On the Porch Steps

I'm guessing from the late thirties to early/mid-forties. Note the palm fronds in the background. Perhaps from Florida or southern California.

Mt. San Jacinto, 1943

Hand franked, "Hubert G. Cain, U.S. Navy, Columbia, Mo." Addressed to "Mrs. J.H. Cain, 201 So. Wright St., Champaign, Ill." The message, "Hi Folks, Well I arrived here Sat. at 12 o'clock. I am doing Los Angeles now. I have to take the 3:15 train and it's after one now. I'll write a letter as soon as I get an address. Jigs" Franking is a signature or mark placed on a piece of mail that allows the sender free service. Jigs could be a nickname or it could mean Lieutenant, Junior Grade. Mt. San Jacinto now has an aerial tram that goes to a state park at the peak. Navigate back one to see another Cain family postcard

Cable Cars of 1939

Postmarked, "SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. SEP. 29, 3:30 PM 1939" Addressed to "Miss Ruth Cain, 201 S. Wright St., Champaign, Ill." Message, "Hello every body, How is everything in Champaign and surrounding territory? I've been up here for a convention. Here another week then back to Los Angeles. You would love these funny little cable cars. Pretty hills here to climb. Hope all are well. Love, Fairmont Hotel, San Fransisco, Calif." Another Cain family postcard to follow.

Mrs. Arciaga

What's the difference between an original and a reproduction in a medium that's designed to be endlessly reproducible? Most art dealers would say that a photograph printed after the death of the photographer is a reproduction, but if the photographer didn't do his own printing, is there really a difference? A first, second, and in many cases a third generation copy negative will be almost indistinguishable from the camera original. The original of this image would have been a black & white photograph that had been hand tinted to add color. Judging by the condition and dried tape on the back of this print, it's very old, but it's printed on color paper. Some time in the past, probably at least forty or fifty years ago, someone wanted a copy of this image, so they went to a photo lab, had a color copy neg and print made. Written on the back, Mrs. M Arciaga, 573-18th, San Pedro, Cal."

Summer of 1919

Not from Halloween, just playtime.

Automotive Tintye

This one is a bit of a rarity. The tintype was first described in 1853, and quickly, at least in the United States, became a huge commercial success. It was the first really cheap photographic medium and allowed ordinary people to have portraits made. Too, because most tintypes were small, because they were very durable, they could be carried around and mailed to family and friends with out having to put them in hard, protective cases. But, the tintype began to loose it's popularity by the late 1870's. The carte de visite and cabinet card, both of which had the advantage of being reproducible, took over the market. Of course, some tintypists continued to practice their trade. This tintype of five people sitting in a car was probably taken in the first decade of the twentieth century.

Camping

At first glance, I thought this was a photograph of a very young, World War 1 era soldier. After taking a second look, I'm leaning more towards boy scout. Scouting was founded by the sometimes controversial British general and aristocrat, Lord Robert Baden-Powell. With his military background, it was only natural that he would outfit the scouts in uniforms, which were often similar to the military kit of the scout's home country.