Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: farming

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 photo:

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

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

An on the farm photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. A photo showing a remarkable assortment of people, animals, and equipment on display in front of a large Pennsylvania barn . The dealer's tag on this cardboard-mounted photo identified the location as a farm near Quarryville , Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Mouse over the image above to see close-ups of the men, women, horses, cows, carriages, and plows visible in the foreground.

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

Mama cow and baby calf seem to be giving the photographer a sideways glance as the farmer and his family hold them in place to pose for the camera. See a cropped version for a close-up of the disgruntled bovines. The decorative mask--with its stylized flowers and curled-up edges--gives the appearance of a fancy photo frame. For a similar real photo postcard, see Man's Portrait in Elaborate Border .

Stamped on the back of this real photo postcard: "H. W. Haffley, photographer, Aaronsburg, Pa." The Holstein cow in the middle of the photo pauses to glance over at the photographer as the farmer hides behind two other cows on the right.

"Ontario Drill Company, East Rochester, N.Y. Eventually you will sell 'Ontario,' why not start now. Hoe or disc. H. Gamse & Bro., Lith., Balto., Md." An advertising ink blotter for the Ontario Drill Company, which manufactured grain drills and other agricultural equipment.

A gigantic corn borer caterpillar that's standing in the way of a farmer plowing his field is the startling illustration on the front cover of this May 1927 issue of Farm Mechanics , "a monthly magazine featuring farm improvements, machinery, equipment, farm buildings--for the farmer and the dealer." The grotesque caterpillar on the cover serves as the dramatic backdrop for an advertisement extolling the virtues of the tractors manufactured by the Hart-Parr Company, which merged with three other firms in 1929 to form the Oliver Farm Equipment Company . The illustration reminds me of the oversized animals and crops on tall-tale and exaggeration postcards . Excerpts from the advertisement on the cover: "Battle the Borer with Hart-Parr Power. Plow deep with Hart-Parr power and 16" Vulcan plows, covering completely all corn stalks and corn borers. Battle the borer with powerful, distillate-burning Hart-Parrs, the only tractors recommended to burn cheap, low grade fuels.... Get the facts on the tremendous power of Hart-Parr tractors, which operate all corn borer control machinery efficiently through belt, drawbar, and power take-off.... Hart-Parr Company, founders of the tractor industry, Charles City, Iowa."

A strike a pose photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Clowning around in a cornfield!

A real photo postcard. No date or location.

"The Land of Big Corn. Copyright 1909 by Martin Post Card Co."

The dealer from whom I bought this real photo postcard identified it as a North Dakota scene, and I'm guessing that it shows a threshing crew. I'm not sure what kind of steam engine they're using to power the threshing machine (which is presumably connected to the other end of the belt that extends beyond the left-hand side of the photo).

"Broad View Farm, Stearns Bros., props. Pure milk from our accredited herd. Telephone: 68-M. Rochester, N.H. Make sure your milk is a grade higher. Order it from Broad View Farm. January 1927. A splendid New Year's resolution--'I will return my empty milk bottles daily.'"