Buggies, Carriages, Wagons

A real photo postcard consisting of a trick photo that uses a double exposure to show a woman simultaneously pulling and riding a wagon. Notice the ghost shafts at the front of the wagon that fade and disappear (they're located behind the woman and below the shafts she's holding). The doppelgänger riding the wagon is pretending to hold the reins (with what looks like a stick with attached string in her right hand). Not to be confused with A Man Pushing Himself on a Wheelbarrow . 8-) For another similar trick photo, see A Man Simultaneously Pushing and Riding a Wheelbarrow .

Mouse over the image above to see a close-up of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. W. Davidson . This real photo postcard doesn't bear a stamp or postmark but was addressed to: "Jessie Warner, Croton, Ohio." Handwritten message: "April 10, 1914. Dear Jessie, We wish you many more happy birthdays. Mr. and Mrs. Geo. W. Davidson, Croton." If you have any interest in vintage photos like this that show people posing in front of their homes, please consider joining my new group Vintage House-Proud People . Here are some more examples of this kind of photo:

For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard:

A real photo postcard of two women, presumably participating in a parade of some sort, on a horse-drawn carriage profusely decorated with flowers. The woman on the left is holding the reins in one hand and a whip in the other, while the woman on the right is holding a parasol. The hat of a third woman, who may be riding on the far side of the carriage, appears to the left of the woman holding the reins. The figure of a man, apparently riding on top of another vehicle, is partially visible behind the carriage, and in the distance are telephone poles and what looks like the side of a mountain. There's a sign affixed to the building at left, but the letters are too small to make out what it says.

Signs on float: "Brothers of the Brush, Elliottsburg Jail." "Comb Nation Jail." Perry County Sesquicentennial Parade, photo taken at the intersection of West Main and Apple Streets, New Bloomfield, Pa., 1970. For other photos from this parade, see:

Sign on float: "New Bloomfield Post Office. Perry Co. Sesquicentennial 1970, The County Seat, New Bloomfield, Pa. 17068." The United States Postal Service's "Mr. ZIP" character--the cutout of a wide-eyed, smiling postman that's standing in the middle of the float next to two mailbags and a mailbox--promoted the use of ZIP codes , which were first used in 1963. Perry County Sesquicentennial Parade, photo taken at the intersection of West Main and Apple Streets, New Bloomfield, Pa., 1970. For other photos from this parade, see:

Slide "custom processed by Tower" with no other identifying information.

"Landisville Coach Works, C. H. Koser, Prop. Horseshoeing. All Kinds of Buggies and Carriages Built to Order. Automobile work a specialty." An advertising postcard that illustrates how one business in Landisville, Pennsylvania, adapted to the transition from buggies and carriages to automobiles as forms of transportation in the early part of the nineteenth century.

"Harrisburg Carriage Repository, Edward Boyer, proprietor, 1017 Market St., Harrisburg, Pa. Manufacturer of and dealer in carriages, surreys, runabouts, Stanhope phaetons, buggies, and business wagons. Repairing and remodeling of carriages a specialty." The Hub , a trade magazine for carriage, wagon, and automobile manufacturers, provided this laudatory description of the Harrisburg Carriage Repository and its proprietor in its August 1901 issue, p. 256: "Harrisburg, Pa., has no better, more strongly established or more popular house in any branch of business than the Harrisburg Carriage Repository, of which Edward Boyer, good man, expert mechanic, and energetic business man, is proprietor. Everyone in the capital, yes, every carriage man in the State, we might say in the trade throughout the entire land, knows Boyer, the man whose word is as good as a United States bond. He handles only the best and carries a stock to meet all demands. Mr. Boyer is general agent for the Richland Vehicle Co. and numerous other manufacturers of twentieth-century vehicles of every description."

"Lewis Kramer (successor to S. H. Bucher). Practical blacksmithing and horseshoeing. Repairing of wagons and machinery. Rear 332 Chestnut St., Pottstown, Pa."

"Howard C. Frey, East Prospect, Pa., refurbisher of Conestoga wagons, dealer in antique wagons, harness, whips, hame bells, tar pots, jacks, etc." For more information regarding the Conestoga wagon, see Conestoga Coffee, Lancaster, Pa.

"Conestoga Coffee Blend, one pound net, Lancaster Wholesale Grocery Co., distributors, Lancaster, Penna." Although the landscape surrounding the Conestoga wagon in this illustration from the front of a paper coffee bag depicts the rugged terrain of the American West, early settlers actually used a different type of covered wagon (often just a simple farm wagon enclosed in canvas) to travel westward. The Conestoga wagon originated in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania , and its name may have come from the county's Conestoga Township or Conestoga River ("Conestoga" originally referred to a Native American group now more commonly known as the Susquehannocks ). It was a sturdy vehicle capable of handling large loads over the undeveloped dirt roads in Pennsylvania and surrounding states during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Given the local origin of the Conestoga wagon, it's not surprising that the Lancaster Wholesale Grocery Company chose the name for its coffee. And it's certainly more dramatic--through not accurate--to see the wagon traveling through a mountainous Western landscape rather than slogging through the muddy roads in the eastern United States. See also Howard C. Frey, Refurbisher of Conestoga Wagons .

A written inscriptions and messages photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. In his message to Bertha on this real photo postcard, Sam humorously explains Lena's absence from the novelty photo by saying that she's hidden under the seat of the wagon in order "to keep the dust off of her." Denver, Nov. 19 Hello Bertha, we are coming towards home. Have got Lena under the seat to keep the dust off of her. If our horse holds out, we will be there by the end of the week. Goodby, Sam & Lena

"Photo only copyright 1909 by the Rotograph Co., N.Y." Printed on the back: "This card is a real photograph on bromide paper. The Rotograph Co., N.Y. City. Printed in England." Addressed to: Miss Violet Varner, Box 14, Salix, Pa. Handwritten on the back: "Feb. 27, 1914. From Mamma to Violet Varner. Peaches are good, oranges are better, would you please send me a letter. Goodbye. Ans. soon." See also Glad Easter Tidings :

A real photo postcard. "Bringing in the sheaves. A common scene on a Kans. farm. Copyrighted photograph, 1908, W. H. Martin."