September 12, 2009

Saturday Snapshots {September 12, 2009}



“A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely unhappen.” ~ Edward de Bono




{The crystal clarity and composition of this shot leads one to initially wonder if it was taken of a famous star or by a professional, but the accompanying caption informs us that it was in fact of “mom” on San Luis Mountain in 1956. Evidently whoever shot it had a knack for portrait photography though, mom looks so dignified and beautiful here!}



{This photo is fantastic! It seems to burst with energy and happiness, as these three young women cut a rug atop an unknown roof somewhere. I’d peg the picture to be from the late 40s, based on the cut of their shorts and hairstyles; what do you think, 40s or very early 50s?}



{This shot is simply captioned “Chuck holding a lamb in Germany, 1959”. The tags go on to further inform us that “Chuck” was a Mr. Charles Edison French, the name of the adorable lamb however, is not provided ;D }



{Though no background info whatsoever is provided for this shot, the image itself – two beautiful young women sharing what appears to perhaps be a snack on a rock at the shoreline – speaks volumes for itself and the elegant era it hails from.}



{There are, in my opinion, far too few vintage colour photos of redheaded and auburn haired women, so the moment I spied this shot (entitled “A friend of Marge and Jim Duncan, Margaret, in California July 12, 1953), I knew I had to share it with you all. Don’t you just adore her glistening gold and yellow hued dress, stylish hairdo, and what appears to be a nosegay of fresh flowers pined near her collar?}



{I used to adore twirling around while sporting dresses and skirts as a child, trying to make them flare out as widely as possible, just as this charming little girl (circa 1957) is doing here – perhaps to music wafting up from the phonograph on the floor.}



{There is so much going on, such a rush of vibrant energy to this New York street scene shot from 1944. From the water slicked street (I’m guessing from melted snow, as it looks to be around Christmas time, as evident by the lights strung from the “Strand” building), to the incredibly chipper hued taxis (not just yellow, but bright blue and yellow!), this is one of those photos you can look at ten times and spot something you hadn’t noticed before with each new viewing.}



{Posted by the woman on the right’s grandson, this photo depicts “grandmom and a new friend” en route via ship to a Cuban vacation in 1932. I adore how stylish both women are. They look beautiful but still comfortable, the balance of these two components being paramount when a lady travels.}



{A family posses for the camera on “Fiesta Day” in 1951, according to the information provided for this shot. What exactly Fiesta Day is, I do not know, but I do know that they kids look adorable in their respective cowboy and incredibly Dennis The Menace-esque outfits, and that mom’s green skirt is positively gorgeous! (Dad’s hat is pretty snappy, too.)}



{You can just hear the father in this photo whispering, “Look, son, look, over there, see?” As to what this 1940s family was watching, only they and the photographer know, but I like to think it was something cute like a rabbit or a mother dear and her fawn that had wandered into the neighbourhood.}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}


In gathering photos from the past of people I have never had the joy of knowing, I feel that, if even in the smallest of ways, I am helping to keep the memories that the faces in these images held in their minds alive. It is almost as though the events in these extraordinary shots were still taking place in some vintage realm somewhere wonderful.

21 comments:

  1. These are wonderful!

    p.s. I have an award for you on my blog :)

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  2. Jessica, I love Vintage candid's like this, these are the best! Thanks for sharing....Hope all is well!

    XOXO,
    Syd

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  3. There is ABSOLUTELY nothing better than vintage photos, I have several gorgeous ones I am going to enlarge and frame in my new apartment. I cannot wait, will be so nice.

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  4. Oh wow another great selection to sigh over. Thank you my darling.

    Hope your having a beautiful weekend.
    xoxox

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  5. Wonderful snapshots, as usual :) I love the quote at the beginning of the post.

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  6. I love these shots! The one of NY is fabulous!

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  7. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting on my blog! Comments make me happy :)

    I adore your blog, so many wonderful photos!!

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  8. Great photos. I really love vintage photos. I hope you've been enjoying your weekend. Cheers!

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  9. These are all beautiful, but my favorite has to be the NYC scene, since my parents were young New Yorkers at the time it was taken :)

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  10. I got here through a link from Leproust Vintage, and I just love this post. Where did you find such photos, I must know!

    Thanks for having a great blog!

    Nancy @ the sway report

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  11. I know.... like a parallel universe. I think the same thing.

    I enjoy all your pics each week!

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  12. fantastic....especially "grandma and a new friend."
    Thanks, as always, for your sweet comments on my blog!
    xoxo

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  13. Hello Jessica!
    This is a lovely selection! My favourite was the two young ladies on the boat - they looked like they were having a fabulous time! And the spinning photo stood out because you don't see many candid vintage pictures and it's cute.

    with much love!
    Cait

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  14. FIESTA!!

    I want a fiesta day now...

    Love that little twirling girl! Oh, who am I kidding, I love them all!

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  15. Jessica, thank you so much for all of this pictures ! You're adorable !

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  16. These are beyond fabulous! It makes me want to repost tons of old sepia-tone family photos that I have. :o) I simply heart your blog, lady. Happy weekend!

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  17. @ Yelena, thank you ever so much on both parts, sweet dear! I'm immensely touched by your beautiful award and will be sure to pass it along to others in a future post. Big hugs of thanks!

    @ Syd, I adore shots like this, too! Thank you very much, honey for your caring words.

    @ Solanah, so do I! Those dress look like they would be so comfortable, yet they are also wildly stylish.

    @ A Vintage Revival, how fantastic! You are very lucky to have some vintage photos of your own. Thus far I don't own anything older than my baby pictures (technically those are retro now ;D), but hopefully one day I'll have some vintage snaps of my own to frame, too. Please don't hesitate to share photos of your framed vintage images any time :)

    @ Dustjacket Attic, you're very welcome, my dear friend.

    @ Halloween spirit, thank you very much! I really like that quote, too. I've always valued memories a great deal and love to talk about my own and hear or read about those of others.

    @ Maggi, thank you, darling! I think the NY shot is fab as well! If only the streets of the Big Apple still looked like that!

    @ Ms. B, you're very welcome, sweet heart. Thank you in turn for your immensely kind words.

    @ Keith, oodles of thanks! Love all the vintage photos, magazine covers and movie posters that you share with the world, too!

    @ Lidian, I can only imagine how amazing it must have been for your parents to have lived in NY during the 40s. The stories they must have told! :)

    @ Nancy, thank you very much for your comment, so happy that you popped by via Leproust Vintage, it's wonderful to make your acquaintance!

    All of the photos in this post are from Flickr. If you'd like to learn more about a particular shot, just click on the image and it will take to its respective Flickr stream, my dear.

    @ Sher, thank you very much! Wisely put about being like a parallel universe, I definitely agree.

    @ LandGirl, you're super welcome, darling gal! Huge thanks in turn for your lovely comments!

    @ Cait, very true point about the lack of vintage candid photos. I've always on the prowl for such shots when looking at older images on Flickr and hope to unearth more candid shots for future posts.

    Thank you very much for your comment, dear girl, much love to you, too!

    @ Gabriel Girl, I know, doesn't Fiesta Day sound fabulous? So energetic and cheery. I imagine gorgeous vintage Mexican peasant blouses and painted skirts, a relaxing afternoon spent eating scrumptious south of the boarder foods, and beautiful mariachi music wafting across the air.

    @ Stéphanie, you just made my day, honey! Thank you very much!!!

    @ Kelly, thank you deeply, honey! How immensely wonderful that you have a trove of sepia family photos. You are so lucky to posses such gems. If you ever repost them, please let me know, I would love to see them! :)


    Thank you each very much for your marvelous comments, it is always a delight to hear from you each!


    Have a wonderful evening everyone! - Big hugs,
    ♥ Jessica

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  18. Great pictures! What a cute blog you have darling

    XOXO
    Ali
    Rag Trade Vintage

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  19. You have so many wonderful posts that are so varied in their topics, that it is hard to say which is a favorite...but I must say, I absolutely love how you find these photos and write your captions about them...

    Blessings & aloha!

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  20. @ Personalized Sketches, Thank you deeply for your immensely sweet comments. Hearing from you always puts a smile on my face. You have such a kind soul and always know just how to brighten my day with your lovely words.

    Heartfelt thanks & huge hugs!

    ♥ Jessica

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