Tag Archives: laughing

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

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.


Falling On Ice

Falling On Ice. RPPC. Private Collection.

Falling On Ice. RPPC. Private Collection.

The ice didn’t miss him. This funny RPPC was taken some time in the 1910s on a frozen lake in the Northern USA. This young man fell on his backside, hat rolling away. I wonder what it was he used as a cane to check the ice. It looks like a small street pole or table leg!

RPPC: AZO 1904-1918


If you keep on making me laugh, I AM going to fall!

1920s-1930s snapshot. Private Collection.

1920s-1930s snapshot. Private Collection.

A slice of life on a picture! This laughing man is all well dressed in a three-piece with a boutonniere. Perhaps he was at a wedding and this low river bed nearby got more and more tempting as the hot day rolled by. Those stream and river beds are slippery too. With a hand in pocket and the other holding shoes, he left no room for a wrong step..!

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The happiest little cabinet card on earth

'The happiest gent on a cabinet card'. Private Collection.

Man laughing on cabinet card, by Dan Cleave. Private Collection.

My starry-eyed self HAD to add this very happy gent to my collection! And my regular followers know exactly why.

What a picture! Isn’t his laughter just contagious? I’m in love with this. What did the photographer tell his sitter to catch him laughing his head off like this? But whatever Dan Cleave did or say, hats off!

This is a very rare sight on a cabinet card, and such a lovely and precious moment caught at just the right time. The way he wears his straw boater hat too. As you can imagine, this is an absolute favorite of mine. And he’s got a nice set of teeth too. :)

The card has golden scalloped edges. I date this wonderful photograph to be from the 1890s to early 1900s.

Photographer: Dan Cleave. Dexter. Iowa. Back is blank.


Not a country folk like you!

Life of the party. RPPC. Private Collection.

Life of the party. RPPC. Private Collection.

Something uplifting now. Mr. Life of the Party is standing apart from his group, accessorized with a coat, top hat, cigar and cane. His buddies are laughing at his staged city boy cocky attitude (and I am too). Two women found it funny as well, but the four in the middle are more interested in taking a good picture of themselves!

Stereotypes were and always will be funny. This group seems to have had quite a good time on a sunny summer day. This picture was taken in Nebraska sometime in the 1910s.

RPPC: AZO 1904-1918


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