Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: explosions

"'Blasting stumps' on the Isted Farm. Whipple Photo." A dramatic real photo postcard showing the detonation of dynamite or some other explosive in an apparent attempt to clear tree stumps from a field. Evidently, though, the blast didn't look impressive enough, so the photographer drew on the negative to add large pieces of fake debris flying high into the air. It also appears that the photographer crossed out an earlier caption and wrote the words "blasting stumps" over it. I haven't been able to determine the location of "Isted Farm" or the identity of the "Whipple Photo" photographer.

A photo with decorative border or frame for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. "Reporting for diaper duty, sir!" With an elaborate border consisting of an eagle, flag, canons, bombs bursting in air, and other patriotic and military symbols, it's surprising that this real photo postcard features an image of a child rather than a soldier.

"Fotograph your boy before the 4th of July: you may not get a chance after." Macabre photographic advice from an early twentieth-century postcard. For more dark humor about Fourth of July fireworks, see The Glorious 4th of July / The 5th of July :

"Super Atomic Brand. Supercharged Flashlight Crackers. Super size, super report, super power, super flash. Made in Portuguese Macau. Lay on ground, light fuse, get away quickly."

A photo of something broken for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Handwritten note on the back of this real photo postcard: "Powder mill blew up, March 31, 1910." The remains of a powder mill following an explosion of the black powder (gunpowder) that was being manufactured in the building.

Printed on back: "S. B. 258."

Printed on back: "S. B. 258." Postmarked 1907.

Printed on back: "S. B. 258."

"With freedom's soil beneath our feet, and freedom's banner streaming o'er us." (Lines from Joseph Rodman Drake's poem, "The American Flag.")

And, kids, don't go shootin' up the town and scarin' the neighbors with all your guns, cannons, and fireworks!

"Copyright 1908, P. Sander N.Y." Handwritten on back of postcard: "From Momma for Clarence, July 4th, 1910."

"Pain's Last Days of Pompeii, Island Park, Harrisburg, Pa. Commencing July 4th, and every Tuesday and Saturday following, except July 5th. Last performance, August 5th." This trade card advertised a "pyrodrama," an elaborate outdoor theatrical spectacle with fireworks, that was based on Edward Bulwer-Lytton's historical novel, The Last Days of Pompeii (1834), and depicted the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii in AD 79. James Pain brought Last Days to Harrisburg, Pa., in 1890, and also produced it at Coney Island and Atlantic City in other years. For more information about Pain's pyrodrama, see the Pompeian Entertainments page of the J. Paul Getty's Museum's The Last Days of Pompeii exhibition.