A 1960s Christmas
Labeled “Xmas 1966” on the back (click to enlarge)
Better late than never. This is one of my all-time favorites–especially the closed-eyes cat–and another example of how there really is nothing quite like a snapshot.
Vintage Snapshots
the wondrous world of vernacular photography
Category: Interior Scenes
September 20, 2016
Looking Out
Inside the Piston Parts Co., c 1920s (click to enlarge)
January 6, 2016
Portraits: Gun Dance
Space to move, 1963 (click to enlarge)
Thanks to Leonard Lightfoot for uncovering another great image. This has to be one of my all-time favorites. As I have mentioned before a time or two on here, there truly is just nothing like a great snapshot.
February 10, 2015
Table for One
Dining Room, 1920s (click to enlarge)
December 25, 2013
Merry Christmas
Old Spice at Christmas (c 1960s)
Christmas morning, covered with presents. Old Spice, taken out of the box to display. I love this one. Merry Christmas.
September 29, 2013
“I Love the Ladies”
Edith at the piano (detail), c 1910s/20s (click to enlarge)
Vintage snapshots of people sitting at pianos are not uncommon, though this is one of the nicer ones I think I have come across — for several reasons in my view, including its composition/light, the framed photographs on the piano, the fact that the woman is actually playing rather than merely sitting or posing, and for the sheet music to her left. (See the full photo below.)
“I Love the Ladies” first appeared in 1914, and was written by Grant Clarke and Jean Schwartz, the latter a Hungarian immigrant born in 1878 who was one of the more prolific composers of the early Broadway era. Those early popular songs certainly had some great titles; some of my favorites from Schwartz include “Rip Van Winkle Was a Lucky Man,” “Why Do They All Take the Night Boat to Albany?” and “I’m Tired.” For his part, the Akron, Ohio-born Clarke contributed to titles such as “Weary River,” “He’d Have To Get Under – Get Out And Get Under – To Fix Up His Automobile,” “There’s A Little Bit Of Bad In Every Good Little Girl,” and “I’m The Medicine Man For The Blues.”
Edith, c 1910s/20s
Here is a link to the sheet music, and should anyone be interested in the place of the piano in early-20th century culture, I wrote a long piece that touches on that subject in connection with the jazz pianist George Shearing for another blog I do here.
August 30, 2013
A Cat Named After V-J Day?
V-Jay, at home, 1950 (click to enlarge)
The name of the cat in this 1950 snapshot makes me wonder if he was perhaps born on or around V-J Day. ‘Victory Over Japan Day’, which marked the end of WWII, is celebrated in the United States on September 2, after the day in 1945 the surrender document was signed by Japan (although it also applies to August 14 or 15 — depending on whether one takes into account the time zone — which was the day the surrender was announced). The cat looks to be about the right age to me. If he was indeed named after the end of WWII — wow, what a great way to choose a cat name, and in some small way, perhaps a marker of how happy/significant a day that must have been for so many who experienced it.
V-J Day, by the way (the Aug. 14 version), was also the day the famous Times Square kiss photo was taken. The Leica camera that Alfred Eisenstaedt used to take that iconic shot was auctioned earlier this year in Vienna for about $150,000. The camera used to snap “V-Jay” is of course probably long gone, although who knows — perhaps it is sitting in a closet or attic somewhere. And as a final thought, how nice that someone chose to note the subjects and date. Even the “At Home” has something nice about it.
July 9, 2013
A Little Odd
Circa 1940s (click to enlarge)
4-12-74 (click to enlarge)
May 16, 2013
Prankster
Classic 1950s family, Laura Scudder’s chips, Sun Valley, CA, May, 1957 (click to enlarge)
I’m not sure exactly what the imposing controls were used for (I can’t make out the abbreviation on the back, though the date, city and name of the family — Schepler — are clear). I assume, in any case, that the boy was quite pleased with himself when he saw this.
April 7, 2013
A Blowout
The excitement builds, c 1950s (click to enlarge)
There’s just so much to like here, but my favorite is the boy with the glasses towards the upper left.
Vintage Snapshots 