The Man with Unfortunate Pants

This rear of this photograph is marked only with "1974," and "Thelma Blumberg," the photographer's name.  Not much is known about Ms. Blumberg except that she photographed in the Gaslight District of St. Louis in the 1960s and 1970s.  A Google search turns up a copy of  Life Magazine, in which she once had a photo published.  Even less is known about the man in this portrait, who probably was quite fashionable for the time.  Before you chuckle too heartily, take a look down at the pants that you're wearing today:  this could be you in 35 years.
 

[click image to enlarge]

Studio Portrait of Eagan, with a Special Note

This well-dressed young man, known only to us as Eagan, sits for a technically perfect portrait. On the reverse side of the mounted print he has scribbled:

Yours very truly,— Eagan.    If you don't want to be troubled with rats and mice, just place this (photograph) in the room and you won't be bothered.

The Mystery of Case 57

There's writing on the back of this print that says,  "F. Copeland Shelden, Kansas City, Missouri."  A bit of Googling produces several clues about the name.  Dr. Sheldon was an accomplished orthodontist, speaker and author for many decades until his death at 70 years old in 1977.

The question remains: are these photographs of one of Dr. Shelden's patients?  The boy does not seem to be a candidate for orthodontia. Or is "Case 057" actually Dr. Shelden himself, being photographed as a young boy long before embarking on his career in medicine?

Portrait of a Man and Woman, Both Appear to be Angry

This is an example of a truly lost portrait. This image was not a part of an album, a scrapbook, or even a pile. It has no markings that suggest a photographer, a location, or any context at all.
In the early days of photography, plates and films were less sensitive to light, and required subjects to sit perfectly still (to avoid blurriness) during long exposures.  Perhaps a faked smile was too hard to hold.  Even still, could this possibly be the best of the bunch?