Album Vintage Photos Theme Park Contributions from Alan Mays

I Look as Though I Didn't Have a Friend in the World

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Wed, 29 May 2013 14:31:53 +0000

A friends photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

"I look as though I didn't have a friend in the world in this picture, don't I?"

An unused real photo postcard with no postmark or address. I'm not sure that the poor fellow looks as friendless as he thought he did. I like photos like this that include comments from the subject or photographer about the photo.

Two Woman Posing for a Boardwalk Souvenir, Atlantic City, N.J.

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 21:06:17 +0000

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Early beach attire in Atlantic City, New Jersey--women in swimsuits for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

Printed on the back of this real photo postcard: "Atlantic City Souvenir. Photo by Phillips, 1619 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, N.J."

Home of 1000 Animals, Lake Placid, N.Y., 1969

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:31:16 +0000

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"Home of 1000 Animals" was a tourist attraction that was part of the Sterling Alaska Fur and Game Farms, with locations in Lake Placid (as seen here) and Ausable Chasm, New York. According to the sign, there was "No Place on Earth Like This," and many tourists--like the ones here in the car pulling into the parking space--were undoubtedly trapped into stopping. Among the thousand animals inside were St. Nick's Animals, a Santa-themed section where visitors could feed goats, deer, and other animals.

This is one of a number of vacation photos I purchased recently (in 2013). For another example from this set, see Shivering at the North Pole, Santa's Village, Jefferson, N.H., 1969.

Flowering Plants and Groovy Curtains

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:49:03 +0000

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A flowers photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

A slide dated April 1959 shows an elaborate planter stand with flowering plants (violets?) situated in front of a window. Trendy curtains with geometric shapes flank the stand on both sides, and other household furnishings--a lamp, stereo, framed photo, artwork on the wall--are also visible.

For another slide taken in the same house (with the same distinctive style of curtains), see Here's the Lady You Ordered! Where Do You Want Us to Put Her?

Group Portrait with Man Smoking

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 13:40:06 +0000

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Posted for "Smoking" theme week in the Vintage Photos Theme Park group.

The man in the middle of the photo is smoking, and I just hope he doesn't burst into flames! 8-)

Actually, I suspect that this photo shows a group of teachers or chemists (notice the bottles of what may be chemicals on the shelves at the back of the room, and is that a periodic table chart hanging on the wall at right?) hamming it up for the camera in a school or workplace.

Out on a Picknick! (Cropped)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 18:59:03 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

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

Out on a Picknick!

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 18:59:05 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A real photo postcard showing two couples--Cal and Grace, Harry and Alvilda--picnicking somewhere in or near Portland, Oregon. See also a cropped version of this photo showing a close-up of the picnickers and their box of Abetta Biscuits.

Posted as a barbeque/picnic photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park group.

Handwritten message on the front (above) by "Alvilda," who's the woman on the right in the photo:

This is Cal and Grace, Harry and I, out on a picknick.

Printed on the back:

Cal Calvert, 10 Minute Postcard Man, City Park, Washington St., Entrance, Portland, Oregon. Mazeograph process. Copyrighted.

Handwritten message on the verso (there's no address, stamp, or postmark):

Hello, Mama and Papa,

When are you coming to see us. We are having lovely weather and would like for you to come before the rain starts again.

Cal and Grace was down and spent the eve last night.

Business is doing fine now. Hop-picking is over you know and people have money now.

Good bye, your Alvilda.

Lilly and Mazie Reading a Magazine, 1912

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 20:57:09 +0000

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Posted as a "reading" photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park group, this real photo postcard shows two Iowa sisters, Lilly and Mazie Hitzemann, who are reading--or maybe just looking at--a magazine. The girls are dressed nicely for the photo session, and Lilly, left, is wearing a necklace while Mazie, right, sports a bow in her hair.

Both girls are staring intently at the magazine they're holding. From what I could make out after enlarging the image, the front cover of the magazine displays a young child's head, and a full-page advertisement for "1847 Rogers Bros." silverware appears on the back cover (1847 is part of the brand name and doesn't indicate when the magazine or ad was published).

Visible under enlargement on the front cover of the magazine is a date that includes the year "1912," and the title of the magazine looks like it ends in "-n-ator" (I couldn't determine the letter between n and a). One possibility is that this was an issue of The Delineator, a popular women's magazine published by the Butterick Publishing Company of sewing patterns fame. The covers of Delineator issues from this time, however, typically featured illustrations of fashionably dressed women rather than children's heads.

Additional information from the back of the postcard:

Handwritten message: "From Mazie to Grandma."

Postmarked: "Columbia, [Iowa?], Jan. 13, 1913."

Addressed to: "Mrs. Henry Hitzemann, Box 202, Akron, Iowa."

Later handwritten annotation on back: "Right - Mazie Hitzemann. Left - sister Lilly. Daughters of Chas. and Mabel Hitzemann."

Katunka Tribe No. 453 Degree Team, York, Pa.

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 21:11:00 +0000

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Posted to the Vintage Photos Theme Park group as a "strange clothing" photo.

This real photo postcard shows a group of men who belonged to "Katunka Tribe No. 453," which was the York, Pa., chapter of the Improved Order of Red Men, or IORM for short. The York chapter no longer exists but the national group is still around (despite the fact that "Red Men" is now considered an offensive term for Native Americans) and calls itself "America's Oldest Fraternal Organization" on its Web site.

When you realize that none of the men in this photo were Native Americans, it seems awfully strange--at least from our modern perspective nearly a century later--that they dressed in Native American garb (however inauthentic their interpretation of the clothing may have been) for their group ceremonies and rituals.

In case you're interested in additional information, Blake Stough discussed the history and controversial aspects of the York IORM group in his article Politically Incorrect or Not--Still A Part of York County History on the Preserving York blog (the article included this photo with my permission).

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

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

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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

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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).

A Dog, Two Kids, and Dark Shadows

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 21:39:02 +0000

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Stamped on the back of this photo: "Aug 18 1949."

Posted to the Vintage Photos Theme Park group as an "unintended people's shadows" photo (and there's a dog, too!).

High over Zurich, Sept. 22, 1910

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 00:59:04 +0000

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Posted to the Vintage Photos Theme Park group for "rattan/bamboo/wicker" theme week. Although the photo is obviously contrived, the gondola--with attached ropes and sandbags--looks like a real wicker basket similar in appearance to those used for hot air balloons.

A real photo postcard addressed on the back to: "Mr. and Mrs. J. [Paules?], Oakryn, Pennsylvania, U.S. America."

The message on the back: "Sept. 22nd, 1910. We are spending the afternoon at Zurich on our way home from Switzerland, had a lovely drive. The lady in the balloon with us is the one we have been staying with at St. Gallen. Love, Leslie and Ethel."

Eighty-two and Two

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 21:32:06 +0000

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Handwritten on the back of this real photo postcard: "Grandpa Boor. Robert H. Studebaker. 82 & 2."

Posted to the Vintage Photos Theme Park group for "old age" theme week. It's poignant how the boy is resting his hand on top of his grandfather's.

Elmer's Acting Up!

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 21:01:53 +0000

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Oh, how awkward! Looks like Elmer's making a spectacle of himself again! He's perched on top of a bear pull toy, leaning over a container of flowers, and holding a stuffed bunny rabbit and a bear. Lord knows what he has draped over his head. Please, Elmer, leave the kids' toys alone and just grow up!

(Awkwardly posted to the Vintage Photos Theme Park for the week of August 19-25, 2013.)

Annual Chapel Fight, University of Pennsylvania, 1915 (Detail)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 21:30:00 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

See the full version of this real photo postcard for additional information.

Annual Chapel Fight, University of Pennsylvania, 1915

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 21:30:05 +0000

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Posted to the Vintage Photos Theme Park on the way "back to school."

For a close-up of the students in the middle of the crowd, mouse over the image above or select the thumbnail image below..

A real photo postcard showing the "Annual Chapel Fight, U. of P., September 24, 1915. Photo by Richards."

The "Chapel Fight" (or "Chapel Rush") was one of a number of traditional male student competitions that took place at the University of Pennsylvania and many other American colleges and universities in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The competitions pitted one class against another, and similar annual events at Penn included a "Bowl Fight," "Poster Fight," and "Push Ball Fight."

It's not obvious from the photo what the goal of the Chapel Fight on Friday, September 24, 1915, was. Some of the students at the center of the fray are wearing white undershirts and seem to be missing their hats, coats, and outer shirts, so perhaps tearing off clothes was one way to win the contest, as it apparently was in 1909 (see account quoted below). Also visible in the photograph are students wearing "beanies," hats that freshmen were required to wear.

Students fought hard to defend the honor of their classes, and injuries resulted from some of the scraps. Student fights came to a tragic end at Penn when one student was killed and several were injured during the Bowl Fight of 1916.

The following account from The Scroll of Phi Delta Theta, vol. 34, no. 2 (Nov. 1909), p. 184, describes the Chapel Rush that took place at Penn in 1909. It also mentions the Poster Fight.

"The university opened September 24, but no regular classes were held until September 27. Friday morning [October 1] immediately after chapel exercises, the annual Chapel Rush between the sophomores and freshmen took place. The freshmen won the first half of the fight, touching the door on the H[o]uston Club, which was guarded by the sophomores, in less time than any former class. The second half of the fight was in favor of the sophomores, the freshmen being successful in tearing the clothes off the president of the second year class in a limited time. On the Thursday night previous, the Poster Fight took place and the freshmen accomplished a victory contrary to precedent by tearing the sophomore poster off the rear door of College Hall."

Ray Mellott and His Two Pet Geese (Cropped)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 14:56:51 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

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

Ray Mellott and His Two Pet Geese

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 14:56:56 +0000

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A couple of "family pets" for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

Handwritten on the back of this real photo postcard: "Ray Mellott and his two pet geese." Handwritten notation added later by a postcard dealer: "Mercersburg, Pa."

Mouse over the image above or select the thumbnail image below to see a close-up of the boy and his pet geese.

Soldiers in Mess Line

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 20:17:05 +0000

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On maneuvers and "in the army" with the Vintage Photos Theme Park group.

A real photo postcard of a camp scene, probably dating to World War I. Soldiers are standing in line as they wait to get their chow at the ramshackle building at left. A young boy, who appears to be talking with some of the soldiers, is visible in the center of the photo. Situated along the fence to the right of the boy are some wooden baskets and a box from which the soldiers are evidently getting the plates and cups that many of them are holding. In the background are wall and pyramidal tents typical of those used in the First World War. Unfortunately, I don't have any information regarding the specific date and location of the photo.