Alan Mays' photos

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of ship out! (taking a trip by any conveyance but extra credit by ship or boat) . A souvenir real photo postcard of tourists riding in a gondola on the Venetian Lagoon in Venice, Italy. It's dated 1952 on the other side. The dome of St Mark's Basilica and its tall campanile (bell tower) are visible in the background.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of shape up! (people exercising) . This is an early twentieth-century real photo postcard with the name "Lambert Weston & Son, Folkestone" embossed in the lower right-hand corner (the embossing isn't really visible in this image, unfortunately). The photo shows a number of men who are getting some exercise by running a footrace. The runners, strangely enough, are wearing neckties and white shirts more suitable for an office than an athletic field. A large crowd has gathered to watch the competition, and a large round building is visible in the background. The building in the background appears to be one of the Martello towers --"small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century"--and might be one of the towers that are located in Folkestone, Kent, England.

A camping/tents photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Judging by the banner hanging above the tents, Camp Chicken is the name of this encampment. Three women and a child pose in front of the three tents on the right. On the other side, a man is lying in a hammock, and behind him is a boy and another man, both of whom are sitting on chairs. A breeze blowing through the woods has blurred the large American flag flying above the kitchen tent, and some of the smaller flags hanging above the openings to the other tents are also blurred. Sunlight filtering down through the trees has formed a dappled pattern in the clearing. This is an unused real photo postcard with an Azo stamp box on the other side (four corner triangles pointing up) that indicates a date that may be as early as 1904 to 1918. For similarly in-tents scenes, see Tents at Raise 'ell Camp, Cooks Mill, Pennsylvania , Bob White Camp , and The Methodist Church Choir Camp, 1908 .

Henry Weill (1860-1929) was a well-known horse dealer in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This business card was printed for him by David Bachman Landis . For similar cards by Landis that feature text printed over a background illustration, see: -- Chas. O. Ursprung, Horse Collar Manufacturer, Lancaster, Pa. -- W. R. Cheney, Carriage Builder, Lancaster, Pa. -- William C. Myers, Practical Artesian Well Contractor, Salunga, Pa. Henry Weill, Dealer in Driving, Heavy Draft, and Fine Coach and Saddle Horses. Sale and Exchange Stables, 200 to 216 West Orange St., Lancaster, Pa. Presented by ________ Acclimated and western horses always on hand. Telephone connection.

John K. Trewetz (1864-1938), a well-known musician who lived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, advertised a patented "bellophone" on his billhead, but I haven't been able to uncover any information about it. David Bachman Landis of Pluck Art Printery created this billhead for Trewetz. M ________ To John K. Trewetz, Dr. Musical Novelties, 350 West Orange St. Lancaster, Pa., ________ 188__ Bellophone. Patented.

An advertising postcard addressed on the other side to Mr. Wm. P. Breen, Fort Wayne, Ind., and postmarked New Haven, Conn., June 8, 1911. Off to Europe Visiting Ireland, England, Scotland, Belgium, France, Germany Switzerland. Are you coming with us? We must know soon. Party sails from New York, July 8. 'Phone, wire, or write for reservations. A few choice berths left. Columbus Travel Society, New York office, 2075 Metropolitan Building. Gramercy 3438. Prof. J. C. Monaghan, pres. Mrs. B. Ellen Burke, sec'y. D. P. Toomey, treas.

A cameo card for Jacob Haak Hain (1823-1891), who was a saddler in Reading, Pennsylvania. For a brief biography of Hain, see History of the Hain Family: Descendants of George and Veronica Hain (Reading Eagle Press, 1941), p. 65: "Jacob Haak Hain. . . born 1822 [or 1823, according to his gravestone ], died 1891. On December 9, 1845, he married Mary Ann Goodhart, daughter of Jacob and Mary Ann (Beidler) Goodhart. She was born 1825, died 1898. He carried on a harness making business at 321 Penn Street, Reading and was Chairman of the Democratic Standing Committee, 1863-64; Clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions of Berks County, 1872-75. Jacob, his wife, and their three children are buried in Charles Evans Cemetery." Another of Hain's business cards (not a cameo card, however) is available as part of the Library Company of Philadelphia Digital Collections. See Jacob H. Hain, Manufacturer of Saddles, Harness, Bridles, Collars, Covers, Whips. No. 321 Penn Street, Reading, Pa. For additional examples of cameo cards, see Best Boiler Works, Lancaster, Pa. , and Eagle Marble Works, Monuments, Tombs, Gravestones, Reading, Pa. J. H. Hain, Manufacturer of Saddles, Harness, Whips, Collars, Fly Nets, Covers, &c. No. 321 Penn Street, Reading, Pa. McClement Bros.

"Best Boiler Works, Lancaster, Pa., manufactory of steam boilers, water & oil tanks, stills, bellows, pipes, & sheet iron work in general. Jobbing promptly & carefully attended to. John Best, proprietor. Mc.Clement, Phila." For information about cameo cards like this, see José L. Rodriguez's article on Cameo Makers . For similar cards, see Eagle Marble Works, Monuments, Tombs, Gravestones, Reading, Pa. and J. H. Hain, Manufacturer of Saddles, Harness, Whips, Reading, Pa.

"Eagle Marble Works. P. F. Eisenbrown, Cor. Elm & 6th Sts., near the new depot, Reading, Pa. Monuments, tombs, grave stones &c. McClement, Phila." For other cameo cards, see J. H. Hain, Manufacturer of Saddles, Harness, Whips, Reading, Pa. , and Best Boiler Works, Lancaster, Pa. ,

A photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park monthly topic of winter activities—shoveling snow, sledding, throwing snowballs, skiing, making snow angels, ice skating, etc. (submit a photo on this topic each week in addition to—or instead of—a photo for the weekly topic). This is the first photo in a small album of German skiing photos that I purchased recently. The album may have been compiled by Ursel Schmidt (b. 1932), whose pass from the German Ski Association (Deutscher Skiverband) is attached to one of the pages. There's no date, but I'd imagine that the photos—most of which are typical images of skiers and snow-covered landscapes—were taken in the 1940s or 1950s. After some searching, I was surprised to discover that there are many similar souvenir photos featuring faux polar bears not only on ski slopes but also on beaches, in the streets, and in many other locations in Germany. For some background on this practice, which apparently dates to the 1920s, see The German Tradition of Posing with a Man in a Polar Bear Costume , an article by Caitlin Schneider that appeared on the Mental Floss site, April 6, 2016. For more photos, see Eisbär-Kostüme 1920-1960 [Polar Bear Costumes 1920-1960], a Flickr gallery by Kai Heinrich. There are also two published collections of these German polar bear photos. See Jean-Marie Donat, Teddybär [Teddy Bear] (Paris: Innocences, 2015) and Jochen Raiss, Eisbären and Polar Bears (German- and English-language editions, Berlin: Hatje Cantz, 2019).

A beards photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Photographer: "Steinhoff, 527 Kansas Avenue, Topeka, Kansas." A cabinet card photo of a bewhiskered Midwestern fellow.

A membership card for the Order of Railroad Telegraphers (ORT). As Wikipedia explains, "telegraphers would be stationed in individual depots along the railroad line in order to receive train orders from a centrally located dispatcher and report back on train movements; telegraphed train orders would be written out on paper and 'handed up' to the crews of passing trains." See also a 1915 version of the ORT membership card. The Order of Railroad Telegraphers Issued to L. W. Ricker. Good until June 30th 1900 unless revoked. W. V. Powell, president. H. B. Perham, secretary and treasurer. The Order of Railroad Telegraphers, Grand Division.

A photo of jewelry (rings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches, earrings, etc.) for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Handwritten inscription at bottom: "Your Friend, Dell." A nineteenth-century CDV photo of a young woman with a distinctive hair style, stylish dress, and various items of adornment, including a headband, earrings, choker with pendant, necklace, and cross.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of telephones. "Merry Christmas. Sophie, Grant, and Kurt Stetzler." A photographic Christmas card dating to the late 1950s.

Handwritten note on the other side of this calendar: "Ida Massimore. For faithful attendance at Sunday School. From your teacher, Mrs. E. W. Gregory." Mrs. Gregory is wearing a cross necklace in the blue-tinted cyanotype photo on this calendar, which she used as an attendance reward for her Sunday school students.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of indoor shots—with a focus on the style of the room. Two women and a boy pretend to read from a book as they pose for a photo next to the piano in the corner of a well-appointed parlor. The sheet music on the left-hand side of the piano is " My Love Is Greater Than the World ," which was published in 1910. Notice all the interesting decorative details in the room—the photos, small bust, vase, and lacy cover on top of the piano; the patterned wallpaper, artwork, and lamp on the walls; the gauzy curtains at the window; and the stylish furniture (what do you call that round chair on the left?). This is an unmailed real photo postcard with an Azo stamp box (four corner triangles pointing up) on the other side, which suggests a time frame—1904 to 1918—that matches the publication date of the sheet music. For similar parlor piano pictures, see Parlor and Sitting Room, Elizabethtown, Pa., March 10, 1912 ; New Year Gathering, Chicago, Illinois, 1912 ; and They Laughed When We Sat Down at the Piano .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of beginnings and endings (houses being built or torn down, stores opening or closing, an old year ending or a new one starting, etc.). Date and initials at lower right: "4.9.51. F.S." Printed on the back of this photo: "Photogr. F. Schumann, Pirna ." A snapshot of a young German girl who's holding a Schultüte , or school cone, which she received as a gift on her first day of school as a way to commemorate the beginning of her formal education. For a similar photo taken a few years later, see Girl with Schultüte, 1955 . For more photos, see my Schultüten (School Cones) album.

"Happy New Year — 1911 — from the Morgans." A real photo postcard greeting from the Morgan family, location unknown.