Thanksgiving Leftovers

Happy belated Thanksgiving to the American folks! To go with those leftovers, how about a few early 20th century Thanksgiving postcards from the New York Public Library? 

New York Public Library

Postmarked 1909. Source

New York Public Library

Postmarked 1915. Source

New York Public Library

Written: "Why is it I never hear from you?" Postmarked 1909. Source

Strange Photos from the LIFE Archives

In all the poking through the online archives of LIFE magazine that I've done for this blog, I sometimes come across photos that are just plain weird. Sometimes they make more sense with the caption; sometimes they make less. 

Francis Miller, LIFE © Time Inc.

 A man carrying a giant pickle to the top of a radio tower. Of course. 1949. Source

Wallace Kirkland, LIFE © Time Inc.

The winners of a Chiropractic Beauty Contest, with their winning x-rays, 1956.  Source

Peter Stackpole, LIFE © Time Inc.

A raven smoking a pipe, 1939. Source

La Fête de la Sainte-Catherine

St. Catherine is, among other things, the patron saint of unmarried women. On St. Catherine's Day (25th November, ie, today) it was traditional in France for unmarried women to pray to her for a husband, and, especially if they were over 25, to send each other cards on the day. The colourful 1920s postcards I collect and feature in my other blog, Mille Baisers, were popular for this in the 20s and 30s, especially as they typically feature single women looking fabulous or women looking fabulous with the attention of an adoring man. Today, a selection from my collection! The verso of each card are included. 

personal collection

personal collection

personal collection

personal collection

personal collection

personal collection

Backdrops of the Civil War

Another journey into the backdrops used by photographer's studios, this time in a certain context. During the American Civil War, ambrotype and tintype portraits of soldiers were made in great numbers by photographers who set up temporary studios at military camps (this blog has featured quite a few). While the majority of photographers just went with the plain canvas backdrop, painted backdrops were also in common use. Backdrops depicting camp scenes--usually with a prominent American flag-- were popular, along with a variety of landscapes, from the realistic to the somewhat fanciful. It is very interesting to see the kinds of scenes these young men wanted to be placed in (or the photographer though they might want to be placed it, at least). 

Library of Congress

A Union soldier with a landscape backdrop. Source

Library of Congress

A Union soldier with a checkered terrace backdrop. Source

Library of Congress

A Union soldier with a military camp backdrop. Source

Early 20th Century Views of Norway

Beautiful photographs of Norway taken in the 1910s and 1920s by the very talented amateur photographer Kristian Berge, an engineer in his day job. More of his work can be seen here.

Fylkesarkivet i Sogn og Fjordane 

The Oppstrynsvatnet lake, 1922. Source

Fylkesarkivet i Sogn og Fjordane 

Ålesund harbour, 1922. Source

Fylkesarkivet i Sogn og Fjordane 

Utvær, 1913. Source

Autochromes of Nature

The autochrome-- the first commercially available colour process (1907-1932)-- and nature met wonderfully. The autochrome required long exposure times, 30 seconds to a minute, so a naturally static view was helpful. Moreover, if you now have a way to take pictures in colour, well, what better to use that on than the capture of bright flowers and the fresh green of leaves? Nature scenes are among the most popular of amateur autochromes at all levels, and it's easy to see why. 

George Eastman House

Roses in a vase, ca. 1915. Source

George Eastman House

Scene with water and trees, ca. 1910. Source

George Eastman House

The Matterhorn, Switzerland, ca. 1915. Source