Families in Vintage Photos

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 .

Handwritten on the back of this real photo postcard: "Grandpa Boor. Robert H. Studebaker. 82 & 2." Posted to the Vintage Photos Theme Park group for "old age" theme week. It's poignant how the boy is resting his hand on top of his grandfather's.

Handwritten on the back of this real photo postcard: "1920 at Palisades Park. First I ever saw Grandma and Grandpa."

Undated slide.

Happy Halloween! Restless kids dressed in their Halloween costumes pose for the photographer in order to demonstrate their participation in the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF fundraising program, which has been taking place since 1950 (I'm guessing that this photo may date to the 1960s). The mom and dad are placing coins in the UNICEF collection boxes that the kids are holding. It looks to me like the kids are impatiently enduring this interruption to their evening of trick-or-treating (the girl in the center, who's grudgingly holding a collection box with her arms crossed, seems to be barely tolerating the situation). And the forced smile on the mother's face is certainly different from the pleasant expression on the father's--he seems to be the only one who's actually getting into the spirit of things!

Somewhere along the road in New York state. The girl doesn't seem too pleased at having her picture taken. Printed on the back of this real photo postcard: "Short's Studios, Kingston and Rondout, N.Y." The license plate on the car is "46818 NY."

"Merry Christmas, 1949. The Hassingers."

Although this photo was in poor shape when I bought it and required significant touch-up to make the image somewhat more visible for posting, I thought that the appeal for assistance printed on the back of the card made it worthwhile. I did some searching for further information about the triplets, but didn't uncover a definitive account of their story. The Find A Grave Web site contains some information regarding the girls' parents, Jarred Washington Tracey (1857-1906) and Emma Barton Tracey (1858-1949) (I'm not sure why the parents' middle names don't match their middle intials on the card). Emma Tracey's entry includes a different photo of the mother with her three daughters. Find A Grave also contains entries for the children, Mabel V. Tracey McKelvey (1886-1967) , Edith Grace Tracey Thompson (1886-1967) , and Bessie Barton Tracey Willard (1886-1966) . -------- Printed on the back of the card: The Triplet Children of J. M. and Emma C. Tracey, Fountaindale, Pa. Mable Viola, Born April 4, 1886, noon, weighed 6 lbs. Edith Grace, Born April 5, 1886, noon, weighed 6 lbs. Bessie Barton, Born April 6, 1886, 4 p.m., weighed 7 lbs. Mrs. Tracey, the mother of these babes, was born with but one arm. Photographs taken Aug. 26, 1886. Cabinet photographs of these children will be mailed to any address for 25 cents. Address J. M. Tracey, Fountain Dale, Adams co., Pa. The profit from the sale of photographs will be devoted to rearing and educating the triplets. -------- Printed on the front of the card below the photo (too faint to be visible here): "Tipton Photo, Gettysburg, Pa."

The handwritten message (see below) on the verso of this real photo postcard takes up the entire space on the back, and there is no address or stamp. -------- Marian, 15th March 1914 Dear Brother, A few lines to let you know that we arrived home again after a splendid holiday. This photo is my son and daughter (Frances and Ned) taken at the foot of Leura falls, Blue Mountains, 60 odd miles west of Sydney. It is not a very good photo as it was a very rough place and we had to climb down steps for about 2000 feet below the surface. The climate there is like our old home in Ireland--they have snow falls very often--but it seems too cold for me to live there. It seemed nothing to see people with overcoats on morning and evenings. I now conclude by sending best respects from all to yourself, wife, and family. From your loving sister, Nora Write soon.

A zoo photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Handwritten note on the back of this undated photo: "Uano Zoo - Tokyo." A fashionably dressed mother and her canteen-toting son pose impatiently in front of a fenced-in pond inhabited by ducks and other birds. Other zoo visitors (some holding umbrellas to protect against the sun) are visible in the background of the photo. The Ueno Zoo (its name is actually "Ueno" with an "e" rather than "Uano" with an "a") opened in Tokyo in 1882 and is Japan's oldest zoo.

Handwritten on the back of the photo: "1345 14th Street No., St. Petersburg, Florida, Wed. morning, Aug. 19th, 1936. All ready to pull out for home." I'm not sure why the photographer decided to hide in the weeds across the street in order to take the picture.

A souvenir photo (no. 3344, according to the photographer's notation) of a family visiting the Devil's Den area of the Gettysburg Battlefield in Adams County, Pennsylvania. For additional photos, see my album of Souvenir Photos from the Gettysburg Battlefield .

A parades photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. In this undated real photo postcard, a girl playing the part of Lady Liberty stands in a decorated car and holds her torch high as she poses for the photographer. A man and a woman (Lady Liberty's parents?) in the front seat of the car and three girls (her sisters?) in the back seat are also dressed in patriotic garb and seem to be awaiting the start of a parade (note the second vehicle behind this car). The word "Liberty" appears on the windshield of the car and on Lady Liberty's cap. If you look closely (mouse over the image above to see an enlarged view of the occupants of the car ), you'll notice that no one seems to be too enthusiastic about their participation in the parade--Lady Liberty is frowning, her mother is givng the photographer an icy look, the kids in the back don't seem happy, and dad is hiding his face. I certainly hope their moods changed once the parade began!

See also the full version of this real photo postcard:

Compare with Boys with Their Bunnies and Moms .

Compare with A Girl with Her Bunny and Mom .

A Thanksgiving or family gatherings at the dinner table photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park . I'm not sure whether this found photo shows a Thanksgiving meal, but I like how the fellow on the right is unfurling his napkin as he sizes up the turkey.

Mouse over the image above to see a close-up of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. W. Davidson . This real photo postcard doesn't bear a stamp or postmark but was addressed to: "Jessie Warner, Croton, Ohio." Handwritten message: "April 10, 1914. Dear Jessie, We wish you many more happy birthdays. Mr. and Mrs. Geo. W. Davidson, Croton." If you have any interest in vintage photos like this that show people posing in front of their homes, please consider joining my new group Vintage House-Proud People . Here are some more examples of this kind of photo: