Album Real Photo Postcards from Alan Mays

Central Pennsylvania Gospel Band

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 03:40:02 +0000

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of bands (music groups).

An unused real photo postcard of the fifty-seven members of the Central Pennsylvania Gospel Band, circa 1951.

See also an announcment of an appearance by The Central Pennsylvania Gospel Band, Roxbury, Pa., June 23, 1957.

Steamboat on the Street, Cleveland, Ohio, 1913

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 03:57:46 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of curbside.

This is a real photo exaggeration postcard showing a steamboat with smoke billowing from its smokestack as it navigates through the surging floodwaters on a city street. The water has stranded some pedestrians at the curb, where they were evidently waiting to cross the street.

Although the location isn't identified, one clue is the business name stamped in the lower right-hand corner: "The Dodd Rogers Co., Kodaks and Cameras."

According to the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, the Dodd-Rogers Co. operated in Cleveland under that name between 1906 and 1914. Just before the business changed its name to Dodd Co. in 1914, the Great Flood of 1913 inundated Cleveland and affected the rest of Ohio as well as other states (see The 1913 Flood: "Ohio’s Greatest Weather Event", an article by Sarah White on the Cleveland Historical site).

Other exaggeration postcards appeared after the flood. One was captioned The Big Flood in Cleveland, and a second one also used the the same title.

Although I haven't matched this photo with a specific street and it doesn't bear a date, I believe that it was created in 1913 as a humorous reaction to the flood in Cleveland.

This is an divided-back real photo postcard with an Azo stamp box (four corner triangles pointing up) on the other side, which suggests a time frame—1907 to 1918—that covers the year of the flood. The card is unused with no message, address, or postmark on the other side.

Sending You My Picture So You Will Fall in Love

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 03:24:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the topic of nautical.

The handwritten message on the other side of this real photo postcard says, "I['m] senting [sending] you my pitcher [picture] so you will fall in love with me. Your friend, A.M., USS Mercury."

There's no stamp or postmark on the verso, but the card is addressed to Miss Ida Nelson, Lakeport, N.H.

Printed on the other side: "This Photo can be Enlarged or Duplicates made at the Modern Studio, 46 Sands St., Brooklyn, N.Y."

This is a divided-back photo postcard with a type of Azo stamp box (four corner triangles with two pointing up and two pointing down) that suggests a date as early as 1917 to 1930.

Car Festooned with Flags, Palace Garage, Fremont, Ohio, ca. 1920

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 15:36:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the monthly topic of real photo postcards.

This is a photo of two men seated in an early automobile decorated with flags for a Fourth of July parade or some other patriotic celebration.

The distinctive "Palace Garage" sign (behind the telephone pole on the left), the "Garage" sign (above the flag at the back of the car), and the design of the building all match a 1920 photo of the Palace Garage in Fremont, Ohio, that appeared as part of a "History Spotlight" feature in the Fremont News-Messenger (you may encounter a paywall if you try the link).

This is a divided-back real photo postcard with a Cyko stamp box ("Cyko - Place Postage Stamp Here") printed on the back (there's no name, address, message, or postmark). This stamp box design indicates a date between 1907 and the 1920s, which corresponds to the date of the photo published in the newspaper.

Skiff Decorated for a Fourth of July Regatta, ca. 1914 (Full Photo)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 15:56:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

For more information, see the cropped version of this photo.

Skiff Decorated for a Fourth of July Regatta, ca. 1914

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 15:56:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the topic of Fourth of July (flags, fireworks, patriotic, freedom, red-white-blue, barbeques, etc.).

"This is my skiff decorated for the regatta 4th July celebrations" is the description written on the other side of this photo.

This is divided-back real photo postcard with no address, date, stamp box, or postmark on the verso. The message written on the back of the card, however, includes some questions about events leading up to World War I, so it's likely that the photo dates to 1914, the year the war began (see Ultimatum of July 23, 1914, for background information).

See also the full version of this photo postcard.

This is the message written across the back of the card (I made it easier to read by creating paragraphs, but the text is the same):

This is my skiff decorated for the regatta 4th July celebrations.
L. Brown

Forgive me for not writing. It is just laziness on my part. My correspondence has got in an awful shape. I am sending this card to show I have not forgotten. I will get a letter written someday.

Here are some funny questions that sometimes enter my head. My socialist [Pro-Ger?].

--What was the Kaiser scared of even more than fighting all Europe?
--What big convention was to be held in Vienna one week after war started?
--Did not Servia [Serbia] accede to all points except one or two, and wished to arbitrate?
--Why was the war rushed?

Corner Grocery Store (Full Version)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 31 May 2026 06:10:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

This real photo postcard shows three men standing outside of a corner grocery store (location unknown, unfortunately). The store itself is located in a separate building, but a number of row houses extend down the street just beyond the store.

A close-up view of the men and the storefront (mouse over the image above) reveals a bicycle propped up against the store building at left, a number of bushel baskets containing fruits or vegetables situated on the sidewalk, and several market baskets with handles hanging in the store window at right.

Corner Grocery Store

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 31 May 2026 06:10:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of windows and windshields (photos through or of).

This cropped version of a real photo postcard shows a close-up of three men standing outside of a corner grocery store (location unknown, unfortunately). A bicycle is propped up against the building at left, a number of bushel baskets containing fruits or vegetables are situated on the sidewalk, and several market baskets with handles are visible in the store window at right.

The full version of this postcard reveals that the grocery store itself is located in a separate building, but a number of row houses extend down the street just beyond the store.

Girl with a Spinning Wheel and Dogs with a Cart

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 04 May 2026 03:40:21 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of a dog and a tree.

In this photo, a little girl sits in front of a spinning wheel next to two large dogs who are hitched to a cart. A tree is visible behind the girl, and there's also a fence and smaller trees or bushes in the background.

This is a divided-back real photo postcard with "Made in Canada" printed on the other side. There's no message, address, or stamp on the verso, but the type of Velox stamp box design on the back may indicate that this card dates to between 1923 and 1939.

In a different photo, the same girl, spinning wheel, dogs, and cart appear, but there's also a boy sitting in the cart and the dogs are adorned with hats, glasses, and pipes (see Spinning a Tale of Dogs in Glasses).

I have to do some more checking, but I believe that these photos may have originated in Quebec, Canada, where spinning wheels were manufactured and dog carts were used in rural areas.

A Joyous Picnic Outing, August 1913 (Cropped)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 03:55:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

The food laid out on a blanket for a picnic in 1913. For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard.

A Joyous Picnic Outing, August 1913

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 03:55:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of food.

Caption at the bottom of the photo: "A Joyous Outing." Date written vertically on the tree in the background: "Aug. 1913."

A photo of twenty-six men and women who have gathered around a picnic blanket covered with food and place settings. See a cropped version of the photo for a better view of the food.

This is a divided-back real photo postcard with no message, address, or postmark on the other side. The Cyko stamp box ("Cyko - Place Postage Stamp Here") printed on the verso indicates a date between 1907 and the 1920s, which matches the August 1913 date written on the front.

The Smart Set? (Full Photo)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 15:42:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Who are the people in this "Smart Set"?

For more information, see the cropped version of this photo.

The Smart Set?

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 15:42:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of strange or unusual.

Despite the caption on the photo, this group doesn't look like a sophisticated and fashionable "Smart Set."

Who are these people? Are two of them guys dressed as women (at left and in the middle)? Why is the one woman (second from left) wearing a white dress with a black hat, black shoes, and what looks like black bloomers sticking out below the dress? What kind of costume, which includes a skirt, vest, and sash, is the other woman (second from right) wearing? And, strangest of all, what or who is the person on the right — with a waist-level sign that says, "Ariel," and a puzzling hat that covers the whole head except for the nose and some dark glasses — supposed to be?

This is an unused divided-back real photo postcard with trilingual text — "Post Card - Carte Postale - Postkarte" — printed on the other side that suggests a European origin. The back is otherwise blank, and there’s no message, address, or postmark to provide additional clues about when the photo was taken or where it came from.

See also the full version of this photo.

Deturk's School House, ca. 1913

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 02:37:34 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of schoolhouses and/or schoolchildren.

Caption: "Deturk's School House."

Handwritten note on the other side (no address, stamp, or postmark): "Stanley E. Romich [1905-1985]. Spend his first School days at this school. Age 8. Dec. 31, 1913."

This one-room schoolhouse is still standing along Limekiln Road near Douglassville, Berks County, Pennsylvania. The building is now a private residence with a room added to the front. The stucco covering has been removed, and the underlying stone construction is now visible.

This is a divided-back real photo postcard with a Cyko stamp box ("Cyko - Place Postage Stamp Here") printed on the back. This stamp box design was in use between 1907 and the 1920s.

Guys with Hats and Cane (Full Version)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 04:01:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Five fellows dressed in suits and hats posed for this photo more than a hundred years ago.

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

Guys with Hats and Cane

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 04:01:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of canes, batons, spears, etc.

The five young fellows who posed for this photo are all dressed similarly in suits and hats. The guy in the middle is carrying a cane, and the one at upper left is smoking a cigarette and wearing his hat at a jaunty angle.

On the other side of this divided-back real photo postcard is an Azo stamp box (with four corner triangles pointing up) that indicates that the photo may date to sometime between 1907 and 1918. The card is unused with no message, address, or postmark on the other side.

See also the full version of the photo.

Tim and His Tricycle in Front of the House (Full Photo)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 04:50:59 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A photo of a boy and his parents in front of their house. The house number on the edge of the porch roof (just above where the parents are standing) is 350. A sign on the pole at left says, "Cars Stop Here." Unfortunately, there's no indication of where the photo was taken.

For more information, see the cropped version of the photo.

Tim and His Tricycle in Front of the House

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 04:51:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of a little or a lot of snow.

Judging by the message on the back of this photo (see transcription below), Tim is the name of the boy standing with a tricycle on a wooden sidewalk in front of his house. Tim is wearing a glove on his left hand, and he's holding his other glove in his mouth for some reason.

Tim's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wray, are standing on the porch as a photographer takes a picture of the family and their house (see the full photo). The porch and sidewalk are clear of snow but there's still some in the yard and on the street. Tim is wearing a hat, coat, and one glove, but the weather is warm enough for his parents to step outside without coats.

The Cyko stamp box ("Cyko - Place Postage Stamp Here") on the other side of this divided-back real photo postcard indicates that it may date to sometime between 1907 and the 1920s.

There's no address, stamp, or postmark on the back of this photo postcard, but a handwritten message from H. Wray to Lizzie Demsey fills most of that side. Here's my transcription of the message:

Lizzie Demsey

Dear Lizzie,

Just a few lines hoping you are well as this is leaving us all here in the best of health. I am sending you a photo of our house. I would rather have waited a little longer till the summer came before having it but James sent a man to take it & we did not know anything about it. Tim was just going to bed & I was washing. You will see we hadn't taken the storm windows off nor the storm door when it was taken. This comes with my best wishes to you all. I remain yours sincerely, H. Wray.

Remember me to Mrs. Humes when you see her.

Twins with Another Brother

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 04:35:57 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of dressed alike.

Twin brothers stand on either side of another brother as they pose for a photo in front of an elaborate painted backdrop.

This is a divided-back real photo postcard with a Defender stamp box design ("Defender" at top and bottom with a blank diamond shape in the middle). This type of stamp box indicates that the photo may date to sometime between 1920 and 1945. The card is unused, and there's no address, message, or postmark on the verso.

Santa Claus with Boy and Donkey (Full Version)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 04:58:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A real photo postcard of a boy sitting on a donkey as he poses with Santa Claus. See also a cropped version of the photo.