Rosen Kirche, Watertown, Buffalo County Nebraska, Antique Photograph

This is a colorized antique photograph of a church congregation in Nebraska.  To me it looks like the coloring was done by hand - the blue sky goes off the edges of the photo (it's mounted on a much larger piece of cardboard).   The actual photo is a little brighter than the picture I have of it.

This looks to be 1890s, give or take.  There is a lot of writing on the mounting, most of which is faded to the point that I can't read it.  But I can read several things:   below the picture is written Rosen Kirche.  I'm not sure if it is one word or two, either way I think it's German and it means Red Church.  On back someone has written Rev. J.E. Baumgartner, Watertown, Buffalo Co., Nebraska.    In the back near the middle of the line of people, a man is wearing clerical garments, and I suppose that is the good Reverend.  There are all kinds of people in this photo, young and old.

So, one day in the 1890s, give or  take, a church congregation gathered outside and had their picture taken.  Interesting.

UPDATE: Sold!

Snapshot - 7 children, boys, girls, baseball gloves and a cat

I may be the only person on earth who thinks this is a cool picture.  It could be that I'm inventing the quirkiness about it.  

This is a snapshot, I'd say late 1950s or very early 1960s.  There are no dates, names, or writing of any kind.   Also no stamps or indication (that I could see) of the kind of photo paper used.  But based on the clothing, that is what I think.

Front row left, there is a boy in a white t-shirt, blue jeans with the cuffs rolled up (just like the cowboys wore them), most likely wearing black high top converse all-star tennis shoes and a baseball glove.  He is kneeling and looking very serious in a classic little league team picture type pose.  He's the only one kneeling, and is obviously out of sync with the rest of the group.

In contrast to his seriouness, the boy behind him has place his baseball glove on top of his head.  And the boy next to him is holding a cat.  The girls are just standing there and smiling, more or less like normal people.  Some of those girls have to be sisters.

It is a very typical picture in a sense.  Some grown up made them all get together to have their picture snapped.  But in another sense, it's a little odd.  Unlike many, many of these type of amature snapshots,  personalities were captured.  Accidently, I'm sure, but captured just the same.