattern on the tablecloth shows an image of black cats as witches stirring the contents of cauldrons. There are also candles, plates, cups, spoons, and candy apples on the table. See a cropped version of the photo for a better view of the Halloween decorations. For another photo of the same scene from a different angle, see Halloween Get-Together with Owl Centerpiece and Witch Hat, October 1971 .

Notice the owl centerpiece and the tablecloth pattern with black cats as witches stirring the contents of cauldrons. Also visible on the tables are candles, plates, cups, spoons, and candy apples . For more information, see the full version of this photo.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the monthly theme of free-for-all (submit as many vintage photos on any topic as you'd like each week in addition to—or instead of—a photo for the weekly topic). This also fits the previous theme of Halloween (costumes, masks, jack-o'-lanterns, decorations, ghosts, gravestones, or anything else spooky or scary) . A snapshot of a Halloween gathering in October 1971. In the middle of the table are two lighted candles and a honeycomb tissue owl centerpiece. One woman is holding a candy apple , and the woman to her right is wearing a party hat decorated with the silhouette of a witch. Images of black cats are visible on the cups and plates. See a cropped version of the photo for a better view of the table decorations and witch hat. For a second photo of the same scene taken from a different angle, see Halloween Get-Together with Owl and Black Cat Decorations, October 1971 .