Real Photo Postcards

A real photo postcard.

Two sailors "Just leaving Milwaukee," one with a drink in hand and the other with a gun at the ready! Yikes!

A real photo postcard.

This real photo postcard seems similar to one of Arthur Mole 's "living photographs"--World War I-era photos "in which tens of thousands of soldiers, reservists, and other members of the military were arranged to form massive compositions." Note the biplane flying overhead and the automobile at the left. The handwritten caption at bottom appears to end with "Steve Winters, 1918," but I haven't been able to make out the first two words.

A friends photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. "I look as though I didn't have a friend in the world in this picture, don't I?" An unused real photo postcard with no postmark or address. I'm not sure that the poor fellow looks as friendless as he thought he did. I like photos like this that include comments from the subject or photographer about the photo.

A real photo postcard view of a parade, possibly part of an Independence Day celebration, somewhere in the United States. Uncle Sam is marching along with a group of musicians dressed in what look like World War I-era military uniforms, while men in civilian clothes, many carrying flags, follow behind.

A flaw in the image on this real photo postcard makes it look like a lightning bolt -- or some other strange light from above -- has singled out this kid, who for some inexplicable reason seems to be sitting alone on a chair in the middle of a field.

A real photo postcard. Date and location unknown.

Early beach attire in Atlantic City, New Jersey-- women in swimsuits for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Printed on the back of this real photo postcard: "Atlantic City Souvenir. Photo by Phillips, 1619 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J."

For previous comments about this real photo postcard, see the discussion on Flickr: Two Girls with Bows .

Printed on the back of this real photo postcard: "Shapiro Multigraph, 302 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa."

A real photo postcard. See also a detail showing a close-up of the purse that the girl is holding. For a discussion regarding what kind of purse it is, see Flickr: A Girl and Her Dog . Handwritten on the back: "Louise Creighton. Born in year 1910."

Detail from A Girl and Her Dog showing a close-up of the purse that the girl is holding. For a discussion regarding what kind of purse this is, see Flickr: A Girl and Her Dog . Handwritten on the back of this real photo postcard: "Louise Creighton. Born in year 1910."

Fortunately, the two aeronautical gents pictured here in this souvenir real photo postcard are safely ensconced in a photographer's studio and aren't actually risking catastrophe by flying low over the heads of oblivious beachgoers. The "Los Angeles" and "California" pennants hanging on the plane presumably identify the location.

A tour group poses for a souvenir photo at the Palace of Versailles in France.

A real photo postcard showing the women who participated in an all-female mock wedding, date and location unknown.

A real photo postcard (no. 2181, according to the photographer's notation) showing a family posing for a souvenir picture at Devil's Den , which is an outcropping of massive granite boulders located on the Gettysburg Battlefield in Adams County, Pennsylvania. For other photos, see my album of Souvenir Photos from the Gettysburg Battlefield .