Real Photo Postcards

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of hot hot heat (sweating, sweltering, melting) . Handwritten caption: "Bone Dry. New Mexico." This is an unused real photo postcard with an Azo stamp box (four corner triangles with two pointing up and two pointing down) on the other side, which suggests a date that may be as early as 1917 to 1930. For another sweltering situation, see Hot Meal, July 1914 .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of sitting on the grass . Handwritten message on the other side: "To Kate. I suppose you know who these are. Ellsworth and his wife. I've forgot whether I've ever sent you any before or not but will send this any-way." This real photo postcard bears no date or postmark, but the type of Azo stamp box (with four corner triangles pointing up) printed on the other side suggests that it dates between 1904 and 1918.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of strike a pose (subject affecting a dramatic or comic pose) . A dozen women pose with hands on shoulders in this undated real photo postcard with a divided back. There's no message, address, postmark, or stamp box on the other side to provide clues about the date or origin of this photo. For a similar photo of eleven women posing with hands on shoulders, see Bob White Camp .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of our gang (kids gathered in a group portrait) . Four young fellows lounging in the grass as they pose for the camera. This is an unused real photo postcard with a type of Azo stamp box (four corner triangles pointing up) that suggests a date range from 1904 to 1918.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of view from a hill or mountain . This is a real photo postcard with a view of the town of Springwater , New York. It's addressed on the other side to Miss Louisa Moyer , Kylertown, Clearfield Co., Pa. The card received two postmarks, one in Springwater, N.Y., on August 30, 1907, and a second one in Kylertown, Pa., on the following day, August 31, 1907. Message on the verso: "Dear Cousin, will send you a picture to the town of Springwater. It was taken when the leaves were on, so it don't show the town so very much but [you] can get some idea to the town. Kate." Caption and notes on the front of the card (spelling and punctuation updated): Springwater, N.Y. The arrow shows where Springwater Depot is. The little times mark [multiplication sign, or x] in the picture is where I worked.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of piercing, unusual, or distinctive eyes (a photo featuring someone or something -- a person, animal, or face-like object -- with expressive eyes) . An early twentieth-century photo of two men, one sitting on a bench and one standing, with a bush or tree behind them. The fellow on the bench looks alert, with a piercing stare, while the one who's standing seems drowsy with half-closed eyes. See a cropped version of the photo for a close-up view of the two men. This is an unused real photo postcard with no address, message, date, or stamp box. Printed on the other side: " J. A. Campbell , 373 Court St., Binghamton, N.Y."

The man on the left is looking at the camera with a piercing stare, while the one on the right seems drowsy with half-closed eyes. See also the full version of this real photo postcard.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of pick your own (post a photo depicting your favorite theme from the past year) . As my favorite of the year, I'm choosing the theme of pick a particular format (daguerreotype, cabinet card, CDV, real photo postcard, cyanotype, slide, Polaroid, or what have you?) . And among those formats, I'm selecting real photo postcard , as I did previously in March (see Foursome Flying over Long Beach, California, 1914 ). I took a quick look at my postings to the Vintage Photos Theme Park during 2023, and I discovered to my surprise that the majority of my weekly contributions -- more than thirty! -- were real photo postcards . This photo postcard, captioned "One Minute Churn, L. H. Chambers, Cumberland, Md.," shows Lorenzo Hazell Chambers (1877-1958) standing next to a mechanical butter churn . He has a wide grin on his face, and he's resting his left hand on top of the churn. Perhaps Chambers intended to use this card as an advertisement for selling churns (the One-Minute Churn Company solicited sales agents -- see the company's ad below), even though the photo quality is poor and the image seems quite cloudy. This real photo postcard is unused, without any address, message, stamp, or postmark. The Kruxo stamp box design on the other side suggests a possible date that may be as early as 1908 to 1910. Also printed on the verso: "The C. C. Bickert Post Card Co., Hagerstown, Md." The following advertisement for the patented One-Minute Churn appeared in Hardware magazine, April 10, 1905, p. 11. Butter in One Minute The only perfect milk and cream aerator churn in the world, making the best granular butter from sour or sweet cream in a minute -- which we guarantee -- is the One Minute Churn. Protected by 57 patents. Its construction is perfect in every detail. All parts interchangeable and carried in stock. Easy to run, holding 1 quart to 13 gallons. For farm and family use. Our Catalogue tells all. Mention Hardware . Agents wanted. Cable address: "Minute" or "Murphite" New York. I. M. Murphy, president. The One Minute Churn Co., Inc., 9 Old Slip, New York, U.S.A.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of nightclothes (pajamas, nightgowns, robes, etc.) . This is an early twentieth-century photo of a man wearing pajamas. He's sitting on the edge of a bed that's covered by a quilt. A chair and luggage are situated next to the bed. A large headboard and patterned wallpaper are visible behind the man. This is an unused real photo postcard with no address, message, or postmark. On the back of the card is an Azo stamp box design (with four corner triangles pointing up) that suggests a time frame that may range from 1904 to 1918. Printed on the other side: "Kellogg Studios, Cuba, Fillmore, Rushford. P. H. Kellogg, Cuba, N.Y."

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of the only one smiling in a group . The two sisters on this real photo postcard have serious expressions on their faces, but the baby of the family looks happy and is smiling. The photo postcard is unused, and there's no message or stamp box on the other side.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of an accident waiting to happen . In this photo, four members of a family are posing in front of a fenced-in area for the chickens. It's a little disconcerting to see that the gun that the boy is holding over his shoulder is pointed directly at the man -- his father? -- standing behind him. The faded quality of the upper portion of the photo makes it difficult to see the faces of the man and two women, giving them an almost ghostly appearance. This is an image from a real photo postcard with no address, message, or stamp on the other side. The Azo stamp box (with two corner triangles pointing up and two pointing down) printed on the verso indicates that the photo may date to as early as 1910 to 1930.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of birdbaths or other lawn ornaments . This is a real photo postcard with a handwritten date of "April 19, 1953" on the other side. When I purchased this photo, I noticed that the landscaping included a pink flamingo lawn ornament, concrete planters, a small trellis, a bench, rustic wooden chairs, and various trees and plants. The sign over the door of the small building identifies it as the "Office," and I thought that perhaps it was the office for a small motel or cabin court. But then I took a closer look at another sign on the right-hand side of the building, and I was surprised to discover that it says, "Burials $10.00 Up." The sign also lists specific hours of operation, which I couldn't decipher, and ends with "Other Times by Appointment." Could this be a cemetery? I don't see any gravestones, and the yard art -- especially the plastic pink flamingo -- isn't typical for decoration in a graveyard. See cropped views of the yard on the left-hand side and the building on the right .

A view of the yard with a pink flamingo lawn ornament, bench, rustic wooden chairs, concrete planters, trees, and plants. See also a cropped view of the building and the full real photo postcard .

The "Office" building with a sign advertising "Burials $10.00 Up." See also a cropped view of the yard and the full real photo postcard .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of holding a doll . Notation on photo: "C. C. Kuhn. Photo.#716." A photo of two girls -- one standing and one seated -- posed on a piece of carpet among some shrubbery and potted plants. C. C. Kuhn ( Carl C. Kuhn , 1888-1948) was a well-known photographer who lived in Cashtown, Adams County, Pennsylvania, at the time he took this photo. This is an unused real photo postcard with an Azo stamp box design (four corner triangles pointing up) on the other side, which suggests a date that may be as early as 1904 to 1918. For a closer view of the girls and the doll, see a cropped version of the photo. For a close-up of the doll and Kuhn's name on the photo, see an even smaller detail .

A real photo postcard of two girls and a doll taken by photographer C. C. Kuhn. For more information, see the full version of the photo.

This detail from a real photo postcard by photographer C. C. Kuhn shows a doll and the way Kuhn added his name and a number to the photo. For more information, see the full version of the photo.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of cuddle up a little closer (people embracing) . A man and a woman hold each other close as they pose for a photo in front of a painted backdrop that depicts a railroad observation car . See a cropped version for a close-up of the couple. This is an unused real photo postcard with no name, address, or message on the other side. The DOPS stamp box printed on the verso suggests that the card may date to between 1925 and 1942.