Alan Mays' photos

A creepy infants or children photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. At first glance, this real photo postcard seems to show a nice family pleasantly posing for a picture on a porch. Upon closer examination, however, there seems to be something peculiar going on (mouse over the image above to see a close-up of the two children ). The little boy--there's no identifying information, but let's call him Damien--appears to be holding a claw-shaped can opener in his hand, and he's staring directly at the camera with a creepy, almost evil look on his face. His sister, in contrast, seems to be clutching oddly at her neck, as if she had a sudden stabbing pain in her throat. Now, I'm really not sure what little Damien was doing with that sharp can opener. I just hope that the photographer was able to get away in time.

For information about this real photo postcard, see Opening a Can of Worms? :

A Victorian-era calling card decorated with a marbled pattern (see Wikipedia's article on paper marbling ). The tiny dark spots come from glitter that has lost its gleam.

"The boys keep me busy at the phone in Jersey Shore, Pa., so excuse me for not writing sooner."

"Am holding my own in Honey Brook, so don't worry, and leave it to me."

Sent to Mrs. Nell Frishour, Dayton, Oreg., and postmarked Portland, Ore., Oct. 31, 1909, with the message: "Look out for ghosts tomorrow night. E.W."

The cover of a booklet advertising Witchal, a witch-hazel extract manufactured by the E. E. Dickinson Co. and used medicinally as an astringent.

"Ghost Party, Saturday evening, October 23rd, at 9:00 o'clock, Harmony Maennerchor, 204 Lancaster Avenue. Admit one ghost, $1.50." See also Ghost Party Ticket, Reading, Pa. , on Fonts In Use for Florian Hardwig's discussion of the typefaces (Metropolis Light, Stylescript, Goudy Oldstyle, and Bernhard Gothic) used on this card.

"No Man Loves a Tired Nervous Woman! Nor does a woman love a pepless man. How to get friends (page 9). How to hold your husband's love (page 12)." Are you tired, nervous, or--ahem!--pepless? If so, then you would surely benefit from reading this small 1930s advertising booklet. It extols the virtues of Vinol, a patent medicine that contained ingredients such as cod liver oil and beef peptones, plus alcohol (as much as 15 percent). Do you suffer from other unpleasant afflictions instead? Then you merely need to flip over this reversible booklet (similar to an upside-down book or a tête-bêche binding) to read about the wonders of Adlerika (see the cover on the other side below).

"Gas on Stomach for 20 Years. Exercies to help constipation (page 8). What to eat (page 12)." Constipated? Bloated? Nauseated by ads that discuss such topics? Then this small 1930s advertising booklet is for you! It discusses the benefits of Adlerika, a patent medicine that contained Epson salts and other ingredients with laxative properties. Do you suffer from other afflictions that you'd rather not discuss in mixed company? Then you only have to flip this reversible booklet over to read about the vitality of Vinol (see the cover on the other side below).

A bicyclist, who appears to be wearing some kind of uniform, poses in front of the Sphinx with the Great Pyramid in the background. There was no date or any other identifying information on the back of the photo, unfortunately.

"Fergani A. H. Khattab, dragoman & tourist conductor, Cairo, Upper Egypt, & Nubia, Nile trips and camping contractor. Address: Mena Pyramids P.O., Cairo, Egypt." As far as I can determine, "dragoman" in this context on a business card simply means "interpreter or guide." Wikipedia's dragoman article explains the historical significance of the term, which referred to "an interpreter, translator, and official guide between Turkish, Arabic, and Persian-speaking countries and polities of the Middle East and European embassies, consulates, vice-consulates, and trading posts." For a similar card, see SonomaPicMan's Dragoman's 1885 Calling Card on Flickr.

A defaced or altered photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. I was surprised when I spotted this painted-over cabinet card photo at an antique mall last year. I had never seen anything quite like it, and I thought that it ruined the photo. On the other hand, I was intrigued by the way some unknown artist had re-imagined what was probably an otherwise unremarkable portrait, painting a modern lucha libre skull mask (and a small bat) onto a nineteenth-century photo and thereby transforming it into a work of Halloween art. I didn't necessarily want to encourage anyone to deface old photos, and I debated whether to even purchase it. The cabinet card was the only painted photo in the antique dealer's booth, however, and the eyes looked so haunting and pleading that I ended up buying it. Since then, I've come across Now and Then: The Cabinet Card Paintings of Alex Gross (Berkeley, Calif.: Gingko Press, 2012), a book described by its publisher as "the complete compendium of acclaimed artist Alex Gross's mixed media paintings layered on top of antique 19th century cabinet card photographs from portrait studios all around the country" (for before-and-after examples of the cabinet photos and finished paintings in the book, see the February 8, 2013, posting on Larry Fire's Fire Wire Pop Culture Blog ). This cabinet card painting isn't as elaborate as those by Alex Gross, and I still have mixed feelings about these kinds of mixed media, but it's still fascinating to see how the somewhat contradictory juxtaposition of modern artwork and vintage media can create something new and surprising. Note to administrators of photo groups: If you feel that the altered aspect of this photo isn't suitable for your group, I won't be offended at all if you remove it. Otherwise, I hope it sparks some discussion regarding the appropriateness of using old photographs in this manner.

"Maple Grove, Route 30, Lincoln Highway, one mile west of Lancaster, Pa." A roller skating rink label (or sticker, as they were usually called, although there's no adhesive on the other side) from the Maple Grove Roll Arena, which was part of Maple Grove Park, a now-defunct amusement park that was located along the Lincoln Highway just west of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Judging by a partial Google translation (see below) and information gleaned from some other tickets I purchased at the same time, this Lithuanian-language ticket provided admittance to a benefit dance (ball) held on October 31, 1895, probably somewhere in Pennsylvania and presumably in celebration of All Saints' Day or Halloween. The ornate border, unique typefaces, and illustration of the dancing couple make for an interesting design. -------- Lithuanian text: "Balus, balus! Draug. „Jaunikaicziu Sz. Kazimierio” iszkele dideli balu ant sales buwusios p. Nawicko, o tai diena 31 Spalo, 1895m. Prasides ant 4 adinos po piet ir tesis per wisa nakti. Muzike pirmos klasos. Tikietas - 25c." Partial translation from Google Translate and other sources: "Ball, ball! [Draug. „Jaunikaicziu Sz. Kazimierio” iszkele] great ball [ant sales buwusios p. Nawicko,] which is on 31 October 1895. Starts at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and continues through [wisa?] night. First-class music. Tickets - 25c."

The Bellevue Stratford, Phila., Pa. Talk through this disc. Hygiene Telephone Disc. A new one for each guest occupying this room. Talk through the Hygienic Telephone Disc and protect yourself from all germ disease. Replace when soiled. U.S. Patent, June 12, 1906. To put on, bend up small corner on line and slide on mouthpiece. Mfg. by Hygienic Telephone Disc Co., Phila., Pa. -------- Worrying about germs and the spread of diseases is nothing new, as this early twentieth-century "Hygienic Telephone Disc" demonstrates. Guests at the Bellevue Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia could place one of these "Sani-Phone" discs--as they were also called--over the mouthpieces of the telephones in their rooms so they wouldn't contract tuberculosis or any other nasty bug. The discs used a wax paper-like film that was sandwiched between two layers of cardboard to keep germs away while letting sound through. For a 1912 advertisement that shows how the disc was placed on the candlestick telephones of the time, see Sani-Phone Hygienic Telephone Discs Ad, World Almanac and Encyclopedia, 1912 (Internet Archive) :

This Sani-Phone Hygienic Telephone Discs advertisement is a screen capture from the World Almanac and Encyclopedia, 1912 , p. xiv, which is available via the Internet Archive . For an example of a disc imprinted with a hotel's name, see Hygienic Telephone Disc, Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, Philadelphia, Pa., 1906 :