1943 Texas Photo Young Girl Floral Dress & 1942 License Plate
📸 Click any thumbnail to inspect Front, Back & Angles (2 Photos)
🔗 Embed / Cite This Archival Image (Free with Attribution)Get HTML Code
© USA RESELL. Bloggers, historians, and researchers may embed this image for free by keeping the credit link below intact:
USA RESELL is a living historical archive. Because original artifacts are one-of-a-kind and source records change rapidly, use the button above to check live marketplace availability or locate surviving examples. As an eBay Partner, we may earn a commission on qualifying purchases.
Item Specifications
- City: Childress
- State: Texas
- Country: United States
- Era: 1940s
- Subject: Girl Vintage Automobile Texas License Plate
- Theme: Americana
- Category: Vintage Photography
- Format / Type: Vintage Photographs
Historical Context & Overview
A Captivating Slice of 1940s Texas Home Front History
This candid snapshot offers an evocative glimpse into daily life in rural Texas during the height of World War II. Photographed in September 1943, the image depicts a young girl named Annette Hudson standing confidently in the dirt outdoors, hands on her hips, proudly wearing a patterned floral sun dress. Behind her sits the rounded back end of an early 1940s motorcar, anchoring the scene firmly in the mid-century American landscape. Everyday photographs from this era serve as valuable cultural documents, recording regional fashion trends, childhood innocence, and family life against the backdrop of wartime domesticity.
Photographic Details and Automotive Ephemera
Beyond its charm as a portrait, this photograph holds exceptional appeal for automotive historians and vintage ephemera collectors. Affixed to the rear bumper of the vehicle is a clearly visible 1942 Texas license plate stamped with the registration number 221-819. During World War II, metal rationing dramatically impacted motor vehicle production and license plate manufacturing, making surviving period plates and clear photographic references particularly desirable. The vehicle’s distinct curve and bumper guards further reflect American automotive design from the early 1940s, just before domestic car production halted for war manufacturing.
The reverse side of the print provides verified historical context. Handwritten in pencil across the top is the date "Sept 9, 1943" alongside the subject's name, "Annette Hudson." Centered on the back is an authentic studio ink stamp reading "Webb Studio, Childress, Texas." Studio marks like this highlight the work of regional commercial photographers who operated in small towns across the Texas Panhandle, preserving local family histories for generations.
Format, Preservation, and Collector Interest
Printed on traditional silver gelatin photographic paper, this original snapshot measures 3.1 by 4.5 inches and retains its original white border. The print exhibits crisp tonal contrast, capturing soft highlights on the girl's dress and rich dark tones across the automobile's shadow. The image remains in very good vintage condition, exhibiting minimal age-related toning and minor handling wear that accentuate its authentic provenance.
Whether added to a regional Texas photography archive, an album of 1940s fashion and lifestyle, or a collection of vintage license plate and classic car ephemera, this artifact stands as a well-documented and delightful piece of Americana.