I had an “oh duh” moment yesterday. I really did. It finally hit me: I need to move my vintage and retro styled photography to this site, VintageReveries.com. Retro, pinup, and historical photography and styling is such a unique specialty that it doesn’t truly fit in with boudoir, and yet it is not quite mainstream and corporate enough for my business services site, KMurrayCreative.com
These are more from the When Studio, with a different kind of back print, a totally unmarked old photo, my first from Crescent Studios, and J. Haas took some very proper looking headshots of young men. What grabs my eye from this batch is the interesting bridal photo with the bride in a black or(…)
I’m uncovering the history of photographers in St. Louis… the details on the backs of the cabinet photos intrigue me, almost more than the subjects themselves. So far, I’ve scanned photos by: Henry Holburn (When Art Gallery on Franklin Ave) J. Haas at 7115 S. Broadway Hammer at 1534 S. Broadway Boehl & Koenig at(…)
The model and I decided to make a quick drive to Carondelet Park. I love these photos of the black French Lace dress even more than the studio photos! It was so easy to get caught up in taking pictures, with the perfect weather and perfect fashion. We shot in the Carondelet Boathouse, on the fishing dock, and under the columned spaces in front. I especially like the portraits with the Carondelet Boat House behind the model. Even with minimal editing, they look totally turn of the century.
I am overloaded with vintage lately! I’ve taken on this project to scan photos for the Carondelet Historical Society…. as a natural progression of taking pictures of models in their donated old clothes. I can’t say no to taking on extra preserving, when they’re so kind as to let me practice my retro style photography(…)
This was supposedly a French Lace dress worn to the 1904 World’s Fair. It’s hard to see how it fit, or what the original owner’s size was. Was she petite and the lace draped, or was she a larger woman? Black lace makes for classic styling and photos, any way! The lace was still in amazing condition, but it was literally falling apart at the seams. Here are the first studio photos I shot of that dress.
I met Anita thru a guy I met on Twitter. It was pretty random, and I had no idea what she looked like until she showed up. I’d emailed her asking to come prepared to do her makeup in the styles of the 1920s and 1930s. So far, she’s the only model I’ve shot who’se(…)
This is the Thanksgiving December 1922 issue of Apropos Magazine, which was published by the Automobile Club of Missouri. What a fascinating peek into the advertising and luxury culture of the Roaring 20s in the Midwest! The front cover has come off the binding, but is still with the magazine. This rare find is otherwise(…)
These hats belonged to the Carondelet Historical Society. The pink dress was from the 1980s and we got it for $2 at the thrift shop next door. The green cloak she’s wearing is from the 1920s.This mixed wardrobe was perfect inspiration for some very emotive, classic, portraits.
I found this old Jewish war history book at a thrift store. It’s about the history of Jews and how they helped out in American Wars, published in 1943 in the midst of World War II and Hitler’s rampage across Europe. I am finding it a fascinating historical document to skim thru. It was published(…)
These pictures of an elderly man and woman were presumably taken in 1962… were these the people that the photographer was traveling to see in the west? Did she stop to see Hearst Castle along the way? When I bought the box of old Kodachromes, I was told that it was a female photographer who(…)
This smart wool skirt suit is from the 1940s and fit Anita perfectly. It was labeled only as “1942 street suit”. We shot these retro styled photos out in front of the studio, because the natural light was just so perfect! Not everyone can wear golden yellow, but Anita pulled it off. I posed her(…)
These old house and old car slides were in a box dated from 1962. See those flames or wingy things on the old car? Obviously, I don’t know much about cars, and would appreciate any hint as to the model of the 60s car in these pictures.
I should really save this slidescan for Father’s Day. It’s seriously, one of my favorites. I don’t know what kind of car it is, but it has 1954 California plates, and the dad looks SO happy as he’s holding his smiling daughter up. This almost looks like an advertisement for something, it’s amazing how good(…)
I didn’t bother to re-edit these 1910s style photos. Anita was tiny enough to model this Edwardian lace dress without a corset! I wish we’d had one, just for the look. The details on this lace dress were pretty amazing. I posed her with an interior design book from 1912, which I should scan before I sell.
These are from that box from 1962… looks like a 1960s western suburb with the mountains in the background… maybe in Nevada? I like the one story house, and you can see the rear of an old car in the last picture. These people were obviously not wealthy, and as these pictures are of just(…)
Zizi V. totally owned the WWII WAC uniform. She was my third and last model to wear it. My first retro shoot with Anita had all the awkwardness of a first-time (everything), which made for very authentic emotions. With this third shoot in the WAC uniform, I was more confident and explored beyond the studio to the front room and outdoors (where the natural light was perfect). We played more with the set, even in the studio, and the pictures just turned out different. I think that the outdoor and natural light photos turned out looking like 1940s era snapshots and candids.
This is one of my favorite old soldier photographs that I’ve scanned so far. He’s an airforceman, in uniform, sitting on a brick wall with mountains in the background. I don’t know who he is, or where he’s at… only the rough date of 1954 on the box of slides, and the scan from a(…)
Here’s a kodachrome slide scan from that 1954 box, which is of two men laying in the sun outside of a hotel. Totally classic 50s Americana!
It’s interesting to see how many ways the WAC Uniform was modeled by the models I shot in 2011! Besides the WAC uniform, I also photographed Jaslene wearing a feathered hat from the 1960s, and in a traditional costume that she’d brought along to our shoot. It was fun and good times. I really like the 1960s hat best, her expressions totally made it sparkle.