Alan Mays' photos

An early photo of what may be a Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" biplane. Four aviators are standing directly in front of the propeller and engine of the plane. For more information, see the full version of this photograph (below).

A real photo postcard of a man standing beside a mounted moose head. Date and location unknown.

"Banks. Pasadena, 1921. Rose Festival. Photo Card Co., L.A." The "Rose Festival" float on this real photo postcard was part of the 1921 edition of the New Year celebration in Pasadena, California, that continues today as the Rose Parade . The Pasadena Clearinghouse Association sponsored the float to represent "Banks" (financial institutions) in the area. For the Banks float constructed for the parade ten years after this one, see Pasadena Clearinghouse Float in the Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena, 1931 .

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!

"A Happy New Year. Haddocks. Come to your milk now." A Victorian-era New Year calling or greeting card with a hand-drawn sketch. "Come to your milk" seems to have had a specific meaning in the nineteenth century beyond pulling on a calf's tail to try to get it to drink out of a milk bucket. Besides a few hits on the phrase in Google Books, however, I haven't uncovered any source that reveals what that meaning might have been.

"Pennsylvania Rail Road, Lancaster Division, 1882. Pass ________. To Hess & Flinn's Station, the cheapest furniture and upholstery house in the city. No. 148-150 North Queen St., Lancaster, Pa. Hess & Flinn." This advertising trade card is a clever parody of a railroad pass (for examples of the real thing, see below for Pennsylvania Railroad Company Pass, 1908 and Pennsylvania Railroad Company Pass, 1909 ). Instead of authorizing travel over a railroad line, however, it invited potential customers to visit Hess & Flinn's furniture store in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, during the year 1882. For another Hess & Flinn trade card, see Hess and Flinn, Dealers in All Kinds of Household Furniture, Lancaster, Pa. (below).

See also Pennsylvania Railroad, Hess and Flinn's Station, 1882 . "Hess & Flinn, dealers in all kinds of household furniture. Warerooms--No. 150 North Queen Street, over Flinn & Wilson's Store, Lancaster, Pa. Goods of every description received and sold on commission."

See also a 1909 version of this pass. Pennsylvania Railroad Co., 1908 Pass T. D. Leader and wife, foreman carpenters, Altoona Car Shops, over the Eastern & Western Pennsylvania Divisions, during the year 1908, unless otherwise ordered when signed by G. W. Creighton. Not good on Penna. Special or Penna. Limited or Trains 43 or 44. Employee. 2217. G. W. Creighton, gen'l supt., Eastern Penna. Div. S. C. Long, gen'l supt., Western Penna. Div.

See also a 1908 version of this pass. Pennsylvania Railroad Co., 1909 Pass T. D. Leader and wife, foreman carpenters, Altoona Car Shops, over the Eastern & Western Pennsylvania Divisions, during the year 1909, unless otherwise ordered when signed by G. W. Creighton. Not good on Penna. Special or Penna. Limited or Trains 43 or 44. Employee. 593. G. W. Creighton, gen'l supt., Eastern Penna. Div. S. C. Long, gen'l supt., Western Penna. Div.

A postcard with an undivided back (only an address was allowed on the back of this type of early postcard--no message). There's no stamp or postmark, but it's addressed to: "Mr. & Mrs. M. A. Rice, Montclair, New Jersey." The stamp box on the back of the postcard ("Place postage stamp here. Domestic, one cent. Foreign, two cents.") is overwritten with the words, "Mervyn Pony Post," meaning, I assume, that Mervyn received it in person from Eva and Billy. Mervyn then presumably carried it home to show the New Year greeting on the front (a parody of a railroad passenger ticket decorated in red and green colors with Christmas holly leaves and berries) to his wife Nellie and the rest of the Rice family. General Railroad of Time, 1906-1907 Three Hundred & Sixty Five Trip Family Ticket This ticket officially stamped and dated will entitle Nellie & Mervyn and family to one continuous happy and prosperous passage through life from January 1st, 1906, to January 1st, 1907, and may be renewed for as long a period thereafter as they may desire, without further notice. 365. Signed and sealed by Eva & Billy. Father Time, General Passenger Agent. Copyright 1905 by William Joseph Burkhardt, 206 Ocean Avenue, Jersey City, N.J.

Do you know I love you . . . since we're both orange people in a world of purple?

Who needs a regular doctor when you can make an appointment to see Dr. Squirrel? When the world's on "your nerves" And your head's in a whirl Just go to the woods And consult "Dr. Squirrel." His treatment's effective His charges are light You'll soon be convinced That the world is all right. Handwritten on the back of this postcard "Bloomsburg, Nov. 23, Wednesday morning. This card I thought would suit you, or probably a rabbit instead. I am all O.K., as Eugene says. I am going to send Bruce a Thanksgiving carol today." Addressed to: Mr. Verus Ritter, R.D. #1, Opp, Penna. Postmarked: Bloomsburg, Pa., Nov. 23, 1910, 12:30 p.m. Printed on back: Prince Pub. Co., Lancaster Ave., Buffalo, N.Y.

A nineteenth-century sale bill announcing an auction of livestock, vehicles, and agricultural equipment. A Positive Sale! Third monthly sale at the Bazaar! Cross Keys Hotel, Marietta, Pa., on Thursday, December 29, 1887. The following will be sold, to wit: One horse, a fine Jersey bull calf that drew first premium at the Lancaster County Fair. Also a full Alderney cow and calf, two fat hogs, weighing about 200 pounds each. One new shifting top buggy, one new Cortland road cart, one market wagon (second-hand), a few sleighs (Albany cutters). One Root corn planter with fertilizer attachment, good as new. One Perry spring tooth harrow (new), two Princess plows, two double harpoon hay forks, sleigh bells, and other valuable articles. Sale to commence at 2 o'clock p.m. Terms 60 days. Simon L. Brandt, secretary. N.B. No articles will be withdrawn. Marietta Times Print.

Cropped version of a real photo postcard See also the full version (below). Handwritten on the front of this postcard: Dear Mr. Morrow, With kindest regards a photo taken of our club. Yours truly, E. T. Ziegler. Photograph taken Christmas 1905. 1. Violin: Mr. Kusenberg 2. Mandolin: Mr. Rieger 3. Mandola: Mr. Philippi 4. Zither: Mr. Berger 5. Guitar: Mr. Haring 6. Banjo: Mr. Ziegler Back of card: Addressed to "Mr. F. S. Morrow, Music Teacher, Green St., Harrisburg, Pa., U.S.A." Postmarked Sterkrade, Germany, January 8, 1906.

See also a cropped version of this real photo postcard. Handwritten on the front of this postcard: Dear Mr. Morrow, With kindest regards a photo taken of our club. Yours truly, E. T. Ziegler. Photograph taken Christmas 1905. 1. Violin: Mr. Kusenberg 2. Mandolin: Mr. Rieger 3. Mandola: Mr. Philippi 4. Zither: Mr. Berger 5. Guitar: Mr. Haring 6. Banjo: Mr. Ziegler Back of card: Addressed to "Mr. F. S. Morrow, Music Teacher, Green St., Harrisburg, Pa., U.S.A." Postmarked Sterkrade, Germany, January 8, 1906.

A Victorian-era calling card with handwritten name and date: "Alice A. Collar. Dec. 31st, 1878. A.A.C."

See also the back of this handbill: Blowbell Clapper Horns, the Greatest Fun and Noise Makers (below). "If you can sell harmonicas you can surely sell Clapper Horns (Trade mark). A horn, a bell, a rattler, 3 in 1 for the price of one. U.S. Patents, Feb. 25, '08, March 31, '08. Other patents pending. Trade supplied by Albert M. Deichler, 20-22 Chestnut St., Lancaster, Pa."

See also the front of this handbill: If You Can Sell Harmonicas You Can Surely Sell Clapper Horns (below). "Blowbell Clapper Horns (Trade Mark), the greatest fun & noise makers procurable, are made with patent clapper, patent corrugated bell and knocker. Best quality tin and handsomely colored."