Alan Mays' photos

"Leon Finkelstein, optometrist and optician, New York State Certificate No. 214. All work guaranteed for one year. Home office, Syracuse, N.Y."

A vintage science and/or cat's eye glasses photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Surgeons at a French field hospital during the First World War use an x-ray machine --"the latest and most complete scientific device for saving life," according to the description on the back of this stereographic card--to locate and remove a bullet from a wounded soldier. This image was first published by the Keystone View Company as part of a set of war stereogaphs issued in 1917-18. See below for the full Locating Bullet with X-ray Machine stereoview card. For additional information regarding the Keystone View Company's World War I stereographic sets, see the The World War through the Stereoscope , a digital collection from the Library of Congress. 18608 - French Field Hospital - Locating Bullet with X-Ray Machine Excerpt from the description on the back of the card: Before us surgeons are using the x-ray to locate the bullet in a wounded soldier. His life depends upon finding it promptly and with little probing. For this the x-ray is invaluable--it projects a shadow of the bullet in the wound. As a further aid in locating the bullet, a mechanism working on the plan of a telephone is used. One end of the circuit is attached to a bell and the other end is fastened to a sliver thread attached to the probe. When the probe touches the bullet the bell rings. Many lives have been saved by this invention, which enables the surgeon to locate the bullet quickly and to extract it through a small orifice. Notice the tube at the surgeon's ear, leading to the bell on the x-ray apparatus, so that he can hear instantly hear the first faint vibration. Observe the wire bringing the current from the ambulance. We have before us no crude emergency outfit, but the latest and most complete scientific device for saving life.

For information about this stereoscopic card, see Locating a Bullet with an X-ray Machine, French Field Hospital, World War I :

Handwritten note on the back of this cabinet photo: "Sister Annie's. Martin - Samuel Heffner (twins)." Photo studio: "J. D. Strunk, 730 Penn St., Reading, Pa."

This tinted real photo postcard shows the original Sewickley Bridge , which spanned the Ohio River between Sewickley and Moon Township in western Pennsylvania. Located about twelve miles northwest of Pittsburgh, the bridge was completed in 1911, dismantled in 1980 after significant deterioration, and replaced by a new bridge that opened in 1981. A Find A Grave search identified the final resting places of "Wesley Charlton" (probably Mark Wesley Charlton, Sr. , 1877-1921) and "Wm. Snowwhite" (probably William Snowwhite , 1886-1968). Charlton and Snowwhite likely lived in the area at the time the bridge was completed in 1911. I haven't been able to determine any other specific reason that they chose the bridge as the subject for the holiday postcard that they created that year. Greetings of the Season, Christmas, 1911 This is an exceptional view of the Ohio river bridge and the only one of its kind in existence. It was obtained through an unique process by Wesley Charlton and the plate and product are the exclusive property of Wm. Snowwhite, the sender.

"Notice!!! No delivery Monday in order to give our drivers the day off to go deer hunting. Your Monday order will be delivered Sunday. Thanks you. The Shuman Dairy." Pennsylvania's firearms deer hunting season traditionally begins on the first Monday after Thanksgiving (December 1 in 2014), and many schools and businesses are closed for the day. This notice from the Shuman Dairy, which was located in McEwensville, Pa., was intended to let customers know that milkmen would make their deliveries on Sunday instead of Monday so they could go hunting on the first day of the season. The card likely dates to the 1950s or 1960s when home delivery of milk and other dairy products was still common.

"Broad View Farm, Stearns Bros., props. Pure milk from our accredited herd. Telephone: 68-M. Rochester, N.H. Make sure your milk is a grade higher. Order it from Broad View Farm. January 1927. A splendid New Year's resolution--'I will return my empty milk bottles daily.'"

"Thanksgiving Day. Boys, I feel I'm going to a change of climate."

"Thanksgiving blessings. You feed me well but I can tell you're no friend of mine."

"My turkey, 'tis of thee, Sweet bird of cranberry, Of thee I sing. I love thy breast and wings, Back, legs, and other things, I love thy good stuffings, O lucuious bird."

"Thanksgiving token. Where the glorious Star Spangled Banner waves, May there ever be cause for Thanksgiving days."

"Here's to good old turkey, the bird that comes each fall. And with his sweet persuasive meat, makes gobblers of us all."

"Our National Birds. The American Eagle. The Thanksgiving Turkey. May one give us peace in all our states. The other a piece for all our plates."