Album Hats from Alan Mays

Guys with Hats and Cane (Full Version)

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

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.

Lounging on the Lawn in Ladies' Lids (Full Version)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 03:37:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

An undated photo mounted on cardboard. See also a cropped version for a close-up of the two men.

Lounging on the Lawn in Ladies' Lids

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 03:37:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of lying down.

This is an undated photo mounted on cardboard. See also the full version.

Pinched! (Full Version)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 03:59:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Two men posing as policemen and suspect. See also a cropped version of the photo.

Pinched!

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 03:59:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of what a great grin!

An arresting photo of two grinning guys posing for a novelty photo. "Fred Gregory (left)" is written on the other side.

This is an divided-back real photo postcard with a type of Azo stamp box on the other side (two corner triangles pointing up and two pointing down) that suggests a date that may be as early as 1910 to 1930.

See also the full version of this photo postcard.

Pictures on the Porch

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 03:53:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

This is a divided-back real photo postcard with a Solio stamp box, which indicates that the card may date to between 1907 and the 1920s. Someone wrote "Uncle Caleb" on the other side of this card but there's no other identifying information.

The photographer combined four separate pictures on this photo postcard. Each of the four individual photos shows people -- a woman holding a young child, three men, a woman sitting on a man's lap, four young children -- posing on the same porch.

For an enlargement of the photo of the three men, see Folded Arms and Crossed Legs.

Folded Arms and Crossed Legs

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 03:53:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of folded arms and/or crossed legs.

Three men are posing for a picture on a porch. The two in front are sitting impatiently on the edge of the porch with their arms folded and legs crossed.

This is one of four pictures combined together on a real photo postcard that dates to the early twentieth century. See Pictures on the Porch.

Like Father, Like Son

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 14:42:11 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

(Posting this a day late since Ipernity wasn't accessible last night.)

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of fathers and children.

This is a real photo postcard of a man and a boy -- probably a father and son. Both are similarly dressed in hats, suits, and button shoes, and they're both sitting with their legs crossed.

The photographer's name printed on the other side is "C. G. Blatt, Bernville, Berks Co., Pa." Since the photo postcard has a divided back with space for both a message and an address (only the address was permitted prior to 1907) and since the photographer -- Cyrus Gerhart Blatt (1841-1915) -- passed away in 1915, it's likely that the photo dates to sometime between 1908 and 1914.

Uncle Sam and Friends (Cropped)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 19 May 2025 03:31:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A close-up of Uncle Sam with his chauffer and friends George and Martha. For more information, see the full version of this photo.

Uncle Sam and Friends

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 19 May 2025 03:31:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of in costume.

This is an undated snapshot of a flag-bedecked automobile with a driver who's dressed in a suit and top hat. Next to him in the front seat is Uncle Sam himself. Two other costumed passengers — they must be George and Martha Washington! — are riding in the back seat. Perhaps these are the celebrity guests in a Fourth of July parade.

See a cropped version of the photo for a close-up of Uncle Sam and his friends.

Goofy Guys Backwards and Frontwards (Fronts)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 03:53:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Three funny fellows pose facing the camera in this photograph. See also another photo with the same fellows with their backs to the camera. For more information, see the original real photo postcard, which incudes both pictures.

Goofy Guys Backwards and Frontwards (Backs)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 03:53:06 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Three funny fellows pose with their backs to the camera in this photograph. See also another photo with the same fellows facing the camera. For more information, see the original real photo postcard, which incudes both pictures.

Goofy Guys Backwards and Frontwards

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 03:53:08 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of Rückenfigur or "back to camera" - any photo in which one or more of the subjects have their backs fully or partially facing the camera.

On this real photo postcard, which combines two separate photographs, three funny fellows pose twice, first with their backs to the camera and then a second time as they face the camera. The three are sitting on a board or plank that extends between two chairs. In the first photo, all of them have bowler hats on their heads, and the guy in the middle has what looks like a picture frame hanging over his shoulder and down over his back. A stool and a wooden box with a handle are visible on the floor in front of them. The wall behind the men is partially covered by a painted backdrop, so presumably they're having their picture taken in a photo studio, though no studio name appears on the front or back of the card.

In the second photo, the guys seem even goofier as they face forward with funny expressions. The man on the left has a mischievous look on his face, and he's holding a small kettle with the handle of a spoon or some other utensil sticking out of the top. The guy in the middle has opened his mouth as if he's laughing or yelling. The bowler on his head is jauntily tilted to the side, and his right hand is blurred -- was he pumping his fist or gesturing toward the basket that he's holding in his lap? And what's in the basket? The third man is grinning, probably because instead of a hat he's wearing something on his head that looks like a lampshade with ruffles. He has his arms wrapped around himself as if he's cold, and he's holding a pitcher under one arm.

The undivided back (for an address only) on the other side of this real photo postcard indicates that it dates before 1907 (when both an address and a message were allowed on the verso), and the Cyko stamp box design (in use as early as 1904) printed on the back also fits this time frame.

Dapper Double Dude

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 04:56:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of double or triple exposure.

A well-dressed fellow poses -- twice! -- at a bench in the back yard for this double-exposure photo.

This is a real photo postcard with a divided back and a type of Azo stamp box (with four corner triangles pointing up) on the other side that suggests a possible date that may be as early as 1907 to 1918.

Seeing Portland by Air

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 20 May 2024 03:58:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

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

Photographer Cal Calvert (1875-1930) created an elaborate mockup of an airplane for customers at his studio in Portland, Oregon. In this example of a real photo postcard by Calvert, a man, two women, and three children are pretending to fly over the city of Portland. Mount Hood is visible in the background. The style of Cyko stamp box on the other side dates the card to sometime between 1904 and the 1920s.

Banner on the front of the airplane: "The Rose City." Sign on the rudder at the back of the plane: "Seeing Portland."

Printed on the other side of the postcard: "Cal Calvert, 10 Minute Postcard Man. City Park Gallery at the Washington St. Entrance, Portland, Oregon. Mazeograph Process."

Handwritten note on the other side: "We had this taken for the children's sake. They are in the Catholic School now. Everything was settled May 2nd."

For more examples of Calvert's photography, see Cal Calvert and His Airplane.

Hats, Heads, and Death Dodgers (Cropped)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 03:58:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

The two cars in the middle of this photo were part of Jimmie Lynch's Death Dodgers, an automobile thrill show that was held at the Goodrich building at the New York World's Fair in 1940. The words painted on the wall -- "The Name's Goodrich" -- were part of a longer advertisement that read, "Remember Which -- The Name's Goodrich."

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

Hats, Heads, and Death Dodgers

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 03:58:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of something or someone blocking the view.

Handwritten note on the other side of this snapshot: "World's Fair, Oct. 1940."

In this October 1940 snapshot taken at the New York World's Fair a man's big hat and the heads of other spectators are blocking the view of the action down below.

But what's going on? A closer look reveals that there are some cars down there, plus painted on the wall are the words, "The Name's Goodrich."

After some searching, I learned that Jimmie Lynch's Death Dodgers, an automobile thrill show, appeared at the Goodrich building at the World's Fair. For another photo from the show, see Automobiles - Death Dodgers - Car jumping over truck in the New York Public Library Digital Collections.

Flash

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 17:09:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of steps, stairs, staircases.

This is a real photo postcard of young women standing on the steps leading up to the entrance of a building. They're wearing uniforms with scarves or neckerchiefs, and the banner they're holding simply says, "Flash." In the corners of the banner are what seem to be drawings of stylized top hats. Peeking out from below the banner are two pairs of what might be athletic shoes.

Although someone over on Flickr amusingly suggested that this might be an early example of a flash mob, I suspect that these young women belonged to a club or sports team at a high school or college. But I'm not sure what "Flash" meant to them or why the top hats -- if that's what they are -- appear on the banner.

Wisenheimer Ladder Climber (Cropped)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 08 May 2023 03:56:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

See also the full version of this photo.