Abandoned Baby

I know that in the past I've written that I don't like pictures of babies, but this one has always seemed kind of funny to me. It looks like someone just dumped the kid along the road. Into the weeds where passing cars would miss him.

Rifle

If there's one thing I've learned in collecting old photographs it's that there is never a shortage of military themed photos. No later than the World War 1 era, maybe the Spanish American War.

Vermont in Color 3

On the back of the first print, the lake front shot, "Labor Day Sept. 4, 1961." On the next two photos, "Sun. June 24, 1962 1st Sun. home. She came Wed., June 20 & she & Doc left on Tues. 8-21-22 her 41st b'day." The family standing on the porch steps, "Wed. Aug. 15, 1962." And in the cemetery, "Sun. Sept. 3, 1962." It's actually rather frustrating that the person who was so careful about recording the date that the photos were taken didn't write down any names.

Vermont in Color 2

More color snapshots from Vermont! The first four photos are labeled "Fri. Sept. 1, 1961" In addition, the fourth photo is also labeled, "Our 41st Ann." I assume that is a reference to the couple's 41st wedding anniversary. The rest of the photos are labeled, "Sun. Sept. 3, 1961." And now for how I figured out that these photos are from Vermont. Images five and six are also labeled, "Kent's Museum." And the last three, "Walcott Church." I went through a road map atlas, very old school, and found all the Walcotts in the United States. Then I went on the net and began looking for a Kent's museum in one of the states with a Walcott. What I found was Kent's Tavern State Museum in Montpelier, Vermont.

The Albert Memorial

In his book about George Orwell, Christopher Hitchens argues that Orwell was unique among intellectuals in being right about the three important political/moral issues of the mid twentieth century. He was opposed to communism, fascism, and colonialism. Commissioned by Queen Victoria after her husband, Prince Albert's death, the Albert Memorial is a monument to England's colonial power as well as Prince Albert.

This is an interesting stereoview because is appears as if it might be a bootlegged copy of an original. The two images are one print, it's mounted off center, and the usual curved top of the image has been sliced of to fit on the card.

Vermont in Color 1

I've been wanting to add some more color snapshots to the blog, and these, I think, make a nice start. All have a Kodacolor logo on the back of the print. starting in 1942, Kodacolor was the first practical, true color film offered to the general public. Before loosing an anti-trust suit in 1954 Kodacolor could only be processed and printed by Kodak. The people who took these photos were very detail oriented. Each print is dated, in neat, easy to read script. The first seven prints are dated, "Sat. Aug. 19, 1961." The last three, all of the man on the chaise, are dated, "Mon. Aug. 21, 1961." In addition, the last print of the series has, "G's 40th B'Day." I assume that G is the lady in the blue dress. Two more parts coming.

Royal Palm Hotel

Built on the north bank of the Miami River, the Royal Palm Hotel opened in 1897. It was built by Henry Flagler, partner of John D. Rockefeller, railroad owner, and real estate developer. Flagler is credited with starting the resort building boom along Florida's east coast. When he showed up in Miami, it was just a small town, but after only a few years, it had become a major resort destination for the wealthy of New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. The Royal Palm was the first building in Miami to have electricity, elevators, and a swimming pool. It was built on a Tequesta Indian burial mound, and over sixty skulls were removed during construction, which were given away as souvenirs. Damaged by a hurricane in 1926, infested by termites, it was condemned and torn down in 1930. Each card has the usual stamp block with postage listed as "ONE CENT For United States and Island Possessions Cuba, Canada, and Mexico. TWO CENTS For Foreign. The color image of the hotel is from the 'FLORIDA ARTISTIC SERIES" and has a publishers mark, "PUB. BY THE H. & W.B. DREW CO. Jacksonville, Fla." Also, "IN GOD WE TRUST." The black & white image was printed by "The Rotograph Co., N. Y. City. (Germany)" The color shot of the dock, "Made in Germany. A. C. Bosselman & Co., New York." The only thing I could find about any of the card publishers was about the son of A. C. Bosselman. The son was killed on New Year's eve, 1921. It seems he got a bit rowdy, got into an argument with a policeman who hit him in the head and fractured his skull. In the articles I found from the January 3, 1921 edition of the New York Times, Bosselman senior was listed as a souvenir manufacturer, and his son was listed as the manager of his father's Washington office.