Alan Mays' photos

Printed on the other side of this real photo postcard: "Boeckmann, park photographer, Olcott Beach, N.Y." Handwritten on the other side: "Ornan Rebert." Two fellows pretend to paddle their canoe in photographer John Boeckmann 's studio in Luna Park at Olcott Beach, located along the shore of Lake Ontario in Olcott, New York.

For the Vintage Photos Theme Park, a photo from a capital city - photos taken in capital cities around the world . A real photo postcard of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Partial transcription of the handwriting on the back of the card (no address, stamp., or postmark): "Caro Zio, Vi Auguro un Buon Natale e un Buon Anno con la nua famiglia. Albert D. Alona." Google translation: "Dear Uncle, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with your family. Albert D Alona." For a better view of the building and the fellow sitting in front, see the cropped version :

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

An early twentieth-century postcard of a devilish fellow who's evidently been doing too much smoking and drinking.

A unique combination of a business card on one side and an acquaintance card on the other. For another two-sided example, see Acquaintance Compliments with Confidence and Respect , which has a name—like a calling card—on one side and the text of an acquaintance card on the other. For more cards, see my album of Acquaintance Cards . For information regarding my book of detachable acquaintance cards, which was published recently by Clarkson Potter, see my Flickr profile page . O. M. Dolley Livery Both 'phones. Horses and carriages furnished for business or pleasure at reasonable rates. 21 Water Street, Auburn, N.Y. Typographical Union Label, Auburn. Let's Get Acquainted Capital, 10 millions in my dreams. Not married, 1906. Kind regards to friends and knockers. Out for a good time.

A photo of banquets, feasts, meals for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Looks like the banquet for the League of Men with Tiny Hats was just about to begin when this photo was snapped (mouse over the image for a close-up view of the men and their miniscule headgear). I have no idea who these guys were or why they were wearing those hats. It doesn't seem to be a festive occasion—no one's really smiling or laughing at the sight of more than 70 heads festooned with funny hats. Ironically, some of the men's regular-size hats are hanging on racks at the back of the room.

For more information about these men and their hats, see the full version of this photo.

A Victorian-era calling card with pasted-on photo. For other similar cards, see my Calling Cards with Photographs album.

An advertising postcard for a deluxe Olympia typewriter model, nicely accented with a dog figurine, pretty flowers, and a rattan window shade. Printed on the back: "Olympia offers instrument precision and classical beauty to give you the most modern portable for many years of enjoyment and trouble-free service. The most advanced premium features are standard equipment (at no extra charge) on the Olympia model SM3 DeLuxe...."

"Aim Straight. A. Lanborn." Cupid is aiming straight for the heart in the illustration on this nineteenth-century sentiment card .

"Join the crowd at the Swing Club Dance, Friday, October 11, 1940. Jam to Sam Loss. Hostetter's Ball Room. 9 to 12, semi-formal. Donation, $1.00 per couple." Samuel W. Loss and his orchestra jammed for the Swing Club crowd at Hostetter's Play Barn (or Ball Room) in Bird-in-Hand, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on October 11, 1940.

A photo of something broken for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Handwritten note on the back of this real photo postcard: "Powder mill blew up, March 31, 1910." The remains of a powder mill following an explosion of the black powder (gunpowder) that was being manufactured in the building.

"Chas. O. Ursprung, wholesale horse collar manufacturer, No. 408 North Market St., Lancaster, Pa. CU. Special trademark." Charles O. Ursprung (1867-1935) moved his horse collar manufactory to 408 North Market Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, sometime in the early 1900s (city directories from the late 1890s give his business locations as either 21 or 32 West Chestnut Street in Lancaster). For a similar business card from the same job printer ( Pluck Print ), see William C. Myers, Practical Artesian Well Contractor, Salunga, Pa.

A broadside advertisement by a grocery store owner in Tunkhannock, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania. The "WAR," of course, refers to World War I (1914-1918). War Has Not Advanced the Prices of Our Goods! We can save you money on any small order. Our prices are way down, for cash. We guarantee our goods to be all fresh and right weight. 8 bars Oak, Leaf, Lenox, or Star Soap, .25 10 bars Large Size Soap, .25 Elastic Starch, .09 Cow Brand Soda, per lb., .03 1-2 Barley, per lb., .03 1-2 A No. 1 Early June Peas, Parson Brand, per can, .06 A No. 1 Brand Sweet corn, .07 A No. 1 Brand Tomatoes, .06 1-2 None Such Mince Meat, .09 Roman Sweet Chocolate, lb., .04 1-4 Bird Gravel, per box, .04 Good Brooms, two for .25 Fine Cut Tobacco, per lb., .25 Fresh, Full Cream Cheese always on hand. Look at our prices! Don't you think that it pays you to buy at the Tunkhannock Cash Store? Our shoe department.--Men's, boys', and children's shoes. Also ladies' and misses' shoes, and Oxford ties. We are selling them at bottom prices. And dry goods! Come in and leave your order at our place, and if you cannot come yourself send someone, and we will deliver you our goods for the prices we advertise them at. Remember the place, at the old National Bank Building, Tunkhannock, Pa. Goods delivered to any part of the city, Morris Malkinson, prop'r.

"The Guernsey Cow. Farm made ice cream. World's Largest Cow. Located on Lincoln Highway, U.S. 30, at Exton, Pa." Printed on the other side: "Meet you at the Guernsey Cow, Exton, Pa. Serving tasty luncheons. Internationally famous for our cream caramels, ice cream, and Golden Guernsey milk. Landmarked by the World's Largest Cow. Mellinger Studios, Lancaster, Penna." For more information, see Sean McGlinchey's site about The Guernsey Cow, Exton, Pennsylvania and his album about The Guernsey Cow on Flickr.

"To my valentine. I'm a socialist, will you be one? Free drinks, free money, free love. Ellam." Postmarked Saginaw West Side, Mich., Feb. 4, 1911, and addressed to Ward Brown, 820 North Mason, Saginaw West Side. Handwritten message: "I hope you are as I am and don't forget that day. You know and I know, and why should we forget it." Artist-signed postcard by William Ellam.

A cyanotype real photo postcard for the Vintage Photos Theme Park theme of pick a particular format (daguerreotype, cabinet card, CDV, real photo postcard, cyanotype, slide, Polaroid, or what have you?) . Handwritten message: "It's been a long time since we saw this, and we will never see it again. I'm sorry it has been destroyed. I haven't forgotten the promised pictures of St. L. You shall have them some day. Yours, J.W." Addressed on the other side to Miss Virginia Stone, Pulaski, Va., and postmarked at Tazewell, Va., on Jan. 24, 1907 (the year is illegible on this card but I have another St. Louis cyanotype from J.W. that was postmarked on Aug. 25, 1907). J.W. and Miss Virginia Stone were two of the more than 19 million people who visited the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. The Ferris Wheel that's visible in this blue-tinted cyanotype photo was originally constructed in 1893 for the Chicago World's Fair . The wheel was disassembled in Chicago, transported to St. Louis, and rebuilt in time for the fair in 1904 (mouse over the image above for an enlarged view of the Ferris Wheel ). After the St. Louis World's Fair ended, the Ferris Wheel met its fate on May 11, 1906, when it was dynamited and sold for scrap. "It's been a long time since we saw this," said J.W. in his note to Virginia in 1907, "and we will never see it again. I'm sorry it has been destroyed." The Missouri Historical Society's World's Fair Ferris Wheel album on Flickr contains photos showing the installation and demolition of the wheel.

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