Alan Mays' photos

"Semi-Hex Pencils. Semi-Hex, General Pencil Co., U.S.A., 498, no. 2. Smoothest of leads, comfortable to hold (rounded edges - made in 5 degrees). The Golden Rule, Belington, W. Va."

A ticket for the Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch Fersommling (Pennsylvania Dutch gathering) held at Haag's Hotel in Shartlesville, Berks County, Pa., on May 4, 1990, by the Grundsow Lodsch Nummer 12 on da Dulpehocka Pawd (Groundhog Lodge No. 12 on the Tulpehocken Path). As Wikipedia indicates, "A Fersommling (plural, Fersommlinge) (also spelled Versammling or Fersammling) is a Pennsylvania Dutch social event in which food is served, speeches are made, and one or more g'spiel (plays or skits) are performed for entertainment." Check out the wonderfully amusing photo of King Groundhog arriving at the Fersommling held on February 2, 1968, by Grundsow Lodge Nummer Ains on da Lechaw (Groundhog Lodge Number One on the Lehigh). Folklorist Don Yoder points out in his book Groundhog Day (Mechanicsburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books, 2003), p. xii, that the groundhog is "a vital if tongue-in-cheek symbol of the Pennsylvania Dutch. This identity is celebrated in the all-dialect Grundsow Lodges (Groundhog Lodges) of Southeastern Pennsylvania, where every February hundreds of Dutchmen meet to spend the evening feasting and frolicking, with pledges of allegiance, the sacred Groundhog Oath, and lots of harmless revelry--all in Pennsylvania Dutch." Although some Groundhog Lodges do hold Fersommlinge on Groundhog Day or later in February, other gatherings--like this one on May 4, 1990--are scheduled at different times. -------- (Not yet translated from the Pennsylvania Dutch.) Grundsow Lodge No. 12 on da Dulpehocka Pawd Des baweiss'd das da ________ fon ________ 'n fol shtandich lead iss fon da Grundsow Lodsch No. 12 on da Dulpehockae Pawd, und fershprocha hut die yarlich 1990 Fersommling ei tzunemma om 7:13 ovets, da 4't Moi onn, Haaga Watshaus, Shartlesville, Pa. Harvey A. Hill, Jr., Hauptmann William H. Keener, Shreiver Sei so gute und halt ken sitzplatz zurick. Please do not reserve any seats. Seating is available as members arrive. No. 0255 -------- Dierra Tzettle Des beweiss'd das da ________ fon ________. Mir Zwelf Daller Batzawled hut fer ein Glead tzu, werra bleiva fon da Grundsow Lodsch No. 12 on da Dulpehocka Pawd. Fohr g'shloga fom Glead Tox $12.00 RAWD No. 0255

Menu from page 3 of the program for the "Fourteenth Annual Watch and Wait of the Slumbering Ground Hog Lodge of Quarryville, in Pennsylvania," February 2, 1921 (see below for a transcription of the text). For additional information about the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge, see an enlargement of the groundhog illustration on the front cover of the program for the lodge's 1963 celebration, the full front cover of the program , and the back cover of the program . Ground Hog Day, Nineteen Twenty-One Ground Hog Feast Hotel Weber, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in the Garden Spot of America. To sleep or not to sleep? That is the question. Whether 'tis weather-wise thus to suffer The stings and arrows of a Borean Winter, Or, by retreating to a cozy corner, burrow, and end them, To sleep, to hibernate and by a six-week nap To say we end the backache and the rheumatism And the hundred ills woodchucks are heir to, To hibernate! To sleep! Perchance to dream-- Aye, there's the rub! For in that death-like sleep What dreams may come, eke make me suck my paws, For who would prophesy and shake and shiver In an advancing cold wave and storm When he at once might rest and comfort take By getting in out of the wet. Menu Celery, Olives, Oysters on the Half Shelf, Vegetable Soup Stuffed Turkey, grown in Colerain Township Turkey Giblet Sauce Mashed Potatoes, raised in East Drumore Candied Sweet Potatoes, product of Beggar Row Cranberry Sauce, as sassy as can be made Quarryville Peas Salads, a la Eden Township Ice Cream, frozen in Lancaster Cakes Coffee, direct from Brazil, grown especially for ground hogs

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, is home to Punxsutawney Phil , the famous rodent who predicts the weather on Groundhog Day , which is celebrated each year on February 2. It's not surprising, then, that the Punxsutawney Beef and Provision Company used a Groundhog Day-themed logo. Notice that the groundhog on the matchbook cover is holding an umbrella and a newspaper with a "Weather For Today" headline. -------- "Pure kettle-rendered lard, Punxsutaweny Beef and Provision Company, Punxsutawney, Pa. Weather For Today. Close cover before striking." "Groundhog Brand ham, bacon, lard, and sausages. Punxsutawney, Pa. Punxsutawney Beef and Provision Company, packers-manufacturers, beef, pork, veal, lambs, provisions. Lion Match, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa."

The handwritten message (see below) on the verso of this real photo postcard takes up the entire space on the back, and there is no address or stamp. -------- Marian, 15th March 1914 Dear Brother, A few lines to let you know that we arrived home again after a splendid holiday. This photo is my son and daughter (Frances and Ned) taken at the foot of Leura falls, Blue Mountains, 60 odd miles west of Sydney. It is not a very good photo as it was a very rough place and we had to climb down steps for about 2000 feet below the surface. The climate there is like our old home in Ireland--they have snow falls very often--but it seems too cold for me to live there. It seemed nothing to see people with overcoats on morning and evenings. I now conclude by sending best respects from all to yourself, wife, and family. From your loving sister, Nora Write soon.

"Ye Gilded Boob. / You think that you are: just it, / With your monocle [kid gloves] and ten-dollar hat." A vinegar valentine that pokes fun at pretentious fools. The reference to a "ten-dollar hat" may come from the saying, "He wears a ten-dollar hat on a five-cent head," suggesting that an expensive hat can't make up for a lack of intelligence. For a similar valentine, see Oh! You Lobster .

"Oh! You Lobster. / It's all very fine to wine and dine / A pretty dear sweet little miss / It looks very swell, but will you tell / How it's done on a salary llike this ($10 per)." This vinegar valentine has been personalized with the initials "F.F." for the man, "J.V." for the woman, and "The Biltmore" hotel as the setting for the wining and dining. The early twentieth-century meaning of "lobster" was similar to today's "sugar daddy." For a similar valentine, see Ye Gilded Boob .

A weather photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park . Handwritten on the back of this real photo postcard: "This picture was taken right after it stopped hailing on Sunday, May 2nd, 1920. Some hail believe me." Although there's no postmark or notation to identify where this photo was taken, it seems likely that the hail pictured here was the result of the same weather system that produced the tornado that devastated the small town of Peggs, Oklahoma , on May 2, 1920. The twister hit Peggs around 8:30 p.m., destroyed most of the town's buildings, killed 71 people, and injured about a hundred more. The National Weather Service still ranks the tornado as the third deadliest in Oklahoma since 1882 .

Although I purchased this photo in Pennsylvania, I don't have any information regarding its date or location. It's possible that it was taken at a family get-together or a church gathering, but it's difficult to tell whether the group is posing in front of a residence, meeting house, or another type of building. Some of the clothing--especially the women's head coverings--suggests the type of plain dress that is still characteristic of Amish, Mennonite, Brethren, and other religious groups in Pennsylvania. Mouse over the image to see additional notes.

A laughter photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park . This jolly bunch seemed to be having a good laugh as they posed for a souvenir photo in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Mouse over the image to see a close-up of the men and women .

See also the full version of this real photo postcard:

So why is a kid with a dopey expression hoisting a giant flower-filled slipper onto another kid's back? It's just another Victorian-era mystery waiting to be solved in this curious illustration from an unused advertising trade card.

"Palmer's Roseine Matches. British made. J.P. & S. Trademark."

In addition to the musical instruments--a bass, guitar, mandola (I think), another guitar, accordion, and jug --that the members of this country-western band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, are holding, there are also three more--a banjo, musical saw , and fiddle--on the floor in front of the group.

Probably one of those blue-collar workers.

A celluloid medallion. For additional examples, see the George Eastman House's extensive collection of Celluloid Medallions & Buttons on Flickr.