Alan Mays' photos

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of a favorite vintage portrait, formal or informal . This is a combination of two slides ( Pipe-Smoking Television Man and Birds at Home ) showing the opposite sides of a room in the 1950s home of a man I've called -- for lack of his real name -- "Pipe-Smoking Man" or "Yellow Socks Guy." These images were among the ones in several slide trays I bought at an antique mall a few years ago. They're some of my favorites for their bright and colorful depictions of mid-century people and furnishings. For more examples, see Pipe-Smoking Man in Front of the Fireplace and my album of Pipe-Smoking Man and His Family .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of romantic or in love . "Greetings from Elitch's. Smile-A-While Studio, Elitch's Gardens, Denver, Colorado." A souvenir novelty photo from Elitch's Gardens , an amusement park in Denver, Colorado. For an earlier picture from the park, see Labor Day Photo from Elitch's Gardens, 1905 .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of gravestones and cemeteries . This is a nineteenth-century cabinet card photo of the gravestone of Joseph Ritner (1780–1869), who was governor of Pennsylvania from 1835 to 1839. Ritner was buried in the Mount Rock Cemetery in Mount Rock, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The surroundings looked quite different when I visited the cemetery in 2015. See also the full version of the cabinet card and a comparison of this photo with one I took in 2015 . Joseph Ritner Died Oct. 16, A.D. 1869 in the 90th year of his age. Elected governor of the state of Pennsylvania in 1835.

The cabinet card photo of Joseph Ritner's gravestone is damaged, and there's no indication of a photographer's name or date. For more information, see the cropped version of the photo.

The left-hand photo of Joseph's Ritner's gravestone is a nineteenth-century cabinet card, and the one on the right is a photo I took in 2015. The brick building in the right-hand photo is the Mount Rock United Methodist Church. For additional information, see the original cabinet card photo .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of vistas and overlooks . This is a real photo postcard with a 1908 view of a Pennsylvania farmstead -- identified as Clover Hill Farm on the other side -- nestled within the hilly landscape of the Ridge and Valley region of the Appalachians that runs through the state. It's addressed on the other side to Mr. E. L. Kelchner, 403 Catherine Street, Bloomsburg, Pa., and was postmarked in Danville , Pa., on August 1, 1908. The handwritten message says: "Hello! Nice warm weather here at Clover Hill Farm. Come out. Peaches, plums, apples, & pears are in season. Finished hauling oats yesterday. Expect to go to Sunday School Picnic tomorrow. How is the chicken crop. Yours, C.C.S. 7/31/08."

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of up a tree (person, creature, thing) . This photo, which was labeled as an "unknown cigar factory" when I bought it at an antique mall, shows sixteen men posing in front of a house. Seven of them are standing, two are seated on the wooden sidewalk that runs along the street, five are leaning against a fence, and two are perched up in a tree. Five of the men are wearing striped work aprons. Similar photos at the same stand at the antique mall were identified as cigar factories in Akron , Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, so it's possible that this photo was also taken in Akron. See a cropped version of the photo for a better view of the men in the tree and on the ground.

Sixteen men pose in front of a house that served as a cigar factory. Note the two fellows who are perched precariously in the tree. For more information, see the full version of this photo.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of balloons (toy balloons, hot-air balloons, and other inflatables) . This Kodachrome slide dated May 1965 shows a birthday celebration with balloons overhead, candles on the table and cake, and party hats for everyone. The birthday girl and her friend are blowing party horns as her mother and another girl look on. For another view of the festivities, see Birthday Party with Cake, Candles, Balloons, Hats, and Eyes Closed, 1965 , For another birthday celebration with balloons, see Happy Birthday to—Hey, Are You Taking My Picture?

The birthday girl has her eyes closed in this view of a 1965 birthday party captured on a Kodachrome slide. Note the elaborate scene of buildings, roads, and lawn on the wall in the background. For another photo of the celebration, see Birthday Party with Cake, Candles, Balloons, and Hats, 1965 .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of photos with the subject's name written on it . "Rodney Miller. Die Wunnernaas. 'Shreib Alsemol.'" This is a snapshot signed by Rodney Miller, a young accordion player, and "Die Wunnernaas" ( Pennsylvania Dutch for "the busybody" or "the inquisitive one"), whose real name was G. Gilbert Snyder (1897-1956). Snyder was an educator in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and he also hosted a popular Pennsylvania Dutch radio show in the 1940s and 1950s. He wrote "Shreib Alsemol" on the photo, which means "write sometimes." It's possible that Die Wunnernaas and Rodney Miller signed the photo at a public appearance or performance.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of visitor from the future in a photograph . Perhaps I've been watching too many science fiction films recently, but those peculiar sunglasses make me wonder if the mother and son in this vintage snapshot might be alien invaders from some far-off galaxy. Or maybe they're travelers sent back in time (circa 1940s?) in a so-far fruitless attempt to save us from our current societal and environmental afflictions. I suppose, though, that it's possible that they're just normal sunglasses that look a little quirky to modern eyes. See Earliest Known Texting Photo? for a vintage photograph of what might be a texting time traveler from the 1910s or 1920s.

Twenty-four adults and one child posed for this real photo postcard, which was used as a New Year greeting. Handwritten message (at right): "Wishing you all a Happy New Year. Lovingly, Emma." Addressed on the other side to Mrs. John Kreisel, 17 Cherokee St., S. Bethlehem, Pa., and postmarked in Allentown, Pa., on Jan. 3, 1908. Compare this photo with New Year Gathering, Chicago, Illinois, 1912 .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of with Santa . "Merry Christmas." Two girls and a man pose for a photo next to a remarkably tall Santa Claus. This real photo postcard has a "Devolite Peerless" stamp box on the other side, and it's likely that it dates to the 1950s.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of dressed in uniform . Handwritten note on the back of this snapshot: "Churchill and Elliott James Roosevelt, Iceland." The uniformed man on the right who's holding a cane is Winston Churchill , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Despite the note on the snapshot, however, the man at left is not James Roosevelt nor is he Elliott Roosevelt . The man is, in fact, Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr , another son of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt . The date of Churchill's visit to Iceland was August 16, 1941. He had just come from a meeting with President Roosevelt where they issued a joint statement known as the Atlantic Charter on August 14. Franklin Jr. was an ensign in the U.S. Navy Reserve. For more information about Churchill's trip to Iceland, see Winston Churchill in Iceland, August 16, 1941 and 80 Years Since Churchill Charmed the Icelandic Nation .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of palm trees . Caption: "Miami Beach, Florida, March 1946." A woman pretends to pick coconuts as she stands in front of a painted backdrop featuring a coconut palm tree . For some similar souvenir photos, see Man and Dog with Alligators on the Beach and Man with Alligators and Coconut Tree, Miami, Florida, 1922 .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of law and order . A real photo postcard dating to the early twentieth century. The partially visible sign in the background indicates "18 Miles to Balto" (an abbreviation for Baltimore -- I identified the sign based on another photo posted online). The same automobile and painted backdrop also appear in a photo showing Three Gents in a Car .

A real photo postcard. The same automobile and painted backdrop also appear in a Police Car photo.