Alan Mays' photos

A photo for the theme of photographic tricks and amusements during the free-for-all week of Wild Card Month in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. See also the full version of this real photo postcard:

See also a cropped version of this novelty real photo postcard:

A photo for the theme of photographic tricks and amusements during the free-for-all week of Wild Card Month in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Handwritten date at top right: "Aug. 5, 1923."

A barrel-of-fun photo for the theme of photographic tricks and amusements during the free-for-all week of Wild Card Month in the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

The Lancaster City Directory for 1903 listed John B. Martin (1875-1906) as a bicycle repairer and gave his address as 421 N. Prince Street, so it seems likely that this business card with the same information dates to about the same time. I haven't uncovered any information regarding Martin's career as a trick rider, nor have I found any reference to the athletic grounds and banked bicycle track that he operated on Prince Street. Martin died on March 19, 1906. He was only 30 years old and left behind three young daughters. David Bachman Landis of Pluck Art Printery printed Martin's business card. J. B. Martin, Wheels to Hire Martin the Trick Rider. First-Class Bicycle Repairing. Athletic Grounds in the Rear. Come and see the new banked Bicycle Track. 421 N. Prince St., Lancaster, Pa. Half square north of the P.R.R. freight depot.

I chose Fourth of July celebrations in order to pick a theme about events, happenings, or celebrations (or any other topic) for the fourth week of Wild Card Month—Pick Your Own Theme! in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Caption on this real photo postcard: "Liberty, Me." Addressed on the other side to Mrs. William Wellington, Terryville, Conn., and postmarked Liberty, Me., Aug. 26, 1908. Handwritten message: "This is a 4th of July view as you will see. Many thanks for your card. Caroline B. Brown." As the message indicates, this is a photo of what appears to be the tail end of a Fourth of July parade that took place in Liberty , Maine, in 1908. On the left-hand side (see a close-up view ), some men are standing in front of a store that's displaying a "stoves" sign, while a number of participants in the parade--some wearing costumes and carrying umbrellas--pass in front of them. On the other side (see a close-up of the right side ), there are some women on a porch looking up the street to catch a last glimpse of the parade. A couple of flags are hanging from the top of the porch, and horses and wagons are visible at hitching posts next door.

Participants in a Fourth of July parade--some with costumes and umbrellas--march past a store with a "stoves" sign. For more information about this parade, which took place in Liberty, Maine, in 1908, see the full real photo postcard .

A group of women look up the street to catch a last glimpse of a Fourth of July parade that took place in Liberty, Maine, in 1908. A couple of flags are hanging from the top of the porch where the women are standing, and horses and wagons are visible at hitching posts next door. For more information, see the full real photo postcard .

I chose shoes in order to pick a theme about things—objects, artifacts, or items (or any other topic) for the third week of Wild Card Month—Pick Your Own Theme! in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. I thought about posting an actual photo of shoes but decided that a shoe-shaped house might be more interesting. Handwritten caption on this snapshot, which probably dates to the 1950s: "Haines Shoe House, Hellam." This is a photo of the Haines Shoe House in Hellam Township, York County, Pennsylvania. Businessman Mahlon Haines , who called himself the "Shoe Wizard," built it in 1948-49 to promote his shoe stores. The Shoe House is still standing and is open for tours. See also a cropped version of the photo and a close-up of the car parked in front of the building .

A 1950s snapshot of the Shoe House in York County, Pa. See also a close-up of the car parked in front of the building . For more information, see the full photo .

"Haines the Shoe Wizard" is visible on the side of this car, which is parked in front of the Shoe House in York County, Pa. For more information, see the full photo .

When I purchased this unused real photo postcard at a postcard show a few years ago, I thought it would be a straightforward matter to determine whose shoes these were. My first thought was that they belonged to someone like Robert Wadlow (1918-1940), who at 8 feet 11.1 inches "was the tallest person in history for whom there is irrefutable evidence." But since Wadlow was born in 1918, the smaller shoe from 1882 couldn't be his, and the larger shoe from 1926 dates to when Wadlow was 8 years old. Surely he wasn't wearing shoes that large at such a young age!

A business card for Slaymaker, Barry and Company (later Slaymaker Lock Company ). Printed by D. B. Landis of Pluck Print, probably sometime in the 1890s. Slaymaker, Barry & Co. Manufacturers of Shelf Hardware Self Locking Scandinavian Pad-Locks Lancaster, Pa. John J. Kane

I chose ostriches in order to pick a theme about animals (or any other topic) for the second week of Wild Card Month—Pick Your Own Theme! in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Sign: "Cawston Ostrich Farm, South Pasadena, Cal." This is an unmailed real photo postcard with an AZO stamp box (four corner triangles with two pointing up and two pointing down) on the other side, which suggests a date as early as 1917 to 1930. The Cawston Ostrich Farm in South Pasadena, California, was in operation from 1886 to 1935, and many visitors posed for souvenir photos like this. For another example, see Rajah Shriner at the Cawston Ostrich Farm, South Pasadena, Calif.

A real photo postcard of two women and five children posing for a picture along a dirt road. One of the kids is holding a stick or branch, and the youngest is holding an oversized hat (see an enlargement for a better view of the group). A brick house surrounded by trees is in the background. The AZO stamp box on the other side (four corner triangles pointing up) suggests a date as early as 1904 to 1918.

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

A rather blurry and discolored cyanotype real photo postcard.

I chose musicians in order to pick a theme about people (or any other topic) for the first week of Wild Card Month—Pick Your Own Theme! in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. The handwritten message on the front of this real photo postcard (see the left-hand side) is: "Vara Light, 928 Maple St., Lebanon, Pa. Answer soon." There's no stamp or postmark on the other side, but Vara Light addressed the postcard to " Miss Sarah Zimmerman , Linglestown, Pa.," and also wrote a message: "This is a picture taken at Mt. Aetna last summer. The one standing is my uncle, a minister. Also the one with the violin [meaning that the violinist is also one of her uncles?]. The lady with the guitar is my aunt. Am working now in Lebanon. Tell Miles to answer my card." This postcard back has an AZO stamp box (four corner triangles pointing up), which suggests a date as early as 1904 to 1918. Vara Katherine Light married William Hoehle Keller on September 1, 1910, and at that time her address was 330 N. 9th Street, Lebanon, Pa. It seems likely, then, that the card dates to sometime prior to their wedding. I haven't been able to identify which of Vara's aunts and uncles might be the musicians in the photo, but they may have been siblings of her father, Harry Henry Light , who was a prominent businessman in Lebanon, Pa. I previously posted a Small-Town Parade with Cornet Band and Church Float photo for the theme of people playing musical instruments in 2014 and another photo showing Pop Morehead's Family for the theme of musicians and musical instruments this past April. For other photos and ephemera, see my Music and Musicians album.