Alan Mays' photos

"Mein erster Schultag am 19.4.1922." ["My first day of school, April 19, 1922."] Handwritten note on the back of this real photo postcard: "Das ist meine kleinste Tochter." ["This is my youngest daughter."] A girl with a Schultüte (school cone) on her first day of school.

Label on the Schultüte or school cone that the girl is holding: "Zum ersten Schulgang." ["For the first day of school."] Handwritten note on the other side of this photo: "Petra's erster Schultag, 4. Sept. 1965." ["Petra's first day of school, Sept. 4, 1965."] Photo studio stamp on the other side: "Konsum-Fotolabor, Neuenhagen."

A selection for the Vintage Photos Theme Park of a photo that pulls at your heartstrings—poignant . A touching portrait of a man and woman with their little dog perched on a chair.

This early postcard nicely captures the hustle and bustle of trains, cars, and wagons at a railroad station in Des Moines, Iowa, during the early twentieth century. Building signs provide some additional details. Below the sign for the "Passenger Station, Chicago and North-Western Railway" is another one that indicates that the "American Express Co." was based there as well. Barely visible signs on the brick buildings on the other side of the railroad cars identify one as the factory for "Garr Scott & Co " which manufactured threshing machinery, and another--the tallest building in the distance--as the Grand Hotel.

An elaborate nineteenth-century advertising trade card for Buchu-Paiba, a patent medicine that supposedly cured kidney, bladder, and urinary diseases. Buchu-Paiba "'Buchu-Paiba,' quick, complete cure [for] all annoying kidney diseases, $1." Words in the water: "Rescued from kidney and bladder affections." Flags: "Rough on Rats" and "Wells' Health Renewer." "Mayer, Merkel & Ottmann, Lith., N.Y." Excerpts from the ads printed on the back of the card: "Mother Swan's Worm Syrup. For fever, restlessness, worms, constipation. Tasteless. Perfectly harmless, but the most effective worm destroyer extant." "Rough on Rats. 15c boxes. Clears out rats, mice, roaches, flies, mosquitos, bed bugs, insects, skunk, weasel gophers, chipmunks, moles, musk rats, etc." "Wells' Rough on Corns. Complete cure." "'Bucha-Paiba.' Quick, complete cure, all annoying kidney and urinary diseases. $1.00 at druggists." "E. S. Wells, manufacturer and proprietor, Jersey City, N.J. U.S.A."

A photo of people on rooftops for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. This is a snapshot of "The King" taken from high up in or on top of a building overlooking the streets of an unknown city. A pair of U.S. flags extend across the top of the photo, and something's blocking the view in the lower right-hand corner (but the blurry object provided a handy place to write a caption). Crowds of people have gathered on rooftops, in windows, and along the streets to watch the king go by. He's riding in an open car accompanied by another automobile and two motorcycles with sidecars. Anyone recognize the location? See a cropped version of the photo for a better view of the people watching from the rooftops and windows. Another enlargement provides a close-up of the king's car .

Notice all the people watching the king's car from the roof and windows of the lower building on the left. Crowds have also gathered in front of and on top of the building across the street. See also a close-up of the king's car and the full version of the photo.

An enlargement showing "The King" in his car. See also the full version of the photo.

Handwritten message on the back of this real photo postcard (no address or postmark): "Dear Cousin, Am sending you a picture of our new house. Ella." "Mervin" or perhaps "Merwin" was added after "Ella" by someone else. The photo may date as early as 1904 to 1918 (it has an AZO stamp box with four corner triangles pointing up on the other side). Unfortunately, there's no indication of the location. Take a gander at a cropped version of the photo for a closer look at the couple.

Ella and her husband Mervin (or Merwin) pose for a photo on the front steps of their new home. For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard.

A postcard addressed on the other side to Miss Hildur Linton [her later married name was Hildur T. Otto ], 1014 7th St., S.E., City, and postmarked on Oct. 13, 1908, in Minneapolis, Minn. The enigmatic handwritten message on the back is: "Puzzle. Can you find the sender? Yes - no."

J. M. Trout Owner and operator of fire sand quarries. Also loam beds. Landisville, Penna. G. H. Thomas, western sales agt., Latrobe, Penna. Pluck Print. David Bachman Landis, who designed and printed this business card, wrote about J. M. (Jacob M.) Trout (1858-1935) and his father, Jacob S. Trout, in " Mineral Deposits and Works of the Hempfields ," an artilce that appeared in the Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society , v. 8, no. 8 (June 3, 1904), p. 247: " . . . Jacob S. Trout discovered a valuable bed of silica or 'fire' sand, in 1870. Experiments with this sand demonstrated its superior value in the construction of furnaces and the manufacture of steel and iron. Mr. Trout shortly after opened a large trade for his sand, and regularly shipped from Landisville station many carloads of it to the great works of the Pennsylvania Steel Company, at Steelton, and other steel and iron works in Central Pennsylvania. . . . Since the death of Jacob S. Trout, in the year 1893, his son, J. M. Trout (who resides in the village of Landisville at the present time) has taken up the silica sand business and has been shipping thousands of tons to different iron workers, as far West as Chicago, Ill., and East to Massachusetts." Compare the wiry borders in the design of this card with those used in the return address on an envelope for Charles S. Frantz, Graduate Ophthalmic Optician, Watchmaker, and Jeweler, Lancaster, Pa.

Camp Grove School was located near Bownstown in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The ticket was printed by Landis Art Press, Lancaster, Pa. Spelling Bee Camp Grove School, November 27, 1931. 7:30 o'clock. Admission 15c.

Dr. Andrew Aikens Wasson (1844-1918) used this billhead in his dental practice in York, Pennsylvania, in the 1890s. I can't quite decipher the handwriting to determine what service he provided for Lewis Shriver on April 22, 1893, but it's notable, I suppose, that it only cost $10.00. A unique part of the billhead is the star-shaped logo that includes Wasson's portrait, a heart, a pair of pointing hands (manicules), and—yikes!—two extracted teeth (see a cropped version for a better view of the design). "Dr. A. A. Wasson, Dr. Dental Surgeon, 214 W. Market Street. Terms cash. York, Pa., April 22, 1893. Mr. Lewis Shriver. [????], $10.00. Rec'd payment, A. A. Wasson, D.D.S."

A portrait of Dr. Andrew Aikens Wasson (1844-1918), a dentist from York, Pennsylvania, is the main feature of this star-shaped logo from the billhead he used in the 1890s. The design also includes a heart, a pair of pointing hands (manicules), and—holy molar!—two extracted teeth. For the full billhead, see Dr. A. A. Wasson Billhead, Dental Surgeon, York, Pa., April 22, 1893 .

I chose photographic tricks and amusements for the free-for-all (post as many photos on as many different themes as you'd like) during the fifth week of Wild Card Month—Pick Your Own Theme! in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. On the left-hand side of this photo, we see a woman taking a bite out of an apple offered to her by a man—shades of Adam and Eve! On the right, we see the same couple, and they've noticed the other version of themselves—the woman is pointing in their direction and the man is looking over at them. According to the typed label attached to the back, this is a photo of "Mr. & Mrs. Emerson Clover, Central Park, Whittier, California, March 31, 1921." I haven't uncovered any information regarding how Emerson J. Clover (1854-1926) and his wife, Alice K. Clover (1864-1947) created this trick photo, but the double exposure is well done. Central Park in Whittier, California, still exists. Part of a circular fountain or other structure in the park is visible beyond the tree. See also the full version of the photo, which is mounted on cardboard.

The full photo as mounted on a cardboard backing. For more information, see the cropped version .

Photomontage in a tall-tale or exaggeration 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. "Some Good Size Murphys." Giant potatoes created by an unidentified photographer.