Panoramas

 Sixteenth Head Camp, M.W. of A., Buffalo, N.Y., June, 1911

[As far as I can tell, "Head Camp" refers to the governing body of a 

fraternal organization, presumably the "M. W. of A."
I  think it's the Modern Woodmen of America.]

  

 South Beach Alligator Farm, ca. 1910

[this may be the single coolest image I've posted on this blog]

  

 The officers quarters on the Hogsback and cavalry horses at Pine Camp, NY, ca. 1910

  

 Upper Eagle Falls & Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, ca. 1910

  

 West Point Centennial, ca. 1902

  

 White cotton, black pickers and a gin. Humble and crude, but the crop 

Uncle Sam depends on to maintain his gold balance, ca. 1915

  

 William Jennings Bryan's Presbyterian Tourist Bible Class, Miami, Fla., Feb. 6th, 1921

 [In the image below I've circled my best guess for Mr. Bryan]

  

Wreck on I.C.R.R., near Farmer City, Illinois, Oct. 6, 1909

["I.C.R.R." = "Illinois Central Rail Road"]

When the Ship Comes In

From the USC archives, here are photos of US Navy ships arriving in port after deployment (some during the Korean War), showing reunions of sailors with their loved ones. Some serious heartwarming here to close out 2013.

 Arrival of USS Helena at Long Beach from Korea, 1951

  

 Arrival of USS Juneau, Long Beach Harbor, 1951

  

 Arrival of USS Missouri, Long Beach Harbor, 1951

  

 Arrival of USS Missouri, Long Beach Harbor, 1951

  

 Arrival of USS Rochester, cruiser, San Pedro, 1952

  

 Arrival of USS Rochester, cruiser, San Pedro, 1952

 

 USS Rupertus arrives, Long Beach, 1953

  

 USS Rupertus arrives, Long Beach, 1953

  

 USS Rupertus arrives, Long Beach, 1953

  

 USS Saint Paul arrival in Long Beach, 1952

  

 USS Saint Paul arrival in Long Beach, 1952

  

 USS Saint Paul arrival in Long Beach, 1952

  

 USS Worcester arrival, 1956

  

USS Worcester arrival, 1956

Vintage Japan

 Japanese woman with parasol dressed for winter

  

 Japanese women picking tea leaves, with Mount Fuji in the distance, ca. 1895

  

 Japanese women with parasols, dressed in kimonos, 

standing on stone steps below cherry trees, ca. 1890

  

 Japanese women, wearing bamboo hats, planting rice, ca. 1895

  

 Large group of women in kimonos, possibly geishas dancing, ca. 1890

  

 Peony garden, Tokyo

  

 People threshing harvested rice

  

 Tea house girls

  

 Three women dancing

  

 Two girls at Mankayen Garden, ca. 1890

  

 Two girls playing with ball, flower arrangement, hanging scroll, 

and biwa (musical instrument) hanging on wall in background

  

Two young women greeting another woman, 

presenting her with a gift box tied with mizuhiki, ca. 1890

Joseph Pennell

Joseph J. Pennell was another great midwestern photographer who documented life in turn-of-the-century Fort Riley, Kansas and neighboring communities, especially Junction City.

 Crowd of men watching Zeke Guddy on horse wearing a large sign saying 'Baseball Today', 1896

[Do you notice what's unusual here? The guy on the horse is black, and his name is given. 

That's a rare acknowledgement of basic humanity that was often withheld, back then.]

  

 Double Portrait of Alice Hardin, 1898

  

 Double portrait of two women, one wearing man's suit, 1898

[wish I knew the backstory here]

  

 Enfield girls playing cards, 1897

  

 Gormley Family, 1898

  

 Group of women at M. E. Picnic, 1896

  

 Group of women exercising, Junction City, Kansas, 1901

  

 Jim Miller's house with people in front, 1899

  

 Portrait of Burnside girl, 1898

  

 Portrait of Florence Swenson and Lillie Nelson, 1901

[a ravishing portrait of two supremely elegant ladies - and those hats...!]

  

 Retreat soldiers holding rifles, Fort Riley, 1897

  

 Senior Tea Party, Junction City, Kansas, 1902

  

 Soldier and woman standing under mistletoe at party, 1903

[is this staged or candid? I would hope the latter but there's no knowing]

  

Vera and Alma Jolley beside river - one photographing the other, ca. 1900

Vintage Korea

 Gordon Paddock and Senator Newlands with Koreans, 1905

[Gordon Paddock  was appointed Secretary of the American Legation in Seoul in 1901, 

as well as Vice and Deputy Consul General; he became Consul General in 1902]

  

 Korean farmer and daughter under thatched roof, ca. 1904

  

 Korean kisaengs, or singing girls, dressed up for singing and dancing. Korean kisaeng is special women's occupation that exists for helping parties enjoyable by singing and dancing, ca. 1904

  

 Korean porter with wicker chair on back

  

 Korean shopkeepers with wares, ca. 1904

  

 Namdaemun (Great South Gate in Seoul) is shown here with the tramtrails, 

which was instituted as a public transportion system in May 1899. ca. 1904

  

 Namdaemun (Great South Gate in Seoul) is shown here with the tramtrails, 

which was instituted as a public transportion system in May 1899. ca. 1904

  

 Senator Newlands, ca. 1904

  

 Seoul from a distance

  

 Three people on a swing in the countryside, ca. 1904

[the one constant everywhere in the world? people like to have fun]

  

 Water-carrier, ca. 1904

  

 Western man and Korean laborer resting by statues, Yi Dynasty kings' tombs, 1905

  

Women are shown washing laundry in the stream running through a side street, ca. 1904