Portraits from the first 100 years of photography
I had hoped to share a sporting image here on the blog while the Summer Olympics were going on in Tokyo, but the two weeks went by so fast that I didn't manage it. Since today is the day after the Olympics, it seems appropriate to share a stereoview titled After the Regatta. Published by... Continue Reading →
On this final day of Women's History Month, I thought it might be fun to turn to the realm of sport. This photograph came to me from Wales. It has nothing written or printed on it. Update, April 4: This morning I came across another copy of this image on a blog post titled Pulling... Continue Reading →
This carte-de-visite has me stumped. I assumed the girl in the image would be easy to identify, but so far that hasn't been the case. At first I thought she was holding an oar, but a rower I contacted told me it was a paddle. Well, that's a start! Actually, I think the most interesting... Continue Reading →
This post features seven photographs. The first five were taken on August 1, 1891, in a small area of Cheshire, England, called Middlewood. Just southeast of Middlewood is Lyme Park, which is now part of the Peak District National Park (created in 1951). Less than ten miles west of Middlewood is Manchester Airport. In these... Continue Reading →
Within the image area of this postcard, the photographer inscribed the negative: "S.S. Corwin in the Ice June -08-". He also signed it in the lower right corner: "By J.C. Wats". Was his name Watson? Underneath the image, the sender wrote: "June 23/08 Well but Busy C.H." There's a lot of information online about... Continue Reading →
When I saw the carte-de-visite above, I wondered if it was a real scene or an elaborate joke. Could they really have sailed on ice? It turns out they could have! The sport is called ice yachting, and that's all I know about it. The guys to the left of the boat are skating and... Continue Reading →
These postcards were acquired by a British or American sailor during the First World War. They were probably made available to the men as keepsakes of their service. In the image above, a line of sailors is visible in the distance, probably on a brief leave to sightsee. The snowy hills on the island below... Continue Reading →
An oar appears for the second time on this blog in this group tableau from New Bedford, Massachusetts. The cabinet card was made at John O'Neil's studio in the Hastings' Building. The girls are all wearing the same classical costume, with one resting her hand on the oar, suggesting it was a symbolic part of... Continue Reading →
I wish I could share some information about this group of young people holding oars and wearing paper hats. They seem to be very close in age. Coincidentally, their hats look similar to the cloth one worn by Walter Kleckner in his 1898 portrait at the end of the post 'Kangarooing' at Camp Chickamauga.
This family came up with a variety of ways to pass their time on vacation, from fishing and shooting to playing guitar, dominoes and at least four different board games. Someone had the great idea to make a visual record of their activities. Two women in the group find the idea a little embarrassing. Some... Continue Reading →
This postcard was made by Huested Studios of Mannsville, New York, in July 1914.
Tokens of Companionship 
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