Photo Friday: Fightin' Irish Edition

Hello! And a "good" Good Friday to you all. I've only got just a minute, but I wanted to share with you guys a set of three pictures from the same Family Tree estate sale that brought us the embarrassing guitar-playing-guy-in-the-back-row from the "Vintage Photo Bombs" post I did a few Fridays ago. This is the little guy in the far left of the photo, wearing what looks like a long night shirt...don't worry, he's gotten considerably more dressed up for this photo shoot. From what I can tell, meet James Thomas Weakley, Jr:

 Is he not...the most precious, tough-as-nails little five year old, you have EVER seen? I tend to shy away from buying lots of vintage kids photos unless there's something interesting going on in the picture or the kids themselves have real moxie-- a lot of the time, a little baby in swaddling clothes looks the same in 1940 as they do in 2012. However! The swagger this little guy is bringing to the turn of the century photo studio had me at hello. Check out how the essentially "cute" look of the sailor suit get up is totally contradicted by his cool little hat, knickerbocker length pants, and cocksure stance. You give 'em heck, little Jimmy Weakley!

 The second photo (above), while similar, is actually a little different from the first in pose and expression. Other than Photomat sets, I very rarely find alternate takes of cabinet card style photos like this...it seems like most of the time, if you had five prints, you would send four of them out, leaving just the one in whatever private collection from which I was trying to buy. A neat find, for sure! I think eventually I'd like to put these two in the same black matte frame, side by side. Last but not least! 

This sweet, sweet picture of the little ruffian and his grandfather. It's something about the beard and the glasses, but danged if grandfathers didn't look so grandfatherly back then. Like Santa, or Father Time or something. The body language here is so warm. I love that there's a studio stamp on this one, identifying the Weakleys as being in Nashville at the time! Thuss, according to this genealogical website, took over a photography studio at that location in 1889 and continued business (though fractiously! With much in-family drama! Read the link if you get a chance) until 1927. "Cherry Street" is now 4th Avenue downtown. Hope you enjoyed the not-my-family photos and that the Easter bunny is kind to you this year! See you Monday.