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Sittin’ on Grandpa

On a hot summer day, sittin’ on grandpa is the funnest thing for a pixie-cut girl to do. This photo hails from the late 1930s in rural Minnesota, and is the kind of candid real-life photo you hope to see out of dozens of posed, dour pictures of family members. It’s also a part of […]

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More Scenic California

Well, here we’ve got an entirely different view of the Harbor Freeway (compared to a few weeks ago). California’s pride in their municipal freeways was immense: in theory, they provided an escape from the crowded streets of other metropolitan areas, and allowed for relaxing suburban living while working in the city. Today, we see this […]

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More Cranky Kids

I’m not sure how these children relate to the grumps in this photo from last week, But they seem to share a venue and photographer. It’s the same (or very similar) venue, a folded sheet of some sort hung as a backdrop, with a dirt floor. The kids’ footing is improved by adding a reed […]

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The Fear Of Death

I bought a couple of these interesting postcards at a antique show recently. The drawings caught my eye, but the messages on them are a bit more striking as I’ve been figuring out what they say. They date from the very early 20th century — this one from 1909 — and they are all blatantly […]

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Laziness and the P.W.A.

In 1933, the US government starting putting a large amount of money into public works, helping the economy, building communities, and keeping people working. The PWA, or Public Works Administration, did a lot of high-profile work, but the PWA helped communities and projects of all sizes. This picture was captioned “P.W.A. Workers” — however, they […]

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1930s Nicknames

High school — a time of nicknames and rivalries no matter when you were born. This photo, from a photo-album of the late 1930s, has some evidence on the front. That girl in the front row in white — right in the middle — has her eyes blacked-out with pencil (you can see it in […]

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Pfister Hotel Barber Shop Staff, 1960

The couple in the front, members of the “Pfister Hotel Social Club” spent more time at the Pfister than just as customers: they appear to be the proprietors of the hotel barber shop. Several photos were taken, in hopes of getting a good shot where nobody’s blinking, everybody’s looking at the camera, and you can […]

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Retro Keep Clean Sign

All the trash cans in a I94 rest area near Fergus Falls have this sign; I don’t think I’ve seen it at any of the other Minnesota stops we’ve made. I’ve tried to see if the illustrator is credited, but no luck. Whoever came up with this sign did a very effective job – it’s […]

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4H IH Scout

The float aside, that bright red truck is the focus here (also seen here, and here) The owner of this truck was a forward thinker: the shiny, new truck seen here was from the first year International Harvester made the Scout, its answer to the Jeep. At the time, tractor manufacturers weren’t specifically tractor manufacturers: […]

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Cranky, Cranky Kids

Oh, my — I know kids hate to get dressed up, but the dress clothes of today pale in comparison to the kids of the early 1900s. That sailor suit on the right? It would cause a riot among modern kids. The photo appears to me to be from a travelling photographer; the ground is […]