Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: grinning

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of pick your own (post a photo depicting your favorite theme from the past year) . As my favorite of the year, I'm choosing the theme of pick a particular format (daguerreotype, cabinet card, CDV, real photo postcard, cyanotype, slide, Polaroid, or what have you?) . And among those formats, I'm selecting real photo postcard , as I did previously in March (see Foursome Flying over Long Beach, California, 1914 ). I took a quick look at my postings to the Vintage Photos Theme Park during 2023, and I discovered to my surprise that the majority of my weekly contributions -- more than thirty! -- were real photo postcards . This photo postcard, captioned "One Minute Churn, L. H. Chambers, Cumberland, Md.," shows Lorenzo Hazell Chambers (1877-1958) standing next to a mechanical butter churn . He has a wide grin on his face, and he's resting his left hand on top of the churn. Perhaps Chambers intended to use this card as an advertisement for selling churns (the One-Minute Churn Company solicited sales agents -- see the company's ad below), even though the photo quality is poor and the image seems quite cloudy. This real photo postcard is unused, without any address, message, stamp, or postmark. The Kruxo stamp box design on the other side suggests a possible date that may be as early as 1908 to 1910. Also printed on the verso: "The C. C. Bickert Post Card Co., Hagerstown, Md." The following advertisement for the patented One-Minute Churn appeared in Hardware magazine, April 10, 1905, p. 11. Butter in One Minute The only perfect milk and cream aerator churn in the world, making the best granular butter from sour or sweet cream in a minute -- which we guarantee -- is the One Minute Churn. Protected by 57 patents. Its construction is perfect in every detail. All parts interchangeable and carried in stock. Easy to run, holding 1 quart to 13 gallons. For farm and family use. Our Catalogue tells all. Mention Hardware . Agents wanted. Cable address: "Minute" or "Murphite" New York. I. M. Murphy, president. The One Minute Churn Co., Inc., 9 Old Slip, New York, U.S.A.

This picture has the same appearace and size as a real photo postcard but it doesn't have a postcard backing. The women are identified on the other side as "Bess Stubinger" and "Bess Lester." For another photo of people posing in a tree, see Hatchet Job .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of from the photobooth . Written on the back of the photo: "Luther & Dick." For more photobooth photos, see Photobooth Girl in Forty Poses and other photos in my Vintage Photobooth album.

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 Halloween postcard addressed to Master Samuel Hauenstein , Lincoln, Pa., and postmarked on Oct. 31, 1912. There's nothing written on the back other than the address. Printed on the other side: "Raphael Tuck & Sons' 'Hallowe'en' Series of Post Cards No. 174."

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of smiling faces of yesteryear (photos of smiling people, based on the Flickr group of the same name) . "Memento of the world-famous Bavarian evenings at the Café Bauer, Garmisch." Stamped on the back of this real photo postcard: "Foto Franz, 81 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Kainzenbadstr. 26, Tel. 3202. Erinnerung an die weltbekannten Bayerischen Abende im Café Bauer, Garmisch."

A Halloween postcard addressed to Mrs. C. Studt, Lilly, Pa., and postmarked at Conemaugh, Pa., Oct. 31, 1910. Handwritten message on back: "With love, from Kit." Printed on back: "Raphael Tuck & Sons' 'Hallowe'en' Series of Post Cards No. 174." For another postcard sent to the same person in 1910, see Halloween—Witch with a Black Cat on a Pumpkin .

For the Vintage Photos Theme Park, a photo of troublemakers and misfits (that guy always was a troublemaker: photo featuring a misfit—someone set apart from the rest of the people by dress, action, expression, etc.) . A jolly bunch of men and women are posing under a tree—and on a tree house or platform attached to the tree—for what turned out to be an overexposed photo that then faded over time. After I scanned the photo and adjusted its contrast, I was able to spot some interesting details, like the beaming smiles on some of the women's faces and the bow ties and striped shirts worn by a few of the men. One fellow at upper right is smoking a pipe and holding the legs of a guy who's sitting on the railing above him. And then there's the dude who's smack dab in the middle of the group (see a cropped version for a close-up view). He's puffing on a cigarette and seems to be lunging toward a man in the front row. Judging by the blur of the hatchet he's holding in his raised hand, the man in front received a blow to the head just after the photographer snapped the photo. Or at least that seems to be what this troublemaker wanted us to believe. Notice, too, how the young woman to the left of the hatchet wielder is grinning. It's hard to tell if she's in on the joke or is actually oblivious to the impending hatchet chop. P.S. For another rabble-rouser caught on film, see Aieeeeee!!!

For more information, see the full version of this photo.

"This beats walking. Monongahela Incline, Pittsburgh, Pa."

"How is this for high? Farmers' National Bank, Pittsburgh, Pa." A postcard addressed on the other side to Blair Echard, R.R. No. 2, Duncansville, Pa., and postmarked Jan. 23, 1912. Handwritten message: "Dear Buz, We are stepping high in Pittsburgh, as you can see in this card. It is pretty cold here. Hope you are going to school every day and learning something too. Elmer." For other Pittsburgh postcards with similar illustrations, see Out for a Stroll in the Park and This Beats Walking (below).

A what a grin photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Written on the front of this real photo postcard: "Hello Enulia, this is me. Harold Andersun" (my best guesses for the spelling of the names). Stamped on the back: "Downers Grove Photo Studio" (which was probably located in Downers Grove, Illinois) . Poor Harold has evidently heard the bad news about Ipernity but is still putting on a brave front (unlike me, who's having a bit of trouble mustering up a smile).

Addressed on the back to Miss Anna Witmer, York , Pa., R.F.D. #12, but there's no stamp or postmark. Message: "From your Aunt Annie." In this surreal scene from a Halloween postcard by publisher Raphael Tuck, a witch, black cat, and some devils fly out of the top of a creepy jack-o'-lantern centerpiece as children cower in the background. See below for some other Tuck Halloween postcards.

"Hallowe'en Greetings. Frances Brundage." A Halloween postcard by illustrator Frances Brundage . Printed on the back: "Halloween Series-Postcard No. 120." Postmarked Washington, D.C., Oct. 30, 1913, and addressed to Miss Anna Harrison, 602 E St., S.E., Washington, D.C. Message: "Sorry! Certainly wish you a pleasant time tomorrow evening. Sincerely, Dave."

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 "Guild Color Processing" slide.

This Thanksgiving postcard, which was published in 1908 and postmarked in Lynn, Mass., on November 25, 1910, seemed more appropriate for Halloween to me. I couldn't resist changing the message to make it into a Halloween postcard. See Happy Halloween, You Turkey! (below).