Alan Mays' photos

For more information, see the full version of this photo, which dates to the 1890s. The Google Maps image on the right dates to 2018.

A swimming pools photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. This is a real photo postcard of a woman posing among the gardenia blossoms in the swimming pool at the Hotel Ruiz Galindo, located in the city of Fortín de las Flores ("Fort of Flowers"), Veracruz , Mexico. The gardenia flowers in the pool were a selling point, and a later postcard described the pool as "The Famous Gardenia Swimming Pool" and the hotel as "The Gardenia Resort." Mouse over the image to see enlargements of the left side (notice the hotel guests seated beside the pool and the maid looking down from the second level) and the right side (there are two men at the diving board).

As a woman poses among the gardenia flowers in the swimming pool, hotel guests watch from their seats alongside the pool. A maid standing on the second level of the hotel takes a break from her work to look down at the photo shoot taking place below. For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard.

Gardenias float on the water in the foreground, and two men are visible at the diving board in the background. One looks like he's getting ready to jump in the pool, while the other appears to be stepping away from the board. For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of putting on the ritz—dressed up for a special occasion . I picked up this wedding photo at a local antique mall a year or two ago. It wasn't in great shape, but it was a larger photo mounted on cardboard, and I liked the interesting room furnishings, the period clothing, and the amusing facial expressions. When I got home and examined the photo more closely, however, I noticed something strange about it. Were you able to spot it? If not, take a look at a cropped version of the photo.

As I mentioned (see the full version of this photo), I bought this picture at an antique mall and noticed something strange about it after I got it home. I purchased the photo because I liked the furnishings in the room--take a look at the chandelier, curtains, and flowers in the background, for instance. And there's a flowery border running along the top of the wall just below the ceiling. I also found the wedding party interesting. The wide-eyed groom seems to be stunned, but the bride, who's holding a large bouquet of flowers, looks calm and serene. The groom's father (at far right) is sporting a moustache and so is the bride's father (on the left). The photographer happened to catch the bride's mother (standing to the left of the bride) with her eyes closed. I examined all these details and looked at the photo for quite a while before I spotted something downright strange. Did you find it yet? If not, check out another enlargement from this image.

After closely inspecting this photo (see the full and cropped versions) for quite some time, I was surprised to finally realize that there's someone--or part of someone, to be precise--missing from it. Take another glance at the bride's mother, who was caught with her eyes closed. A man's shoulders are visible directly behind her. The man's head, however, has been imperfectly altered so that it partially blends in with the folds of the curtain behind him. Who was this mysterious wedding guest, and who wanted him out of the picture? We'll never know, but I find it amazing how well hidden--to my eyes, at least--he turned out to be. It's remarkable that this simple method of concealment was so successful in hiding this man's presence in the photo.

An elementary school photo taken by a professional photographer for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Sign: "Savage Elementary School, Mrs. Rhoads, Grade 3, 1964-65." Studio name on accompanying photo folder: "Mealey - Maryland." Although some students undoubtedly find their school to be a savage and unforgiving place, the name of this Savage Elementary School came from its location in the town of Savage , Maryland. The students have assembled in the library for their class photo. Some of the books on display on the top shelf behind them include Hercules: The Story of an Old-Fashioned Fire Engine (1940), A Fly Went By (1958), The Little Twin (1953), Stagecoach Sam (1940), and Caps for Sale (1940). Many of the students are wearing red-colored clothing, but the boy standing at the end of the fourth row in the upper right-hand corner of the photo is dressed in a grey shirt and pants with a "U.S. Army" patch over one shirt pocket. Similarly, the boy sitting on the floor at the end of the first row in the lower right-hand corner is wearing a blue uniform-like outfit with an "Air Force" patch on his shirt. Finally, notice how the boy at the end of the third row closed his eyes and scrunched up his face as the photographer snapped the picture.

"I won't be home till morning. I don't care if I never come back. Nobody loves a fat man. Whose baby am I." For another souvenir real photo postcard with a similar sentiment, see We Don't Care If We Never Go Back, Indianapolis, Ind.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of my old pal—depicting friends, buddies, pals enjoying each other's company . Sign: "We don't care if we never go back." Banner: "Indianapolis." An unused real photo postcard of two friends pretending to be in a hot air balloon as they pose for a souvenir photo in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Noko stamp box on the other side suggests that it may date between 1907 and 1929. I have other cards with photos of the fellow on the left that were postmarked in 1911. See also I Don't Care If I Never Come Back .

A late nineteenth-century business card for Henry Swartz's dry goods store in York, Pennsylvania. The typeface used for "Henry Swartz" is Antique Extended . Thanks go to Florian Hardwig for the identification. Henry Swartz, Dealer in Dry Goods, Groceries, Notions, Queensware, &c., &c., &c. No. 229 South George Street, York, Pa. Experience in the business and strict attention enables him to render general satisfaction. Country produce bought and sold. Dry Goods. Gazette, Pr.

An acquaintance card dating to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. If you look closely, you'll see that the printer mistakenly used a "u" instead of an "n" to spell "and." I had to read through the text a couple of times before I even noticed the error. Confidential Miss: If you desire to form my acquaintance, please state time and place on blank space.

A patterns photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. A young man nervously looks for an escape route as he's surrounded by the patterned designs of the wallpaper, wicker rocker, and carpet. This is an unused real photo postcard with a divided back but no stamp box. For similar photos with distinctive wallpaper, see Girl Cornering on a Tricycle, Harrisburg, Pa. and Girl Standing on a Chair in Front of Patterned Wallpaper .

A photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park monthly topic of 1970s (submit a photo on this topic each week in addition to—or instead of—a photo for the weekly topic). An orange Lawn-Boy mower in a snapshot dated April 1971.

Sinister Sam lurks in the background as two women pose in front of a car with a 1940 California license plate. "61B626, California, 1940."

Caption: "Dorwart Cottage, Landisville Camp Grounds." Sign above doorway: "Campview." Postmarked in 1916 in Landisville, Pa., and addressed to Mrs. Edward Searlis, 607 W. King St, Lancaster, Pa. (and forwarded from there to 653 State St., Albany, N.Y.). Handwritten message: "Here for a week at this cottage. With love, H. Y. Sprecher." The Landisville Camp Meeting , located in Landisville , Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, still exists today. The religious camp meeting consists of 27 acres that include 53 cottages and a tabernacle that seats 800, though I'm not sure whether the building pictured on this postcard is still standing.

"Keep Cool." A postcard published by D. Hillson in 1907.

A calling card for "H. E. Grothe" with attached photo. I purchased this from a dealer in Seattle, Washington, who obtained it along with other calling cards (without photographs) from an estate sale in Idaho. For other photo calling cards, see: -- Warren Perkins -- Miss Ellen Sophia Auchey -- Irwin G. Waggener