Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Random Borrowed Photo Day






I "borrowed" these photos months ago. Now I am ashamed to say I can't remember where I found them because I can give no credit to whomever it is due. Most of these guys look pretty tough, don't they? I wonder what their mamas would say if they could see them smoking like this. Times change, but I'm not sure if people do.

14 comments:

  1. Look at those boys, they seem so grown up in some -a bit sad- way. It feels almost as if they are having a hard time. Or perhaps it is just the feeling black and white and old photos convey...
    Thanks for sharing this.;)

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  2. Huh. Those bad guys' pants are not hanging down. I didn't think you could be truly bad unless your boxers are showing.

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  3. I posed this very question this morning .. would a leopard change its spots? And if so to what?

    Those stolen photos are wonderful .. and so very much of a 'time' .. I wonder if they were taken in the US or Europe

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  4. Daryl, they were taken in the US...I believe I remember they were from NY. I think I found them on the Library of Congress website. I wish I had made a notation. Check out the Library's archives. They have all kinds of photos. (but don't tell I borrowed them)

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  5. The bottom one say Bowery on one of the windows, so if they're a set, they probably are newspaper boys. Caleb Carr wrote a couple of books about 19th century New York and these kids are featured in them.

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  6. I can imagine one of these as my dad as he said he started smoking very young to look tough. Weird now isn't it?

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  7. Those naughty boys. I think back then if the boys made enough money to buy their smokes not much was thought about it.

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  8. Oh the things boys will do when mom isn't around!

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  9. I think those are Bowery boys in the early 1900's and probably the photos are not copyrighted so you shouldn't feel guilty Stevie!

    So many young boys were what they called "street urchins" in those days ...no parents...and lived by hook or crook. Did you ever hear the story about the "Orphan Train"? The founder of the Children's Aide Sorcery in NYC use to send these boys and also girls out by train to farms in the West to see if farmers who needed help on their farms would adopt them. I actually knew a man who was an orphan train boy, He passed away three years ago

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  10. steviewren, these are amazing photos! I'm the host of "Sepia Scenes" and I invite you to visit and also post if you like. Here's the link: Sepia Scenes

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  11. what an amazing piece of social documentary photography...great finds! as pat said, they're probably out of copyright but this site provides some info re. reproducing found images - http://www.whatiscopyright.org/

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  12. One of those smokin' boys looks like a young Bing Crosby... it's the ears. lol Great pics!

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  13. ...I love old photos and these are great....they do look like street urchins!

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