The Glamour and Glory of Gambling (In Natural Color)

Someone needs an new publicist. I guess back when this card was taken, the mob still ran the table and quality control was less important then where Frankie was playing that night...At any rate, note the slogan of the post card company who produced this card. If the boss saw this, someone would be pushing up cactus.

Reno Gambling Post Card Circa 1950 Collection Jim Linderman

Big Chair, Big Man, Big Deception Big Time (Meet the Press)

In his recent book "After Photography" Fred Ritchin discusses how photographs have been manipulated for years, but that in the digital age trickery is even more prevalent. "The myth of photographic objectivity has concealed fakery as old as the medium itself" he says, and this is indeed true (as the photo here indicates). LONG before Time and Newsweek were darkening O.J. Simpson to make him look scary, and touching up the President for reasons unknown...and long before the average sagging stomachs of hollywood glamor girls and boys were being airbrushed for the grocery store checkout line, the media trusted themselves more than their readers. Witness the harmless, but no less deceiving treatment of "A Big Man in a Big Chair" which is exhibit number one above. An original press photograph of 1921 from my collection, When I purchased it I noticed the jolly fat man seemed to be a less shiny texture. Sure enough, I pried him from his chair and found a tiny fat man underneath the ORIGINAL corpulent gent in his straw hat! For reasons unknown, and which I can not even fathom...some editor decided the consumers of his newspaper should see a slightly larger man in the chair. Odd, since the whole POINT of the story was to illustrate the size of the swivel on wheels. Curious, but no less devious.
Original Press Photograph and paper insert 1921 Collection Jim Linderman

Seeing Mystery Spots

Actually, the real mystery to me is how these guys can wear their pants so high. There are numerous "mystery places" in the US, three of them are shown in these postcards. Mystery spot, number one, come on down! The black and white images are early photos from Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz, Ca. They are still confusing hordes of tired drivers, see their web "spot" here. Mystery spot number two is actually a Mystery HOUSE and operates in the Black Hills near Mt. Rushmore, (although they have since changed their name to Cosmos Mystery AREA) and are represented here by the mystery of a big-eared father and his big-eared sons. Here even JUNIOR wears his jeans around his chest. Mystery Spot number three, seemingly in a sauna, shows here an attractive young woman in saddle shoes and a woman in extra precarious position due to her high heels. Three is in Michigan, of course, and still thriving as well. They claim one million visitors, each who will "no doubt remember your visit" for years to come. There are no less than 25 similar identified spots in the United States, and I would love to visit every single one.

Group of Mystery Post Cards c. 1950-1960. Collection Jim Linderman

QSL Amateur Radio Operator Post Cards Dude!

Basically each of these cards says "dude, can you hear me now?" A fad of the 1960's and a way for nerds and freedom fighters alike to chat around the world before the web, these cards were sent by participating amateur ham radio operators to confirm reception and are now collected for their graphics, historical content and such. I cribbed the following from Wiki, you can read ALL about them here. "QSL cards are a ham radio operator's calling card and are frequently an expression of individual creativity — from a photo of the operator at his station to original artwork, images of the operator's home town or surrounding countryside, etc. They are frequently created with a good dose of individual pride. Consequently, the collecting of QSL cards of especially interesting designs has become an add-on hobby to the simple gathering of printed documentation of a ham's communications over the course of his or her radio career"

Group of QSL cards 1961-1962 Collection Jim Linderman

Departed Dearly (Dead in Detroit) Post Mortem Photography

Usually on seeing a post mortem photograph, my thoughts are of the deceased and the family, but today I am dwelling on Mr. Babas of Babas Studio in Detroit, who must have specialized as he took both. This type of outdoor memorial was less common in the United States than in Europe, perhaps both show families not long after joining the melting pot. At each job he would have the casket taken outside and positioned, arrange the flowers and family, and then not say "smile". A dreadful way to make a living, but then, as you can see, the alternative is worse. As in many photographs taken in the early 20th Century, the act of posing seems more important to the participants than the event. I am sure it took their mind off the loss and their own mortality for a spell and may have brought a certain closure through documentation.

Two Post Mortem Photographs, each 11 x 14, Babas Studio, Detroit. c. 1920 Collection Jim Linderman

Precise Pair of Tintypes The Painted Tintype

I haven't posted a tintype in a while. I am not sure if this splendid pair of tintypes depict a husband and wife or a brother and sister, but I do suspect the young man's impairment saved his life. He clearly has one leg shorter than the other, and since these would have been taken around the civil war the disability may have kept him out of the army. (My book The Painted Backdrop will be published in 2010)

Pair of studio tintype photographs, circa 1865 Collection Jim Linderman

Real Old REAL Robots Vintage Toys Grow Up (Meet the Press)

In Order of Appearance!

"Mechanical Man" made by Patrick Rizzo 1948

"Electric Eye Rastus Robot" Made by Dr. Phillips Thomas 1930

"Gismo" Made by Sherwood "Woody" Fuehrer and "Gismo" a year later enhanced with additional powers 1954

"Robetron" made by Donald Rich 1957

"Televox" made by Roy Wensley 1928

Six Original 8 x 10 Press Photos 1928 to 1957 Collection Jim Linderman

Fresca Dog House and 7-Up Castle in Arcola

Just one of what was a whole slew of handmade bottle houses built by Arthur Martin in Arcola, Illinois. He started in 1939, and eventually the glass environment grew to 20 acres. This is the largest, it was made from 1200 7-Up bottles. There was also a "Fresca House" and a "Fresca Dog House" in the yard, which came to be known as "Rockome" and was opened to the public in 1958. As this was well before the days of diet soda, and the average 16-ouncer contains 12 teaspoons of sugar, I am going to guess Mr. Martin had bad teeth and a big waistline. (The Perky Perm woman is unidentified)

Dexter Press Post Card c. 1960 Collection Jim Linderman

An American Hero, Salesman Sample, Lead Paint and MORE

Philip J. Landrigan, a fellow you won't recognize but one we should all thank. It was his research which "led" to banning "lead" from paint. The children he saved from impaired brains, kidneys, and more is countless. As if that wasn't enough, Landrigan has figured prominently in ALL of the following: Removing lead from gasoline. The banning of several lethal pesticides. Figuring out the Gulf War Veteran's Illness. Refusing to let the effect of asbestos in New Yorker's lungs following the World Trade Center attack be dismissed. (Having breathed in the burning WTC for 6 solid months, this one is of particular interest to me) The minimized and emasculated Environmental Protection Agency of George Bush attempted to say the particles were "too small" to do damage, but Landrigan showed that the smaller the asbestos particle, the more dangerous it was. He was instrumental in passing the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996. I could go on and on. This man is a hero. Needless to say, THIS is a man our children should look up to rather than some meathead beefcake baseball player on steroids.

But I digress. These see-through templates allowed one to preview house colors with the included color cards. Each set came in a leather case embossed with the Eagle Paint logo. The kids who come to my house in summer asking if I need a paint job (I do) don't bring nothing but an earnest pitch.

Set of Eagle Lead Paint "chips" with Transparent house templates Salesman Sample c. 1945. Collection Jim Linderman

Mail with Stamps on Both Sides

Waste not, Want not. I especially like the Columbus discovers America clock.

Group of Postcards with applied stamp decoration and paint. Circa 1900-1945
Collection Jim Linderman

Leaving the Baptism Real Photo Post Card Jim Linderman Thanks

Many years ago a good friend told me the art world works slow. It does indeed. I started collecting antique photographs of folks being washed and saved many years ago. With each one I found and acquired, my desire to share them with others increased. All good things come to he who waits. I was fortunate indeed to find Lance and April Ledbetter at Dust to Digital, they brought a professionalism and respect to the material I could have not have even imagined. Master designers John Hubbard and Rob Millis have recreated my delight finding the photos with every turn of the page. Luc Sante, who has a remarkable acuity for translating visions into text generously provided words I am incapable of. Many others were involved, Lance thanks them in the credits. I am pleased the originals have been accepted into the permanent collection of the International Center of Photography, where, unlike many of the things I have assembled over the years, they will be kept together for all to enjoy. Today, anyone can leave a footprint...all it takes is the ability to hit "send" or "upload"...but to have a physical object as beautiful as the book and CD my friends have produced is a wonderful thing.

So, on to the next. I have shoe boxes full and ideas plenty.

"Baptism on the Ohio River, near Cincinnati, Ohio" Azo Real Photo Post Card circa 1910 Collection Jim Linderman

Gladis Smyth's Drawing Teacher

Drawing Teacher boxed game and three templates Parker Brothers c.1890 Collection Jim Linderman (ex-collection "Gladis Smyth")

Alonzo Hall Blind Accordion Playing Pastor Phones in a Performance

Blind Columbus Ohio Pastor Rev. Alonzo Hall plays accordion over telephone to congregation.

Original Wire Photo 1949 Collection Jim Linderman

UNOFFICIAL START OF SUMMER (formerly Memorial Day) FITS-IN

Fits-In Lightweight Unbreakable plastic lens c. 1965 (?) Collection Jim Linderman

The Emotion Control Machine of Mr. Higgins 1930

Laurence Higgins of Cleveland, OH explains how his invention "The Emotion Control Machine" works.

Original 8 x 10 Photo by J. L. Greenfield 1930 Collection Jim Linderman

Take Me to the Water Promotional Film BOOK and CD RELEASE 2009

Take Me to the Water from Dust-to-Digital on Vimeo.

Lew Moberly's Post Card Preserved Locks

Mundane post card with affixed Baby Hair, c. 1900 Collection Jim Linderman

Victoria Plaza from Passaic and her Proud Baseball Moment

Victoria Plaza's moment came against the Rutherford, New York girls baseball team in Spring 1921. The Passaic New Jersey student pitched a no-hitter. When she woke that morning, could she have suspected her photo would be taken against a wall near the dugout? She seems to be handling her momentary fame with considerable style and grace.

Original photo with pencil caption and date stamp, 1921 Collection Jim Linderman