July 28, 2015

You’ll get yours, cheat!

By C.E. Ryan

Oh, the violence! You wonder if those two teens saw beer bottle fights with their own eyes to stage this one (the answer is probably yes). I love the details like the cards tucked into the trousers’ cuffs on the second one, and the sign on the first. The teen on the left is giving the camera a knowing look as if saying “he thinks I didn’t see him…” He is casually dressed with his white tie over a long-sleeved polo, and he’s wearing white laced sneakers high school basketball players wore too.

RPPC: NOKO 1907-1920s

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July 27, 2015

Eight Ohio Edwardian gents lounging in nature

By C.E. Ryan
Gentlemen in nature with a tin of Bagdad tobacco. RPPC. Private Collection.

Gentlemen in nature with a tin of Bagdad tobacco. RPPC. Private Collection.

This gorgeous group picture is my very favorite in this collection of RPPCs.  What was in the water of that small town? I want to know. :)

These gents are surrounded by nature and a tree in full blossom, with a bouquet of white flowers to the front center. Removed hats, coats and shoes lay on the ground too. This RPPC was sent from Ada, Ohio on May 21, 1911 to a lady named Florence in Elmira, New York, and talks of a double wedding.

rppc-lounging-in-nature-back

Hello Florence,

Glad to hear that you are coming to the double wedding. You’ll have to hurry though, if Foster keeps progressing as fast as at present maybe he’ll take warning and tie the knot [sic] before you get here. Harry.

Foster just couldn’t wait to get married, could he? (I think we all know what Harry meant by “progressing” ha ha). He,  Harry and the second groom-to-be are most likely on this picture. Who’s who though? Close ups:

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July 27, 2015

1911 Dean of Northfield, MN

By C.E. Ryan
1911 Dean in cap. RPPC. Private Collection.

1911 Dean in cap. RPPC. Private Collection.

I posted this one on tumblr a while ago but I decided to get it, so here it is for this blog.  Dean is posing with a leg up for this snapshot. He sent this picture on October 11, 1911 from Northfield Minnesota. His note is below. I especially like the past part. Is Old Fred a dog?

rppc-dean-back

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July 26, 2015

Daydreaming in Chiaroscuro

By C.E. Ryan
Boy in chiaroscuro. RPPC. Private Collection.

Boy in chiaroscuro. RPPC. Private Collection.

An artistic portrait of a teen with a half smile. He’s holding a large book, looking up and off to the side as if daydreaming. The background reminds me of a church or school hall.

RPPC: The back is divided with no stamp box.

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July 25, 2015

1910s young man with the upturned collared shirt

By C.E. Ryan
RPPC. Private Collection.

RPPC. Private Collection.

He has his collar upturned and it looks like an all-in-one dress shirt + collar. This gent was an early adopter.

And there’s something of a defiant sneer behind this half smile. I’m willing to bet his father of the more conservative, detachable starched collar camp didn’t like that his son wore those shirts.

I can hear the father say “Get this travesty of a shirt off and get a proper collar! What is this world coming to? You look undone!”, to which this young gent replied something like “You and your stuffy old ways! I’ll wear what I want!”

Think I’m exaggerating? :) For us today this may seem like a ridiculous issue, but there was an uproar over the adoption of collared shirts into the mainstream. They were thought to make a man not look like a proper gentleman. Oh, the decaying of society! The British were especially against this trend coming from America. Surprised much? Well, they lost this battle.

rppc-loup-city-gent-2

Photographer: Elsner Studio. Loup City. Nebraska

RPPC: AZO 1904-1918

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