Souvenir Photos

"Central Studios. 369P. With 'Pete,' Our Gang Dog, Steel Pier, Atlantic City." Our Gang was "a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures" that first appeared in movie theaters as early as the 1920s. The films were later released on television beginning in the 1950s under the original Our Gang name or as The Little Rascals . Pete the Pup , also known as Pete the Dog With the Ring Around His Eye, was a fixture in the comedies, and he (or his successor, whose ring was painted on) posed with children for souvenir photos like this one at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in the 1930s. The boy in this photo, who doesn't seem to be enjoying his time with Pete, is the same kid who's playing with his toys in Sonny, Bunny, and Dummy and A Pedal Car for Christmas .

"Fahrt ins Blaue" is a German phrase that literally means "trip into the blue," but idiomatically it suggests something akin to "mystery tour" or "trip to nowhere in particular." This couple took such a trip in 1937, as we can see in this amusing souvenir real photo postcard (mouse over the image to see a close-up of the imaginary plane and its smiling occupants ). Does anyone recognize the location that they're flying over?

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

Fortunately, the two aeronautical gents pictured here in this souvenir real photo postcard are safely ensconced in a photographer's studio and aren't actually risking catastrophe by flying low over the heads of oblivious beachgoers. The "Los Angeles" and "California" pennants hanging on the plane presumably identify the location.

Five women pretend to be riding high over buildings and trees in this studio mock-up of an early biplane (mouse over the image to see a close-up view of the daring aeronauts and their fake flying machine ).

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

A photo of gambling (or anything connected with gambling or betting) for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Handwritten note on the back: "To Dad, Ben." A souvenir real photo postcard showing "Ben" in front of a slot machine at Diamond Jim's Nevada Club, a Las Vegas casino that operated under that name from 1962 to 1969.

A photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park showing agility--acrobatics, balancing, gymnastics . "Souvenir of Interstate Fair, Sept. 1927, Athens, Pa. Photo by E. S. Lent. 10." Acrobats or trapeze artists on stage at the Interstate Fair in Athens , Pennsylvania, September 1927. Photographer Eugene S. Lent (1894-1962) published a series of real photo postcards of performers and buildings at the fair. As the handwritten number on the building indicates, this is no. 10 in the series.

Number(s) in a photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. The "23" that appears on the painted automobile prop in this novelty photo is a reference to the "23 skidoo" fad that became popular in the United States beginning in 1906 or 1907. Back then, telling someone "23 skidoo" meant "scram" or "beat it," and placing "23" in an unexpected place like this was a humorous way to let others in on the joke. For similar sightings of "23" in photos and postcards, see the impressive compilation of images on the 23 Skidoo Postcards Web site, especially the pages for Automobiles and Real Photos . For other examples, see my 23 Skidoo and Lemons Too album. The message written next to the image on this real photo postcard reveals that this couple lived in the state of Iowa but were visiting fellow Iowans in California at the time they had their picture taken. To read the message and see the entire card, take a look at the full version :

Here's the message that's written on this real photo postcard (to read the original handwriting more easily, see the rotated version of the card): "We tended the Iowa Picnic here last Saturday. Saw lots of folks from Iowa that I knew. 10,000 people there. I can't tell when we will leave here. Too many places to go & too much to see to get away very soon. We expect to visit an old friend of mine that lives at Santa Ana, 30 miles south. We may move out here some time. Love to all. Goodbye, Leni & Mame" At first glance, it seems like Leni, Mame, and about 10,000 others attended what must have been a huge "Iowa Picnic," which presumably took place somewhere in Iowa. But what about their plans to visit a friend located thirty miles away in Santa Ana? Isn't Santa Ana a city in California? Fortunately, the results of a Google search for Iowa Picnic and California provided the answer. I found a posting about Iowa Picnics - Long Beach and Elsewhere that gives a brief history of the get-togethers that were held beginning in 1900. So many Iowans moved to California that the picnics attracted thousands of transplanted Midwesterners--as many as 100,000 attended during some years in the 1940s! So it sounds like Leni and Mame were enjoying their stay in California as they visited friends and met fellow Iowans at the picnic. Although there's no date on the card, I suspect they were traveling sometime in the late 1900s or early 1910s. For additional views of the handwritten message and photo, see a rotated version and a cropped version of the card:

This rotated version makes it easier to read the handwritten message: "We tended the Iowa Picnic here last Saturday. Saw lots of folks from Iowa that I knew. 10,000 people there. I can't tell when we will leave here. Too many places to go & too much to see to get away very soon. We expect to visit an old friend of mine that lives at Santa Ana, 30 miles south. We may move out here some time. Love to all. Goodbye, Leni & Mame" For more information about this real photo postcard, see a full version and a cropped version of the card:

Printed on the back of this real photo postcard: "Glad-U-Kum, 543 Main St., Johnstown, Penna."

A Polaroid photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Run, Johnny, there's a big bunny behind you! For a similar photo, see A Visit with the Easter Bunny :

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.