Album Temperance, Abstinence, and Indulgence from Alan Mays

Men Behaving Badly — Celluloid Photographic Medallion

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 02:17:02 +0000

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of bad habits.

The man at upper left is smoking a cigar as he opens a bottle of wine. The man at upper right also has a cigar in his mouth and is holding a bottle in one hand as he reaches down with the other to give the man at lower left a drink.

There's no date, location, or manufacturer indicated on this celluloid photographic medallion, which consists of a metal backing and a photograph covered by celluloid, an early type of plastic.

For additional examples, see my album of Celluloid Photographic Medallions and the George Eastman House's collection of Celluloid Medallions & Buttons on Flickr.

See also Gerald Perlman and David Trachtenberg's book, Collecting Celluloid Photo Medallions, published by Victoria Victoriana Antiques in 2014.

Gough's Lecture Ticket, Seamen's Friend Society, May 4, 1865

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 04:59:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

John B. Gough (1817-1886) was a "United States temperance orator," meaning that he lectured about the evils of alcohol. For a brief discussion of his career, see John B. Gough (1817-1886): The Temperance Orator as Revivalist.

I haven't been able to determine the location of the Seamen's Friend Society where Gough delivered this lecture. The group may have been the Boston Seaman's Friend Society, the American Seaman's Friend Society in New York, the Woman's Seamen's Friend Society of Connecticut, or another organization with a similar name.

For another nineteenth-century ticket, see Grand Temperance Lecture Ticket.

Gough's Lecture.

Seamen's Friend Society.
May 4, 1865.

Parquette.
Seat H No. 18
Thursday, May 4.
Retain this portion of the ticket, as it secures your seat.

Grand Temperance Lecture Ticket

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 20:55:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A nineteenth-century ticket for a temperance lecture, date and location unknown.

Grand Temperance Lecture

10 Cents,
Admit One.

On a Slow Train through Arkansas

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 02:01:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of odd backdrops or backgrounds.

A souvenir real photo postcard from "Happy Hollow" (McLeod's Amusement Park), which was located in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Some of the signs and labels visible in the photo are:

"Gambling room down stares. No drinks served."
"Wild cat mine for sail chepe."
"Don't ask for no darn fool dude drinks."
"Old Crow, 2 bits a drink."
"Wite mule, 2 bits per drink, good stuff."
"Ky. booze XXX."
"Pabst Blue Ribbon on drought."
"Shiref's offis."
"Tanglefoot strate, 2 bits."
"Pabst Blue Ribbon, the beer of quality."
"On a slow train through Arkansas."

Beer Drinkers, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, 1912

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 09 Nov 2020 04:52:08 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A drinking photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

Seventeen of the twenty men in this image from a real photo postcard are holding glasses of beer. The keg in the middle of the crowd bears the name "Lebanon," which refers to the city that's the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.

A handwritten name and address—"Samuel D. Watson, Rexmont, Pa."—and a year—"1912"—appear on the other side of the photo card, but there's no stamp, postmark, or message. Rexmont is now part of Cornwall, which is also located in Lebanon County.

Mugging for the Camera at Café Bauer, Garmisch

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 25 Nov 2018 09:03:00 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of smiling faces of yesteryear (photos of smiling people, based on the Flickr group of the same name).

"Memento of the world-famous Bavarian evenings at the Café Bauer, Garmisch."

Stamped on the back of this real photo postcard: "Foto Franz, 81 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Kainzenbadstr. 26, Tel. 3202. Erinnerung an die weltbekannten Bayerischen Abende im Café Bauer, Garmisch."

Two Guys, Two Bottles, and a Paper Moon (Full Version)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 05 Aug 2019 03:45:46 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

See also the cropped version of this real photo postcard.

Two Guys, Two Bottles, and a Paper Moon

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 05 Aug 2019 03:45:48 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A paper moon photo for the theme of photographic tricks and amusements during the free-for-all week of Wild Card Month in the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

See also the full version of this real photo postcard.

Tiajuana Tipplers

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 15:30:17 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A tipsy or drunk photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

A souvenir real photo postcard presumably from Tijuana (not "Tiajuana" with its extra "a"), Mexico, shows three intrepid travelers--all holding bottles--posing in front of a painted backdrop of a Pullman railroad car. Although this was obviously staged in a photo studio, something about the giddy expressions on their faces (especially those of the man on the right-hand side and the woman) suggests to me that they may actually have been imbibing before the photo was taken.

We Had a Big Old Time--Playing Cards and Drinking Wine (Detail)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 13:28:47 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A close-up of the table in We Had a Big Old Time--Playing Cards and Drinking Wine. Note the puzzling letters (including "TAITN," I believe) that appear underneath and adjacent to the pipe. I haven't been able to figure out what the letters might spell or even what they're printed or inscibed on.

We Had a Big Old Time--Playing Cards and Drinking Wine

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 13:28:49 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A playing cards and board games photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

A scary scene during a card game! The four young men pictured in this real photo postcard have obviously been playing all evening. One of them is holding a bottle of Tokay wine, and we can see that a tobacco pipe, playing cards, and various coins and bills are strewn across the table (mouse over the image above for a close-up view of the table).

The guy on the left with the unruly hair is staring intently at the one on the right, who has drawn a gun and seems to be trying not to laugh. The two other fellows, however, haven't even noticed the gun. Perhaps the guy with the gun is angry because he suspects that one of his friends has been cheating, or maybe he's just upset that the print hanging on the wall behind him is starting to fall down.

Judging by the humorous poem that's written on the other side of this photo postcard (see below), it's doubtful that any gunplay ever took place. Instead, considering that we can see a bed on the right-hand side of the photo and a dresser piled with books on the other side, it seems likely that these lads are simply students in a dorm room or apartment posing for an amusing photo of a card game gone wrong.

--------

Handwritten poem on the other side of this real photo postcard (note: "out of chine" seems to mean "out of alignment" or "out of sync" in this context):

Perhaps we had a big old time
And maybe it was a spree
But really I don't know
What actually did happen to me.

I only know my poor intellect
Was most awful out of chine
And I longed for just one drink of---
Well it wasn't wine.

L. Messersmith,
Fairmont, Minn.

What the Devil Is the Matter with the Lamp Posts?

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 05:31:42 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

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

Going Some with the Humdinger of Seattle! (Full Version)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 16:49:05 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

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

Going Some with the Humdinger of Seattle!

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 16:49:07 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"Going Some! The Hum-dinger of Seattle."

Written on the back of this real photo postcard: "May 6, 1913 in Seattle, Wash. To Bro. John"

A studio photo depicting what appears to be alcohol-fueled nautical maneuvering in the vicinity of Seattle, Washington.

Judging by a similar Hum-dinger photograph that's part of the Seattle Photograph Collection at the University of Washington Libraries, this photo came from the Joy Parlor Studio, which billed itself as "the home of the cowboy post cards" and was located at 207 2nd South in Seattle.

For an uncropped copy of the photo postcard, see Going Some with the Humdinger of Seattle! (Full Version).

Beer Mugs and Boutonnieres

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 02:15:28 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of: And the band played on (people enjoying themselves while a band plays).

In this real photo postcard, musicians pretend to play an accordion, drum, and triangle in the midst of a group of young men, most of whom have flowers in their boutonnieres and mugs of beer in their hands.

The German sign in the middle appears to say, "Jahrgang. 1895. Die Bassgeig kan̈ein jeder Kratzen selbst der Bär mit seinen Tatzen." But I haven't been able to determine what this means (something about a bass fiddle and a bear scratching himself with his paws?).

In any case, I suspect that these guys enjoyed some more beer and music after they finished posing for the photo.

Let the Women Vote

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 22:49:09 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

With Hillary Clinton as a U.S. presidential candidate in 2016, it's incredible to think that not all women in the United States had the right to vote until the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified in 1920. This postcard was published by the Pennsylvania Woman's Christian Temperance Union around 1915.

Four Million Women Vote
Why Not the Women of Pennsylvania?

They are as intelligent as any in the world.

They are as interested in all that pertains to the welfare of the Home and the State.

They should be given the Right and it is their Duty to take part in the Government which is responsible for the Welfare of the People.

The state needs the help of the women.

Let the Women Vote.

Pennsylvania W.C.T.U.

Union Label. Allied Printing Trades Council, Philadelphia. 18.

Printed on the back: "Penna. W.C.T.U. Supply Office, Beaver Falls, Pa."

Happy Days Are Here Again—Dream of Prosperity

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 19:11:15 +0000

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A Prohibition-era comic postcard that depicts a man dreaming about a change to the Volstead Act that would allow the sale of beer and create work—and prosperity—for brewers, farmers, and other laborers.

As Wikipedia explains, the Volstead Act "was enacted to carry out the intent of the Eighteenth Amendment, which established prohibition in the United States" and banned the production and sale of alcoholic beverages beginning in 1920. Prohibition lasted until 1933, when the Twenty-first Amendment was ratified in order to repeal the Eighteenth Amendment.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt used "Happy Days Are Here Again" as his presidential campaign song in 1932, and the repeal of Prohibition took place soon after Roosevelt took office.

Signs and captions: "Free lunch today. Good old time lager beer. Free beer tomorrow. Happy days are here again."

Dream of Prosperity

Last night I dreamed that the Volstead law had been amended permitting the sale of beer (Oh! what a grand and glorious feeling!). Immediately 100,000 carpenters, bricklayers, and laborers went to work building and refitting breweries; 50,000 brewery truck drivers, helpers, vatmen, and coppersmiths were hired; and 100,000 printers were put to work printing beer labels. Bottle works and barrel makers engaged thousands more. Bookkeepers, stenographers, clerks, and salesmen found ready employment by the hundreds of thousands. Thousands of farmers left the city and returned to farms to raise hops and barley. 150,000 musicians went to work in the beer gardens. There was no unemployment. The country hummed with industry. The tax secured from the sale of beer was placed in a fund that was used for an old age pension. Then the scene changed–I saw 1,000,000 bootleggers holding a protest meeting. Disgusted, I then awoke.

Bartender at the Bar, Lenhartsville, Pa., August 1934 (Cropped)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 20:59:20 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

For additional information, see the full version of this photo (thumbnail image below).

Bartender at the Bar, Lenhartsville, Pa., August 1934

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 20:59:22 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Posted as an "interiors" photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park group.

The bartender with a stogie in his right hand, the well-worn surface of the bar, and the spindly looking bar stools initially attracted my attention to this photo, which the dealer's label described as a Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania, bar interior. What made me decide to purchase it, however, was the wide array of items visible on the shelves and walls behind the bar. Old photos can be windows to the past, and it's fun to look through them to see what they reveal.

In this bar scene, I first noticed the advertising calendars (there are at least four of them), particularly the one featuring U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which is situated just above the bartender's head. After enlarging the image, I discovered that the calendar displays the month of August 1934.

A sign partially visible in the upper left-hand section of the photo humorously explains the bar's credit policy--"Credit makes enemies, let's be friends"--and on the shelves below the sign are open boxes of cigars. Some of the cigar brand names include John Hay Junior, Henrietta, Rose-O-Cuba, and Gilbert's Deuces.

To the right of the credit sign is an ad for Daeufer's Peerless Beer that depicts a smiling woman, who's holding a glass of beer and saying, "What you like I like." Another copy of this same Daeufer's Beer ad, which additionally claims that the beverage is "Allentown's Favorite," shows up on the far end of the bar near the window, where there's also a display rack with packages of Tas-T-Nut snacks.

A different Daeufer's Beer ad appears on the wall to the right of the clock above the far end of the bar. And on the other side of the clock are two framed certificates, one of which includes the year (1934) printed in large numerals. Below the certificates is an ad for Camel cigarettes.

Back over at the cash register (behind the bartender) is a second ad for Camels, and hanging on the mirror above the cash register is yet another ad for Daeufer's Beer, along with a sign that suggests, "Try our delicious sandwiches."

To cap off a night of smoking, drinking, and sandwich eating, patrons of this establishment could indulge in some of the candy displayed in open boxes in the far corner behind the bar, just above what appear to be two beer taps. Milky Way, Mr. Goodbar, and Zero candy bars as well as boxes of Cracker Jacks and packages of Beech-Nut Gum were available.

For a closer look at the area behind the bar, see the cropped version of this photo (thumbnail image below).

I Was Taking a Little Drop Home When I Saw London Like This

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 21:00:49 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

As you can see from this real photo postcard, I'm afraid that I'm feeling a bit woozy. Can anyone give me a ride home from the pub?

Printed on the back: "Rotary 'Grotesque' Series. Printed in Britain."