October 31, 2015

Peekaboo Bust

By C.E. Ryan
Peekaboo bust. RPPC. Private Collection.

Peekaboo bust. RPPC. Private Collection.

Oh, yes, I know…this RPPC is in terrible condition! Yet there’s more to it than what first appears! Of course we see the three posing buddies to the right, and then there’s this man in the store behind the front windowpane. Why is he posing from the inside? Was he curious and thought he wouldn’t appear on the picture?

And then, and then…wait! Isn’t this a white bust peeking on the side. It looks as if it slid from behind the corner to take a look at what’s going on. :)

"Yoohoo! I want in, I want in!"

“Yoohoo! I want in, I want in!”

And looking closely, there’s a fifth creepy looking guy in the shadow of the store entryway. And a third grinning face by the guy in the window -pareidolia or something else? ;)

On the back is written “Tripo-Center”.

RPPC: AZO 1904-1918

Happy Halloween! 

3 Comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Groups, RPPCs

October 30, 2015

Three 1920s studio portraits of adorable Cecil Brown from Topeka, Kansas

By C.E. Ryan

You know ‘Freckles’ had to be his nickname, that or ‘Ginger’ ;). This is a cute trio of portraits from the 1920s of young Cecil Brown from Topeka, Kansas. Cecil is not the usual type you’ll find in my collection but I could not resist his portraits. There’s something so loveable about him! He makes me want to smile, and my followers know just how much I love people smiling and laughing on pictures! These portraits taken at different times give off the feeling Cecil was generally of nice temperament.

The first is Cecil in his cap and bowtie, with his signature on the side. On the second he’s laughing, and on the last one he looks a tad older but this could just be my impression. He still has a smile on his face. The town and state are written down on the back of the first one.

These are photobooth size studio portraits. I believe them to be late 20s, early 30s.

4 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , | posted in Others, Teens

October 28, 2015

A Fine Victorian Profile

By C.E. Ryan
Profile. Cabinet card. Private collection.

1870-80s profile portrait of young man. Cabinet card. Private collection.

The top left of the card is a bit damaged, but nothing to detract from this anonymous sitter. He’s wearing his hair cropped short which gives him a more contemporary look. Really, he could blend in at a posh wedding today, and to think this portrait is only 130 plus years old, making this fine gentleman about a century and a half years old.

I first came across this one on tumblr, shared it on this tumblr account and by chance acquired it since. So yes, if you come from tumblr you already saw this one from me, but this is a new scan. :)

short-cropped-hair-profile-athertons-2

Photographer: Atherton’s. The back is blank.

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Cabinet Cards, Gentlemen

October 27, 2015

So Bummed…

By C.E. Ryan
Tintype. Private Collection.

Man with eye injury and his friend. Tintype. Private Collection.

This unfortunate gent with the injured eye had to wear a bandage wrapped around the head for his portrait picture. He looks so down. Was he in pain and worried he’d lost an eye for good? Let’s hope he fully recovered, otherwise he was going to have to get used to it and looking at his expression he wasn’t in the least thrilled.

His friend is wearing a lucky horseshoe tie stack…I wonder if he was with the other man when the accident happened. They have boutonnieres too, one has it on the coat lapel and the other on the cravat. But if they attended an event that day, this poor lad doesn’t look like he was in the best mood to be social.

Today is not my day…pout.

Also, the backdrop design looks Arabic with a tall waterfall in the background. The right panel looks like a completely separate design, the painted window looking more American with the bottom panel supposed to slide up.

7 Comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Groups, Tintypes

October 26, 2015

Passion in Rust

By C.E. Ryan
PC PARIS

1920s P.C Paris postcard #1511. Private Collection.

Like the Blue Kiss, the postcard company decided to publish this one in a way that wouldn’t present the models on top of each other when they obviously are, except this time the man is below the woman. She’s wearing patterned robes reminiscent of East Asia, and he pajamas. A sexy postcard enhanced by the choice of tint.

I have a tamer one with these two I’ll be posting soon. On it she wears different robes and he the same pajama shirt.

5 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Couples, Postcards