Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: awkward

Benched at Black Diamond Camp

01 Apr 2019 1 1 426
A photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park topic of awkward family photos (vintage photos of odd, embarrassing, or amusing scenes from your own family's history or someone else's) . After the cavorting couple overturned the bench they were sitting on, everyone in camp stopped what they were doing to watch as the two of them continued their awkward antics on the ground. "Black Diamond Camp" is painted on the side of the bench, but I haven't been able to determine where it might have been located. See also the full version of this real photo postcard. Another photo— Footrace Photo Finish? —that I purchased along with this one may show some of the same individuals.

Men Out Standing in Their Field, Ohio, 1909

21 Aug 2017 3 651
This real photo postcard was addressed to Miss Olive Hanner, Strasburg, Ohio, and was postmarked Akron, Ohio, Nov. 5, 1909. There was no greeting or message.

Merry Halloween from Brunswick, Maine, 1943 (Cropp…

20 Oct 2017 1 782
For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard.

Merry Halloween from Brunswick, Maine, 1943

20 Oct 2017 4 3 1040
Yet another Halloween photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. A real photo postcard with a Halloween portrait of kids (including twins?), a cat, and a jack-o'-lantern all posing on the front porch (see also a cropped version of the photo). The family sent this as a Christmas greeting (notice the decorative holly leaves and berries added at the bottom) to Miss Geneva B. Haley, Cornish, Maine. The card was postmarked in Brunswick, Maine, on December 17, 1943. Handwritten message on the other side: "Yours was a lovely card. Peter read it to the other children. It's their favorite Christmas carol. Greetings from all, Cecil & Marion." I don't recall ever seeing any other Halloween-themed Christmas cards.

Grumpy and Grouchy

10 Sep 2014 3 4 1796
A 35 mm slide for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. I believe that this couple is related to the Pipe-Smoking Man , who smokes a pipe, wears yellow socks, and appears in some other slides I've posted (see, for instance, The Silence in the Room Was Deafening , below left). This woman and man, who may have been Pipe-Smoking Man's parents or in-laws, didn't always seem to be in such bad moods. Take a look at Here's the Lady You Ordered! (below right) to see the hilarity that ensued as the man and another fellow carried the woman through a doorway into a house (judging by the corsage that the woman was wearing and the flower in the man's lapel, I suspect that they were celebrating a wedding anniversary). I wasn't able to see a date or determine who's on the cover of the Life magazine on the coffee table, and it looks like there's also a Toby jug on the table near the magazine. Update: Thanks go to goenetix for identifying the Life magazine issue! It was published on October 9, 1950, and that's British actress Jean Simmons on the cover. See the comments section below for additional details.

The Silence in the Room Was Deafening

Here's the Lady You Ordered! Where Do You Want Us…

11 Jun 2013 4 2 2293
Slide dated October 1959, location unknown. Hilarity ensued as these two men carried the woman through a doorway into a house. Judging by the corsage that the woman was wearing and the flower in the one man's lapel, I suspect that they may have been celebrating a wedding anniversary. Note, too, that a television set is partially visible behind the doll on the left.

Knoto the Contortionist

26 Sep 2013 2 1385
Ouch! Anyone ever hear of Knoto? Knoto's signature is on the back, so it's likely that he used this as a pitch card, but I haven't been able to uncover any further information about him.

The Face in the Tree

16 Aug 2013 1 1 1174
Getting ahead among the roots and rocks. The dealer from whom I purchased this photo speculated that it may have been taken at Devil's Den or some other rocky area on the Gettysburg Battlefield in Adams County, Pennsylvania, but I have not been able to confirm this.

Elmer's Acting Up!

20 Aug 2013 2 940
Oh, how awkward! Looks like Elmer's making a spectacle of himself again! He's perched on top of a bear pull toy, leaning over a container of flowers, and holding a stuffed bunny rabbit and a bear. Lord knows what he has draped over his head. Please, Elmer, leave the kids' toys alone and just grow up! (Awkwardly posted to the Vintage Photos Theme Park for the week of August 19-25, 2013.)

Try This on Your Piano

19 Aug 2014 6 1130
A Bamforth real photo postcard with a punning caption. Another Bamforth card, Ain't Marriage a Cinch! , makes use of the same wallpaper:

Earl Is as Naughty as He Can Be

22 Aug 2013 4 1 1547
This real photo postcard doesn't bear a stamp, postmark, or date but was addressed to: "Mrs. Daniel Ohlinger. From Mrs. Edwin Ohlinger." Handwritten message on back: "Dear Mother, We are all well at present, hoping this card will find you all the same. Earl is as naughty as he can be. Try and come down. I must close--the mailman is coming." As far as I can determine from searching the Web, it was Earl's mother--Mrs. Edwin Ohlinger--who wrote the message, and she and her son lived in Berks County, Pennsylvania. I'm not certain, however, who the baby might be (Earl's brother or sister, perhaps?), what band Earl might have played in, or where Earl's grandmother--Mrs. Daniel Ohlinger--lived.