1914. "Puppy 'mother' in costume holding kitten 'baby'." Like millions of other kitties, this one was probably adopted. Photo by Harry W. Frees. View full size.

1936. "Georgetown County, South Carolina. Mansfield Quarters, Georgetown." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size.

Puerto Rico circa 1906. "Native sailboats -- San Juan." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

October 1909. Boston, Mass. "In the Newsboys Reading Room. Boys seated at tables playing games." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size.

        UPDATE: The Shorpy commentariat lost no time in identifying the butler as actor-restaurateur Arthur Treacher.

New York, 1952. "Martha Raye rehearsing skits for her television show; in dress rehearsal; includes shots of cameras, sound equipment and sets." The All-Star Revue host with her cigarette and sponsor's cereals. Photo by Charlotte Brooks for the Look magazine article "Perpetual Commotion." View full size.

1929. "Snow Boy, White House guard dog." Two visitors and an unidentified fur. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

In 1966, when the Batman craze was at its height (due to ABC television series), we kids were thrilled to be in the presence of the Caped Crusaders. This photo was shot by my father, Sol Hurvitz, during a family vacation at Sleepy Hollow Resort in South Haven, Michigan. View full size.

1952. "Journalists standing in front of a KTLA television truck at Camp Mercury Proving Grounds; present to record an atomic bomb detonation in the Nevada desert." Photo by Maurice Terrell for Look magazine. View full size.

1942. "Final assembly at Vultee's Downey, California, plant of the BT-13A 'Valiant' basic trainer -- a fast, sturdy ship powered by a Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine." Photo by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information. View full size.

August 4, 1949. "General Electric turbine plant, Schenectady, New York." Calling all car-spotters! Large-format negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size.

Washington, D.C. "World Series of 1933, Nationals-Giants. View of diamond, first game at Griffith Stadium." Which would be Game 3 on October 5. In the team's only win of the Series, Washington shut out New York 4-0, with President Roosevelt in the stands. Nitrate negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size.

1951. Santa Barbara, Calif. "Actress Lana Turner, daughter Cheryl Crane and husband Henry J. 'Bob' Topping grilling hamburgers at beach." Carefree cookouts -- a family ritual! Photo by Earl Theisen for Look magazine. View full size.

January 1939. "Vacant drugstore. Mound Bayou, Mississippi." Ballad of the sad pharmacy. Photo by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size.

At first glance this might appear to be a photo of a boy playing with sparklers, accompanied by The Mummy. Actually, it's me with my father, who happened to turn his head during this slow exposure. We're on the Russian River beach at Guernewood, California, a couple blocks from our vacation home. Another oddity about this Ektachrome slide by my brother: he was at the height of his camera bug phase, and decided to try developing the film himself, using a Kodak home processing kit, back home in Mother's kitchen sink. I remember the scene, really a mental snapshot of him in the darkened kitchen. This shot, along with others on the roll, exhibit processing anomalies, such as the flurry of red blobs and the aura emanating from the top of my head. The event itself was tons of fun. We semi-successfully shot a rocket over the river, and I remember gleefully watching black snakes curling about on the sand. And the aroma! View full size.

"Kermy -- Nawakwa, 1957." Let the short-sheeting begin! View full size.

From 1924 comes our patriotic girl with the pearls in a Harris & Ewing plate labeled NO CAPTION. Happy Independence Day from Shorpy! View full size.