Alan Mays' photos

"Clara H. Watkins, Landlady, Hotel, Long Green, Md."

A photo of the honeymoon is over (unhappy couples) for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. This real photo postcard is dated 1909 on the back, but otherwise I'm not certain of the circumstances behind it. Judging from the couple's body language, however, they do seem to be giving each other the cold shoulder rather than the glad hand , suggesting that their honeymoon is definitely over.

"Wheeling, West Virginia. Gordon." Postmarked Sept. 29, 1930. Get it? Somehow the kid has managed to put the entire state of West Virginia in his wheelbarrow (Gordon is either the kid's name or a brand of wheelbarrow, I guess), and he's obviously "wheeling" (also the name of the state capital , as the signpost is intended to remind us) the state along the road in his wheelbarrow. So you could say, of course, that the kid is Wheeling, West Virginia ! Let the guffawing begin! 8-)

"Edison Mazda Lamps, 6-60 watt, price $1.50. Phone your order today." A poster stamp for Edison Mazda light bulbs .

"Norman's Indian Mucilage. Non-moulding. Sticky. Clear. Never leaves grip. Manufactured by H. D. Nariman Bros., Bombay, No. 2." In the illustration on this label, two bulldogs demonstrate the strength of the glue in Norman's Indian Mucilage .

"Will go off on the 4th." Printed on the back: "4th July Series Number 705."

"I'm going off on the 4th." Printed on the back: "4th July Series Number 705."

"I'll make some noise on the 4th."

"Electric Factory presents Cars, 8:00 pm. Mon., Nov. 24, 1980, at the Spectrum. No cameras / recorders. No refunds / exchanges. Ticketron. Admit one - subject to the conditions on the back hereof. Seat 5, row-box 7, sec. 103, loc. 10 flor." Ticket for The Cars with special guest The Romantics at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pa., on November 24, 1980.

A swimming pools photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. "Alberca del Hotel Ruiz Galindo. Fortin Ver." Translation and elaboration: "Swimming pool at the Hotel Ruiz Galindo. City of Fortín de las Flores in the Mexican state of Veracruz ." As seen in this real photo postcard, gardenia blossoms floating on the surface of the swimming pool apparently helped to attract visitors to the Hotel Ruiz Galindo, located in the Mexican city of Fortín de las Flores ("Fort of Flowers"). An article in Life magazine, May 14, 1945, for instance, featured photos of Mexican movie actresses swimming among the flowers and described "the hotel's enormous swimming pool, which is frequently covered with gardenia blossoms for the guests' pleasure." A Google search also uncovered later hotel promotional materials that refer to the pool as "The Famous Gardenia Swimming Pool" and to the hotel as "The Gardenia Resort." I haven't been able to determine, however, whether the hotel is still in business. Mouse over the image above to see enlargements of the left side and right side of the pool. Note the woman sitting in a poolside chair on the left and a group gathered around the diving board at right.

Gardenia blossoms float on the surface of the swimming pool as a lone woman sits among a row of chairs lined up beside the pool. For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard:

Two men on the diving board are talking with a man and woman who are standing nearby. A few gardenia blossoms are visible in the pool. For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard:

"Your letters are priceless. Make folks happy. National Letter Writing Week, October 1-7." A poster stamp for National Letter Writing Week in 1939.

Radio-Craft magazine featured "Elektro the Moto-Man" on the front cover of its August 1939 issue (mouse over the image above for a close-up view of Elektro and his various parts). According to the article that begins on page 72 of the issue, "This 260-lb. mechanical man at the New York World's Fair 1939 walks. talks, smokes, and selects colors! His anatomy includes an 'electric eye,' 48 relays, 11 motors, a microphone, grid-glow tube, and amplifiers." For additional information about this robot, see Wikipedia's Elektro entry.

For more information about "Elektro the Moto-Man," see the full front cover of this August 1939 issue of Radio-Craft magazine:

Handwritten note on the back of the photo: "Baltimore, MD, 1950's." Poor fellow! I guess the rules were stricter in the 1950s!

"Job-Printing, Surveying, Conveyancing, &c., attended to by Jesse I. Dauman, notary public, Waynesburg, Chester Co., Pa." A nineteenth-century sign that dates to the 1870s or 1880s and lists all the services that Jesse I. Dauman could provide. Dauman also published a local newspaper, as mentioned in the History of Chester County, Pennsylvania (1881) (via Google Books): "The Honeybrook Graphic , a weekly paper, was established at Honeybrook (formerly Waynesburg), Feb 15, 1879, by J. Henry Long, and conducted by him until August 8th of the same year, when he disposed of it to Jesse I. Dauman, who has since then been editor and proprietor. Mr Dauman has had a job printing-office at Honeybrook since April, 1869."

"Greyhound Lines. Property Of: Name: Miss Rosie E. Shank. Street: Route 2. City: Williamsport. State: Maryland. This is not a baggage claim check."