A very OLD photo of some relatives of mine. The person on the left next to the horse, wearing a cowboy hat, is my grandmother.(click on the picture to see an enlargement)
t u r n s o u t t h i s b l o g i s m o s t l y a b o u t p h o t o s
There's actually only one battleship here...it's the Battleship Indiana, part of the "Great White Fleet", the U.S. fleet of the late 19th century, if I'm not mistaken. This is a stereo image of the ship, each view slightly different from the other. It is meant to be viewed in a Stereoscope (click on the image for a larger view).
An unknown elderly couple. Probably taken around 1910 or earlier. Some of the items in the room are much older, and I'm not just talking about the two people glaring at us like that. Note the mid-19th century chair, next to the fireplace. The fireplace surround is decorated with early 19th century details.
Here's a photo of the 19th century French painter Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. Best known for his landscapes, he is seen as a precursor to impressionism. This photo was taken in 1875, the year of Corot's death. The photo is a Woodburytype, the result of a photomechanical process. This technique was only used for a few years between 1870 and 1900.

When I was a kid, I used to know a lot of old guys like that looked kind of like this guy. Used up, worn out old cowboys. Some of them told great stories about the old days, when the ranges were still open. But things changed, as tends to happen. The old guys had to shift around for work, sometimes failing at it.
It's probably safe to assume that this photograph was taken during the prohibition era. The clothing is a clue. Those unmarked jugs of hooch are strong evidence. Perhaps the scene is a "speakeasy" in the basement of a Chicago brownstone, and these folks are part of the booming rum trade under someone like Al Capone, in violation of the Volstead Act. Click on the image for an enlargement.
This is a type of photograph popular in the late nineteenth century called a Carte de Visite. The photograph was taken in a professional photographer's studio. The photo was then pasted on a thin sheet of cardboard about the size of a business card. These were used as an alternative to the then-popular use of visiting cards, or calling cards. This one was made some time between 1860 and 1870.
A view of a "Trading Post" in Bemidji, Minnesota. The tall Native American is one of a breed.
I took this picture during a winter snow storm some time in the 1970's. The scene is downtown Boston. The building in the background, seen partially at the end of the alley, is Old City Hall, built in 1865. You can just see the statue of Ben Franklin. It's at the corner of School Street and City Hall Avenue. I don't know if the view from this vantage is even possible now...
A building in the west Texas town of Marfa. Taken with a digital camera. Marfa is the site of the Chinati Foundation, among many other things.