Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: blurred

Note the cylinder phonograph on the sideboard, the kerosene lamp on the right, and the wallpaper in the background, See also the full version of this photograph and a photo of a similar cylinder phonograph .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the monthly topic of family gatherings for Thanksgiving or other occasions . A family pauses for a photo before they dig in to their Thanksgiving dinner. Despite the turkey, pies, and other dishes on the table , my eye was drawn to the kerosene lamp hanging from the ceiling, the elaborate design of the wallpaper in the background, and the cylinder phonograph hidden in the shadows on the sideboard. See a cropped version of the photo for a better view of these items. For another photo with a similar phonograph, see Young Man Posing with an Edison Cylinder Phonograph . This is a real photo postcard with a divided back (introduced in 1907) but no stamp box, address, or message.

A camping/tents photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Judging by the banner hanging above the tents, Camp Chicken is the name of this encampment. Three women and a child pose in front of the three tents on the right. On the other side, a man is lying in a hammock, and behind him is a boy and another man, both of whom are sitting on chairs. A breeze blowing through the woods has blurred the large American flag flying above the kitchen tent, and some of the smaller flags hanging above the openings to the other tents are also blurred. Sunlight filtering down through the trees has formed a dappled pattern in the clearing. This is an unused real photo postcard with an Azo stamp box on the other side (four corner triangles pointing up) that indicates a date that may be as early as 1904 to 1918. For similarly in-tents scenes, see Tents at Raise 'ell Camp, Cooks Mill, Pennsylvania , Bob White Camp , and The Methodist Church Choir Camp, 1908 .

A blurry but charming photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. A double exposure featuring a cute kid with a big smile sitting in the foreground along with a ghostly mom and the kid's blurry doppelgänger lurking in the background. The photo is dated 1949 in the lower right-hand corner. For more charming blurriness, see Misty Shores of Memory and Fuzzy Dog .

A photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park monthly topic of snow (submit a photo on this topic each week in addition to—or instead of—a photo for the weekly topic) . Five fellows are flinging snow at each other in this real photo postcard. No date or location, unfortunately.

First of two in a series of two or more photos that tell a story (number them, if appropriate) for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. This is a real photo postcard addressed on the other side to " Mrs. Mollie Neperiny , Lacrosse , Kansas USA." There's no stamp or postmark, however, so it was evidently sent in an envelope rather than mailed separately as a postcard. Handwritten note on the back: "30/12/61. Aboard the ship San Georgia. Bound for Napoli. We are in Athenia now. Expect to arrive in Germany about 6 Jan. 62. Will send Xmas present then. Too many thefts at Turkey in mail. Will explain in letter. Received your pkg. George, Jan, Kit." As far as I've been able to determine, George, Janet , and Kit (or Katherine?) Buck were traveling in Europe--from Turkey to Greece and then on to Italy and Germany--in December 1961 and January 1962. Janet and Kit are posing in front of a giant Santa located on a square in "Athenia" (Athens), Greece. The blurred figures of the pedestrians behind them suggest that the camera was set to a slow shutter speed--perhaps it was a cloudy day. The building in the background on the left appears to be under construction. The one on the right has shops on the first floor, and a sign with Greek letters is partially visible on its roof. As Janet wrote in her note to her mother Mollie, the family was bound next for "Napoli" (Naples, Italy). Take a look at the second photo to see the Santas they encountered there.

Printed on the other side of this real photo postcard: "Boeckmann, park photographer, Olcott Beach, N.Y." Handwritten on the other side: "Ornan Rebert." Two fellows pretend to paddle their canoe in photographer John Boeckmann 's studio in Luna Park at Olcott Beach, located along the shore of Lake Ontario in Olcott, New York.

Written on the back: "12/29/67 - Bo." Bo on the floor and Tennessee Ernie Ford on the TV. I'm not sure whose legs those are on the couch. For another dogs-TV-legs combination, see Fuzzy Dog (below).

A photo of kids in costume/fancy dress for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Green-tinted blurry kids pose with a jack-o'-lantern before heading out for Halloween trick-or-treating sometime in the 1970s. The back of the photo is watermarked with "A Kodak Paper," which was used in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Tourists pose for a souvenir photo in front of the "Giant" (as the sign indicates), one of the huge redwoods in what used to be called Big Tree Grove but is now part of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park , located in Santa Cruz County, California.

Hey, buddy, quit shaking that bottle and get your hand off of that gal's waist! And wipe that grin off your face, too! Your shenanigans have startled that poor lady, and now her lovely visage is blurred. Nice going, pal! Sloppy Joe's is a classy bar. Try and take some pointers from these other folks on how to act when your picture's being taken!

A rather blurry and discolored cyanotype real photo postcard.

Judging by her blurred appearance, the youngest child was squirming in her seat when the photo was taken, and her brother and sister don't look like they're having a good time either.

From what I've been able to figure out, "Fireman, save my child" seems to be a hackneyed theatrical line originally featured in nineteenth-century melodramas and then reused later as a humorous catchphrase in various media, including as the title of separate films--all comedies--released in 1918 , 1927 , 1932 , and 1954 . "Fireman, save my child" appears here as a hand-held sign, along with a variety of hats, a firefighters's helmet (worn by the man standing behind the barrel of Scotch ale), and other amusing props For similar real photo souvenir postcards, see Sloppy Joe's Bar, Havana, Cuba, 1937 and Shenanigans at Sloppy Joe's Bar, Havana, Cuba .

Although I purchased this photo in Pennsylvania, I don't have any information regarding its date or location. It's possible that it was taken at a family get-together or a church gathering, but it's difficult to tell whether the group is posing in front of a residence, meeting house, or another type of building. Some of the clothing--especially the women's head coverings--suggests the type of plain dress that is still characteristic of Amish, Mennonite, Brethren, and other religious groups in Pennsylvania. Mouse over the image to see additional notes.

Or at least it looked like a runaway bride to me at first glance. After seeing what was written on the back of the photo, however, it appears that "Verla" (on the right) and an accomplice (on the stairs) are running out of the church in order to play a prank on the bride and groom by "decorating" their car ("Gil's car") in some amusing, inconvenient, or embarassing way. I still remember how some friends "decorated" the getaway car at my cousin's wedding by spraying shaving cream all over it. Handwritten description on the back of the photo: "Front view of church & shows how windy it was. Verla in foreground.They're on their way to decorate Gil's car." Dealer's handwritten caption on the back of the photo: "Holy #&@! Run!!"