May 31, 2010

Tropical Fish in the Home


This is one of those simple ones that catch my eye. If I saw this at the flea market, I might buy it.

Tropical Fish in the Home by Douglas Gohm
1954
from Aquatic Fish

May 30, 2010

Rescue at Sea


He's such a casual hero - the calm face, the seaweed hanging off his bare foot. He knows he's saved the girl, and I'm pretty sure he's looking forward to his pipe.

magic lantern slide from "Our Life-Boat Men"
from La Luce e L'Ombra

W. Thelwall Thomas and friends


The Welsh may have some fucked up ideas about spelling, but they sure do know how to wear a hat.

Wales
1882, photographer John Thomas
from Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru

The Gorilla


That is one sketchy looking ape right there.

The Gorilla (silent movie)
1927
from gorillamen.com's flickr stream

Museum staff cleaning elephant skin


An entirely different take on cleaning an elephant from the style I posted once before. This time, with much less elephant filling.

New York City, NY
1933, photographer Thane L. Bierwert
from the American Museum of Natural History

May 28, 2010

heavy duty pipe wrenches with guaranteed housing


"Rigid"

I see what you did there.

Calendar
1953, artist George Petty
from tinyways

X-Ray Glasses


It's like a frightening memorex ad.

no stats available
from Kinky Delights

Mom Dad & Mark


This one just tickles me. The look on the kid's face both in life and in the portrait? Classic.

Gatlinburg, TN
1969
from mark_owens2009's flickr stream

and he seems to have stopped making that face by now

May 27, 2010

Sampling Arctic Ocean Water


The water and the snow look so fake to me, so staged. Whatever you do, don't fall in.

Fridtjof Nansen in the Arctic
1890s
from National Geographic

Athos


I'm on sort of a wrap-around cover kick. There's nothing I don't like about this one - the clouds, the water, the island full of monks. I wasn't looking for this - it was a happy surprise running across it.

Athos, the Holy Mountain by Sydney Loch
1957
from Athos Agion Oros

Hermit's Dwelling


I've always been attracted to the idea of just walking away and letting society play its own games. If society wants me, let them send a letter.

John Noah Rondeau, Cold River, New York
1920s - 1950s
from Hermitary

man in stocks with his hands bound


He sure does seem calm about the whole thing, doesn't he? I wonder what he was locked up for. By the look on his face, this is not an unfamiliar situation for the guy.

Hailar, Inner Mongolia, China
1918
from Duke University Libraries

Pounding a Punching Bag


I honestly had no idea Kris was such a jock. Rugby, football, track and field, boxing - not to mention completing Ranger school while he was in the Army. He always looked so laid back and bearded to me.

Kris Kristofferson
1981, photographer Douglas Kirkland
from The Selvedge Yard

May 26, 2010

Tarzan of the Apes


Look, Tarzan could wrestle a LION with his BARE HANDS.

Edgar Rice Burroughs
1914
from Authentic History

May 23, 2010

Ægir's Feast


I spent a lot of time as a kid pretending to be Thor. Not the comic book version, I was just really into Nordic mythology.

The Children of Odin by Padraic Colum
1920, illustrator Willy Pogany
from Golden Age Comicbook Stories

May 22, 2010

A Light in the Night


Who needs a clock? It's always Pabst time.

Chicago, Illinois
1943, photographer Jack Delano
from The Library of Congress

Toothbrushes have been Modernized


I don't think you could physically cross toothbrushes like this, but I really like how it looks.

Dr. West's ad in Saturday Evening Post
1929
from Duke University Library

three little panthers


These babies are sharp on five corners. I still want a handful.

Amsterdam Zoo
1968, photographer Jac Nijs
from Nationaal Archief

old house and fruit stand


I. Want. This. House.

Houston, Texas
1943, photographer John Vachon
from Library of Congress

A Promotional Stunt


How fast do you figure that guy was actually going? Not very is my guess. And you know that car weighed more tan our plastimobiles of today. That driver had some fuckin guts.

Australia
mid 1920s, photographer Dan Harkness
from Powerhouse Museum Collection

the octopus catcher


I love the light. I love the tentacles in the water. I love this person's arms and hands.

Qagyuhl
1914, photographer Edward S. Curtis
from First People

UFO Sightings Chart


Okay, sir, was it more like a pie plate or a man's hat?

Paperwork from Air Ministry and Ministry of Defence
1967
from the National Archives UK

Llanelwedd School activities


What the hell kind of school activities are these?

Llanelwedd, Wales
1953, photographer Geoff Charles
from National Library of Wales

Happy New Year


There's something about a family band that I really love. Check out the little guy down front, he's playing so hard!

Hennepin; Minnesota
1957, Berman Family Rosh Hashanah card
from Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest

May 20, 2010

keeping a disorderly house


6 to 15 months hard labor for attending a house party. This wasn't how the night was supposed to go.

London, England
1926
from National Archives UK

Banjo Players


q: What's the difference between a banjo player & a locksmith?
a: A locksmith gets paid to change keys.

New York, NY
1915
from NYPL

May 19, 2010

write what you know


Once you know that this is Robert Louis Stevenson, his wife Fanny, and friends, you know why this picture rocks my world.

Butaritari
1889
from the National Library of Scotland

The Government and Flag


And you think our current politics are contentious.

Civil War Era political ribbon,
from a telegram sent by John A. Dix, United States Secretary of the Treasury, to Treasury agents:
"If any one attempts to haul down the American flag, shoot him on the spot."
1860s
from Cornell University Library

Dandelion Salad


There's such a story in this photo. England was being hit hard, supplies were low. These two dressed warmly, went out, and picked dandelions. I wonder if they talked about doing that as girls or about the older women who told them they could be eaten. They came in and cleaned the greens and cut them into a beautiful bowl, all to stay healthy and have something fresh. I wonder how many people ate this salad. I wonder if they all appreciated it.

England
1941
from The BBC, seen at Uncertain Times, possibly my favorite image blog.

May 18, 2010

Auto Polo


Jackass had nothing on these guys.

1910s
from Library of Congress

May 16, 2010

Two Youths in Uptown


Some folks just shine, no matter how dirty.

Chicago, Illinois
1974, photographer Danny Lyon

Future Fodder


One kid with one toy gun, kinda cute. Many kids with many wooden guns, not cute at all. 

China
1965, photographer Marc Riboud

Courage


Look at her face - she's in love with what she does. 

Bertram Mills Touring Circus, Ascot
photographer Edward G Malindine

Such Meetings Are Illegal


Those in power have never simply shared that power without a fight. All they wanted was the vote.

London, England
1848

Always Ready!


I am (full name) entering the team of the Soviet Union Pioneer Organisation, in front of all my comrade mates, I solemnly declare: to love and to protect my country, live as the great Lenin advised, as the Communist party guides, as the Pioneer Laws require.

Pioneers Badge (basically Russian Boy Scouts)
Communist era

Boulevard de Strasbourg


It looks to me like these are mostly understuff with a purpose, like holding in a hernia and so on. Anyway, I love this picture - especially the little display models. 

Paris, France
1926, photographer Eugène Atget

Fine for indecent man


Indecent even in a mankini. It's enough to make a horse laugh. 

Netherlands, Heemskerk
1931

May 13, 2010

Adolescence


The best years of your life.

Through Darkest Adolescence: With Tongue in Cheek and Pen in Checkbook
1962, illustration by Susan Perl
from Children's Illustration

May 11, 2010

construction of the skeleton


Is there a statue of a man sitting on her arm?

NYC
1883, photographer Albert Fernique

Buck Rogers


Barbarians, space men, monsters, and women in fur bikinis. Me, I found his art first on the covers of Tarzan paperbacks.

Frank Frazetta, RIP

Famous Funnies
1954
from Golden Age Comic Book Stories

A Foursquare Gospeller


Is that some sort of literature that he handed her, or is she trying to read and ignore the crazy man?

Cincinnati, Ohio
1973, photographer Tom Hubbard
from US National Archives

The son of Czar Saltan travels the sea in a barrel


Some of these I pick just because they are pretty and make me happy.

Pushkin’s
Tale about Czar Saltan and his son Gvidon
1905, illustrator Ivan Bilibin
from Poemas del río Wang, seen at Uncertain Times

May 9, 2010

Afloat on the Ohio


Now that's some beautiful cover design, there. I don't have anything to add. I love the smoke.

Afloat on the Ohio : An Historical Pilgrimage of a thousand miles in a skiff, from Redstone to Cairo by Reuben Gold Thwaites
1909, artist marked as CYR
from University of Wisconsin, digital collection

May 3, 2010

unknown terrors, pagan worship and virgin sacrifice


I can't help but note certain historical discrepancies here.

Lobby Card
1970s, Hammer Films
from Wrong Side of the Art

north wing, kitchen above bedroom


I would live here in a heartbeat, happily. It wouldn't work in our hurricane-prone part of the world, though.

Groth House, Trinidad
1970s
from the Bruno Groth website

May 2, 2010

Darlington Jackson Playing Saw


This is the only time I have seen someone look truly cool while playing the musical saw.

Christmas Party
1960

Group of seven artists at a party at the home of Yasuo Kuniyoshi


Artists and alcohol, a truth through the ages. 

Archives of American Art Journal
1921

Shocked by Microphones


That's not a laugh.

Lethbridge, Canada
1953, photographer F. Orville Brunelle

Get Down


I really have to wonder what the hell this band sounded like. 

no stats available

four boys riding goats


Now that just looks like fun. 

Isisford, Australia
1918