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July 28, 1925. Washington, D.C. "Undelivered mail of World War soldiers (crucifix in bottle)." National Photo Company glass negative. View full size.
83 years later, and he's still taking crap from people because of something on his face that can't be helped.
Let me make sure you get my "good side"
I'm wondering if this is the type of growth this man had. It looks very much like the same one a friend's daughter had on her face. At the time (1980s), the doctors were not able to treat the poor child, whose nose was as a dark purple swelling. I believe things have changed since then, but I am wondering if this gentleman was told it could not be removed and he had to live with it and the reactions of those around him.
I find it more interesting to view people as they were naturally, warts and all. No beauty poses, no facelifts, teeth that did not see braces or whitener.
Many people would have refused to have their photo taken if they had that kind of "injury."
Oh, and he needs to sew that top coat button back on. It's about to fall off.
The scene in the bottle reminded me of the Monty Python movie where Eric Idle sings "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."
What's that in the bin behind him - bike tires? Was some doughboy trying to ship an Army motorcycle home piece by piece?
Small children with sticks commonly mistook the purple growth for a small piñata. This often led to savage head beatings resulting in minor brain injury. This ultimately led to his safe career as the keeper of very undeliverable mail.
While whiling away the day, I just now came up with this great new way of smuggling contraband across our borders.
There wouldn't be a lot of contraband, just enough to fit into a smaller second head protruding out of my first. No one would think to look there if it was inconspicuous enough.
Don't know what made me think of this brilliant scheme. Just came to me.
Tell me that is not a "happy face" on the crucified victim on the extreme left.
...of the Aaron Neville "Wear Your Mole Proudly" club. I am what I am, moles and all.
Could be an evil undeveloped twin attached to his brain!!
Mole. Bloody mole. We aren't supposed to talk about the bloody mole, but there's a bloody mole winking me in the face.
I want to c-u-u-t it off, ch-o-o-p it off, and make guacamole.
That's the second worst pimple I've ever seen.
Just a nasty hematoma from a recent bump to the noggin.
Hopelessly strange though it is, that crafty little Golgotha-in-a-whiskey-bottle would probably fetch a good price in a folk art gallery today. It reminds me of the comment that one of the old Christie's Asian porcelain experts came up with about thirty years ago, which he used when he had to say something nice-sounding to the proud owners of egregiously bad pieces that he'd rather not have seen at all: "You know, I really almost think that that is one of the most interesting of its type that I have ever seen!"
You'd think the guy, or even the photographer, would want to photograph his best side. Could it be that was it? I was so distracted, I never even thought to look at the crucifix-in-a-bottle.
Now just turn your head a little more for the photo. Right angle for looking at the bottle and all. Thanks.
Holy moly. I hope he had that thing on his head checked out.
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