Album Horses from Alan Mays

Harvesting Grain, Landisville, Pennsylvania

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 02:56:49 +0000

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of fields (cornfields, football fields, academic fields, or any other kind).

Handwritten note on the other side: "Landisville, Pa. Nissley Rd."

An early twentieth-century scene of men harvesting grain in a field near Landisville, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. A reaper pulled by four horses is cutting the grain, and sheaves of cut wheat that have already been stacked into shocks are visible in the background.

This is an divided-back real photo postcard with a type of Azo stamp box (featuring four upward-pointing corner triangles) that suggests 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.

Dog and Pony Show

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 02:09:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of just for fun (inspired by one of Rick’s albums).

Well, maybe it's not a full-fledged dog and pony show, but someone took an amusing picture of these two in what looks to be a farm setting.

This is a real photo postcard with no address, message, postmark, or other identifying details. On the back of the card is an Azo stamp box design (with squares in all four corners) that suggests a time frame that may range from 1924 to 1949.

Old Home Week, Locust Street, Columbia, Pennsylvania, 1913 (Cropped Right)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 22 May 2023 03:51:10 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A boy perches precariously on the base of one of the decorative columns as two men stand together along the edge of the street. Just beyond the two men, a horse and carriage have pulled to the side. In the distance, a wagon is traveling along the right-hand side of the street, and a streetcar is barely visible beyond the wagon.

See also an enlargement of the left-hand side of the photo and the full version of the real photo postcard.

Old Home Week, Locust Street, Columbia, Pennsylvania, 1913 (Cropped Left)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 22 May 2023 03:51:12 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

That ghostly blur on the right is a woman walking in the middle of the street, and that foot on the left is all that remains of a man moving along the street. Another blurry man is tending to his team of horses next to the sidewalk, and a banner advertising "Oysters in Every Style" is draped across a storefront just beyond the horses.

See also an enlargement of the right-hand side of the photo and the full version of the real photo postcard.

Old Home Week, Locust Street, Columbia, Pennsylvania, 1913

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 22 May 2023 03:51:14 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of blurry motion (someone or something moved as the photo was taken).

A photographer captured this scene along Locust Street in Columbia, Pennsylvania, in 1913. Flags and columns decorated the street and the buildings for the Old Home Week celebration that took place from October 12 to 19 that year.

The image captures the hustle and bustle of people and vehicles in the town. The ghostly blur in the middle is a woman walking in the street, and a foot is all that remains of a man moving along the left-hand side. Another blurry man tends to his team of horses next to the sidewalk on the left, and a banner advertising "Oysters in Every Style" is draped across a storefront just beyond the horses. In the distance, a wagon is traveling along the right-hand side of the street, and a streetcar is barely visible beyond the wagon.

For better views of the activity in the street, see enlargements of the left-hand side and right-hand side of the photo. To see what the same area looks like today, see the Google Street View of Locust Street.

Additional photos taken during Columbia's Old Home Week celebration in 1913 appear in Frederic H. Abendschein's book, Columbia, Marietta, and Wrightsville: Images of America (Arcadia Publishing, 2009), pp. 18-20.

Boy with Strunk's Studio Horse, Reading, Pennsylvania

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 03:59:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of rocking horse.

On the other side of this real photo postcard is an Azo stamp box (with four corner triangles pointing up) that indicates that the photo may date to sometime between 1904 and 1918. The back of the card also gives its origin: "Strunk's Studio, 750 Penn St., Reading, Pa."

At first glance the boy in the photo appears to be posing with a rocking horse, but a closer examination reveals that the horse's legs are attached to a wooden platform. It may be the same toy horse mounted on wheels that appears in other Strunk photos. See, for instance, a cabinet card with Roy Peiffer on Strunk's Studio Horse, Reading, Pennsylvania.

Robert and Maud Pulling a Wagon

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 03:43:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of horses, carriages, or wagons.

The handwritten message on the other side of this real photo postcard says, "This is our horses Robert & Maud in front of Fulton Miller's house." There's no stamp or postmark, but the card is addressed to "Mr. Glen[n] Lyle, RFD, Brookville, [Pennsylvania], c/o Herbert Lyle." The Velox stamp box (with diamonds in the corners and "Place Stamp Here" in the middle) indicates that it may date to as early as 1907-1917.

Papa Drilling

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 00:57:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of sign(s) of spring.

This is an early twentieth-century real photo postcard with a handwritten caption on the other side that says, "Papa Drilling." As Wikipedia explains, "Drilling or seeding are the terms used for the mechanized sowing of an agricultural crop." The man in the photo is using a horse-drawn seed drill for spring planting.

I bought this photo together with some others that came from Milton, Pennsylvania, so it's likely that this picture was taken somewhere in the same area.

Cowboy Kid Riding a Mustang, Christmas 1969

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 03:17:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of cowboys and/or cowgirls.

In this photo dated "Jan. 70," a young boy is wearing a cowboy hat and holster as he rides "Marvel the Mustang," a Marx toy advertised as "The Real Galloping Horse" (see Marvel the Galloping Mustang on the Virtual Marx Museum for more information).

Notice the TV set with rabbit-ears antenna on the left, the decorated Christmas tree behind the boy, and the boxes stacked on the chair on the right. The boxes include one for a Tonka toy car carrier and another for a "Reflection 3 Pc. Chip 'n' Dip Set."

For a cowgirl with her toy horse, see Riding Toward the Sun: Dale Evans and Buttermilk.

Two Kids on a Horse

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 04:48:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A kids on horses photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

A couple of kids pose on a horse in front of their house in this undated photo. For a similar picture, see The Cowboy Kid at Sidewalk Ranch.

Beat Us If You Can

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 04:39:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Caption: "Beat us if you can."

Printed on the back of this unused real photo postcard: "Slater's Interurban Post Card Studio, 430 Superior St., Toledo, Ohio."

Judging by the design of the stamp box on the other side (it has the initials "PMC" and diamond shapes in each of its four corners), it's possible that the date of the photo may be as early as 1907 (see Playle's How to Identify and Date Real Photo Vintage Postcards).

For similar photos, see Two Jolly Good Fellows, Aunt Lora and Uncle Will Are Coming Home, March 10, 1908, and Men in Bowler Hats.

Too Much Pork for Just One Fork

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 23:59:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

The caption on the front of this exaggeration postcard is "Feeding Time," but I borrowed "Too Much Pork for Just One Fork" from Southern Culture on the Skids, who used it as a song and album title.

This is a photomontage by Kansas photographer William H. Martin (1865-1940). For more examples of Martin's work, see Good Corn Makes Good Hogs and A Mess of Potatoes.

This real photo postcard is addressed on the other side to Mr. Richard Storey, Medora, Ill., but there's no stamp or postmark.

Handwritten message: "5/15 1910. They raise 'em like this in Indiana. J.O.B."

A Mess of Potatoes

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 03:58:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the monthly theme of pick your favorite theme(s)—why is it (are they) your favorite(s)? (submit a photo on this topic each week in addition to—or instead of—a photo for the weekly topic).

William H. Martin (1865-1940), a Kansas photographer who was a master of photomontage, created this real photo postcard in 1908. Postcards like this by Martin and other photographers were especially popular in the early twentieth century and featured gigantic fruits and vegetables, dangerously oversized animals and fish, and amusingly huge products. These humorous trick photos are some of my favorite kinds of vintage photographs. For more examples, see my album of Tall-Tale and Exaggeration Postcards, which includes both photographic and printed cards.

This particular postcard bears a postmark of April 7, 1909, and is addressed to "Mrs. Susan W. Dick, Roaring Springs, Penna. Care [of] Ora L. Dick." The message on the other side refers to the photo on the front: "Dear Mother, Hope you are better. I thought I would send you a mess of potatoes. They look good. Thad & Sue."

Leck Kill Post Office Building, Leck Kill, Pa.—Then and Now

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 03:55:06 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

This is a composite image of old and new views of a building in Leck Kill, Pennsylvania, that served as a post office, store, and tavern. The top view is from an early twentieth-century real photo postcard, and the bottom view is a Google Maps capture from 2009.

See the full version of the real photo postcard for more information.

Leck Kill Post Office Building, Leck Kill, Pa. (Detail)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 03:55:08 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Two men stand in front of the "Leck Kill Post Office" in Leck Kill, Pennsylvania, as indicated by the lettering in the window. The building also contained a store with some merchandise, such as brooms and a watering can, stored on the porch.

For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard and a composite image of old and new views of the post office building.

Leck Kill Post Office Building, Leck Kill, Pa.

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 03:55:10 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A photo of mail carriers, post offices, mailboxes, etc. for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

This is an early twentieth-century real photo postcard showing four men and a boy posing in front of a building. The boy is holding the reins of two horses hitched to a wagon, and a variety of items, including benches, barrels, and tools, are visible on the porch and on the ground in front of the building.

After scanning and enlarging the photo, I was able to read the lettering on the window in the middle of the building and discovered that it served as the "Leck Kill Post Office" (see a close-up view of the window).

Leck Kill is a small community located in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, and its Wikipedia entry indicates that the post office there closed in 2004. Amazingly enough, I was able to find a 2009 view of the building on Google Maps (see my composite image of old and new views).

A 2018 online real estate listing provided additional details: "Property at one time was used for the local post office with a store and tavern. Presently used as a home with apartment and still has P.O. space." So it's possible that the post office in the building was still in use as late as 2004.

Henry Weill, Dealer in Horses, Lancaster, Pa.

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 04:29:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Henry Weill (1860-1929) was a well-known horse dealer in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This business card was printed for him by David Bachman Landis.

For similar cards by Landis that feature text printed over a background illustration, see:

-- Chas. O. Ursprung, Horse Collar Manufacturer, Lancaster, Pa.
-- W. R. Cheney, Carriage Builder, Lancaster, Pa.
-- William C. Myers, Practical Artesian Well Contractor, Salunga, Pa.

Henry Weill,

Dealer in Driving, Heavy Draft, and Fine Coach and Saddle Horses.

Sale and Exchange Stables, 200 to 216 West Orange St., Lancaster, Pa.

Presented by ________

Acclimated and western horses always on hand.

Telephone connection.

J. H. Hain, Manufacturer of Saddles, Harness, Whips, Reading, Pa.

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 03:57:10 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A cameo card for Jacob Haak Hain (1823-1891), who was a saddler in Reading, Pennsylvania. For a brief biography of Hain, see History of the Hain Family: Descendants of George and Veronica Hain (Reading Eagle Press, 1941), p. 65:

"Jacob Haak Hain. . . born 1822 [or 1823, according to his gravestone], died 1891. On December 9, 1845, he married Mary Ann Goodhart, daughter of Jacob and Mary Ann (Beidler) Goodhart. She was born 1825, died 1898. He carried on a harness making business at 321 Penn Street, Reading and was Chairman of the Democratic Standing Committee, 1863-64; Clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions of Berks County, 1872-75. Jacob, his wife, and their three children are buried in Charles Evans Cemetery."

Another of Hain's business cards (not a cameo card, however) is available as part of the Library Company of Philadelphia Digital Collections. See Jacob H. Hain, Manufacturer of Saddles, Harness, Bridles, Collars, Covers, Whips. No. 321 Penn Street, Reading, Pa.

For additional examples of cameo cards, see Best Boiler Works, Lancaster, Pa., and Eagle Marble Works, Monuments, Tombs, Gravestones, Reading, Pa.

J. H. Hain,

Manufacturer of Saddles, Harness, Whips, Collars, Fly Nets, Covers, &c.

No. 321 Penn Street, Reading, Pa.

McClement Bros.

The Cowboy Kid at Sidewalk Ranch

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 03:37:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A photo of children or adults posing with ponies, horses, or other equines for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

Outfitted in a cowboy hat, bandana, and chaps, a young boy sits atop a horse as he poses for a photo.

Suburban Cowgirl

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 06:43:01 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A woman and her rocking horse.