But What Are They Building?

When I first picked up this postcard, I thought they were building a factory.  But then I pulled out the magnifying glass and saw what looks like decorative window frames and thought church.  Another mystery in an old photograph.

Two-Up

This is a very small print and was probably cut from a longer strip.  At least I've run across some other strip images that have about six or seven frames.  I'm told that they were made in a camera, specially made to make multiple images on a glass plate negative.

Big Prediction

Time for a prediction.  The Pittsburgh Steelers will win the Super Bowl.  Now it's true that I grew up 50 miles from Pittsburgh and always pick the Steelers.  It's also true I've been right 6 out of 46 times.  Cleveland Browns fans can't say that!  Wave that Terrible Towel!

The Strange Career of Otto Sarony

Take a close look at this photograph and see a credit for O. Sarony.  There are tens of thousands of photographs credited to Otto Sarony, and he didn't take one of them.

Otto Sarony, 1859-1903, was the privileged son of famous photographer Napoleon Sarony.  The elder Sarony was born in Canada, but made his fortune in New York City.  A society photographer, Napoleon Sarony came up with an interesting business model.  Rather than waiting in his studio for the rich and famous to show up for a portrait, he paid sitting fees to his clients in exchange for the right to reproduce and sell their images.  Napoleon Sarony dressed flamboyantly, attended the parties given by the New York theatrical community and became every bit as well known as his celebrity sitters.  His studio sold cartes de visite, cabinet cards, and latter postcards of 19th century stage stars to anyone with a few pennies in their pocket.  Despite his public image, Napoleon was a hard working, successful businessman who made a lot of money.

 Raised by his father to take over the business, working as a studio assistant, Otto didn't share his father's enthusiasm for the photographic business.  It wasn't that Otto wanted to follow another profession.  He preferred yachts, gambling and parties.  Perhaps that's why Napoleon's will required Otto to run the business for at least fifteen years, and limited his weekly wages to $75.  To put it mildly, Otto was unhappy.  In 1898, two years after his father's death, Otto sold the studio to William F. Burrow, but remained as the public face of The Sarony Studios.  In 1901, Otto Sarony wanted even more money, so he sold rights to his name to Col. Theodore Marceau.  So, there were two competing studios in New York City producing photographs credited to Otto Sarony.  In 1903, Otto Sarony died of pneumonia.  For the next decade a series of law suits were filed as William F. Burrow and Theodore Marceau fought over who had the right to use the Sarony name.  Marceau managed to use the Sarony name into the 1910s.  Burrow's Sarony Studios closed in 1930.

Robert Edeson was a successful stage actor in New York and latter a well respected character actor in silent movies.  He was in a favorite silent movie of mine, The Clinging Vine, starring Leatrice Joy.  Highly recommended.  Edeson's career survived into the sound era.  He died in 1931.

Sperry Glacier

I've been to Sperry Glacier, and I suspect that's why I wanted this postcard.  It's on the north slope of Gunsight Mountain in Glacier National Park in Montana. It's not a short hike, but it is doable as a day trip.  The last time I was in Glacier was at least 15 years ago, and Sperry was a lot smaller than it is in this photograph, and if predictions hold true, it will be gone, along with the other surviving glaciers in the park, by 2020.

This card is postmarked "ANACONDA MONTANA, JUL 18, 2-P.M. 1916"  It's addressed to "Miss Marg Bryan, 2732 Renick St., St. Joe, Mo."  No message, though.  Glacier National Park was established in 1910.

The North Texas State Normal College Album 3

I'm assuming that the owner of this album was a student at North Texas State Normal College in Denton, Texas.  But, I can't know that for certain.  Perhaps the owner wasn' a student, but just someone passing through town who liked the album cover.  In any case, that's a lot of people posing in front of that barn.

Click on NTSNC in the labels section to bring up the whole collection.

The North Texas State Normal College Album 2

I'd love to know what kind of time span this album covers.  A normal college's primary purpose was the training of teachers.  Is the first picture a photo of students standing in front of their college or is it newly graduated teachers getting ready to face a school room full of ten year olds?  I'm thinking the former, and the children in the second photo are siblings left behind at home.

Click on NTSNC in the labels section to bring up the whole collection.