Photographic Tricks and Amusements

Or at least it looks like they're trying to drive away in "The Red Devil." Unfortunately, there aren't any clues regarding the origin of the devilish vehicle on this real photo postcard.

Carlisle, 12/1, 1904 My dear little Carrie: Honestly now aren't you also on the pig? When you kill yours, save me a nice piece of ham, and I'll be up and take dinner with you. You may also keep a few young chickens handy. (If you're "on the pig's back," it apparently means that you're lucky or well off.)

A written inscriptions and messages photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. In his message to Bertha on this real photo postcard, Sam humorously explains Lena's absence from the novelty photo by saying that she's hidden under the seat of the wagon in order "to keep the dust off of her." Denver, Nov. 19 Hello Bertha, we are coming towards home. Have got Lena under the seat to keep the dust off of her. If our horse holds out, we will be there by the end of the week. Goodby, Sam & Lena

Printed on the back of this real photo postcard: "Post Card Souvenir from Riverview Exposition, Chicago. Foster & Coultry - Official Photographers." This photo was taken at Chicago's Riverview Park , which was an amusement park that operated from 1904 to 1967 and was known as Riverview Exposition Park for a few years early in the twentieth century (one source says that it was called Riverview Exposition between 1909 and 1913). Both of the men in the photo are holding cigars, and the man on left has some sort of dog figurine or toy attached to his lapel. The man on the right is holding something under his arm but I can't tell what it is.

A real photo tall-tale postcard.

A trick or treat photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Although my copy of this stereoscopic card doesn't include any publication information, versions posted on Flickr are titled "The Haunted Lovers" and were published by Littleton View Company in 1893 (see Photo_History's The Haunted Lovers Stereo Card and depthandtime's The Haunted Lovers ). For the full stereoview card, see The Haunted Lovers (Stereoscopic Card) :

For information about this stereoscopic card, see The Haunted Lovers :

"I'm on my way--I'll be seein' yeh. Photo by F. D. Conard, Garden City, Ks. No. 49."

A souvenir real photo postcard.

This cabinet card photo, created by Joshua Smith, Chicago, Illinois, is a composite image that shows the faces of over fifty smiling and laughing children. A commentator in the "Notes" section of The Photographic Times and American Photographer , vol. 13 (June 1883): 261, gave this unenthusiastic appraisal of this photo and another one by Smith: "'Sunshine' and 'Showers' are the appropriate names of two groups of baby faces, in which it seems as if the artist-photographer, Mr. Joshua Smith, of Chicago, has shown every possible shade of infantile expression of joy or grief." Smith evidently compiled a number of these kinds of composite photos of children. For more information, see If You've Got It, Flaunt It! , a May 22, 2009, posting on the Shades of the Departed blog. For the backmark on the reverse of this cabinet card photo, see Smith's Studio of Photography, Chicago, Illinois :

"Dear folks, We are having a fine time. It was too hot to come the 12th. Joe left the 10th (Saturday) for Denver. Will be away 2 weeks. A party of 4. I know they will have a fine time. Where is Mable." Additional note on the back of this real photo postcard: "7/21. Too hot to move. Go to work, come home, and lay around. You folks come up. Ed."

Sign: "I don't know where I'm going but I'm happy on my way." Message on back (no address or postmark): "Henry Smith and family.--Dear Friends, I will eat Xmas dinner with you. My train leaves here at 1 p.m., Dec, 24th., and will land at Rock Island depot in Enid [located in Oklahoma] 10 a.m. Xmas, and if I make any time will be at your house by noon, J. L. Byrner." See also the full version of this real photo postcard:

For more information, see the cropped version of this real photo postcard:

Do you have ideas for future topics for the Vintage Photos Theme Park ? If so, please add them to the Suggestion Box ! A photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park monthly topic of cats (submit a photo on this topic each week in addition to—or instead of—a photo for the weekly topic) . "Looking through the news you may see something which might interest you. I will send the papers to you. J.R." A real photo postcard with a cat that's literally looking through a newspaper in 1906. For another postcard with a similar punning message, see Breaking the News, Lititz Express, July 4, 1907 .

A French hand-tinted real photo postcard. For another postcard with a similar image, see Breaking the News, Lititz Express, July 4, 1907 :

"Fahrt ins Blaue" is a German phrase that literally means "trip into the blue," but idiomatically it suggests something akin to "mystery tour" or "trip to nowhere in particular." This couple took such a trip in 1937, as we can see in this amusing souvenir real photo postcard (mouse over the image to see a close-up of the imaginary plane and its smiling occupants ). Does anyone recognize the location that they're flying over?

For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard: