Vintage Photo of Young Filipino boys by the River in Bacaug, Negros Oriental

Young Filipino boys by the river in the province of Negros

Popular among Pinoy boys back in the day are all-white ensembles. High-waisted pants, shirts tucked in by thin belts. The dashing boy on the right sports a medium brim Panama Style Hat or colonial style hat which is perfect for tropical weather. Filipinos usually associate such hats today with lolos or "grandpas". I'm glad that hats are fashionable again in the Philippines, thanks to Justin Timberlake, you can walk around Manila and not get stared down for your fashionable head gear.

Swimwear are usually shorts and white sando.



Photo Inscription:

To Miss Calabutan,

Hope you won't forget your Senior Students.

Your student,
M. De La Torre
H.H.
Bacaug, Negros Oriental

Portrait of a Filipina Lady - Standing

Inscription on the back of the photo is washed out, the only readable info is the date taken - January 12, 1940, and the name it is addressed to - Lelang.



Her 1940s dress has a tight bust line and curved standing collar. There's the puff sleeves with 2 inch cuffs, floral embroidery embellishes the bodice and waistline area and the skirt is a pleated A-line. Skirt length is just inches below the knee. She is also wearing leatherette open-toe shoes with self-tie closure.

For a 1940s studio portrait, her dress looks very utilitarian yet modern. Her face is more on the Chinese side than Malay.

Vintage Portrait of Little Filipino Girls in Stockings

A studio portrait of two little Filipina girls in black stockings. Most likely sisters. Large white bows accessorize their hair curled for the occassion. They are wearing pointy pennyloafers with one inch heels.

A Class Picture of Young Filipino Boys in the 1930s

Photo inscription: C.B. Welcome C.A.V.
Intermediate Boys Grade V-VI-VII
1935-1936

A class photo depicting the Filipino youth of the 1930s.

The front row boys are wearing scarves knotted in a way boy scouts or farmers do.

The second to third row are wearing high-waisted khakis (some in pinstripe) and white dress shirts. The chic boy on the left is wearing an all-white outfit. Long sleeve shirt paired with high-waisted shorts and low-cut penny loafers. Ah the 1930s was truly vintage posh even among gradeschoolers!

The boys on the top row however are wearing light-colored shirts with large pockets.

Hair is generally swept back, greased and fluffy on top - evidence of hat hair. Refer to noticeable hat on the right side of the photo near the window.

These boys are between the 90-94 age range today, and most likely WWII war vets.

The Viva Filipinas Collection

I would like to thank my friends and the Florentino Family for contributing a lot of their family photos.

Some are also found photos, some are from my personal collection. Some come from the archives of schools in the provinces.

People think of me as strange for keeping pictures of dead people. I am very fascinated with vintage memorabilia- the photography involved, the details in the subject's clothing and the expression on the pinoy's faces.

I got my knack of nostalgia from my late uncle George who would resurrect old Manila from memory when I was a kid. His imagery became very vivid in my head.

In the 90s, we lost most of our family photos to the lahar floods. I felt it was a great loss. So I know how these lost photos would mean to the families that once owned them, maybe through the internet I could find the answers and even details how they came about. Or simply enjoy an interesting glimpse of the past in pictures.

Cute Kid on a Radioflyer Bike

A little boy aroound six or seven years old, his hair greased slick in pomade, happy in his classic radioflyer bicycle.

This was someone's childhood and from the looks of this photo, it was a happy one.

A Portrait of a Filipina Mother and her Sons

I am guessing this was a group photo then enlarged, to cut out and frame in oval the figure of the mother. Her eyes are distant, looking away from the camera while her young barefoot boys in their cotton shirts, look curiously into the lens.

I am guessing this was their only photo of her- the mother with her boys.

Note the obscured face of one of the sons, forgotten by time.