Alan Mays' photos

An advertising trade card for the Village Vigil newspaper (above), which has the appearance of a calling card on the front (below). Office of The Village Vigil. Landisville, Pa., 1883. The Vigil will be a small and entertaining village paper. Its contents shall be spicy, and mostly original, and it needs your support. It will be a journal for the young, and the old folks with youthful hearts. It is not a large sum to you-- 50 cents per year --to us it will do a great deal, so consider this an invitation to subscribe. We would be pleased to receive any orders for cheap and satisfactory job printing you may want. Yours very respectfully, D. B. Landis, Editor and publisher of the Vigil. D. B. Landis David Bachman Landis (1862-1940) was only 21 years old when he decided to publish the Village Vigil in Landisville, Pennsylvania, in 1883. Landis later provided the following information about himself and the Village Vigil in his book about his family's history, The Landis Family of Lancaster County: A Comprehensive History of the Landis Folk (Lancaster, Pa.: By the author, 1888), pp. 18-19: "David Bachman Landis is the only son of Israel C., and was born in Landisville, February 12 1862…. On the 7th of October, 1878, David was apprenticed to the Inquirer Printing and Publishing Company, Lancaster, to learn Guttenberg's art. After serving four years at the trade, he opened a professional job printing office in Landisville, in April, 1883. On May 1 of the same year, he issued the initial number of the Village Vigil as a tri-monthly; in a year it was printed weekly; and in 1885 the paper was enlarged to eight pages, being known thereafter as the Landisville Vigil .…. On March 13, 1886 the Vigil was discontinued, the owner connecting himself with the Lancaster Inquirer , in which establishment he has had charge of the printing since then." For the other side of this card, see D. B. Landis (below).

For a similar real photo postcard, see Three Gals on a Glider Swing .

For a similar real photo postcard, see Three Guys on a Glider Swing .

A swing photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park ( swings and hammocks—please post a photo of each if you have both ). "Blaul, Philadelphia. Extra finish." A baby posed on a swing from the studio of Louis Blaul, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. See also the reverse of this cabinet card photo.

"Blaul, Portraits in crayon and pastel a specialty. 56 N. Eighth St. and 1937 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Duplicates at any time." Photographer Louis Blaul's backmark from the reverse of a cabinet card photo of a baby on a swing .

A hammock photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park ( swings and hammocks—please post a photo of each if you have both ). A real photo postcard postmarked Greene, R.I., Dec, 15,1910, and Foster Center, R.I., Dec. 16, 1910. Addressed to Mrs. Frank Briggs, Foster Centre, R.I. Message: "Greetings from Dorothy & Schneider Tillinghast, R.F.D., Greene, R.I. Bowen's Hill." See also the full version of this real photo postcard.

See also the cropped version of this real photo postcard.

"Ontario Drill Company, East Rochester, N.Y. Eventually you will sell 'Ontario,' why not start now. Hoe or disc. H. Gamse & Bro., Lith., Balto., Md." An advertising ink blotter for the Ontario Drill Company, which manufactured grain drills and other agricultural equipment.

Sign: "Danger. Keep away from edge of cliff." Unless you're having your picture taken, of course!

Even if ewe didn't do it on porpoise, please quit your lion! (Sorry, I couldn't resist!) Punning humor from a 1910 postcard with an illustration of a lion (which itself is lyin' or reclining) that substitutes for the word lyin' (as in fibbing).

"Frank Steinman, Beechcraft Hangar, Roosevelt Field, Mineola, Long Island. Phone Garden City 7919. Res. Hempstead 5457." For another copy of this card and some other business cards from Roosevelt Field, see the Miscellaneous Business Cards posting on the Port Washington Aviation History blog.

A photo of day trippers (people on a day out, groups or individuals) for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Real photo postcard caption: "Palisades Hike, Feb. 14, '15. #5. E." Eight individuals appear in this "Palisades Hike" photo taken on February 14, 1915, but I'm not sure exactly what they're doing or which Palisades they're visiting (see a list of possible locations on Wikipedia's Palisades disambiguation page). The woman in the foreground is carrying an American flag, and the two men on the left are apparently moving rocks around (or looking under them?) as a boy standing in the middle of the stream watches. The others in the background seem to be cautiously making their way over some of the large boulders situated along the other side of the stream. Perhaps the "#5" designation means that this is the fifth in a series of photos taken that day by a photographer whose name might be indicated by the circled "E." If so, we may have to wait to see if additional photos turn up in order to learn more about these Palisades hikers and the trip they took on Valentine's Day in 1915.

Looks like the skyline below the plane is intended to depict Paris. Among the recognizable landmarks are the Eiffel Tower, the Seine River, and the two towers of the old Trocadéro Palace , which was demolished in 1935.

"Borden's Condensed Milk, Bottled Milk & Cream. Gail Borden, Eagle Brand. Office, No. 227 East 34th St." A real photo postcard of a milkman with his horse and delivery wagon in New York City.

An unused real photo postcard, date and location unknown.

Flirtation lists like the ones printed on this card also circulated in books, newspapers, and other media in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. These lists suggested that common objects like buggy whips and handheld fans could be used by men and women to secretly signal their romantic intentions, but the coded gestures really seem too complicated for easy communication. Flowers, handkerchiefs, gloves, parasols, hats, cigars, and pencils were other items allegedly employed for covert courting. For more on flirtation cards and acquaintance cards , see " When 'Flirtation Cards' Were All The Rage ," an article by Linton Weeks on the NPR History Dept. blog. See The Ghost Card, or the Skeleton on the Wall (below) for the other side of this card. Whip Flirtation Holding stock in left hand and lash in right—Desirous of an acquaintance. Holding the same, and placing center against the waist—I am sorry. Holding in left hand by center—Will you bathe with me? Lash in right hand, stock down—I love you. Same in left hand—I hate you. Taking in both hands by center—I love another. In center, hands crossed—We are watched. Right hand in center, left on lash—Yes. Left hand in center, right on lash—No. Butt against right eye—I am engaged. Against the left eye—I am married. Holding it with the left hand against the right shoulder—Follow me. In right hand against left shoulder—Wait for me. End in each hand, center bent down—You are cruel. Same, with center up—You are too willing. Winding lash around forefinger—Repeat your last signal. Fan Flirtation Carrying in right hand in front of face—Follow me. Carrying in left hand in front of face—I wish to be acquainted. Placing on right ear—You have changed. Twirling in left hand—I wish to get rid of you. Drawing across the forehead—We are watched. Carrying in right hand—You are too willing. Twirling in right hand—I love another. Closing—I wish to speak to you. Drawing across eyes—I am sorry. Resting on right cheek—Yes. Resting on left cheek—No. Open and shut—You are cruel. Dropping—We will be friends. Fanning slowly—I am married. Fanning quickly—I am engaged. Handle to lips—kiss me. Shut—you have changed. Open wide—Wait for me. Drawing through hand—I hate you. Drawing across cheek—I love you.

A novelty card with instructions for experiencing a ghostly afterimage of a "skeleton on the wall." For a vertical view of the skeleton, see a rotated version of the card (below). The other side contains a list of Whip and Fan Flirtations (below). For other cards that use the afterimage effect, see Hank Keene's Magic Picture and Lasting Impressions . The Ghost Card, or the Skeleton on the Wall Directions . Select a small black spot on a white wall, or white sheet—a spot that you can find again at once; let this spot be in a deep shadow . Then holding the card in the hand gaze intently on the eye of the skeleton, while the light falls brightly on the card. Keep the eyes on this one spot without moving or winking for two minutes; then suddenly look at the spot on the wall for two minutes. Keep the eye very steady in both cases, you will then see distinctly the same skeleton on the wall. For a parlor entertainment this is one of the grandest things ever witnessed.

For more information, see The Ghost Card, or the Skeleton on the Wall (below). For the back of the card, see Whip and Fan Flirtations (below).