Vintage Photos Theme Park Contributions

A 1960s photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Another snapshot of those Quizzical Kids in Easter Costumes , who were celebrating Easter and springtime in 1963. Note the "Spring Is Here" message in the background above the blackboard. In the corner next to it is a reproduction of Gilbert Stuart 's unfinished 1796 portrait of George Washington .

A curious photographer props (huge urns or plants, strange objects, taxidermy animals, etc.) photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. "E. M. Criswell, Grand Meadow, Minn. Extra finish." A tall bearded fellow--his appearance reminds me of Rasputin , the Russian mystic and confidant to Tsar Nicholas II--stands in front of a painted backdrop and next to an oddly shaped prop as he poses for this cabinet card photo. Is that enigmatic object supposed to look like natural or carved stone? If not, I'm not certain what it's intended to represent.

A messy (pics of mud covered children, birthday cake on the face, etc.) photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Handwritten note on the back of this real photo postcard: "Sailors scrubbing their clothes. Nothing like home. Ha ha." Sailors on board the USS Wyoming (as indicated by the life preserver on the railing) get low down and messy as they bend over buckets of salt water in order to wash their dirty clothes.

A cozy and warm on a winter's day photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Uh, well, perhaps I've totally misinterpreted "cozy and warm on a winter's day," but for me that conjures up visions of drinking hot chocolate next to the fireplace while gazing through frosted windows at the blizzard raging outside. This cyanotype photo was the closest match I could find to that concept. There aren't any warm beverages, and it's missing a view of the snowy outdoors, but the children seem to be warm and content next to the blazing fire. As the back of the cyanotype reveals (see the transcription and image below), this is a real photo postcard that was sent as a Christmas greeting in 1907. So does that mean that the scene is supposed to represent children waiting for the arrival of Santa Claus on Christmas eve? Or does this show the kids enjoying their presents--doll, book, horn, and drum--at the end of an exciting and tiring Christmas day? Postmarks on back: South Kaukauna, Wisconsin, Dec. 21, 1907, and Chilton, Wisconsin, Dec. 22, 1907. Addressed to: "Mr. Henry Greve, Chilton, Wis." Handwritten message: "A Merry Christmas to you and yours. From your friend, Nick Bruehl."

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

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 camping/tents photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. There wasn't any message or other information on this real photo postcard to indicate the date or location of Bob White Camp, unfortunately.

A let's dance photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. This is a real photo postcard showing the winners of promoter George L. Ruty's "walkathon," which was held at White City Park, an amusement park located near Pottsville, Pennsylvania, in 1934. Walkathons were related to dance marathons , and both involved endurance contests that required participants to walk, dance, and perform other tasks over the course of days, weeks, or months in order to win cash and prizes. Spectators paid an admission fee to see the proceedings and often attended regularly to find out how well their favorite individual or couple was doing in the contest (fans could purchase photos of each couple, too--see below for Mary O'Connor and Charlie Cucci's , for instance). Some contestants made the rounds of different walkathons and dance marathons, and a few became popular locally or nationally. Frank Loveccio, who's wearing a striped shirt and suspenders and is standing third from left in the photo above, eventually parlayed his walkathon and dance marathon appearances into a wildly successful singing, songwriting, and acting career under the name of Frankie Laine (see below for another group photo that shows Frank Loveccio/Frankie Laine during his dance marathon days). Prize Winning Couples, Geo. L. Ruty's Walkathon, White City Park, 1934 Team #21 - Mickey Sheehan, Itsy Bachrach Team #10 - Frank Loveccio, Frances Leonard Team #29 - Aaron Sinton, Bobbie Smith M.C. - Phil Murphy Team #6 - Eleanor Johnson, Ralph Stanside Team #9 - Mary O'Connor, Charlie Cucci Judge - Fred Clifford

A baby carriages photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. For some other amusing photos, see my Baby Carriages and Strollers album. A real photo postcard showing a girl, her three dolls, and a baby carriage.

A knitted photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. A real photo postcard with a mother and daughter wearing knitted tops along with plaid pleated skirts.

A bicycles photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. For other bike photos and ephemera, see my Bicycles and Tricycles album.

A sport photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. With eight rackets and four balls (stacked next to the racket lying in the lap of the guy at front center in the photo), this group seems ready to play tennis. But don't they look too dressed up to head out onto the tennis court, even by early twentieth-century standards? There's no identifying information on the back of this real photo postcard, but the dealer who sold it to me thought that it may have come from Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. If so, perhaps this was a group of students, along with their instructors or chaperones, at the Cumberland Valley State Normal School, which is now Shippensburg University .

A priests/nuns photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Stamped on the back of the photo: "Folkemer Photo Service, Baltimore, Apr. 27, 1928." There's nothing except the stamp on the back of the photo and the fuzzy details in the background of the image to indicate where these priestly fellows posed for their photo. The snapshot was probably taken somewhere in the Baltimore, Maryland, area--as the stamp suggests--but their relaxed stances make me wonder if they were visiting family and friends or traveling on vacation when the photographer took this picture.

A beards photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Handwritten note on the back of this real photo postcard: "Uncle Jim in the Old Timers Parade." I don't know where or when this "Old Timers Parade" took place, and I'm not even sure which one is "Uncle Jim." I'm certain, though, that it must have taken quite some time for these fellows to put on grow those long beards and moustaches!

A ships/boats photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. This slide, taken in the 1950s by an unknown photographer who was visiting Bolivia and other South American countries, shows a sailboat transporting a pickup truck across Lake Titicaca , which is located high in the Andes mountains on the border between Bolivia and Peru.

An aircraft photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. An early aircraft photo by Harpel, Lebanon, Pa. Four aviators, who are standing directly in front of the propeller and engine of their biplane, are surrounded by men and children. Other people are visible in the background. The biplane may be Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny," which is well known as the subject of the Inverted Jenny postage stamp error. See also a detail from this photograph showing a close-up of the aviators standing in front of the airplane (below).

An early photo of what may be a Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" biplane. Four aviators are standing directly in front of the propeller and engine of the plane. For more information, see the full version of this photograph (below).

A photo combining one or more previous themes (Happy New Year, poses by a Christmas thing [anything holiday], people playing musical instruments, interiors, and possibly others) for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Handwritten note on the back of this real photo postcard: "New Year, 1912. Chicago, Ill." The Christmas tree is still standing for this family's New Year celebration in 1912. A woman is playing a guitar, but no one is seated at the piano, surprisingly enough. Happy New Year to one and all!