Vintage Photos Theme Park Contributions

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 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.

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.

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 dressed in uniform . Handwritten note on the back of this snapshot: "Churchill and Elliott James Roosevelt, Iceland." The uniformed man on the right who's holding a cane is Winston Churchill , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Despite the note on the snapshot, however, the man at left is not James Roosevelt nor is he Elliott Roosevelt . The man is, in fact, Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr , another son of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt . The date of Churchill's visit to Iceland was August 16, 1941. He had just come from a meeting with President Roosevelt where they issued a joint statement known as the Atlantic Charter on August 14. Franklin Jr. was an ensign in the U.S. Navy Reserve. For more information about Churchill's trip to Iceland, see Winston Churchill in Iceland, August 16, 1941 and 80 Years Since Churchill Charmed the Icelandic Nation .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of palm trees . Caption: "Miami Beach, Florida, March 1946." A woman pretends to pick coconuts as she stands in front of a painted backdrop featuring a coconut palm tree . For some similar souvenir photos, see Man and Dog with Alligators on the Beach and Man with Alligators and Coconut Tree, Miami, Florida, 1922 .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of law and order . A real photo postcard dating to the early twentieth century. The partially visible sign in the background indicates "18 Miles to Balto" (an abbreviation for Baltimore -- I identified the sign based on another photo posted online). The same automobile and painted backdrop also appear in a photo showing Three Gents in a Car .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of birds (wild or domesticated) . Four women pose among the pigeons in the Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) in Venice, Italy, probably sometime in the 1920s. There's no stamp, postmark, or address on the other side of this real photo postcard, but one of the women wrote this message: "Yes, Lucy actually said we ought have her picture taken in this plebeian manner. The pigeons annoyed and scared us but otherwise we are perfectly happy." Printed on the other side: "Cartolina Postale" (Italian for "postcard") with a "Satrap" stamp box.

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 blowin' in the wind (windy or windswept) . Caption on front: "Mrs. Fieller['s] Yard after Storm. 6/18/43." Description on back: "6/18/43. This is Stella Fieller['s] place that is her chicken coop. Stella's in the picture." Stella Fieller's chicken coop and trees were swept to the ground by the wind during a storm in June 1943. Based on some other photos I bought at the same time as this one, I believe that Mrs. Fieller lived in or near Allentown, Pennsylvania. For more wind-related photos, see Sailors at the Parthenon and A Sunny Afternoon at Camp Chicken .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of barns, barnyards, and barnyard animals . This is a real photo postcard of a man and woman posing outside a barn with a cow and the cow's twin calves. The photographer's shadow fell across the woman and one of the calves. The postcard is unused with a divided back, but there's no stamp box or other details on the other side to help determine when or where the photo was taken. It's likely, however, that the image dates to the late 1900s or 1910s, and the location may be somewhere in Pennsylvania. For some comparable photos, see Fancy Cow and Calf and Triplet Calves, Rooks County, Kansas .

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 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 an arch . This is a real photo postcard that served as an invitation for a Sunday School Rally Service held at the First Reformed Church in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Among the various interesting details in the photo, note the pipe organ on the left and the arched alcove in the middle. A Rally Service or Rally Day is a special celebration held by some Protestant churches in September or October to promote family attendance at church services and encourage children's participation in Sunday school. Although the date—October 7—is incomplete, I was still able to use the other information on the postcard to determine the year that the Rally Service took place. Robert James Pilgrim, whose name is listed on the card, served as minister at the First Reformed Church from 1906 to 1911, according to The History of the Pittsburgh Synod of the Reformed Church in the United States (1920), by David B. Lady, p. 246. During those years, the only time that October 7 fell on a Sunday was in 1906, so Pilgrim must have held the Rally Service that year. For a similar photo of a church interior, see Where Shall I Spend Eternity? Sunday School Rally Service, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2 p.m. You are cordially invited and urged to be present. Robert J. Pilgrim, minister. Chas. T. Corman, superintendent. First Reformed Church, Carlisle, Pa.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of something fishy (fishing or fish) . This is an unused real photo postcard showing two men posing with a big fish. The name "Harry Kehn" is written on the front, and "Florida" is penciled in on the back. The Azo stamp box (with four corner triangles pointing up) on the other side suggests a date that may be as early as 1904 to 1918. For a similar photo, see Sailfish Caught on Yacht Skip Jack, Floridian Hotel Dock, Miami Beach, Florida .