Friday, November 13, 2015

RPPC Studio Portrait in a Balloon



This is a real photo postcard from The Kregel Photo Parlors of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. It pictures a man and a woman in a hot air balloon studio prop. The balloon appears to be painted on a backdrop with a cutout for the subjects to be photographed.

The man is probably Massie Edgell, though I am not sure how to interpret the information written on the back. Massie Edgell was listed as a head of household in the 1920 census. At that time he lived in Minneapolis and was 32 years old. He was born in Indiana and had a wife named Inga who was born in Norway.



For More Vintage Images

http://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2015/11/sepia-saturday-305-14-november-2015.html


10 comments:

  1. Ha ha, they look rather nervous and not very relaxed, as they would be in the real thing! It's not a very realistic prop, and the wording is odd, as you say.

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  2. A great choice for the theme. I think the balloon is supposed to be an early sausage shaped blimp with propeller and steering vane. The back looks like instructions for the photographer's darkroom assistant.

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    1. I was wondering about the shape, but I had never heard of that kind of blimp.

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  3. A great match for the theme. I went through box after box of old postcards looking for something like this - all to no avail.

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  4. Knife # 11? Make Good?

    Yes strange things to be written on the back of a card!

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  5. I've seen plenty of ridiculous backdrops from old photographic studios, but this one is priceless! Great post!

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  6. So cute, but the couple does not seem happy to be in the picture!!!

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  7. I think this is one of the best postcards that you have shown us.

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  8. They don't look very happy to be up in the air. A good match!

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