The photo Alan selected for this week's Sepia Saturday was a difficult one for me. I couldn't find any photos of men standing near a truck. But curiously enough, I found a photo of a man standing next to an oven. Who doesn't have one of these in their box of pics?
So I'm trying to figure out what this is all about. Is he a salesman and he's thinking if he puts his wares out on the street he'll have a better chance of a sale? I don't think I've ever purchased an oven on the street! Or maybe he just bought this oven and he's so proud of it, he wants his picture taken with it so someone like me will end up with a silly picture of a man and oven some day.
I'm also wondering what they sell at Surprise Dairy. "Surprise. Your milk is sour." or "Surprise, your cream is curdled."
To go along with this post, I've included the following Elton John offering which is apropos:
See what others have posted about men and trucks or...by clicking here Sepia Saturday.
What a fantastic picture! And I love your text, LOL. Maybe the surprise in the Diary was that you could do the milking yourself.
ReplyDeleteI love it. A do it yourself dairy.
DeleteOr maybe the surprise is that the milk wasn't from a cow. "Udder du jour."
ReplyDeleteThe man with the oven is definitely facing the wrong way for a sidewalk sale. Of course, maybe the name of the store is Surprise Appliances.
Yes, too bad we can't see the name of the oven store. But Surprise Appliances is perfect.
DeleteThis is so much fun! First of all, the man with the oven is such a clever interpretation of the theme. The Elton John piece is inspired - how on earth did you find it? This proves I'd like Elton John singing anything. Now I'm wondering about the "atomic 11" at the bottom. Thanks for a really good laugh.
ReplyDeleteI wondered about the "atomic 11" also. That was on the film. Maybe an old type of film.
DeleteI found the Elton John piece on youtube by simply typing in "oven songs". I really didn't think there would be anything, but sure enough there it was.
That is a fantastic picture. As if spotting a man on the street getting his photo taken with an oven wouldn't be enough of a surprise - there's a Surprise Dairy as well!
ReplyDeleteLots of surprises in this photo. Amazing what you can find. I love what Brett Payne spotted - the Willam Ash funeral parlor. Ha. That was good one.
DeleteThen you'll also love the Bruce and Stiff Funeral Home in Appomattox, Virginia.
Delete... right next to William Ash, the funeral director (sorry!)
ReplyDeleteIt almost looks like what is referred to here as "Inorganic Rubbish Collection Day," except that the age of the contact print makes me thing this oven was new at the time. I suspect he's a salesman taking delivery of the latest model Argus.
That really made me laugh - The William Ash funeral director. Wish I had thought of that one. Too funny.
DeleteYes, I'm pretty sure he's a salesman because of the way he's dressed. But why the oven on the street? Why take a picture of it? hmmmmm. I guess we'll never know.
Mysteries and more mysteries. Liked reading the comments as much as the blog :)
ReplyDeleteThe oven looks in too good a condition for him to be waiting for a 'rag and bone' collector!
ReplyDeleteHe looks puzzled, and given the age of the picture, he probably doesn't know what to do the a cooker. On the other hand, he could be Philip Harben, shaved and slimmed, about to do a demo.
ReplyDeleteYou always make me laugh! What a fun post.
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
Surprise, surprise! Great take on the theme, and I have to pop over to youtube, because I can't get this one to play and this looks so cool...I mean Elton John and an oven manual song! Too funny!
ReplyDeleteThe singing oven song was a hoot. Especially since in America we call them stoves. But an oven by any other name...
ReplyDeletean oven by any other name.
ReplyDeletea range!
That is a strange photo. I also thought the "Surprise Dairy" name was kind of strange.
ReplyDeleteA perfect example of a photograph that poses a whole string of fascinating questions. I am even tempted to wonder whether William Ash was an undertaker.
ReplyDeleteI was intrigued by your title - what on earth was an Oven Man? A new term to me. Thanks for enlightening me.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! The post and the picture - and I really enjoyed all the comments. This is what Sepia Saturday is all about.
ReplyDeleteThat photo raises more questions that it answers. And I want to read my oven's manual now that Elton John has sung about it. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou know I think those oven's have come back into fashion!
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