Tag Archives: 1910s-1920s

June 16, 2015

A beautiful black couple from Ohio

By C.E. Ryan
African American couple. RPPC. Private Collection.

Circa 1915-1925 African American couple. RPPC. Private Collection.

This photo was taken in Cincinnati, Ohio around 1915-1925. The couple is nicely dressed, and the man is displaying a couple of pens in his breast pocket -ie- he was educated and wished to show it. He also has a nice cap on his knee -wish he’d put it on!
His wife is dressed in a white lace dress, resting her hand on his shoulder. A beautiful, airy photograph.

Pictures of African Americans of the days are rare, and even rarer are couples -from what I’ve seen (or rather NOT seen). I was happy to find this one at a reasonable price. This couple may have been of mixed origins too.

Photographer: Shea. 511 Walnut St. Cin. O.

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June 8, 2015

“Giv’all ya got to the kid!”

By C.E. Ryan
Larceny! PRRC. Private Collection.

Larceny! PRRC. Private Collection.

Larceny in progress on this RPPC! This staged stick up looks pretty good! Unlike most prank photos I came across no one here is giving the hint this is so. Nice job, fellas! Usually people smile and take on an exaggerated pose with hands raised, and the guns are held with bent arms. Here the robbers are aiming their rifle and gun the right way.

Everybody looks to be in front of a horse stable. I wonder what those small barn style windows are for. They seem too high for a horse head (and they’d probably be facing in), but they could have been used for ventilation. The victims are handing out coin purses -no wallets back then!

So, is this a prank robbery by some friends wanting to do something fun instead of a boring group picture? Maybe. Or this could be a reenactment of a robbery which actually happened.

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June 1, 2015

New Orleans ‘brother Jo, sister Emilie and Louis’

By C.E. Ryan
RPPC. Private Collection.

RPPC. Private Collection.

A trio from my hometown! Louis is wearing a King Cake baby on the lapel of his coat and holding a music sheet, Emilie is cross-dressed in boy attire with her jaunty cap on. Jo is the cornetist…What an interesting trio, all IDed on the back of this RPPC.

Emilie has this soulful look in her eyes, and each one of them is wearing a different hat. Another photo which makes me smile. Can you hear the music?

RPPC: AZO 4 up triangles. Photo taken between 1907-1914.

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May 24, 2015

The WWI era British sailor and his stylish brother

By C.E. Ryan
RPPC. Private Collection.

RPPC. Private Collection.

The sailor’s hat reads H.M.S ROCKET. His standing brother is beautifully dressed in an outdoorsy suit with corduroy riding trousers. Love the patterned waistcoat with the striped tie…He had style.

RPPC: F.J. Seaman, Hall. York & Blackpool.

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Military, RPPCs

May 16, 2015

Out of the sewer pipe

By C.E. Ryan

RPPC. Private Collection.

Look at these two lovable dorks (brothers?) with the big smiles, popping out like rabbits out of what looks like an old sewer pipe. Posing silly like this is so much more interesting, isn’t it?

This one got lost inside the vortex that is the USPS. So sad. Maybe someday it’ll eventually make its way to me…

6 Comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Humorous, RPPCs