Vintage Images - The Pull to Purchase

Often, when meandering amongst the typical offerings found in local antique shops, I find myself drawn to those large buckets and drawers filled with scores of photos from bygone eras.  There I find forgotten images...Victorian children staring frightfully into the camera lens, National Park vacation photos that prove nature doesn't really change over a 100 years, and the occasional family image that proves people haven't changed much either.

Years ago, I found this image for 10 cents.  I loved it, drinking in every detail from the kids outfits to trying to figure out what game they might have been playing when some annoying adult burst in with their camera:

"The photo that started my collection - Our Gang"

That photo started me on the path to owning hundreds of vintage images, with no particular  reasoning behind what makes me purchase one.  Here's a cabinet card photo I found for 25 cents:

"Little Boy Blue By the Lake"

And this next (actually tiny) photo was found in a book I purchased, so I consider it free.  What a stark image!  It speaks volumes (to me at least) of the depression, farming and willpower.  And teenage angst.  You know this kid wanted off the farm.  This photo leans up against the spine of my volume of Grapes of Wrath:

"Depression Era Thinker"

Here's something I bought because of the frame - it's a tin gold frame with some sort of silk screened/painted image on it - its only about 4 inches by 2 inches total.  I loved it and wanted to use the frame for one of my photos.

"Mama's Boy"

Until I turned it over and saw this sad little note on the back of the photo:

 

I can't understand how people can just toss photos like these out of their homes!  Even if you don't know who the hell this relative might be, how can you give up images like this?

"Little Valentine, with and without hat"

Then I see photos like this and think, yes, I might just toss this scary looking relative:

"Aunt Gonna Kick your Ass and Uncle Meek"

I love to see photos like these, of farmsteads.  Most of time, the images are 8x10 or larger, and have been framed - does anyone photograph their property like this anymore? (other than to list it for sale?)

"Farm For Sale, grass included"

 

This next one is actually a very small image I purchased because...THE HORSE IS BIGGER THAN THE DAMN CARRIAGE:

"Horse and Carriage"

I love the pose in this next image...very stern and correct.  If they had digital cameras back then, you can bet these three would have included other poses.

"Hands on Hips Everyone - ALVIN!  I said Hands on Hips!"

 

This next image is cute and refers to "The Kid, with her Liberty Bonds button" at the bottom.  I bring these images out around the Fourth of July, to liven up the bookshelf:

"The Kid, Being all Patriotic"

 The note on the back of this photo says "Armistice Day!" - The kids look sooo thrilled:

"Mother please! The neighbors are staring!"

I love a great baby photo and happily plunk down quarters for swell images such as this baby, who probably kicked a lot of ass in the playpen:

"Mama's little angel Butch stares down the photographer"

Oh, I bet this is what he looked like at school age - yes, that's an ass kicking kid alright - he won't even deign to put the straw hat on his head:

"Butch wants to know what the hell you are looking at"

There was a whole series of photos from this mother and her baby's photo sitting - all are just great - and someone just tossed them to a junk store:

"Mama and Baby, Chillaxin"

There are a lot of portraits like the following one in antique stores.  Many are just there, sitting and staring at you.  This one made me stare back.  Think it's the hat?

"The new hat"

 

I love finding vacation photos - Makes me want to find this rock and pose in front of it and then set it next to this one on the shelf.  Just because.

"Edna, are you sitting crooked on that horse?"

This next one is a wonderful image I found at the bottom of a pile of magazines.  This would serve well as something transferred to canvas, and hung on the wall -it's very calming.

"The Docks"

 This next snapshot is pretty small, but well worth the dime:

"Please don't throw me in the river Sam"

The following image sits on a shelf in my kitchen.  I love this image, from the wine flasks, the coats all flung into a tree, and that drunk guy in the front who couldn't sit the hell still for the shot.

"The Picnickers"

This next image caught my fancy because of the guy on the far right - obviously an "office employee", while the others worked with the coal directly. It's an 8x10, which made me think it was probably hung in the office for years, until the company folded.

"Percible and The Rest of the Company"

Very often I find images that just HAVE TO BE PURCHASED.  I found this one in Niles, and felt terrible for only buying a 10 cent image after roaming the store for almost an hour.  I think my friend bought something though.  Anyway, even when photography was relatively new, someone was screwing around with it.  Love it.

"Mom and Dad Defy Gravity, just for kicks"

I bought this next one for two reasons - it looks like a street in SF and THE BOY IS HOLDING A DEAD DEER HEAD. On a tractor chair.  On a sidewalk in San Francisco.

"How city kids get close to nature"

Finally, I have here an example of why taking your time and looking at every damn snapshot in that drawer is worth the effort.  Here is what I like to call:

"Jesus, the Awkward Years"

 

Apparently, Jesus hung out with a bunch of smart asses in high school.  Here's his buddy Matthew, or maybe Judas, taking a popsicle break between sermons.

"Judas and the Popsicle"

I have hundreds more...

Bookend Birthdays!

We had two birthdays in the family that herald the coming of the Christmas season, and the end of the Christmas season.  This is no reason for Auntie to not spend quality time celebrating their special day with a blog!

Here we have the Pre-Christmas Bash for a gorgeous 11 year old, here seen in all her party glory:

Here we have the Post-Christmas bash for the handsome 10 year old prince, here with his Angry Birds themed party:

  

and here we see some party guests feeling quite left out:

Presents are always welcome, but when there is a TEN TOWER to be had, the joy knows no bounds:

The ever popular new bike is well appreciated with the tween set:

Not sure what was in this bag, but dang the expression tells me it wasn't underwear:

The ever popular "present circle" is occasionally invaded by "others":

The 11 year old checks out the art kit Auntie bought her.  Her parents were checking out the oil paints that came with the set and giving Auntie the hairy eyeball:

 The 10 Year old prepares for war with the new marshmallow shooters.  His parents were eyeing all those marshmallows about to be shot up all over the house and giving Noni the hairy eyeball:

 Party People at the pre-Christmas birthday bash:

Party People at the post-Christmas birthday bash:

A great portrait I got of my niece, sitting by the fire, chillin:

 A typical portrait of a teenage party goer:

and a typical portrait of the pre-school set, high on pixie sugar sticks:

and a parting shot of one of the 7 year olds, thinking about how much longer he has to wait for HIS ten tower:

Christmas Time Was Here.

I am perilously late with this blog update.  I know this because at the first kid party of the year, I was accosted by family members, wondering if I had died or something, as their Christmas memories had yet to appear.  So here it is!

As the Thanksgiving leftovers disappear, and leaves drift toward the sidewalk in a fall ballet of browns  and golds (poetic, huh?), I know the approach of Christmas is near.  How?

Bumble appears again, ready to watch the festivities and enjoy a bit of seasonal warmth.

This year I employed some classic cookie cutters to make actual sugar cookies (from a mix people, don't get all excited that I discovered cookbooks and such!)

This is a result of my best efforts, after some 6 hours of slavery in the kitchen.
It's a squirrel.
YES IT IS!

More fun was the cool $1.38 clearance Ninja cookies - these came out REALLY well, and were a hit!

My results weren't that bad!

I also made time to put the tree up, and, of course, SOME PEOPLE, I WON'T SAY WHO, were not impressed:

I purchased a Charlie Brown style tree for my xmas card photo shoot - and it acted appropriately when I tried to plant it outside for some lighthearted decorations:

Xmas card shoot was fun -within seconds of this photo begin taken, that wave you see coming up wiped out the scene.  My assistant (i.e., friend who was home and gamely agreed to help me) grabbed Bumble and left DP and I to die in the surf:

Then, before I knew it, Christmas Eve was upon me!  I know, it comes the same day every year and still, I was taken by surprise.  Here is one of the "darling" nieces at church, practicing her 24 hour "obedience to all" attitude, as she could not afford to take chances at this time:

Here's another one trying to do the same:

Then it was off to my sister's house, where the kids wasted no time stalking the big man himself.  I am not going to comment on the "command center"computer system setup that the family has...

Ever Hopeful Harley, who is seriously regretting eating all that bread when Auntie stayed at the house.  Santa forgives all, right??

The rare and elusive photo of Auntie - feast your eyes:

 THE BIG DAY ARRIVES!!  Fueled by donuts and lack of sleep, these kids are READY to GO!

Here we have the National Geographic, Time Magazine and AP Photo of Year - my nephew watching his brother open an Angry Bird present and thinking that perhaps Auntie had wasted all her money on that one and hadn't gotten him one as well.  This all happened within less than 2 minutes...see below...

 The boy was immediately appeased upon opening his box:

 I like to see the classics take center stage once in awhile:

The following photo is not included for the kids - NO....please note what I had to look at and endure on CHRISTMAS DAY!!!  Flip Flops!!!???  I won't call out the guilty party...he knows who he is:

Apparently, "Baby Alive" is still a popular gift amongst the pre-k set - I remember getting one back in *COUGH* 1970 something *COUGH* - anyway...These girls did the only thing one can do when presented with two on Christmas Day - A WW Wrestling Smackdown - with their cousin as referee:

 Look how cute these kids did with a Christmas Day photo this year - this must be post opening:

Another rare and elusive image of Auntie, complete with handmade hairdo:

Time for some afternoon gifts:

 This is one crowded house, getting ready to sit down to dinner!

Da boys:

da olive on da finger tradition:

some chics, partying it up now that the hard part of the day is over:

Auntie's awesome butterscotch pies were, of course, awesome.  I heard some others made some other pies, but I don't recall:

Upon returning to my domicile, I watched as Killer Diller and DP opened their presents, from friends and neighbors of course.  I wouldn't think of spoiling them like that:

Yes folks, that is a personal cooling system for DP, supplied by a friend.  DP loves it.

 After the holidays, such unpleasant tasks as "serving eviction notices" must be completed:

and now I have to get on the first birthday blog of the year!!