Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Chicago's Historic Bronzeville Community 1941-1943 (part 1)

Don't forget to visit b.vikki vintage on Etsy!

Another departure from the 1950s and 1960s theme of this blog! But this focuses on the Southside of Chicago, where I was born and raised, so it's well worth it.

The photos in this post are from Bronzeville: Black Chicago in Pictures: 1941-1943 by Maren Stange. I have almost 40 images from this book, so I'll split them into two sections. Part one is below. All captions taken directly from book.

Girl in picket line before the Mid-City Realty Company in south Chicago. John Vachon, July 1941.


Oliver Coleman, drummer, making one of his biweekly visits to his union hall, Local 208 of the Musicians Union. He is proud of his union and of the Musicians hall. His local is one of the largest in the country and are all Negroes. Jack Delano, 1942.


Pullman porter at the Union Station. Jack Delano, January 1943.


Newsboy selling the Chicago Defender, a leading Negro newspaper. Jack Delano, April 1942.



Buying jewelry in a ten-cent store which caters to Negroes. Russell Lee, April 1941.


Employees of Negro insurance company. Edwin Rosskam, July 1941.


In the Perfect Eat Shop, a restaurant on 47th Street near South Park, owned by Mr. E. Morris. Jack Delano, April 1942.


People shopping for shoes on Maxwell Street. Russell Lee, April 1941.


Shoe store on 47th Street. Russell Lee, April 1941.





Ida B. Wells housing project. Family of Mr. Edward Vaughn, living in one of the apartments. Mr. Vaughn is doing work for the War Department. Jack Delano, March 1942.


[Musician] Oliver Coleman with his five-month-old son, in the living room of his apartment on Indiana Avenue. Jack Delano, April 1942.


Candy stand run by Negro on South Side. Russell Lee, April 1941.


South Side. Russell Lee, April 1941.


Living room in the home of a well-to-do Negro. Russell Lee, April 1941.


Window of an apartment house rented to Negroes. Russell Lee, April 1941.

Don't forget to visit b.vikki vintage on Etsy!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Negro Romance Comics - 1950

Don't forget to visit b.vikki vintage on Etsy!

Two of my interests converged! Black comic book characters and vintage African-American images!

For that reason, this post is a crossover on both my Black Superheroines blog and on b.vikki vintage.



I'd never heard of the 1950 Fawcett Publications comic Negro Romance until about two weeks ago, and still, I haven't been able to find any images from within its three issues. But the cover photography is charming.



Fawcett published 3 issues of Negro Romance on a bi monthly schedule between June and October of 1950, with the second issue being reprinted by Charlton as Negro Romances # 4 dated May 1955.



Unfortunately, that is about as much as I've been able to find about the Negro Romance series. There's lots of regurgitation of the tidbits above around the internet, but no information to add. And apparently, becuase of their obscurity and rarity, the Negro Romance issues sell for hundreds of dollars each.



Don't forget to visit b.vikki vintage on Etsy!

Vintage African-American / Black photos from the 1950s & 1960s

Don't forget to visit b.vikki vintage on Etsy!

More photos from SquareAmerica.com ... In the last Square America post, I included pictures from the 1920s - 1940s. The pictures in this post are from the 1950s and 1960s, more in line with the theme of b.vikki vintage (although the last batch of photos were amazing, as well).

Enjoy!





I would LOVE to know what was going on in the picture above!
















The only thing about Square America I don't like is that there are rarely captions included - and if there are, they're not very detailed or legible (they'll be transcribed from the margins or backs of decades old pictures). Of course, this is no fault of the people at SquareAmerica.com - it's the nature of found photography. But still, I wish I new more about the people and scenes depicted. Then again, with no captions, I can just make up my own stories about these people, their lives then and now...

Don't forget to visit b.vikki vintage on Etsy!

Monday, November 2, 2009

Chicago Public Schools in the 1950s & 1960s

Don't forget to visit b.vikki vintage on Etsy!

I went to Chicago Public Schools for 12 years, from first grade orientation in 1993 to the day of my high school graduation in 2005. So, CPS hold a special place in my heart.

These photos from Chicago Public Schools in the 1960s are great! (taken from cpsalumni.org)

Raymond Faculty - 1967
A singing group - The Mortels - comprised of CPS students in 1958

Mrs. Lucille Singley
Dunlap/Raymond teacher from 1941-1969


The best things about these photos is that these adorable children are now parents and grandparents! It boggles the mind.

Gillespie - 1963


Fiske Springfield field trip -1960

Fiske 1959

Mrs. Lucille - Dunlap - 1964

Avalon Park - 1968

1967

Gresham - 1966

1965

Fiske field trip in 1961


I have more vintage Chicago posts coming up...

Don't forget to visit b.vikki vintage on Etsy!

Vintage undies from 1961 - 1962

Don't forget to visit b.vikki vintage on Etsy!










The Lovable ads are my favorites. I have more of them in the upcoming Vintage Undies post. Notice, in all of the ads, the models have hearts on their faces around their eyes. Adorable!




Don't forget to visit b.vikki vintage on Etsy!