USA 1960s
I just found this. I’m sorry it is not a clean scan! I don’t own this photo but it is a sweet continuation of the New Teeth story, so I hope you will forgive the quality. It was taken on the same day as the last photo in the series and is a fitting conclusion to a little love story.
I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy this extraordinary photo. Perplexingly, no one else wanted it. Is that strange, or am I?
Umm. . . Please don’t answer that!
From a French Seller
With that grimace and those watery eyes, this boy seems to still be suffering the agonies he experienced in the tattooist’s chair. What a face! I imagine this was his attempt at trying to look like a tough guy. I think he needs more time to perfect his mannerisms for that role, don’t you?
His tattoo is a panther, I think. Or some other type of big cat. Given the heights of tattoo art these days, this is a rather underwhelming effort. I wonder if he added to it or even had work done over it?
Enlargements of these photobooth photos are at the bottom of this post.
Here is another Parisian actor’s file card from, the 50s or 60s, for your perusal. I have not been able to find Gisele in any online files, so maybe she had no success, despite her film star style and beauty? She seems to know how to pose masterfully for the camera. Perhaps she was looking for modelling work and was already experienced in the field? The gentleman from whom I bought this series of cards was unsure of the exact extent of the agency’s remit, so it is possible she had a thriving, though anonymous career as a model?
When I purchased this card, I was unable to work out what was going on around Gisele’s ear in the second image. Now, being able to enlarge it, I can see that what might have been a small spray of tiny flowers, is actually an ingeniously designed earring. It has bead-tipped filaments that radiate, almost invisibly, out of the central cluster clipped to her lobe. A lovely effect on her dark hair, and one I have never seen before.
In the same photo, there is something of Jackie Kennedy in Gisele’s hair, makeup and clothes. Given Kennedy’s French connections, one may wonder if there is more in Jackie’s style that was fashionably Parisian, than there is in Gisele being fashionably American. Either way, she has the exemplary poise and grace of a fashion icon.
There are some other great photos in this series to come, and some previous posts you might enjoy browsing through.
USA 1950s
The character on the right of the above photobooth photo reminds me of Jim Nabors, the actor who played Gomer Pyle in a very popular 1960s, US, situation comedy, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. I have no idea whether these two lads are, like Gomer, Marines but the palm tree dotted coastal scene in the backdrop lends a naval/marine feel to the photo that fits my premise.
So what is going on in this photo? It looks to me as though Gomer’s pal on the left, has seen some money fall out of the coin return slot and mistaken that for a malfunction. Gomer has reacted to his pal’s grimace by making a funny face of his own. Therefore they have both missed the fact that the photobooth was already beginnng its work. I hope these boys were not off on a dangerous mission. If they were, they at least had an amusing souvenir of their time at home.
Above and below – Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle
This is part three of a series of photobooth strips of the same little American boy. My estimate is that he would be 9 or ten in these photos.
I wonder if the first strip was deemed unsuccessful, resulting in the second one being taken with a different background and a properly adjusted seat? I like the way the second strip shows a progression from not quite ready, to small smile, to bigger smile, to wide eyed grin. We can still see the cheekiness and spirit on show in previous strips, albeit slightly toned down.
Having been taken on the same day, he is wearing the same lumberjack coat in both strips. Being slow to pick up on fashion trends in those days, this style of boy’s clothing didn’t make it to Australia until the 1970s. It is a trend that is currently being revived in some retail outlets today. Blah! But I digress! It is interesting to me that with a less reflective background, his hair looks much darker and by adjusting the seat he looks older than in the first strip.
To see the other photos in the series, please click here.
I purchased this half strip of photobooth photos from an online seller based in Serbia. On the back is written Paris 17.12.66.
I was particularly attracted to this strip due to the broad, mirthful smiles on all three sitters but particularly by the lady on the left’s expressions. I love the way her glance moves towards her friend in the second shot. There is something so cheeky and appealing in her two poses. I love her!
Once again, I also find some sadness in the fact that these photos have been lost to their owner. Death, broken relationships or accidental loss could account for it. The vicissitudes of life sadly toss us about and of course, it is no different for photos.
As I still use a photobooth that produces images very like this one, it is hard to believe this photo was taken 54 years ago, today.
I recently bought this from an American seller. The listing stated that the pair above, were male and female twins, on the basis of an M and F marked on the back of the photo, along with the date. I don’t believe it. I think they are both boys. The letters could just as easily be referring to their names, Mackenzie and Felix for example.
I would like to know what you think. Are these twin boys, twin girls or a boy and a girl? Please leave a comment, below.
A favourite, foreign, friend of mine, forages frequently to find fabulous fotos for me. (And now I have exhausted my alliterative skills I will plough on with this post!)
I love most of the people in my photos but some people more than others. What a fabulous pair these two are. My friend’s hypothesis is that they are sisters. My theory is that they are mother and daughter. Their noses and lips closely resemble the other’s, which convinces me that they are, at the very least, related in some way.
Regardless of their relationship to each other, they have a very similar fashion sense. Their hats and lipstick shades seem almost identical. I love the very arty, large silver pendant and cat’s eye glasses worn by the older woman.The younger woman has a very appealing gap in her teeth and a faraway look in her eyes that reminds me of a young Marilyn Monroe.
Thanks to Ted for his love and dedication to the cause of photobooth photo rescue. I have more gems from him to show you soon.
I don’t know about you lot, but these are the most outrageous cat’s eye glasses I have ever seen! These sharply geometric, black-rimmed sunglasses are edged with different sized diamantés. They are bling with attitude. The young lady is also wearing a very cool, paisley variation, print dress. I imagine it to be coloured in purple and orange, making a fittingly groovy ensemble with the glasses. I love her cheeky smile!
Below is a second young woman wearing another fine pair of cool cat sunnies. Around her neck is a chain, on which hangs a gold or silver ring and she is posing as a fashion model of the time might have posed. You have style, girl!
These two photos came from the same online seller in the USA. Unfortunately the quality of the bottom image isn’t so good, but those fab frames deserved a place in this post. Both photos are undated, however I think they are both from the early 1960s
Photobooth Journal 