Alan Mays' photos

Hmm, so now Santa and the Easter Bunny are in cahoots?!?! It just doesn't bode well for us naughty kids. 8-) A Message from an Old Friend There are some folks so new fashioned They've laid aside the habit Of believing in a Santa Claus Or even an Easter Rabbit. And to save our reputation Where perhaps it may be shaken We just went off together And had our pictures taken. We'll send you one at Christmas And one at Easter too And when there's folks that doubt us We'll refer them all to you.

But how can we be happy when the Fairy Pied Piper (who seems to be playing a flower rather than a pipe) is leading all of the chicks away from the village? Note also the inset photo of a girl and a boy in the middle of the postcard.

"Compliments of Lancaster Music Co., O. F. Brinkman, manager, pianos and organs, sheet music and musical merchandise, 21 East Orange Street, Lancaster, Pa."

"Rosenbloom Brothers, successors to E. J. Beane, 186 to 190 Westminster St., Providence. Copyright by James B. Harrison, 1882."

"Wm. T. Baldus, Pa. Ave. & 19th St. English, French, and German prescriptions a specialty. Copyright by James B. Harrison, 1882."

Printed on the back of this real photo postcard: "Glad-U-Kum, 543 Main St., Johnstown, Penna."

Compare with Boys with Their Bunnies and Moms .

Compare with A Girl with Her Bunny and Mom .

A flappers photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. The John Cadwalader (note the partially visible name at the upper right-hand corner in the image above) was a steamship built by Pusey and Jones in 1926 and operated by the Baltimore and Philadelphia Steamship Company. This photo shows flappers --three of whom are wearing cloche hats --posing with a cigarette-smoking fellow on the deck of the steamship sometime in the late 1920s or possibly the early 1930s.

Based on the messages written by Louise, a former teacher, on the front and back of this postcard, this photo shows two young students dressed in rabbit costumes for a springtime (possibly Easter) school program in Ault, Colorado, in 1910. They're posing in a backyard (perhaps a schoolyard) and seem to be holding a string between them. Handwritten message on the front: "These are the two rabbit characters which made such a 'hit' in our closing program last spring. Mrs. Harding and I made the costumes." Postmarked: Ault, Colorado, Oct. 13, 1910. Addressed to: Miss Grace Burgess, Victor, Colo. Handwritten message on the back: "Dear girlie, Since I am not teaching, I am so busy doing nothing that I don't seem to find time to write to anyone. Wanted to tell you that I have joined the Christian Church. Louise." See also a cropped version of this real photo postcard for a close-up view of the rabbit costumes :

For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard .

A shoat is simply a "young, newly-weaned pig." "Public Sale of 125 Shoats. On Tuesday, February 12, 1889. will be sold at public sale, at Irwin's Hotel, Ironville, West Hempfield Township, the following, to wit: 125 Chester County shoats, weighing from 40 to 140 lbs. A few breeding sows. Stock can be seen three days before sale. A credit of 90 days will be given. Sale to commence at 1 o'clock, when terms will be made known by A. H. Hershey. Isaac Hieneman, auct. H. L. Bard, clerk. (Please distribute among your friends.) The New Era Steam Job Printing House, No. 3 South Queen St., Lancaster, Pa."