Alan Mays' photos

"Majestic Quartette, Irwin, Pa., musical sketches and songs for all occasions. A. Carlson, manager, first tenor. J. Carolan, second tenor. J. Carlson, baritone. A. George, bass." This Majestic Quartette may be the same one that's pictured on the cover of the sheet music for the 1905 song, Someone Thinks of Someone .

"Maslin Quartette of Maryland, address--Rock Hall, Md. S. B. Maslin, silver-tongued tenor. W. L. Briers, second tenor. W. H. Davis, first bass. W. H. Coleman, second bass."

"Eddie Parlett, the entertainment man. Cape St. Claire 2-285. Annapolis P.O., Md. Colonial 8-3036. Ladies nights orchestras."

"Clarence L. Capewell, manager of Popp's Music Hall, Ensor & Mott Sts. Select dancing Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday nights. Always glad to see my friends. Baltimore, Md."

Dance card, front and back cover. See also the inside pages for the Programme and Engagements (below). "Erster Grosser Ball des Harrisburg Mænnerchor in Shakespeare Hall, am Oster Montag Abend, den 10ten April '82." Translation: First Big Ball of Harrisburg Mænnerchor in Shakespeare Hall, on Easter Monday evening, the 10th of April '82. "Floor managers. Chief--Wm. Lawser. H. Wagner, John Brown, Jos. Schaleur."

Dance card, inside pages for the Programme and Engagements. See also the front and back covers (below). Programme. Grand march promptly at 9 o'clock, p.m. 1. Waltz--Plain. 2. Waltz--Schottische. 3. Waltz--Polka. 4. Quadrille--Plain. 5. Waltz--Plain. 6. Waltz--Polka Mazourka. 7. Waltz--Gallop. 8. Quadrille--Lanciers. 9. Waltz--Plain. 10. Waltz--Polka. 11. Waltz--Danish. 12. Quadrille--Plain. Intermission 13. Cotillion. 14. Rhinelander. 15. Waltz--Gallop. 16. Quadrille--Glide Caledonian. 17. Waltz--Plain. 18. Waltz--Polka. 19. Waltz--Polka-Mazourka. 20. Quadrille--Plain. 21. Waltz--Plain. 22. Waltz--Gallop. 23. Quadrille--Plain. 24. Waltz--Racquet. Engagements, 1 - 24.

"Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16.24." Compare this with the advertising trade card for J. G. Lutkenhoff, Dealer in Dry Goods and Notions, Covington, Kentucky :

"Can you find me? I'm in the crowd. K.S.N.S., May 22, 1916." Students at the Keystone State Normal School, located in Kutztown , Pennsylvania, pose in front of the gymnasium more than a hundred years ago. The school became what is today Kutztown University . For another vintage view of the campus, see Keystone State Normal School, Kutztown, Pennsylvania :

"Keystone State Normal School, Kutztown, Pa. View from the East. Infirmary. Athletic Field. West Cottage. Auditorium. Grandstand. Model School. Girls' Dorm. Chapel. Central B'ld'g. Boys Dorm. Gym." This view of Keystone State Normal School—with handy labels that identify the buildings—probably dates to the 1910s. The school opened in Kutztown , Pennsylvania, in 1866, became Kutztown State Teacher's College in 1928, changed its name to Kutztown State College in 1960, and finally ended up as Kutztown University in 1983. For a view of the other side of the gym, see Can You Find Me? I'm in the Crowd, Keystone State Normal School, Kutztown, Pa., May 22, 1916 :

A cyanotype real photo postcard postmarked Toledo, Ohio, Jan. 8, 1907, and addressed to Miss Gertrude Hostler, 314 Giddings St., Chicago, Ill. Alkali Ike, Shooting Sam, Susie Shoestrings, and Willie Wildflower are the playful names that the sender of this card has given to some of the "rowdies" riding with her in this Columbus farm wagon (mouse over the image above for a better view of the miscreants ). Here's my transcription of the writing on the front of the card: A Bunch of Rowdies 1.Alkali Ike. 2.The girl who composed that lullaby. 3.Shooting Sam. 4.Susie Shoestrings. 5.Yours truly. [Me.] 6.The last but best. A Dr. [Willie Wildflower (mine).] Taken this summer.

See also the full version of this real photo postcard:

"New York & Brooklyn Bridge Promenade. Not good if detached. C. C. Martin, Chief Eng. and Supt. 8." The Brooklyn Bridge was originally called the "New York and Brooklyn Bridge" when it opened in 1883. Charles Cyril Martin (1831-1903) served as its chief engineer and superintendent from 1883 until 1902. Pedestrians no longer have to purchase a ticket to walk across the bridge.

"Decoration Day. Story of the Flag. C. Bunnell." This 1908 postcard for Decoration Day (now called Memorial Day , of course) is unusual for its humorous take on the holiday. The illustration of a couple kissing behind a flag is quite a contrast to the depictions of monuments, gravesites, and soldiers that typically appeared on Memorial Day postcards in the early twentieth century.

Four men and two women pose for a photo in front of a house, date and location unknown. One of the men is holding two dogs, and the other three are carrying rifles (mouse over the image above for a close-up view of the scene). All of the armed men are also wearing light-colored armbands or shoulder patches. Could they be getting ready to go on a hunting trip?

See also the full version of this real photo postcard:

Handwritten note on the back of this real photo postcard (no name, address, or postmark): "Does this look natural? Find the girl."

Printed on the back of this real photo postcard: "Marlborough Photo Shop, 1355 Broadway, New York. Order ________. Negatives preserved for future orders. Cabinet photographs or life size portraits can be made from this plate." Handwritten message on the back (no address, stamp, or postmark): "Dear Sister, I forgot to enclose this when I wrote so will send it now. It don't look much like me but the idea is quite good. Edna." For information on the history and technique of this type of mirror photograph, or multigraph, see the report on Irwin Reichstein's presentation about The Multigraph , or read Reichstein's article, A Multigraph from Montreal (in PDF format), which appeared in Photographic Canadiana , vol. 33, no. 1 (May-June 2007), pp. 12-17. You may also want to take a look at Heinz-Werner Lawo's impressive compilation of mirror photos on his Uneinsamkeiten / Unsolitudes: Fivefold-Portraits - Photo-Multigraphs - Multiple Photos blog. See also the full version of this real photo postcard:

For additional information about the "multigraph" image on this real photo postcard, see the cropped version :