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

Some Trouble!

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 06:41:02 +0000

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of a written caption or comment (added to the front or back of a photo, the funnier or snarkier the better).

Handwritten caption: "Some Trouble!" License plate: "2352. Mass." (the year on the plate is illegible).

Looks like the photographer had some trouble with an unintended triple exposure. The photo was cut from an album and trimmed unevenly like this when I purchased it.

Doggie in the Car Window

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 01 May 2023 02:45:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of dog behind the wheel (or a canine or feline anywhere in or near a car or other type of vehicle).

The driver in this snapshot is looking at the camera but the dog in the back seat is peering at something more interesting in the opposite direction. There's no date on the photograph, and I haven't been able to determine the make or model of the car.

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.

Standing on a Steamer

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 04:27:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A waiting photo (sort of) for the Vintage Photos Theme Park with three men posing and waiting for the photographer to snap the picture. It's also a men on machines photo for the VPTP monthly free-for-all topic (submit as many vintage photos on any topic as you'd like).

The photo shows a couple of guys posing on top of a steam engine while a fellow down below—with his sleeves rolled up and a shovel in his hands—does the dirty work.

It looks the steam engine is in working order—there's a belt around the flywheel on the other side—but the boiler obviously isn't hot enough to prevent the guys from positioning themselves above it.

For another photo of men on a machine, see Steamrolling over the Waves.

A Teacher on Her Way to School in Her Own Private Automobile

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 15:22:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A double-exposure trick photo of a woman pushing herself on a wheelbarrow. The double exposure did produce an amusing photo, but the photographer had to add white outlining at the bottom to make the wheelbarrow stand out from the dark streak that runs vertically through the center of the photo.

This is a real photo postcard postmarked in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on October 1, 1908, and addressed to Miss Flossie Minch, Waldo, Wisconsin. The sender of the postcard, who's the woman pushing and riding the wheelbarrow, was a schoolteacher. She identified herself only by her initials—N.B.—on the other side of the card. (It's possible, I suppose, that a schoolteacher might use N.B. as the abbreviation for the Latin phrase nota bene, but my guess is that these are the initials of her name.)

The message that N.B. wrote on the front of the card (to the left of the photo) has been erased, but enough of it remains that I was able to decipher it. Her written caption for the photo was: "On my way to school in my own private automobile. Ha. Ha."

Here's my transcription of N.B.'s message on the other side of the card:

Hello Floss, How are you spending these cold days? I enjoy teaching ever so much. Have 21 pupils.

Regards to Miss Thomas, Miss Patterson, Miss Stratton.

N.B. Sheb., Wis., c/o Mr. J. Kuemmet, R.#4.

Love to all the girls.

For some other double-exposure trick photos with wheelbarrows and wagons, see:

-- A Man Simultaneously Pushing and Riding a Wheelbarrow
-- A Man Pushing Himself on a Wheelbarrow
-- A Woman Pulling Herself on a Wagon
-- Girls Pulling Themselves on a Wagon

Buchu-Paiba—Rescued from Kidney and Bladder Affections

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 04:37:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

An elaborate nineteenth-century advertising trade card for Buchu-Paiba, a patent medicine that supposedly cured kidney, bladder, and urinary diseases.

Buchu-Paiba

"'Buchu-Paiba,' quick, complete cure [for] all annoying kidney diseases, $1."

Words in the water: "Rescued from kidney and bladder affections."

Flags: "Rough on Rats" and "Wells' Health Renewer."

"Mayer, Merkel & Ottmann, Lith., N.Y."

Excerpts from the ads printed on the back of the card:

"Mother Swan's Worm Syrup. For fever, restlessness, worms, constipation. Tasteless. Perfectly harmless, but the most effective worm destroyer extant."

"Rough on Rats. 15c boxes. Clears out rats, mice, roaches, flies, mosquitos, bed bugs, insects, skunk, weasel gophers, chipmunks, moles, musk rats, etc."

"Wells' Rough on Corns. Complete cure."

"'Bucha-Paiba.' Quick, complete cure, all annoying kidney and urinary diseases. $1.00 at druggists."

"E. S. Wells, manufacturer and proprietor, Jersey City, N.J. U.S.A."

John B. Martin, Bicycle Trick Rider, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, ca. 1903

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 04:40:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

The Lancaster City Directory for 1903 listed John B. Martin (1875-1906) as a bicycle repairer and gave his address as 421 N. Prince Street, so it seems likely that this business card with the same information dates to about the same time.

I haven't uncovered any information regarding Martin's career as a trick rider, nor have I found any reference to the athletic grounds and banked bicycle track that he operated on Prince Street.

Martin died on March 19, 1906. He was only 30 years old and left behind three young daughters.

David Bachman Landis of Pluck Art Printery printed Martin's business card.

J. B. Martin, Wheels to Hire

Martin the Trick Rider.

First-Class Bicycle Repairing. Athletic Grounds in the Rear.

Come and see the new banked Bicycle Track.

421 N. Prince St., Lancaster, Pa.

Half square north of the P.R.R. freight depot.

Philadelphia Electric Company Wheel Chart, ca. 1930s (Side 2)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 30 Sep 2018 16:17:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

The reverse of an advertising wheel chart promoting the use of electricity. For more information, see the front side.

The average cost of operating an electric refrigerator of about 7 cu. ft. capacity is $1.40 per month.

The cost to heat water on the off peak heat storage rate for an average family using a 50 gallon electric heater is about $3.50 per month.

The cost of using an electric range for an average family is less than $3.00 per month.

Note: The hours of use shown on the other side are based on the cost of current in each step of the Residence Tariff.

Whitehead-Hoag, Newark, N.J.

Philadelphia Electric Company Wheel Chart, ca. 1930s

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sun, 30 Sep 2018 16:17:04 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

In January 1934, the Philadelphia Electric Company (now PECO) was the first utility to license the Reddy Kilowatt character to promote electricity usage, according to Wikipedia. The early date may explain why Reddy's first name is misspelled as "Ready" on this advertising wheel chart, which demonstrates how far 5 cents worth of electricity goes in operating appliances like clocks, coffee percolators, and radios.

See also the other side of this wheel chart.

Philadelphia Electric Company

For 5c spent for electricity you can operate your electric appliances fort the number of hours indicated in opening, says Ready Kilowatt (Your Electrical Servant).

Hours--If your monthly electric bill is from 75c to $2.75; $2.75 to $5.00; over $5.00.

100 watt lamp. Hand iron. Vacuum cleaner. Washer. Radio. Toaster. Percolator. Fan. Clock. 60 watt lamp.

Lewis Metzler and His Bicycle, Williamsport, Pa., June 1921 (Full Version)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 16:29:18 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

For more information, see the cropped version of this real photo postcard.

Lewis Metzler and His Bicycle, Williamsport, Pa., June 1921

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 16:29:20 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

The boy posing with his bike on this real photo postcard is identified on the other side as "Lewis Metzler" and the location is indicated as "Williamsport, Pa." A date of "June 1921" is written on the front of the card (see the full version).

Going Some with the Humdinger of Seattle!

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 16:49:07 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

"Going Some! The Hum-dinger of Seattle."

Written on the back of this real photo postcard: "May 6, 1913 in Seattle, Wash. To Bro. John"

A studio photo depicting what appears to be alcohol-fueled nautical maneuvering in the vicinity of Seattle, Washington.

Judging by a similar Hum-dinger photograph that's part of the Seattle Photograph Collection at the University of Washington Libraries, this photo came from the Joy Parlor Studio, which billed itself as "the home of the cowboy post cards" and was located at 207 2nd South in Seattle.

For an uncropped copy of the photo postcard, see Going Some with the Humdinger of Seattle! (Full Version).

Going Some with the Humdinger of Seattle! (Full Version)

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 16:49:05 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

For more information, see the cropped version of this real photo postcard.

Girls Pulling Themselves on a Wagon

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 22:16:48 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park that has us seeing double (a photo with 2 things/people that are the same or that look the same).

A real photo postcard that uses a double exposure to show two girls who are inexplicably pulling the same wagon that they're riding in. This trick photo is so well done that I haven't been able to detect the dividing line between the two exposures.

Compare this photo with these others in which the trick is more obvious:

Roy Peiffer on Strunk's Studio Horse, Reading, Pennsylvania

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sat, 21 May 2016 22:36:40 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

Intended as a rocking horses photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

Handwritten on the back of this cabinet card photo: "Roy Peiffer, cousin. Born about 1905." (If the name and date are correct, then this may be Roy Peiffer, 1905-1990.)

Photographer: "Strunk, cabinet portraits, 730 Penn St., Reading, Pa."

I've been planning all week to use this photo as my rocking horse. On Flickr, I found a similar photo that's titled "The Rocking Horse Winner" - circa 1890 Cabinet Card. It's from the same studio and shows a little boy standing beside the same horse.

I was surprised and disappointed, however, when I did some more searching yesterday and discovered another cabinet photo with the horse that's for sale on a military antiques Web site. Unlike my photo and the one on Flickr, the third photo on the antiques site clearly reveals that the horse is standing on a wooden base with four wheels--there are no rockers.

Since I won't have a chance to get another photo ready to post before the end of the week, I'll have to throw myself on the mercy of the court and ask the indulgence of my fellow Theme Parkers. If anyone objects to my submission of a wheeled--rather than a rocking--horse for this week's theme, I'll gladly withdraw it.

The Modern Farmer

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 18:30:52 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A 1909 real photo tall-tale postcard by William H. Martin.

For a similar postcard with an automobile and oversized apples, see Apples–How We Do Things at Fearnot, Pa.:

A Pedal Car for Christmas

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 19:45:02 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A photo in colour for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

A boy and his toys--a pedal car and teddy bear--in a hand-colored Christmas photo, circa 1930s, from the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, area.

Also worth noting: the small wicker chair that teddy's sitting on, the decorations on the Christmas tree, and the nativity scene below the tree.

This is the same little fellow driving this same car out in the yard in the Sonny, Bunny, and Dummy photo:

Sonny, Bunny, and Dummy

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 18:48:36 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

A boy and his toys--a pedal car, tricycle, wheelbarrow, stuffed bunny, and ventriloquist's dummy. Circa 1930s, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, area.

Skullmobile

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 17:59:22 +0000

Alan Mays has posted:

I'm not sure what to make of this strange vintage postcard. Perhaps it's delivering a message about drinking and driving, or possibly there's a moral about hifalutin folks who party too much hidden in there somewhere. Or maybe it's just showing us something similar to a Batmobile, only with a skull. 8-)

How Quickly Can You Stop?

nobody@ipernity.com (Alan Mays) — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 21:06:41 +0000

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For the other side of this wheel chart, see the Keystone Automobile Club Safe Driving Calculator (below).

"How Quickly Can You Stop? The average stopping distances in the Keystone Calculator are based on the average breaking distance plus the distance covered in ¾ of a second, which is the average 'reaction time,' the period which elapses between the instant danger is observed and the actual application of the brakes. . . . Keystone Automobile Club. The Motorist's Friend Since 1906."