Alan Mays' photos

"The New York Evening. Obituary. The sudden end of the whole Dam family came as a shock to the public last Saturday. They were the most popular and widely known family in the United States on account of their unfortunate name. 'Too much notoriety,' is rumored to have killed the Dam family. The only thing that survives them is the dog, who eventually will see his finish as a Coney Island frankfurter." For more information, see the full postcard: The Last of the Whole Dam Family . Or take a look at The Whole Dam Family Postcard Craze, 1905 .

"Imported Hand. C. C. Liechty." A sample Victorian-era calling card used to advertise this "Imported Hand" design.

A sample cigar label printed by the Moehle Lithographic Company.

A " cinderella stamp " issued for the Pan-American Exposition , which was held in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1901. For other images of the building, see Pan-American Exposition - Electricity Building from the Southeast and Electricity Building at Night on Wikimedia Commons.

A postcard used to promote the Crosley automobile during the 1939 New York World's Fair . Also on display at the fair were various other products, including refrigerators, washing machines, stoves, and radios, that were designed and manufactured by Powel Crosley, Jr. , and the Crosley Corporation. -------- Front: The Car of Tomorrow at the World of Tomorrow. As shown at the Crosley Building at the N.Y. World's Fair. Also the amazing Freezorcold Shelvador Refrigerator, Feather Touch Electric Magnetune Radios. See the newest of the new in home appliances at popular prices. Crosley Reado, facsimile radio printing. Crosley Camera, Press Jr. model, Gas and electric ranges. Electric and gas engine washers. Electric ironers. At Crosley Dealers everywhere. Back (printed not handwritten): My feet are no longer tired after what I've seen at the Crosley Building.

An undated red-border Kodachrome slide (probably late 1950s). This pipe-smoking fellow reminds me of J. R. "Bob" Dobbs of Church of the SubGenius fame. In another slide (see The Silence in the Room Was Deafening , below), this same man is holding his pipe as he sits in a chair. A third slide (see Birds at Home , below) shows the same room from a different angle (compare the lamp, table, and floral-print chair).

A zoo photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Handwritten note on the back of this undated photo: "Uano Zoo - Tokyo." A fashionably dressed mother and her canteen-toting son pose impatiently in front of a fenced-in pond inhabited by ducks and other birds. Other zoo visitors (some holding umbrellas to protect against the sun) are visible in the background of the photo. The Ueno Zoo (its name is actually "Ueno" with an "e" rather than "Uano" with an "a") opened in Tokyo in 1882 and is Japan's oldest zoo.

"Mar. 17th. Good Luck."

"Erin Go Bragh. Ellen H. Clapsaddle. Painting only copyrighted by S. Garre 1907."

"Wishing you luck."

Postmarked: "Pittsburg, Pa., March 17, 1911." -------- Here's luck to Dear Old Ireland, the cradle of all true and loyal hearts. May her memory ever stay green in the hearts of all sons of Old Erin.

A wallpaper photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. A real photo postcard postmarked Chicago, Dec. 24, 1908, and addressed to Miss Anna Wallace, New Florence, Pennsylvania. Message written on the back: "A merry Xmas. How do you like your job by this time? Received your postal. Best regards to all, Sam." Judging by the pennant hanging on the wall (which probably spells out "Law") and what appear to be law book bindings in the bookcase and on the small table, Sam may have been a law school student.

"A Cat in a Knot in a Tree." Hmm, wasn't that the title of one of Dr. Seuss's early books?

The upper portion of this photo has been torn off, and a handwritten note on the back of the photo explains why: "The top of this picture was no good, but these legs are mine."

A tour group poses for a souvenir photo at the Palace of Versailles in France.

"Don't walk! Ride a bicycle. Horses are high, but bicycles are low. Good second-hand bicycles from $1.75 to $8.00....Special: new bicycles, $12.75....Geo. H. Muhlenberg, the experienced jeweler. Closed on Sundays. Phone 105. Box 8, Morgantown, Pa." Mouse over the image to see enlargements of the spot illustrations depicting a Brownie riding a bicycle and a Brownie standing beside a "Look" sign . For another example of an advertisement that uses Brownies, see What Have You Found Now, Christopher Columbus? . For more on these creatures, see Wikipedia's articles on The Brownies and their creator Palmer Cox (1840–1924).

For more information, see Don't Walk! Ride a Bicycle .