Photos, videos and docs of Alan Mays, with the keywords: "Allegheny County"

How We Pass the Time at Pittsburgh, Pa.

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 02:41:25 +0000

One in a series of amusing "How We Pass the Time" postcards published in the early twentieth century. This noon-time example is postmarked 1911, and it illustrates how "Pittsburgh" has been spelled with and without a final "h" at different times.

How We Pass the Time at Pittsburg
A stroll at noon, a quiet spoon,
The time it passes all too soon.

Cruikshank Apple Butter Blotter, Pittsburgh, Pa.

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 05:36:03 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"'No thanks,' said Banks, I want Cruikshank Delicious Apple Butter. Cruikshank Bros. Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.A. Cubro Apple Butter. Net weight 2 lbs. avoir. H. Gamse & Bro. Litho., Balto., Md."

How Is This for High?

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 17:36:49 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"How is this for high? Farmers' National Bank, Pittsburgh, Pa."

A postcard addressed on the other side to Blair Echard, R.R. No. 2, Duncansville, Pa., and postmarked Jan. 23, 1912.

Handwritten message: "Dear Buz, We are stepping high in Pittsburgh, as you can see in this card. It is pretty cold here. Hope you are going to school every day and learning something too. Elmer."

For other Pittsburgh postcards with similar illustrations, see Out for a Stroll in the Park and This Beats Walking (below).

Econo-Phone: Telephones, Accessories, Electronics

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 21:51:18 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"Econo-Phone. Telephones, accessories, electronics."

What telephones used to look like. An advertising postcard for a store in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

H. J. Heinz Company, Main Plant and General Offices, Pittsburgh, Pa.

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 17:03:10 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"H. J. Heinz Company, Main Plant and General Offices, Pittsburgh, U.S.A. Pure Food Products, Heinz 57 Varieties. The house in which we began, 1869."

An advertising postcard, ca. 1900s-1910s, published by the H. J. Heinz Company, a food processing company known for its ketchup and more than 57 Varieties of other products.

Sewickley Bridge, Greetings of the Season, Christmas, 1911

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 20:12:23 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

This tinted real photo postcard shows the original Sewickley Bridge, which spanned the Ohio River between Sewickley and Moon Township in western Pennsylvania. Located about twelve miles northwest of Pittsburgh, the bridge was completed in 1911, dismantled in 1980 after significant deterioration, and replaced by a new bridge that opened in 1981.

A Find A Grave search identified the final resting places of "Wesley Charlton" (probably Mark Wesley Charlton, Sr., 1877-1921) and "Wm. Snowwhite" (probably William Snowwhite, 1886-1968). Charlton and Snowwhite likely lived in the area at the time the bridge was completed in 1911. I haven't been able to determine any other specific reason that they chose the bridge as the subject for the holiday postcard that they created that year.

Greetings of the Season, Christmas, 1911

This is an exceptional view of the Ohio river bridge and the only one of its kind in existence. It was obtained through an unique process by Wesley Charlton and the plate and product are the exclusive property of Wm. Snowwhite, the sender.

Flying High in Pittsburgh

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 13 May 2019 02:51:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A flying photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

Printed on the back of this real photo postcard: "The Colonial Studio, 137 Sixth St., Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.A."

Two Couples in a Car, Novelty Photo Studio, Pittsburgh, Pa.

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 15:46:30 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

I've been dreadfully busy over the last few weeks with work and family. When Ipernity editing stopped working for a while in May, I fell way behind in posting and even further behind with commenting than I already was (if that's possible). I hope you will forgive my extreme tardiness and allow me to catch up with the topics I've missed from past weeks. I'm glad that we've been able to keep the group going, and I appreciate all of your postings here in the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

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

Printed on the back of this real photo postcard: "Novelty Photo Studio, 13 Federal St., N.S., Pittsburg, PA."

An early twentieth-century photo taken when driving a car was still a novelty.

Out for a Stroll in the Park

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 17:36:47 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"Out for a stroll in the park. Entrance to Highland Park, Pittsburgh, Pa."

This Beats Walking

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 17:36:45 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"This beats walking. Monongahela Incline, Pittsburgh, Pa."

Certificate of Weight, Electrical Advertising Scale Co., Pittsburgh, Pa.

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 20:20:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"Certificate of Weight. Finger points to your exact weight: 109. Date this and keep for reference: ________. The Electrical Advertising Scale Company. Office: 97 Fourth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa."

Printed on the back of the card: "If thou do the contrary to that which someone will shortly whisper in thine ear, thou will have good fortune."

Man at Desk, Lewis Walker Company Office, 1925

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 20:33:06 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

In this detail from a 1925 photo of the Lewis Walker Company Office, a young man is working diligently at his desk as he ignores the photographer who's taking his picture.

The man is surrounded by the tools of his job. A clock and a holder with several rubber stamps are among the items I could identify on the desk. There's a pencil sharpener mounted on the windowsill, and a candlestick telephone is visible on another desk that's situated behind the man.

See also the full version of this photo and a close-up of the equipment in the center of the room.

Lewis Walker Company Office, 1925

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 20:33:08 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of furniture (one piece or a roomful; extra credit if your photo includes something instead of—or in addition to—a chair or a table, which we featured in previous themes).

Penciled notation on this photo: "Lewis Walker Co., 2/25."

I haven't been able to locate any definitive information about the Lewis Walker Company, but I believe that it was located somewhere in Pennsylvania, possibly in Pittsburgh.

The photo shows an office full of furniture and equipment. A solitary man sits at a desk, and additional desks, tables, chairs, and bookcases fill up the rest of the room.

Interesting items in the middle of the room include a Dalton Adding Machine on its own stand, a Comptometer case on a desk, and a calendar hanging on the wall.

See also close-ups of the man seated at the desk and the equipment in the center of the photo.

Dalton Adding Machine, Comptometer Box, and Wall Calendar, Lewis Walker Company Office, 1925

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 20:33:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A number of interesting details are visible in this detail from the center section of this 1925 photo of the Lewis Walker Company Office.

First, a Dalton Adding Machine is positioned on its own stand in the foreground. The machine was capable of printing calculations onto the paper from the roll that's positioned on top.

Secondly, a case for a Comptometer—"the first commercially successful key-driven mechanical calculator"—is lying on the desk located behind and to the left of the Dalton machine. The label on the outside of the Comptometer box says, "Comptometer (Pronounced like thermometer). Felt & Tarrant Mfg. Co., Chicago, U.S.A. Adds. Divides. Multiplies. Subtracts."

Finally, an advertising calendar hanging on the wall at the back of the room confirms that the photo was taken in February 1925 and suggests that the location may be Pittsburgh or somewhere else in western Pennsylvania. The advertisement on the calendar says, "Brown & Zortman Machinery Company, machinists supply company, machine shop equipment and supplies, Pittsburgh, Pa. February 1925."

See also the full version of this photo and a close-up of the man seated at the desk.

Here's a Big Hello from the Roosevelt Hotel, Pittsburgh, Pa.

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 17:49:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"Here's a big hello from Jane Lewis at the Roosevelt Hotel, Pittsburgh."

Molecule Man: An Atomic-Zany Musical Satire, 1949 (Order Form)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 23:07:55 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Ticket order form for a college musical staged in 1949 by the Scotch 'n Soda Club, a student theatrical organization that's still in existence today at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. See below for the illustration from the cover of the program for Molecule Man.

Excerpts from the text of the order form:

Molecule Man, written by Bill Putch and Dick Riebling, directed by Talbot Pearson.

* Scotch 'n Soda Club invites you to attend its 1949 stage production, Molecule Man--an exciting change of pace in college musicals.

* A cast of over 100 presents a witty satire on comic book writers, against a background of sparkling music.

* It's something new--and different! Don't miss it!

Molecule Man: An Atomic-Zany Musical Satire, 1949

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 23:08:05 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"Scotch 'n Soda presents Molecule Man: An Atomic-Zany Musical Satire, 1949, 7th annual production."

Cover of a wonderfully illustrated program for a college musical staged in 1949 by the Scotch 'n Soda Club, a student theatrical organization that's still in existence at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The ticket order form (see below) for the show described the production as "a witty satire on comic book writers, [set] against a background of sparkling music."

Groundhog Brand Pure Kettle-Rendered Lard

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 21:42:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, is home to Punxsutawney Phil, the famous rodent who predicts the weather on Groundhog Day, which is celebrated each year on February 2.

It's not surprising, then, that the Punxsutawney Beef and Provision Company used a Groundhog Day-themed logo. Notice that the groundhog on the matchbook cover is holding an umbrella and a newspaper with a "Weather For Today" headline.

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"Pure kettle-rendered lard, Punxsutaweny Beef and Provision Company, Punxsutawney, Pa. Weather For Today. Close cover before striking."

"Groundhog Brand ham, bacon, lard, and sausages. Punxsutawney, Pa. Punxsutawney Beef and Provision Company, packers-manufacturers, beef, pork, veal, lambs, provisions. Lion Match, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa."

Shootout at Dead Man's Gulch Saloon, Western Photo Gallery, Pittsburgh, Pa.

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 15:54:32 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Wild Wild West photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

Printed on the back of this real photo postcard: "Western Photo Gallery, 215 Smithfield St., Pittsburgh, Pa."

Note the signs painted on the backdrop: "No trust, no bust," "Dead Man's Gulch Saloon," "Reward, dead or alive, Bad Dick, $5000.00, Sheriff," and "Poker."

Ironically, the Western Photo Gallery, which provided the dramatic photo of these gun-toting dudes in their cowboy outfits, was located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania--almost as far east in the U.S. as you can get!

Girl in Halloween Costume, Pennsylvania, 1916

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 20:27:19 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Dressed up for "Halloween" in the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

I found this photo at an antique co-op in western Pennsylvania a couple of years ago. I was able to determine the month and year--October 1916--from the Mellon National Bank calendar that's hanging on the wall.