Post War Japan

Three of these images are conventional portraits. One photo looks like it's from outside a Japanese brothel. The portrait of the lady in the kimono is labeled, "Yokohama, Japan Oct. 1945," only a couple of months after V-J day. American troops would have been looking for both girlfriends and prostitutes in occupied Japan.

Green Bay Business College- The Homefront

It's been awhile since I've put up anything from the Green Bay Business College estate collection. (Go to the label section at the bottom of this post and click on Green Bay to see the others.) This large group of pictures all seem to revolve around a married couple who had some connection to the school. The name Kenneth Bierke shows up on some of the envelopes and prints, and I believe that this lady is Mrs. Bierke, and that when these photos were taken, Kenneth might have been in the military. Stamped on the back of each print, "THIS IS A KODACOLOR PRINT MADE BY EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY T.M. REGIS. U.S. PAT. OFF. APRIL 23 1945." Taken in the last year of the war.

Ray Bauduc, Drummer

I recognized the logo on the drum as being from the Bob Crosby Orchestra. A little bit of research, and I was able to ID the drummer as Ray Bauduc. Bauduc was born in 1906, in New Orleans, Louisiana, he died in 1988. During the thirties and forties, Bauduc played drums for the Bob Crosby Orchestra, and the band within a band, Bob Crosby and the Bobcats. He also played with The Original Memphis Five, had his own band and worked with people like Jack Teagarden.

Working at Western Union

The clock on the wall is from Western Union, the telegraphy company. Looks like it's from the 1920's, a time when few married women worked.

Ridgewood Lodge #1455 Wedding

The hair styles look like the forties to me. Maybe a war bride; one of the many couples who rushed through weddings when death in combat was a real possibility. My guess is that the bride is throwing the bouquet, even though it can't be seen in this photo. The scanning of these old photos require a minuscule cropping on the edges of the image. I've lost just enough that the top of the bulletin board in the background was lost. In the original it reads, "Ridgewood Lodge, No. 1455." A quick Google search came up with Elks Lodge 1455, Ridgewood, New Jersey.

A Young Girl In Costume

Very likely just plain old commercially done photographs for this child's parents. On the other hand, they're just theatrical enough that they could be a 19th century child actress.

Cops

They look like cops to me.