Alan Mays' photos

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of: come on in, the water's fine (people enjoying themselves--or not--in water) . "56. Floating in Dead Sea." A real photo postcard of a man posing with a book and umbrella in the Dead Sea , where the density of the salt water makes it easy to float.

The Keystone Auto Transit Company used this business card to signal big plans--service to five cities, $1.5 million in authorized capital, a full slate of officers--when it started up in 1917, but it seems to have stayed in business for only a short time. The company placed an advertisement in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday, October 21, 1917, offering motor freight services that were intended to compete with the railroads. The ad promised quick delivery of freight by "trackless locomotives," a term that was sometimes used to refer to trucks and cars in the early twentieth century. "Freight in a Day" was the title of an article (though it reads like another advertisement) that appeared in the same newspaper a week later on October 28, 1917, and it also used "trackless locomotives" and other railroad terminology to describe the company's operations: "The Keystone Auto Transit Company have inaugurated a freight and express service between New York, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, [and] Harrisburg, employing a great fleet of tractors and trailers [early versions of today's tractor-trailer trucks] that carry as much as thirty tons to the load. "These big trackless locomotives [ trucks ] and their trailers will leave a specified station in each of the cities at exactly 11 A.M. and will undertake to deliver to the consignee's door on the day of shipment, which, of course, provides for early morning collection. "These collections are made by more than fifty lighter and even faster trucks, which carry the individual shipments to the general depot [which was a truck depot, not a railroad depot] for loading on the overland trains [over-the-road trucks ]. These trains [ trucks! ] are scheduled to meet frequently on each route, so that drivers and supplies are always available should an accident occur." Although it's obvious that the Keystone Auto Transit Company intended to compete with the railroads, the venture apparently failed, and I haven't been able to uncover much besides this business card to document the company's existence. For some interesting details about the challenges facing early trucking companies like this one, take a look at Wikipedia's article on the History of the Trucking Industry in the United States . Keystone Auto Transit Co. (Incorporated) Incorporating with auth. cap. $1,500,000. Large Shipments Especially Solicited. New York. Pittsburgh. Atlantic City. Baltimore. Philadelphia Service Station, 1714-16-18 Callowhill St. Bell Phone, Spruce 3826. Keystone Phone, Race 5090. J. W. White, President. F. T. Finch, 1st Vice President and Traffic Mgr. Pres., Phila. Motor Service Corp. V. E. Kugler, 2d Vice President and Treasurer. Treasurer, Blair Eastern Co. F. H. McNerney, 3d Vice President. Mgr., Western Furniture Mfg. Co. F. J. P. Hildenbrand, Secretary. General Insurance, Philadelphia, Pa. Hon. W. H. Fisher, District Mgr. Oaklyn, N.J. Represented by

Handwritten caption: "Muttie the Acrobatic Cat."

Wisconsin photographer Alfred Stanley Johnson, Jr., created this fanciful scene of Boy Scouts roasting a larger-than-life potato over a campfire and published it as a postcard in 1912. This copy of the card was addressed to Mrs. Galen Groff, Kirkwood, Lanc. Co., Pa., R.F.D. #1, and was postmarked in Quarryville, Pa., on October 7, 1913. Handwritten message: "Oct. 7, 1913. Dear Aunt, As Ernest said, we were to come down for chestnuts. I thought I would write and tell you that Roy and I will be down on Sun. if it suits you and it don't rain, but if it doesn't suit you please let me know as it will be all right. Maud E."

"Weikel & Smith Spice Co., Philad'a. Mustard, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, cayenne pepper, nutmegs, mace, ginger." A nineteenth-century advertising trade card featuring wonderfully unique lettering and detailed drawings of plants. For additional Weikel and Smith Spice Company items, see the following two labels for Choice Bohsemeem spices, one of which is illustrated with insects and the other with birds (below).

"Choice Bohsemeem, the best & purest spices, Weikel & Smith Spice Co., Philadelphia." See below for another Choice Bohsemeem label .

"Choice Bohsemeem, the best & purest spices, Weikel & Smith Spice Co., Philadelphia." See below for another Choice Bohsemeem label .

A photo of a person or people reading for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Snapshot of a man reading the headline, "President Roosevelt Dead at 63," which appeared in the Stars and Stripes newspaper following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt on April 12, 1945.

"You may be straight but you don't 'look it.'" A postcard addressed on the other side to Mr. Oscar Donaven, Mt. Joy, Lancaster Co., Pa., and postmarked in Philadelphia in 1907. This postcard features a punning illustration of an apoplectic fellow who doesn't "look straight" because he's cross-eyed, of course. Mark Newgarden , a cartoonist who was one of the creators of the Garbage Pail Kids , used this card--with an added imitation fly pin on the guy's nose--for the cover of his book, Cheap Laffs: The Art of the Novelty Item (Harry N. Abrams, 2004). If you have the slightest interest in the origin and history of fake vomit, whoopee cushions, and joy buzzers, then you've got to track down a copy of this amazingly amusing book. [Paging Corduroy Cat: Do I recall correctly that you posted a copy of this postcard, too?]

I'm trying to imagine what happened at the photo studio that day. Photographer: Well, ladies, I've just received a couple of interesting new props that we can use in your portrait today. There's one here and another one over there. Do you prefer the former or the latter? Ladies: Oh, we'll take the ladder , of course! Otherwise, there are no identifying details that might help to explain the origin of this unique photo.

A photo taken at the playground for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. This real photo postcard captures children in mid-swing on playground equipment at the Lost River State Park in West Virginia (mouse over the image above for a close-up view of the activity ). Workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) helped to construct the park, which opened in 1937. The three young men on the right-hand side were caught in mid-stride as they walked toward the camera. Their uniforms, including neckties tucked into their shirts, suggest that they were CCC workers.

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

The caption on this photo tells us that these fellows worked in the Electrical Department at Luna Park in 1910. But was it the original Luna Park at Coney Island ? And what location in the park did they choose for their photo? Looks like they may be sitting on a flume or water-chute, and there's a water wheel behind them, so perhaps it's some kind of water ride. Mouse over the image above for a closer view of the men.

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

A photo of public transportation (at the airport, or bus or train depot) for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. For this real photo postcard, mouse over the image above to see details showing close-ups of Uncle Tom , the Bald Eagle Lookout , and the Greyhound bus . Caption: "Uncle Tom's Cabin, 7 Miles West of State College, Pa., Route 322." Signs on the building: "Bald Eagle Lookout, see 75 miles, free tower." "See Bald Eagle, 1000 ft. below." "Free tower." "Coca Cola." "Uncle Tom's Cabin." "PeRo the ice cream, delicious." Bus: License plate 03219. Destination was Chicago. "Pennsylvania Greyhound Lines." "4188. New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Detroit." "PRR" (keystone logo of the Pennsylvania Railroad). "Pennsylvania Greyhound Transit Co. Pa. P.S.C Certificate 19425." "Pennsylvania Greyhound Transit Company, carriers & operators."

Is that Tom (or whatever the proprietor's name actually is) standing there in the middle? And I wonder if the man at right is placing one of these postcards in the mailbox. In addition to this close-up of Uncle Tom, see below for the entire postcard and details showing the Bald Eagle Lookout tower and the Greyhound bus . Caption: "Uncle Tom's Cabin, 7 Miles West of State College, Pa., Route 322."

The two women on top of the Bald Eagle Lookout tower are posing for the photographer instead of viewing the mountains and valleys that are visible in the other direction. See below for the entire real photo postcard along with details showing close-ups of Uncle Tom and the Greyhound bus . Signs on the building: "Bald Eagle Lookout, see 75 miles, free tower." "See Bald Eagle, 1000 ft. below." "Free tower." "Coca Cola." "Uncle Tom's Cabin." "PeRo the ice cream, delicious."

The bus driver is posing for the photographer while the customer in the background purchases snacks or souvenirs at the counter. See below for the entire card and details showing Uncle Tom and the Bald Eagle Lookout . Bus: License plate 03219. Destination was Chicago. "Pennsylvania Greyhound Lines." "4188. New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Detroit." "PRR" (keystone logo of the Pennsylvania Railroad). "Pennsylvania Greyhound Transit Co. Pa. P.S.C Certificate 19425." "Pennsylvania Greyhound Transit Company, carriers & operators."