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

Valentine's Day Snow Sculpture, Poultney, Vermont, 1948

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 01:48:02 +0000

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of Valentine's Day - hearts, cupids, arrows, love, or what have you?

This real photo postcard features a snow sculpture of Cupid standing next to a heart with an arrow through it. A building is in the background, and two cars are parked along the street in front of the building. Two women are walking near one of the trees on the left.

The card is addressed on the other side to Edith Towey, 1744 Summerfield St., Brooklyn 27, N.Y., and it was postmarked in Poultney, Vermont, on February 13, 1948. The location of the snow sculpture is listed on the verso as "Green Mountain Junior College, Poultney, VT," and a handwritten "Valentine's Greetings" appears above the name of a studio, "H. B. Rood Photo, Poultney, VT."

According to a brief biography by the Poultney Historical Society, Harry B. Rood (1871-1960) lived in Poultney his entire life. He began working in his father's photography studio in the 1890s and continued as a photographer after his father's death.

At the time Rood took this photo, Green Mountain Junior College was a two-year college for women and then became a four-year college for both men and women in 1974, when its name changed to Green Mountain College. Ames Hall, the campus building that appears in the photo, is still standing, but the college itself closed in 2019 after experiencing financial difficulties.

Prof. George Roch, Music Teacher and Tuner of Organs and Pianos, Lebanon, Pa., 1885

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 03:01:35 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

This is a bright orange nineteenth-century business card for George Roch (1852-1913). A number of directories list him as a music teacher or musician, usually with an address in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, rather than Lebanon. John H. Long (1850-1925) was a carpenter and organ manufacturer in Lebanon.

Prof. Geo. Roch,

Music Teacher and Tuner of Organs and Pianos,
at J. H. Long's Organ Factory,
Lebanon, Pa.

174 Instruments tuned between February 1, 1885, and September 7, 1885.

The Museum, Skinner, Day & Co., Keene, New Hampshire, ca. 1870s

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 02:52:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"The Museum" was the name of Skinner, Day & Co.'s store in Keene, New Hampshire.

For similar cards with a red or pink background illustration, see Eugene O. Chase, Second Leading Hoseman, Danielsonville, Conn., and Fireman Calling Card.

Museum. Skinner, Day & Co.,

Jewelers, Dry Goods, Carpets,
Fancy Goods and Everything
Keene, N.H.

E. Oettel, Philadelphia Reliable Fancy Bakery and Confectionery, Lancaster, Pa.

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 03:33:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

An elaborate business card printed by David Bachman Landis of Pluck Art Printery (later known as Landis Art Print).

The wavy, wiry vertical lines that Landis used to separate the "Special Attention" section on the left from the main "E. Oettel" portion of the card come from a set of "Capital Ornaments" dated 1891 that was available from the Barnhart Brothers & Spindler (BB&S) type foundry. Landis also used these separators in a number of other printed pieces. See, for instance, the following examples:

-- Charles S. Frantz, Graduate Ophthalmic Optician, Watchmaker, and Jeweler, Lancaster, Pa.
-- A. H. Herr, Mill Creek Dairy, Lancaster, Pa.
-- J. M. Trout, Fire Sand Quarries, Landisville, Pennsylvania, ca. 1890s

BB&S also sold a set of "Brownies" characters that included the tiny owl in the upper left-hand corner.

Typefaces: Duerer ("Fancy Bakery and Confectionery"), Pynson ("All kinds of Cakes, Pies, Creams, Water Ices, and"), Hansard ("Home Made Bread"), Dante ("No. 506 Manor Street, Lancaster, Pa."). The unidentified typeface used here for "E. Oettel" appears to be the same as the one selected for "J. M. Trout" on the J. M. Trout, Fire Sand Quarries card.

E. Oettel, Philadelphia Reliable Fancy Bakery and Confectionery.

All kinds of Cakes, Pies, Creams, Water Ices, and Home Made Bread.

No. 506 Manor Street, Lancaster, Pa.

Special attention given to wedding and party orders.

Stands at Eastern, Central, and Southern Markets.

A Happy New Year from Geologist Benjamin Kendall Emerson, ca. 1920s

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 15:40:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of eyeglasses, goggles, and other eyewear.

"A Happy New Year, Ben. K. Emerson."

A New Year's greeting from bespectacled American geologist Benjamin Kendall Emerson (1843-1932). This is an unused real photo postcard with a PMC stamp box (suggesting a date between 1920 and 1935) on the other side.

For some other photos with identifiable eyewear, see Spinning a Tale of Dogs in Glasses and Mother and Son with White-Rimmed Sunglasses.

A Happy New Year from John E. Cranfield, Letter Carrier, 1889

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 28 Dec 2020 17:17:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A New Year card from John E. Cranfield (d. 1894?), who was a letter carrier in Albany, New York.

Compare this card with A Happy New Year, Will D. Reiber, Letter Carrier.

?A Happy New Year? 1889

John E. Cranfield, Route No. 14.

Ye Penny Post, 1839. Ye Letter Carrier, 1889.

Horatio J. Brinkman

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sat, 26 Dec 2020 02:49:06 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"May joy be around you."

A Victorian-era calling card with a winter theme for Christmas.

See also a card for Harry Sprenkil that uses the same illustration.

Season's Greetings from the Dé Lardis, 1938

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sat, 26 Dec 2020 02:15:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"The Dé Lardis. 1938 Season's Greetings."

Photographer Alfred A. Dé Lardi (1900-1993) created this small but unique greeting card that superimposed photos of himself, his wife Dorothy, and his daughters Janice and Yvonne onto individual playing cards (plus there's an extra card that doesn't have a photo). Since there's a total of three queens and two kings (three of a kind and a pair), I think he was suggesting that there was a "full house" at the Dé Lardi residence in 1938!

Alfred Dé Lardi was a well-known photographer who worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper, Holiday magazine, and various companies, including the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Philadelphia Electric Company.

He taught photography courses at a number of schools and colleges in the Philadelphia area, and he also authored or edited a number of books on photography, such as Let's Make a Portrait (1937), Your Child's Portrait (1937), and Ships and Water (1938).

A collection of Dé Lardi's works was held by the Philadelphia History Museum, and a finding aid, Alfred A. Dé Lardi Negatives and Photographs, circa 1929-1964, was formerly available through the University of Pennsylvania Libraries (unfortunately, the Philadelphia History Museum closed in 2018, but there are plans underway to transfer its collections to Drexel University).

I'd like to acknowledge Gary Discavage, a dealer at Apple Hill Antiques in State College, Pa., who graciously gave me this photographic greeting card. Gary originally received the card from Alfred Dé Lardi, who was his friend and neighbor when he lived in Philadelphia. Thanks, Gary!

Paper Moon with Finnish Christmas Greeting, 1914

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 04:22:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A young woman posing with a paper moon. The sign in front of her says, "Hauskaa Joulua Ja Onnea Vuodelle, 1914-1915."

Google translation from the Finnish: "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, 1914-1915."

This is an unmailed real photo postcard with an Azo stamp box (four corner triangles pointing up) on the other side, which suggests a time frame—1904 to 1918—that matches the holiday season—1914-1915—indicated on the sign in the photo.

A Thanksgiving Greeting from the United States Capitol

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 15 Nov 2020 22:58:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A couple of turkeys arrive at (or depart from?) the United States Capitol Building, Washington, D.C., in this illustration from a Thanksgiving postcard dated 1910.

The postcard is addressed on the other side to "Mrs. Geo Hamlin, 9 Dean[e] St., Portland, Me.," and postmarked in New York City on November 23, 1910.

Handwritten message: "Rena & Geo out for a ride. Best love to both of you & hope you have a happy Thanksgiving. Kitty."

Rena (1882-1974) and George Hamlin (1882-1958) were both twenty-eight years old and had been married for about three years when they received this postcard. It's possible that Kitty, the sender of the card, was Catherine Lewis, Rena's mother.

For some other turkey motorists, see Thanksgiving Day Fugitives and A Wingless Steed Will Take the Winner to a Fine Thanksgiving Dinner.

Acquaintance Card Confidential

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 18 May 2020 02:29:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

An acquaintance card dating to the late nineteenth or early twentieth century.

If you look closely, you'll see that the printer mistakenly used a "u" instead of an "n" to spell "and." I had to read through the text a couple of times before I even noticed the error.

Confidential

Miss: If you desire to form my acquaintance, please state time and place on blank space.

Henry Swartz, Dealer in Dry Goods, York, Pa.

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 18 May 2020 02:31:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A late nineteenth-century business card for Henry Swartz's dry goods store in York, Pennsylvania.

The typeface used for "Henry Swartz" is Antique Extended. Thanks go to Florian Hardwig for the identification.

Henry Swartz,

Dealer in Dry Goods, Groceries, Notions, Queensware, &c., &c., &c.
No. 229 South George Street, York, Pa.

Experience in the business and strict attention enables him to render general satisfaction.

Country produce bought and sold.

Dry Goods. Gazette, Pr.

Easter Chick Recital

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 16:04:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"A Happy Easter." These strange but distinguished chick musicians appear on a postcard that was postmarked in Baltimore, Md., on April 5, 1912.

H. E. Grothe—Calling Card with Photograph

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 11 May 2020 04:14:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A calling card for "H. E. Grothe" with attached photo. I purchased this from a dealer in Seattle, Washington, who obtained it along with other calling cards (without photographs) from an estate sale in Idaho.

For other photo calling cards, see:
-- Warren Perkins
-- Miss Ellen Sophia Auchey
-- Irwin G. Waggener

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.

Order of Railroad Telegraphers, 1915

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 05:57:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"The Order of Railroad Telegraphers, issued to B. H. Harding. Good until December 31st, 1915, unless revoked. H. B. Perham, president. L. W. Quick. grand secretary and treasurer."

Order of Railroad Telegraphers Membership Card, 1900

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 07:33:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A membership card for the Order of Railroad Telegraphers (ORT). As Wikipedia explains, "telegraphers would be stationed in individual depots along the railroad line in order to receive train orders from a centrally located dispatcher and report back on train movements; telegraphed train orders would be written out on paper and 'handed up' to the crews of passing trains."

See also a 1915 version of the ORT membership card.

The Order of Railroad Telegraphers

Issued to L. W. Ricker.

Good until June 30th 1900 unless revoked.

W. V. Powell, president. H. B. Perham, secretary and treasurer.

The Order of Railroad Telegraphers, Grand Division.

Happy New Year 1911 from the Morgans

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 04:48:57 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"Happy New Year — 1911 — from the Morgans."

A real photo postcard greeting from the Morgan family, location unknown.

New Year Mushrooms and Snails—Viel Glück im Neuen Jahr

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 04:46:06 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"Viel Glück im neuen Jahre."

"Good luck in the New Year" is the message on this early twentieth-century German postcard featuring a snail chauffeur with two mushroom passengers.

1910—A Happy New Year

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 04:43:12 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"1910. A Happy New Year."

A gold and purple New Year's postcard from 1910.