Tag Archives: USA

November 10, 2015

Tom and George Robinson in straw boaters

By C.E. Ryan
Tom & George Robinson. RPPC. Private Collection.

Tom & George Robinson. RPPC. Private Collection.

These two brothers or cousins are IDed on the back. Tom on the left looks neutral enough, but George has this ‘piss off!’ look on his face.

I would love to find more formal portraits from the 1910s with the sitters wearing their straw boater hats but, weirdly enough, I don’t come across many. Here these two match with their hats on with different band designs and colored bowties. Nice shirts too, especially George’s with the pleats. I love the look, but somebody needed to tell him to cool off a bit. :)

RPPC: Artura 1910-1924

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November 4, 2015

WWII era sailors Bill & Jim’s “After”

By C.E. Ryan
Bill Hall & Jim Pollen. RPPC. Private Collection.

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.

Detail close-up.

RPPC: EKC 1939-1950

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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.

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October 3, 2015

Four 1880s Brattleboro cadets 

By C.E. Ryan

1880s cadet buddies. Caleb L. and John C. Howe. Brattleboro. Cabinet Card. Private Collection.

These four teens from Brattleboro, Vermont were most likely cadets, maybe in a marching band?

Photographer Caleb Howe chose to take this picture horizontally, preferring to catch the boys in close-up. One of them is smiling and the others seem comfortable in front of the camera.

The card has yellowed with the passing of time.

Back of card.

Caleb Howe & Son. Back of card.

Photographer: Caleb Lysander Howe & Son (John C. Howe). Brattleboro. Vermont.

Caleb Lysander Howe (1811-1895) was a highly respected photographer in his home state of Vermont. He began his craft on the road in the late 1840s. During the Civil War he photographed a great number of soldiers who queued at his studio door for a chance to get their portrait taken. He also photographed Union General John W. Phelps on a card with the similar backing.

Howe’s son joined him in the business in the early 1880s. Since his initials appear on that cabinet card as well as the one I have I believe these were made a couple of decades after the war, by the end of the general’s life who passed in 1885.

Caleb Howe was also a singer and musician. There is a page dedicated to his life that is worth a look. There you can see the John W Phelps card.

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October 2, 2015

This one’s just for us

By C.E. Ryan
The drinking duo. RPPC. Private Collection.

This 1910s-1920s drinking duo. RPPC. Private Collection.

There is closeness between these two. The worker on the right still has the cap on his beer, and his expression…He looks tired or buzzed or both, but still he seems self aware and smiling in that ‘you know it’ sort of way.  The other one is in a suit, chugging the (whiskey?) bottle hard and holding a pipe with a free hand…There is a ‘devil may care’ attitude with this handsome duo, a subtle vibe of rebelliousness!

I also love the way the gent on the right is wearing his checkered cap sideways on his head, very street mutt. ;) He must have been a factory or farm worker still wearing his denim shirt and pants after a long day of work.

The back of this RPPC is full of scribbled names, some paired up. I cannot make sense of it. Some names are repeated twice. An Agnes Worter is mentioned as well as a Ruffus Worter and a Winslow. On the actual picture I edited out a B on top of each sitter’s head – brothers? They most definitely were, in blood or not!

chug-back

RPPC: NOKO 1907-1920s

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