Music and Musicians

For this cabinet card, see the front , a cropped version , a detail showing a close-up of the lyre and Miniature Masquerade Ball , and the back (thumbnail images for each of these are below). Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate any additional information about Frank Meger and his Miniature Masquerade Ball beyond the advertisement that appears on the back of this cabinet card photograph (see text below). -------- Photographer: B. F. Reimer, 13, 615, and 617 N. 2nd St., Philadelphia, Pa. -------- Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball is herewith introduced to the public. This is something altogether new and novel, creating a great deal of amusement whenever shown (especially to children), and is intended for private entertainments, such as birthday parties, etc. This entertainment is all the more interesting since the lyre used is 200 years old, and was exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Whenever this Miniature Masquerade Ball is engaged, I give flute solos and dance music. For the above entertainment the terms are: to any part of the city, $3.00 from 8 to 12 p.m.; after 12 o'clock, $2.00 extra. Should piano or violin be desired, I can furnish the same at about the same price as the above. For special terms, address Frank Meger, 1309 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. (Comrade of Fred. Taylor Post, No. 19, G.A.R.). These photographs can be had for 25 cents each.

For this cabinet card, see the front , a cropped version , a detail showing a close-up of the lyre and Miniature Masquerade Ball , and the back (thumbnail images for each of these are below). Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate any additional information about Frank Meger and his Miniature Masquerade Ball beyond the advertisement that appears on the back of this cabinet card photograph (see text below). -------- Photographer: B. F. Reimer, 13, 615, and 617 N. 2nd St., Philadelphia, Pa. -------- Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball is herewith introduced to the public. This is something altogether new and novel, creating a great deal of amusement whenever shown (especially to children), and is intended for private entertainments, such as birthday parties, etc. This entertainment is all the more interesting since the lyre used is 200 years old, and was exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Whenever this Miniature Masquerade Ball is engaged, I give flute solos and dance music. For the above entertainment the terms are: to any part of the city, $3.00 from 8 to 12 p.m.; after 12 o'clock, $2.00 extra. Should piano or violin be desired, I can furnish the same at about the same price as the above. For special terms, address Frank Meger, 1309 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. (Comrade of Fred. Taylor Post, No. 19, G.A.R.). These photographs can be had for 25 cents each.

Detail showing a close-up of the lyre and Miniature Masquerade Ball. For this cabinet card, see the front , a cropped version , a detail showing a close-up of the lyre and Miniature Masquerade Ball , and the back (thumbnail images for each of these are below). Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate any additional information about Frank Meger and his Miniature Masquerade Ball beyond the advertisement that appears on the back of this cabinet card photograph (see text below). -------- Photographer: B. F. Reimer, 13, 615, and 617 N. 2nd St., Philadelphia, Pa. -------- Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball is herewith introduced to the public. This is something altogether new and novel, creating a great deal of amusement whenever shown (especially to children), and is intended for private entertainments, such as birthday parties, etc. This entertainment is all the more interesting since the lyre used is 200 years old, and was exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Whenever this Miniature Masquerade Ball is engaged, I give flute solos and dance music. For the above entertainment the terms are: to any part of the city, $3.00 from 8 to 12 p.m.; after 12 o'clock, $2.00 extra. Should piano or violin be desired, I can furnish the same at about the same price as the above. For special terms, address Frank Meger, 1309 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. (Comrade of Fred. Taylor Post, No. 19, G.A.R.). These photographs can be had for 25 cents each.

For this cabinet card, see the front , a cropped version , a detail showing a close-up of the lyre and Miniature Masquerade Ball , and the back (thumbnail images for each of these are below). Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate any additional information about Frank Meger and his Miniature Masquerade Ball beyond the advertisement that appears on the back of this cabinet card photograph (see text below). -------- Photographer: B. F. Reimer, 13, 615, and 617 N. 2nd St., Philadelphia, Pa. -------- Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball is herewith introduced to the public. This is something altogether new and novel, creating a great deal of amusement whenever shown (especially to children), and is intended for private entertainments, such as birthday parties, etc. This entertainment is all the more interesting since the lyre used is 200 years old, and was exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Whenever this Miniature Masquerade Ball is engaged, I give flute solos and dance music. For the above entertainment the terms are: to any part of the city, $3.00 from 8 to 12 p.m.; after 12 o'clock, $2.00 extra. Should piano or violin be desired, I can furnish the same at about the same price as the above. For special terms, address Frank Meger, 1309 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. (Comrade of Fred. Taylor Post, No. 19, G.A.R.). These photographs can be had for 25 cents each.

"Cheryl Lee and the Carter Brothers. Stage, radio, television, recordings." Manufacturer name on the pedal steel guitar: "Sho-Bud, Nashville, Tennessee." A glossy promotional photo, with the year "1968" handwritten on the back along with autographs by Cheryl Lee and Roy Dudley. Dudley was the drummer, while Gary, left, and Jimmy, right, were the namesake brothers. Cheryl, despite her separate billing as "Cheryl Lee," was Gary and Jimmy's sister. These cool kids performed at fairs and carnivals in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere in the 1960s and 1970s. They recorded 45s with songs such as "Is That My Baby," "This Man Has Taken All He's Gonna Take," "Muddy Mississippi," and "Left Over Feelings."

"Arizona Kid and His Cow Girls, Reading, Pa., 1941. Arizona Kid, Sun Set, Texas Jean, Moon Beam, Utah Ginny, Montana Patsy, Popeye, Chuckles, Winnie, and Sheriff and Cactus Sam. WYZ."

In addition to the musical instruments--a bass, guitar, mandola (I think), another guitar, accordion, and jug --that the members of this country-western band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, are holding, there are also three more--a banjo, musical saw , and fiddle--on the floor in front of the group.

Do you have ideas for future topics for the Vintage Photos Theme Park ? If so, please add them to the Suggestion Box ! A photo of musicians and musical instruments for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. "Pop Morehead's Family. Alma, Pop and Jean, J.W., Moss, Henry, Mary." Charles M. "Pop" Morehead, Sr. (1891-1973), lived in Littlestown, Pennsylvania, and performed in groups billed as Pop Morehead's Family, Pop Moorehead and His Kentucky Mountaineers, and the Kump Station Ramblers. For other real photo postcards of country music groups from south central Pennsylvania, see Arizona Kid and His Cow Girls, Reading, Pa., 1941 ; The Lone Rangers, Lancaster, Pa. ; and The Oklahoma Travelers, Highspire, Pa.

An unused real photo promotional postcard.

"The Olzen Accordion School, 75 6th Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. Phone Nevins 8-1431." According to Victor Greene, A Passion for Polka: Old-Time Ethnic Music in America (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992), pp. 184-85, Eric Olzen (born 1895) was a popular Swedish accordionist and composer who came to the United States and opened a music school in Brooklyn in 1926. In the 1930s, he hosted a radio show that was popular among Scandinavians in New York, published sheet music compositions such as "Koster Waltz" and "Sunbeam Polka," and played on many records. I take it that Eric Olzen is the one standing without an accordion in the middle of the third row. He's surrounded by 51 male students and 4 female students. I wish I could have attended one of the Olzen Accordion School's concerts!

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of photos with the subject's name written on it . "Rodney Miller. Die Wunnernaas. 'Shreib Alsemol.'" This is a snapshot signed by Rodney Miller, a young accordion player, and "Die Wunnernaas" ( Pennsylvania Dutch for "the busybody" or "the inquisitive one"), whose real name was G. Gilbert Snyder (1897-1956). Snyder was an educator in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and he also hosted a popular Pennsylvania Dutch radio show in the 1940s and 1950s. He wrote "Shreib Alsemol" on the photo, which means "write sometimes." It's possible that Die Wunnernaas and Rodney Miller signed the photo at a public appearance or performance.

Mary Jane and Her Merry Melody Makers gave performances in Pennsylvania and other states in the 1940s. One newspaper ad billed the group as "A big company of maiden musicians with a comedian who gets laughs" ( Gettysburg Times , Oct. 1, 1943), and another described the show as a "program of dances, acrobatics, marimbas, songs, and comedy" ( Reading Times , Aug. 16, 1946). For other photos of the group on Flickr, see Rita's Mary Jane & Merry Melody Makers and Colin Aitchison's Mary Jane & Her Merry Melody Makers 1930's .

"Best Wishes, Jeff Parson."

A photo combining one or more previous themes (Happy New Year, poses by a Christmas thing [anything holiday], people playing musical instruments, interiors, and possibly others) for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Handwritten note on the back of this real photo postcard: "New Year, 1912. Chicago, Ill." The Christmas tree is still standing for this family's New Year celebration in 1912. A woman is playing a guitar, but no one is seated at the piano, surprisingly enough. Happy New Year to one and all!

Anyone know what the actual name of this music group might be? There was no identifying information on the front or back of the photo.

These six fellows evidently got their picture taken before they headed out hither and yon for a wild night of zithering (or, more specifically, autoharping ).