Contributions of the group RPPC - Real Photo Postcards

Central Pennsylvania Gospel Band

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 03:40:02 +0000

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of bands (music groups).

An unused real photo postcard of the fifty-seven members of the Central Pennsylvania Gospel Band, circa 1951.

See also an announcment of an appearance by The Central Pennsylvania Gospel Band, Roxbury, Pa., June 23, 1957.

The Casual Pose

nobody@ipernity.com (Deborah Lundbech) — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 03:45:32 +0000

Deborah Lundbech has posted:

Sweet depiction of a Vintage Enormous Bow wearer.
Interesting chair.
Cut studio photograph.
No further information.

204/365

The Joys of Sharing A Good Book

nobody@ipernity.com (Deborah Lundbech) — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 05:01:19 +0000

Deborah Lundbech has posted:

Found photo.
Burlington, Vernont.

202/365

Steamboat on the Street, Cleveland, Ohio, 1913

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 03:57:46 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of curbside.

This is a real photo exaggeration postcard showing a steamboat with smoke billowing from its smokestack as it navigates through the surging floodwaters on a city street. The water has stranded some pedestrians at the curb, where they were evidently waiting to cross the street.

Although the location isn't identified, one clue is the business name stamped in the lower right-hand corner: "The Dodd Rogers Co., Kodaks and Cameras."

According to the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, the Dodd-Rogers Co. operated in Cleveland under that name between 1906 and 1914. Just before the business changed its name to Dodd Co. in 1914, the Great Flood of 1913 inundated Cleveland and affected the rest of Ohio as well as other states (see The 1913 Flood: "Ohio’s Greatest Weather Event", an article by Sarah White on the Cleveland Historical site).

Other exaggeration postcards appeared after the flood. One was captioned The Big Flood in Cleveland, and a second one also used the the same title.

Although I haven't matched this photo with a specific street and it doesn't bear a date, I believe that it was created in 1913 as a humorous reaction to the flood in Cleveland.

This is an divided-back real photo postcard with an Azo stamp box (four corner triangles pointing up) on the other side, which suggests a time frame—1907 to 1918—that covers the year of the flood. The card is unused with no message, address, or postmark on the other side.

Pin Curl First Communion

nobody@ipernity.com (Deborah Lundbech) — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 01:34:18 +0000

Deborah Lundbech has posted:

Found photo for my First Communion Album.
The AZO mark on the back (four corner squares) indicates a time frame of 1924 - 1949.

196/365

Sending You My Picture So You Will Fall in Love

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 03:24:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the topic of nautical.

The handwritten message on the other side of this real photo postcard says, "I['m] senting [sending] you my pitcher [picture] so you will fall in love with me. Your friend, A.M., USS Mercury."

There's no stamp or postmark on the verso, but the card is addressed to Miss Ida Nelson, Lakeport, N.H.

Printed on the other side: "This Photo can be Enlarged or Duplicates made at the Modern Studio, 46 Sands St., Brooklyn, N.Y."

This is a divided-back photo postcard with a type of Azo stamp box (four corner triangles with two pointing up and two pointing down) that suggests a date as early as 1917 to 1930.

Skiff Decorated for a Fourth of July Regatta, ca. 1914

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 15:56:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the topic of Fourth of July (flags, fireworks, patriotic, freedom, red-white-blue, barbeques, etc.).

"This is my skiff decorated for the regatta 4th July celebrations" is the description written on the other side of this photo.

This is divided-back real photo postcard with no address, date, stamp box, or postmark on the verso. The message written on the back of the card, however, includes some questions about events leading up to World War I, so it's likely that the photo dates to 1914, the year the war began (see Ultimatum of July 23, 1914, for background information).

See also the full version of this photo postcard.

This is the message written across the back of the card (I made it easier to read by creating paragraphs, but the text is the same):

This is my skiff decorated for the regatta 4th July celebrations.
L. Brown

Forgive me for not writing. It is just laziness on my part. My correspondence has got in an awful shape. I am sending this card to show I have not forgotten. I will get a letter written someday.

Here are some funny questions that sometimes enter my head. My socialist [Pro-Ger?].

--What was the Kaiser scared of even more than fighting all Europe?
--What big convention was to be held in Vienna one week after war started?
--Did not Servia [Serbia] accede to all points except one or two, and wished to arbitrate?
--Why was the war rushed?

Car Festooned with Flags, Palace Garage, Fremont, Ohio, ca. 1920

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 15:36:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the monthly topic of real photo postcards.

This is a photo of two men seated in an early automobile decorated with flags for a Fourth of July parade or some other patriotic celebration.

The distinctive "Palace Garage" sign (behind the telephone pole on the left), the "Garage" sign (above the flag at the back of the car), and the design of the building all match a 1920 photo of the Palace Garage in Fremont, Ohio, that appeared as part of a "History Spotlight" feature in the Fremont News-Messenger (you may encounter a paywall if you try the link).

This is a divided-back real photo postcard with a Cyko stamp box ("Cyko - Place Postage Stamp Here") printed on the back (there's no name, address, message, or postmark). This stamp box design indicates a date between 1907 and the 1920s, which corresponds to the date of the photo published in the newspaper.

Sanford S. Kilton

nobody@ipernity.com (Deborah Lundbech) — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 12:59:54 +0000

Deborah Lundbech has posted:

Uploaded for the Vintage Photos Theme Park *monthly* theme of: Real Photo Post Cards (RPPC)
This was taken at the Harlem Photo Studio, 274 West 120th Street, New York, NY.
Written on the back:
Sanford S Kilton, Aged 2 yrs & 9 mths:
The stamp on the back indicates a time range of 1907 - 1915

180/365

Gazing at the Gorge, Royal Gorge, Canon City, Colorado

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 02:15:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of top of the rock.

Printed on the back of this souvenir real photo postcard: "Glenn L. Gebhardt, Royal Gorge Pavilion, Canon City, Colo."

This vantage point is labeled the "Wonder View" on other early photos. It overlooks the Royal Gorge, a deep canyon of the Arkansas River located near Cañon City, Colorado.

Corner Grocery Store

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 31 May 2026 06:10:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of windows and windshields (photos through or of).

This cropped version of a real photo postcard shows a close-up of three men standing outside of a corner grocery store (location unknown, unfortunately). A bicycle is propped up against the building at left, a number of bushel baskets containing fruits or vegetables are situated on the sidewalk, and several market baskets with handles are visible in the store window at right.

The full version of this postcard reveals that the grocery store itself is located in a separate building, but a number of row houses extend down the street just beyond the store.

RPPC “Hippie"

nobody@ipernity.com (Deborah Lundbech) — Thu, 07 May 2026 16:46:52 +0000

Deborah Lundbech has posted:

Uploaded for the Vintage Photos Theme Park theme of: HIPPIES (CERTIFIED OR IMITATION)
For the week of May 4 - May 10, 2026
This is a Real Photo Postcard with the AZO print on the back indicating a date from 1924 to 1949. So I guess he is an “imitation hippie”.
I have to say though that I still cringe when I hear the word “hippie”.
Although for convenience I have identified myself in later years as having been one - nobody I knew at the time would ever have used that word to refer to their circle. It was regarded scornfully as out of touch mainstream media or clueless older folks labelling!
We were “the counter-culture” or “freaks” as in Abbie Hoffman “fly your freak flag”. Or sometimes ‘back-to-the- landers” but definitely, definitely not “hippies!”

128/365

Girl with a Spinning Wheel and Dogs with a Cart

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 04 May 2026 03:40:21 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of a dog and a tree.

In this photo, a little girl sits in front of a spinning wheel next to two large dogs who are hitched to a cart. A tree is visible behind the girl, and there's also a fence and smaller trees or bushes in the background.

This is a divided-back real photo postcard with "Made in Canada" printed on the other side. There's no message, address, or stamp on the verso, but the type of Velox stamp box design on the back may indicate that this card dates to between 1923 and 1939.

In a different photo, the same girl, spinning wheel, dogs, and cart appear, but there's also a boy sitting in the cart and the dogs are adorned with hats, glasses, and pipes (see Spinning a Tale of Dogs in Glasses).

I have to do some more checking, but I believe that these photos may have originated in Quebec, Canada, where spinning wheels were manufactured and dog carts were used in rural areas.

1920s Fashionista

nobody@ipernity.com (Deborah Lundbech) — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 01:20:26 +0000

Deborah Lundbech has posted:

This young woman charmingly displays the crimped short hair, the drop waist dress with narrow pleats and the strapped patent-leather shoes typical of the 1920s.
The marking on the back indicates a date from 1918 - 1930.
Hopefully my German-speaking friends will be able to read and translate the handwriting on the back of this Real Photo Post Card.

115/365

A Joyous Picnic Outing, August 1913

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 03:55:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of food.

Caption at the bottom of the photo: "A Joyous Outing." Date written vertically on the tree in the background: "Aug. 1913."

A photo of twenty-six men and women who have gathered around a picnic blanket covered with food and place settings. See a cropped version of the photo for a better view of the food.

This is a divided-back real photo postcard with no message, address, or postmark on the other side. The Cyko stamp box ("Cyko - Place Postage Stamp Here") printed on the verso indicates a date between 1907 and the 1920s, which matches the August 1913 date written on the front.

Ruth and Sara on Board the L-21 Submarine, August 25, 1917

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 17:44:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of fancy studio backdrops.

A novelty photo with two young women in sailor costumes. The elaborate painted backdrop depicts an ocean of heavy waves with two ships billowing smoke on the horizon. A biplane is barely visible in the sky above them. The painted foreground features a submarine labeled "L 21 U.S." The submarine's hatch is open, its periscope is up, and it's flying an American flag.

Submarine hull: "L 21 U.S."

Handwritten caption: "R. Dodd. Sara Miller. 8-25-1917." Writing on the back also identifies the young women as "Ruth Dodd" on the left and "Sara Miller" on the right with the date given a second time as "8/25/1917."

For a similar real photo postcard, see Daddy on the Deck of the F-6 Submarine.

The Smart Set?

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 15:42:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of strange or unusual.

Despite the caption on the photo, this group doesn't look like a sophisticated and fashionable "Smart Set."

Who are these people? Are two of them guys dressed as women (at left and in the middle)? Why is the one woman (second from left) wearing a white dress with a black hat, black shoes, and what looks like black bloomers sticking out below the dress? What kind of costume, which includes a skirt, vest, and sash, is the other woman (second from right) wearing? And, strangest of all, what or who is the person on the right — with a waist-level sign that says, "Ariel," and a puzzling hat that covers the whole head except for the nose and some dark glasses — supposed to be?

This is an unused divided-back real photo postcard with trilingual text — "Post Card - Carte Postale - Postkarte" — printed on the other side that suggests a European origin. The back is otherwise blank, and there’s no message, address, or postmark to provide additional clues about when the photo was taken or where it came from.

See also the full version of this photo.

Cleone & Kenneth

nobody@ipernity.com (Deborah Lundbech) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 01:03:16 +0000

Deborah Lundbech has posted:

Uploaded for the Vintage Photos Theme Park theme of: STRANGE OR UNUSUAL
For the week of: April 6 to April 12, 2026.

It’s not the (probable) twins, it’s not the extremely fancy wicker chair, it’s the large, tilting, apple “mask” surrounding the babies’ portrait that makes this RPPC "strange or unusual!”

Mark on the back of the postcard indicates a date from 1904 to the 1920s.

Pic a day: 97/365

Deturk's School House, ca. 1913

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 02:37:34 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of schoolhouses and/or schoolchildren.

Caption: "Deturk's School House."

Handwritten note on the other side (no address, stamp, or postmark): "Stanley E. Romich [1905-1985]. Spend his first School days at this school. Age 8. Dec. 31, 1913."

This one-room schoolhouse is still standing along Limekiln Road near Douglassville, Berks County, Pennsylvania. The building is now a private residence with a room added to the front. The stucco covering has been removed, and the underlying stone construction is now visible.

This is a divided-back real photo postcard with a Cyko stamp box ("Cyko - Place Postage Stamp Here") printed on the back. This stamp box design was in use between 1907 and the 1920s.

Guys with Hats and Cane

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 04:01:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of canes, batons, spears, etc.

The five young fellows who posed for this photo are all dressed similarly in suits and hats. The guy in the middle is carrying a cane, and the one at upper left is smoking a cigarette and wearing his hat at a jaunty angle.

On the other side of this divided-back real photo postcard is an Azo stamp box (with four corner triangles pointing up) that indicates that the photo may date to sometime between 1907 and 1918. The card is unused with no message, address, or postmark on the other side.

See also the full version of the photo.