July 1941. "Kids' tug-of-war at the Fourth of July celebration at Vale, Oregon." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

July 1941. "Spectators at kids' contests at the Fourth of July celebration in Vale, Oregon." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee. View full size.

1941. "Kids' race at the Fourth of July celebration in Vale, Oregon." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

1941. "Boy who caught the greased pig at the Fourth of July celebration at Vale, Oregon. Says he's going to join the 4-H Club so he can learn how to feed his pig properly." Photo by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size.

July 1915. Washington, D.C. "Klassy Kamp group." One of the many summer camps dotting the banks of the Potomac a century ago. Other views here and here. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

July 1941. "Ride at the carnival which was part of the Fourth of July celebration at Vale, Oregon." Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size.

July 1918. "American Red Cross Canteen at Gare d'Ivry, Paris, showing decorations in honor of the Fourth of July, which was celebrated by the French as well as by the Americans." Photo by Lewis Hine for the American Red Cross. View full size.

"Independence Day, 1906. F.A. Loumis, copyright claimant. Little boy holding three large firecrackers and flag." Let's be careful out there! View full size.

July 1941. "Boys on the Fourth of July. State College, Pennsylvania." 35mm nitrate negative by Edwin Rosskam for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.

July 1943. Washington, D.C. "Spectators at Office of Civilian Defense parade to recruit civilian defense volunteers." Medium format negative by Esther Bubley for the Office of War Information. View full size.

July 1941. "Fun at the water fountain. Fourth of July picnic in Vale, Oregon." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

1941. "Free coffee served at the picnic grounds on the Fourth of July at Vale, Oregon." 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the FSA. View full size.

New York, 1917. The American soprano Marcia Van Dresser, who participated in War Bond and patriotic programs at the Metropolitan Opera. And on that high note, Shorpy wishes you a Happy Fourth of July! View full size.

At first glance this might appear to be a photo of a boy playing with sparklers, accompanied by The Mummy. Actually, it's me with my father, who happened to turn his head during this slow exposure. We're on the Russian River beach at Guernewood, California, a couple blocks from our vacation home. Another oddity about this Ektachrome slide by my brother: he was at the height of his camera bug phase, and decided to try developing the film himself, using a Kodak home processing kit, back home in Mother's kitchen sink. I remember the scene, really a mental snapshot of him in the darkened kitchen. This shot, along with others on the roll, exhibit processing anomalies, such as the flurry of red blobs and the aura emanating from the top of my head. The event itself was tons of fun. We semi-successfully shot a rocket over the river, and I remember gleefully watching black snakes curling about on the sand. And the aroma! View full size.

1940. "Start of soapbox auto race at Fourth of July celebration in Salisbury, Maryland." 35mm nitrate negative by Jack Delano. View full size.