Take Your Best Shot: Vintage Fairground Shooting Gallery Photos

During their first participation in Paris-Photo in 2006, Lumiere des Roses shared a series of fairground photos of men with guns at the shooting gallery. These snapshots were taken mostly in the 1920s and 1930s. Many looks remarkably fresh.

 

When I was just a baby my mama told me, “Son
Always be a good boy, don’t ever play with guns”
But I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die
When I hear that whistle blowing, I hang my head and cry

– Johnny Cash, Folsom Prison Blues

 

“If I had a shiny gun
I could have a world of fun
Speeding bullets through the brains
Of the folks that cause me pains :)”

― Dorothy Parker

 

Shoot to thrill, play to kill
Too many women with too many pills, yeah
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
I got my gun at the ready, gonna fire at will, yeah

– AC/DC, Shoot To Thrill

 

Hey Joe, where you goin’ with that gun of your hand?
Hey Joe, I said, where you goin’ with that gun in your hand? Oh
I’m goin’ down to shoot my old lady
You know I caught her messin’ ’round with another man, yeah
I’m goin’ down to shoot my old lady
You know I caught her messin’ ’round with another man
Huh, and that ain’t too cool

– Jimi Hendrix, Hey Joe

 

When they kick at your front door
How you gonna come?
With your hands on your head
Or on the trigger of your gun

– The Clash, Guns of Brixton

 

“I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat and a gun. I put them on and went out of the room.”

― Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely

 

 

 

You woke up this morning
Got yourself a gun
Your mama always said you’d be the chosen one

– Alabama 3, Woke Up This Morning