Souvenir Photos from the Gettysburg Battlefield

Handwritten message on the front of this real photo postcard (see writing at right, above): "High Water Mark. 12/2/06. This was all done today. What do you think of that grin? The fellow tried to take the picture without exposing the plate and we were trying to keep from laughing." The giant book behind the two men is part of the High Water Mark of the Rebellion Monument , which is, as Wikipedia explains, "a Gettysburg Battlefield memorial which identifies the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia units of the infantry attack on the Battle of Gettysburg, third day, with a large bronze tablet, as well as the Union Army of the Potomac's 'respective troops who met or assisted to repulse Longstreet's Assault.' The memorial is named for the line of dead and wounded of Pickett's Charge which marked the deepest penetration into the Union line at The Angle when '4,500 men threw down their arms and came in as prisoners.'" For later views of the monument, see Bicyclists at the High Water Mark Monument, Gettysburg, Pa., 1912 and High Water Mark Monument, Gettysburg, Pa., August 8, 2013 (below).

A real photo postcard. Caption: "#5268. High-Water Mark. 1912." Four young men pose with their bicycles near the High Water Mark of the Rebellion Monument , which is located on the Gettysburg Battlefield in Gettysburg, Pa. The woman in the background is taking a closer look at the monument. For an earlier postcard view of the monument, see High Water Mark Monument, Gettysburg, Pa., December 2, 1906 . For a recent photo, see High Water Mark Monument, Gettysburg, Pa., August 8, 2013 .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of "what’s that on his shoe?" or other unexpected details . In this snapshot, a woman sits for a souvenir photo in front of the giant book that's part of the High Water Mark of the Rebellion Monument on the Gettysburg Battlefield in Pennsylvania. When I purchased this photo, I noticed that there's a man on the right who's oddly standing behind the woman and near the back of the monument. I didn't think anything of it until I got home and scanned the photo. When I took a look at an enlarged version (mouse over the image above to see it), I made the unexpected discovery that the fellow was irreverently thumbing his nose as the photographer snapped the picture. Photobombing , of course, is nothing new! See below for monument photos from 1906 and 1912 as well as a recent view .

For more information, see the original photo :

A real photo postcard (no. 2181, according to the photographer's notation) showing a family posing for a souvenir picture at Devil's Den , which is an outcropping of massive granite boulders located on the Gettysburg Battlefield in Adams County, Pennsylvania. For other photos, see my album of Souvenir Photos from the Gettysburg Battlefield .

Three out of four men display their patterned footwear in this socks (striped, Argyll, tights, fishnets, men's/women's garters) photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. For some other pertinent previously posted pictures, see my slides of Yellow Socks Guy (also known as Pipe-Smoking Man ). This is a real photo postcard showing four men posing for a souvenir picture at Devil's Den , which is an outcropping of massive granite boulders located on the Gettysburg Battlefield , a U.S. Civil War site in Adams County, Pennsylvania. The man who's barely visible at bottom left is probably peering down to take a look at a small pool of water produced by a spring underneath the boulder. For additional photos, see my album of Souvenir Photos from the Gettysburg Battlefield .

A souvenir photo ("no. 3729," as noted by the photographer) showing four men at Devil's Den , an outcropping of massive granite boulders located on the Gettysburg Battlefield in Adams County, Pennsylvania. The man who's partially visible at far left is probably looking at a small pool of water produced by a spring underneath the boulder (the sign on the rock above him--although unreadable in this photo--likely provides information about the spring). For more photos, see my album of Souvenir Photos from the Gettysburg Battlefield .

A souvenir photo (no. 990, as indicated by the photographer's notation) of a woman and man (a mother and son, perhaps?) visiting the Devil's Den area of the Gettysburg Battlefield in Adams County, Pennsylvania. For additional photos, see my album of Souvenir Photos from the Gettysburg Battlefield .

A souvenir photo (no. 3344, according to the photographer's notation) of a family visiting the Devil's Den area of the Gettysburg Battlefield in Adams County, Pennsylvania. For additional photos, see my album of Souvenir Photos from the Gettysburg Battlefield .

"#2501, Devil's Den, Gettysburg, Sept. 19-09." In this image from a real photo postcard, two men pose for a souvenir picture in front of the rocks at Devil's Den , an outcropping of granite boulders located on the Gettysburg Battlefield in Adams County, Pennsylvania. For other photos, see my album of Souvenir Photos from the Gettysburg Battlefield .

A curious souvenir photo taken at Devil's Den , a rock formation located on the Gettysburg Battlefield in Adams County, Pennsylvania. A man, hat in hand, stands in the middle in front of one of the enormous granite boulders, while another man stands on top of the boulder at right. A small group of people are visible on the other side of the rock at lower right. In front of the rock is a tripod with a cloth cover, presumably hiding a camera. Could the group be assembling for a photo by a commercial photographer (who would be using the camera on the tripod) while the man in front poses for a picture taken with someone else's camera? It's possible that the man on top of the boulder is simply another tourist who happened to wander into the photo (the boulders are accessible via the hill behind them, and visitors can still walk on top of the rocks today). For similar photos, see my album of Souvenir Photos from the Gettysburg Battlefield .

Getting ahead among the roots and rocks. The dealer from whom I purchased this photo speculated that it may have been taken at Devil's Den or some other rocky area on the Gettysburg Battlefield in Adams County, Pennsylvania, but I have not been able to confirm this.

A souvenir photo of three families in automobiles at Devil's Den , a rock formation located on the Gettysburg Battlefield in Adams County, Pennsylvania. For other photos, see my album of Souvenir Photos from the Gettysburg Battlefield .

A souvenir photo taken during a 1959 school field trip to Devil's Den , a rock formation located on the Gettysburg Battlefield in Adams County, Pennsylvania. For other photos, see my album of Souvenir Photos from the Gettysburg Battlefield .

A photo of someone/somewhere famous for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Caption at the bottom of this real photo postcard: "#9685. Little Round Top, Gettysburg, Aug. 27-'07." A man and a woman pose for a souvenir photo next to a statue of a famous general— Gouverneur Kemble Warren —at a famous landmark— Little Round Top —on a famous battlefield—the Gettysburg Battlefield . General Warren's statue continued to be a popular subject for photographs. For later examples, see a real photo postcard of two women posed in front of the statue and an even more recent snapshot .

A real photo postcard of two women posing in front of the statue of Union Army General Gouverneur Kemble Warren , which is located at Little Round Top on the Gettysburg Battlefield . For similar photos, see Man and Woman at General Warren Statue, Little Roundtop, Gettysburg, Pa., August 27, 1907 and General Warren Statue at Little Roundtop, Gettysburg, Pa.

A snapshot captures a glimpse of a boy's head and hat in front of the statue of Union Army General Gouverneur Kemble Warren at Little Round Top on the Gettysburg Battlefield . For similar photos, see Man and Woman at General Warren Statue, Little Roundtop, Gettysburg, Pa., August 27, 1907 and Women at General Warren Statue, Little Roundtop, Gettysburg, Pa. The plaque at lower left in this photo provides some information about General Warren: Led to this spot by his military sagacity on July 2nd, 1863 General Gouverneur Kemble Warren, then Chief Engineer of the Army of the Potomac, detected General Hood’s flanking movement, and by promptly assuming the responsibility of ordering troops to this place, saved the key of the Union position. Promoted for gallant services from the command of a regiment in 1861, through successive grades to the command of the 2nd Army Corps in 1863, and permanently assigned to that of the 5th Army Corps in 1864, Major General Warren needs no eulogy. His name is enshrined in the hearts of his countrymen. This statue is erected under the auspices of the veteran organization of his old regiment, the 5th New York Vols. Duryee Zouaves in memory of their beloved commander. Dedicated August 8th 1888.