Hello all - I really detest neglecting this blog, but when I've got so much work I haven't much of a choice. I had hoped to post about once a week, but sadly the posting will probably continue to be sporadic until after Thanksgiving.

Today we have some older dames from a Savannah junk shop. This one has no marking whatsoever, but who could forget that face? :)


I find it interesting that both of these women are wearing very, very similar pearl necklaces. Glasses too. This lady does have an inscription on the back:


there is an address written very lightly in pencil and scratched out in blue. but under it, in the same old blue ballpoint, it reads:

"Oct. 1963 -
This is Grace's mother, Mrs.
Piut or Pia Lakes, whom I knew
the year I lived w/ them in Norfolk,
& Mrs. Lakes was very dear & kind
to me. She lived to be about 96.
Helen Brett Quarterman"

I don't know if the date there refers to only the date of the inscription, or the date the photo was taken. I'm more inclined to the former.

Something Different

Is anyone else interested in vintage print and graphic design? Because I am, and therefore plan on posting it; perhaps it can be of use to someone somewhere. :)

All of these are scanned from my dad's collection of old player piano rolls. Some are dated, some are not - any commentary is appreciated! My knowledge about this stuff is very limited; I'm just in love with all these old logo designs.

This is from the endpaper of an actual roll:


And the rest of these are box labels (that's the top of a QRS roll tab there on the first one):

Wedding Photo?

OK JUST A QUICK UPDATE GUYS I GOTTA GET BACK TO ANIMATING

Scribbled on the back in fountain pen:

"206 W State
Industrial Life +
51938 n
John Dye
Sivers
309 E 39th"

the handwriting was really messy; that's just the best that I can make out. And it still makes no sense. As to what these things mean and why they're scribbled on back of a photo?

The kids

Attempt to control your charmed squeals ladies, there are some very dapper young gentlemen in this post!

The first three are again from flea markets and antique shops around Branson, MO. This young man is the only one labeled - in pencil on the back, it says "Taken at Wichita Dec. 13-1910".


The general quality of this photo isn't great - it's a bit out of focus, the lighting is funky. maybe it was a novice photographer. Perhaps around 1905? check out those shoes, good grief. I though sneaker laces were annoying when I was in 3rd grade. and that's a fun Art Noveau chair.


And a pair of little sweethearts! A tomboy and a little princess maybe. :) Again, those SHOES. I'm guessing children of yesteryear were very good with knots.


These last two I picked up in my other favorite place for old photos - Peddler Jim's in Savannah, GA. Self-explanatory:


This one is very old, very washed out. I actually reeled in the levels a bit in photoshop so it would be more visible. It's mounted on tough cardboard with the photographer stamp "DOUGHERTY BROS, 34 S. MAIN ST. DAYTON. O." which I assume refers to Dayton, Ohio. by the state of the photo and the way it's mounted all I can say is before 1910. does anyone form Dayton want to look up the Dougherty Bros? :)

French Postcard

Ironically, this was also found in a flea market in Branson MO, but is a postcard all the way from France!

It even has an oh so convenient date written on it: May 18, 1903.


I don't speak french, so it's difficult to decipher what the writing on the front means. EDIT: My friend Zelda speaks french and was kind enough to translate the little note on the front:

"A SMALL BUNCH OF CHERRIES"
Thank you for your kind thoughts.
(Signature)

Here's the back (Zelda translated the print, it says "This side is reserved exclusively for the (recipient's) address." how fascinating!) - it's addressed to Mademoiselle Louise Fuinon, 3 Rue de La Boétie, Paris, France. I looked up this address on google maps to make sure I'd deciphered the spelling of the place correctly, and you can too! it has an on-street view even, of the building that Miss Louise Fuinon lived in in 1903. And check out that beautiful penmanship - something that typewriters and computers have sadly robbed us of.

All the single ladies... *SMACK*

Today's theme is female portraits! I decided about 20 minutes ago that I should maybe try and give each post to a certain type of photo, for organizational purposes.

All three of today's photos were picked up last summer at thrift stores in Branson, MO. That probably doesn't mean much, because who knows how they got there. All three are printed on unused Postcards.

This lady appears to have been photographed in perhaps the early 30s:


My best guess for this one is between 1905 and 1920, based on her clothing. This is also the only photo with any marking on the back at all besides "Post Card, Address, Place stamp here". It is a printed on one of the short ends of the card and reads

"E. C. FORD, THE PHOTOGRAPHER,
196 ST. LAWRENCE BLVD., MONTREAL, Que."

I don't know if there's any way to look that photographer up or not.


Our last one is one of my favorite photo finds! Judging by the sporty matching sweaters, I bet these are a couple of modern collegiate buddies from the 20s.


I'd like to lay down this law now - I am by no means an expert, but I have done extensive research on period clothing and hairstyles and that is what I base most of my guesstimations on. If you have beef, give a comment and tell me what you think! :D

Grandpa Deunt in WWII

Well, may as well start off with these!

My Grandfather Leon Nungester died in 2001, and when we were going through his things we found some negatives (in their original envelopes!) from the 1940s. some of them appear to be of friends and family, and some are from just before his leaving for Europe for WWII with the draft. If I remember correctly, he was drafted right near the end of the war; he probably headed over around the end of 1944. I'll have to ask my mom to be sure.

I was able to scan the negatives against a white background, and then invert them to see what the photos really look like.

At any rate, here we have my "Grandpa Deunt" on the right, with a fellow soldier friend.


The negatives were all mixed together; I'm not sure if these two are family or friends of the family. Either way, I wonder what's the story behind that eye patch? :)


And here is my Grandpa again on the right. My cousin Kyle bears a striking resemblance to him. Once again I don't know who his friend with the awesome hat is, but if I find out I'll post.


That's all for now - I'm off for some Star Wars RPing. Will post more later!

Continuing a hobby, but in a more useful way

Hey all. If you didn't get here from one of my other websites, I'm Lauren (soon to be Sparks) Rasmussen. I'm an animator, Illustrator, Sequential Artist, hoarder, and book lover who collects a lot of things. One of those collections is of old photos.

I travel fairly often, most usually in the areas of the Indiana/Ohio/Kentucky intersection, southeastern Georgia, and western Missouri. And I stop along the way when I can. I find these photos at antique stores, flea markets, anywhere. I also have many photos from my own family's past.

I have them on file too - photos that other people have found, that they've posted online. And I figured, if I love looking for old photos, I bet other people do too. and so, I thought I would make use of the scanner I have now and share them.

Mind, I'm in the middle of production for two (perhaps three) animated short films and begin classes again next week, so who knows if it will be soon... but I fully intend to make use of the blogger URL I just created, so just keep one eye open... I'll be back, and with photos. :)