1953 snapshot. Private Collection.
The photographer most probably didn’t intend to overexpose his or her subject, but the high contrast along with the low angle works. This young man looks to be standing in front of a store awning. But what is “Waco Owl”? The back is stamped with the year.
Sepia Embrace. PC Paris. Postcard. Private Collection.
Another beautiful French postcard. Here the woman is leaning above her admirer with drama. To me her gesture reminds me so much of the stereotypical way women acted in silent films.
I have what I think may be the same couple on another. He’s wearing the same shirt too.
Bill Hall & Jim Pollen. Tiajuana Jail RPPC. Private Collection.
World War II era sailors Bill and Jim and three bottles of liquor…what could go wrong? They don’t look too inebriated on this arcade picture taken in Tijuana, Mexico. Looks to me this was a “Before” picture they named “After”, as if we’re fooled. :)
Pretty boy Bill looks like he hit something hard with his right hand.
Detail close-up.
RPPC: EKC 1939-1950
1907 Bamforth & Co. ‘Dearie’ postcard. Private Collection.
A nice love poem on a beautiful postcard from 1907. The backdrop is worth mentioning too. It looks like a swamp with the tree roots in the water and the far off wood cabin, but it feels surreal too with the mountains in the background.
A close up to better appreciate this wonderful picture in all its details:
Close up of Dearie postcard.
Publisher: Bamforth & Co. West Yorkshire. England.
Bamforth & Co. not only published postcards but were filmmakers too. Their silent films were so successful they created a whole industry in West Yorkshire that surpassed the Hollywood of the time.
The backdrop of this postcard is so detailed I have difficulties believing it was only used for this postcard. It would be interesting to find out if it was used in an early silent.
In 2001 a businessman named Ian Wallace bought the name and rights to all 50,000+ pictures of the then defunct company’s catalog. In 2011 he relaunched the reprints of their postcards through licensing.
Source: Bamforth & Co. wiki
The model pose. RPPC. Private Collection.
This RPPC has some silvering to it, but this dandy’s pose and layered look with the dress shirt made it too good to pass.
RPPC: AZO 1904-1918
Bowlers And High Collars 