Parlor trio

Informal early photos of musicians are surprisingly rare.  On the other hand, musical instruments have often appeared in formal portraits.  The postcard below was made some years after the photo above.

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Mazaicasuawin and his wife, Anpaohdinajin (1898)

This stereograph (stereoview) was made from real photographs in 1898 by commercial photographer Truman Ward Ingersoll (1862-1922) of St. Paul, Minnesota.  Ingersoll produced many images of Ojibwe (Chippewa) people and their ways of life in northern Minnesota.  I was unable to find additional information about the couple in this portrait. In the Library of Congress's... Continue Reading →

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Bolton East Junction, 1903

This snapshot was taken in the town of Bolton in the north of England.  The back has the following note: "Remodelling Bolton East Junction, Sun. Mar. 22/03 11:15 am."  The month is hard to read, but March 22, 1903, was a Sunday, as were Feb. 22 and Nov. 22. Only one man is looking in... Continue Reading →

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Shall we meet at Sloppy Joe’s in Havana?

A date stamp on the back of this snapshot indicates that it was printed on Jan. 18, 1939. Sloppy Joe's was a favorite destination of American visitors to the city.  Its most famous patron was undoubtedly Ernest Hemingway, but celebrities and tourists alike made a point of stopping in.  A history of the bar--and its... Continue Reading →

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Magda and Prinz, 1925

The back of this postcard has a greeting which begins in German, "In friendly remembrance," and is signed "Magda e Prinz. 25. Januar 1925."   Page last updated: May 16, 2019.  

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Carnaval 1926

This postcard is inscribed "1926 Carnaval. LIX" lower right.  The reverse is a standard back with no additional information.  I'd love to know something about the people in this remarkable portrait!

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Heather Jock

This postcard was made from an earlier portrait of William Brodie, an itinerant Scottish performer who called himself Heather Jock.  Born in Paisley in 1802, he entertained village crowds into his seventies.  His songs and dances were especially popular with children.  In The Saturday Review (London) of Jan. 30, 1897, R. B. Cunningham Grahame wrote: So... Continue Reading →

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Two childhood memories

I was told that the two postcards above and below came from Gratz, Pennsylvania.  The little girl above also appears in the large group below (scroll down for close-ups). She's seated next to a woman who looks like her mother.  She's smiling in both pictures, and it's nice to imagine that her childhood might have... Continue Reading →

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Pick your pleasure

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 →

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Albumen print with school group

This albumen print on cardboard came from the area around Ithaca, New York, but could have originated elsewhere.  The children appear to be a few years apart in age, with the oldest standing at the back.  Two young women appear slightly older and might be teachers.  They sit in the middle row with a little... Continue Reading →

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