Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: roofs

The skin of a large eastern diamondback rattlesnake hangs from the side of a barn in this detail from a real photo postcard .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of a barn, farmhouse, or any variety of agricultural building . This is a real photo postcard of a bank barn with a gambrel roof and roof-ridge ventilators . Next to the barn is a sturdy stone silo . There's no name, address, postmark, or stamp box on the other side to indicate where or when the photo was taken. There is, however, a handwritten note that says, "Skin of a diamond rattler from Florida." I had to take a closer look to spot it, but that's apparently the skin of a large eastern diamondback rattlesnake hanging on the gable-end side of the barn.

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

A real photo postcard with a CYKO stamp box on the back that suggests a date between the 1900s and 1920s. The fellow in the photo doesn't seem to be too happy about the New Year.

Looks like good ol' Santa Claus and his reindeer are up on the housetop with lots of toys for all the girls and boys! This is a Victorian-era sample of an advertising trade card. "Christmas Card—Card No. 3. 3 colors."

For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard:

For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard:

A photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park showing how there's one in every crowd (a group of people posing with one silly/goofy person who throws the whole photo off, i.e.: sticking out tongue, bunny ears behind the head, etc.) . Oh, how nice! The carpenters and other workmen in this real photo postcard are posing with saws, hammers, and other tools to demonstrate how hard they've been working on the renovation of this house! But wait a second! One guy is lying down on the job!

Postmarked Washington, D.C., Feb. 13, 1907, and addressed to Miss Camilla Paule, 3322 Newark Street, Cleveland Park, Washington, D.C. No message or signature other than what's written on the front of the card (in German?--I had trouble deciphering it). "Serie 319" printed on the back of the card.

"Holiday Greetings of E. R. Barry, the Hanover St. Confectioner. Bufford." Although this advertising trade card likely dates to the 1880s or 1890s, E. R. Barry continued in business into the twentieth century, as evidenced by the text of an advertisement in The Manchester [New Hampshire] Directory, 1908 (Boston: Sampson and Murdock, 1907): "E. R. Barry Co., confectioners, caterers, and bakers, ice cream, etc. Dinner served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 35 cents. Odd Fellows' Block, 81 and 89 Hanover Street, Manchester, N.H." See below for some other Victorian trade cards that feature Santa Claus:

A haunted house photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. There's no question that the house in this undated real photo postcard was haunted. We can see that an ectoplasmic substance was flowing down from the roof of the house and drifting toward the men and women below. I don't want to think about what happened to the unsuspecting group when the ectoplasm reached them. In addition, the radiating beams of energy visible in the lower right-hand corner could only have emanated from a ghostly orb just out of camera range. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the orb drifted right through the front door of the haunted house, startling the photographer and causing the photo to be off-kilter. Of course, some investigators are likely to dismiss this clear-cut evidence of haunting as a light leak or some other imperfection in the photo, but I think that the malevolent nature of these paranormal manifestations is obvious. I'm sad to report that I don't have any further information regarding the fate of the photographer or the individuals in the photograph.

A people on rooftops photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. A souvenir "Rockefeller Center Roof Studio" photo, taken 850 feet and 70 stories above street level in New York City, probably sometime in the 1940s. The Empire State Building is the tall skyscraper visible behind the man, and 500 Fifth Avenue is the one on the left. Today, this is the south view from what is now the "Top of the Rock" observation deck on the roof of the GE Building (formerly the RCA Building and soon to be renamed the Comcast Building). Also called "30 Rock" because its address is 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the building's nickname was the inspiration for the name of Tina Fey's popular 30 Rock sitcom, which aired from 2006 to 2013.

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.

"Say, mister, it's no use you going down that dirty chimney: jes give me the presents and I'll take them down and save you the time." Sent to Mrs. Ella Haglette, Allensville, Mifflin County, Pa., in 1908. See also Wait a Moment Till I See If You've Got All the Things I Ordered (below).

I sure hope Santa gets a new airplane this year! He's still making deliveries with his old biplane. 8-) Postmarked Airydale, Pa., Dec. 24, 1910.

I hope that plane has air brakes! Christmas Greetings Let's light the Yule-log old Santa to greet When he slides down the chimney white with snow It lies there crackling and glowing with heat, And my wishes for you warmly glow.

"Try Atmore's Mince Meat and Genuine English Plum Pudding." Santa looks likes he's sending plum pudding bombs down the chimney to surprise the unsuspecting inhabitants!