Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: camps

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of X marks the spot (an X to indicate something or someone on the photo) . "C.M.T.C. Camp" is the label that appears below the main tent area in this photo, which is credited in the lower right-hand corner to the "Chicago Aerial Survey Co." This is a real photo postcard, and the type of Azo stamp box (with squares in all four corners) printed on the other side suggests that the card dates between 1924 and 1949. Over 400 tents are visible in the photo, and the message that's part of the image says: "Had a fine trip here, all O.K. Here is my home for a month. X marks my tent. Everything looks fine so I'm sure I will like it here. Will write a letter soon." The postcard is unused, however, and no one has added an X to indicate a tent. This C.M.T.C. Camp was located in Illinois at Fort Sheridan (now closed except for the Sheridan Reserve Center ) and was one of about fifty Citizens' Military Training Camps , which were month-long training programs held each summer from 1921 to 1940 at U.S. Army posts.

A camping/tents photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Judging by the banner hanging above the tents, Camp Chicken is the name of this encampment. Three women and a child pose in front of the three tents on the right. On the other side, a man is lying in a hammock, and behind him is a boy and another man, both of whom are sitting on chairs. A breeze blowing through the woods has blurred the large American flag flying above the kitchen tent, and some of the smaller flags hanging above the openings to the other tents are also blurred. Sunlight filtering down through the trees has formed a dappled pattern in the clearing. This is an unused real photo postcard with an Azo stamp box on the other side (four corner triangles pointing up) that indicates a date that may be as early as 1904 to 1918. For similarly in-tents scenes, see Tents at Raise 'ell Camp, Cooks Mill, Pennsylvania , Bob White Camp , and The Methodist Church Choir Camp, 1908 .

"Stoverdale Camp. Season Ticket (Whole). M________. Not transferable. Present ticket at each meal." A meal ticket dated 1932 by the dealer I bought it from. This was evidently printed for use at the Stoverdale Camp Meeting grounds that were located near Hummelstown in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. For more examples of meal tickets, see Wallace Hotel Meal Ticket, Harrisburg, Pa. , The Lee House Meal Ticket , and Meal Ticket Good Only at Circle Bar, Reading, Pa. (below).

"Kendall Tourist Camp - 1½ miles west of Silver Creek, N.Y. Motor route U.S. 20 - phone Silver Creek 40-J. 4A-H572." For additional information and images, see the Kendall Tourist Camp page on the Chautauqua County, New York, web site.

Wisconsin photographer Alfred Stanley Johnson, Jr., created this fanciful scene of Boy Scouts roasting a larger-than-life potato over a campfire and published it as a postcard in 1912. This copy of the card was addressed to Mrs. Galen Groff, Kirkwood, Lanc. Co., Pa., R.F.D. #1, and was postmarked in Quarryville, Pa., on October 7, 1913. Handwritten message: "Oct. 7, 1913. Dear Aunt, As Ernest said, we were to come down for chestnuts. I thought I would write and tell you that Roy and I will be down on Sun. if it suits you and it don't rain, but if it doesn't suit you please let me know as it will be all right. Maud E."

Handwritten message on the back of this real photo postcard: "To yous all. This is a view of our tents. Rhoads and two of the clerks came down one night. Hunter." The seven Raise 'ell campers are sitting in front of their tents. What appears to be a quilt or coverlet is visible in the first open tent, and the man seated in front of that tent is still holding the shotgun he posed with in the first photo . Charles R. Rhoads was a pharmacist in the nearby town of Hyndman , Pa., in the 1900s and 1910s. Could he have been the Rhoads who--along with two of the clerks in his pharmacy--visited the camp? And how ironic is it--considering the guns that are visible in the photos and the hunting that presumably took place during the camping trip--that the writer's name is "Hunter"!

Handwritten message on the back of this real photo postcard: "This is the table where we had a many good meal those ten days. The lady at the end was a visitor. She brought 1 gal. of ice cream along." The seven Raise 'ell campers and a visitor are seated around the table where they had "a many good meal" during their stay. Perhaps they're eating the ice cream that the woman at right brought with her. Next to her are two milk cans, which were probably used to store water. The stream that's visible In the background is Wills Creek , which is still a popular fly-fishing destination today. Is that a Buster Brown outfit that the boy is wearing in this photo and the previous one ?

Handwritten message on the back of this real photo postcard: "This was the name of our camp at Cooks Mill where we was the last ten days of August." These seven campers have enough firepower--a couple of shotguns and a rifle--to "raise hell," as their sign suggests, but it's more likely they used their guns and rods for hunting and fishing (I'm not sure why the one woman is holding a tin horn, though). Their camping trip, which took place during August sometime in the 1900s or 1910s, is documented in these three photos (the one above and two more below). The location--Cooks Mill--was a small settlement in rural Bedford County, Pennsylvania, that was described in 1900 as having one store, a grist mill, and ten dwellings.

Caption on the front: "Nicollet Bay Camp Ground, Peninsula State Park , Wis. E-764." Postmarked: "Fish Creek, Wis., Sep 7, 1949." Addressed to: "Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Potter, Woodhull, Ill." Message on the back: "Labor Day. Dear folks: This is where we located--lovely weather, fine time. Everyone swell. Bye, Hilda & M."

A camping/tents photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. There wasn't any message or other information on this real photo postcard to indicate the date or location of Bob White Camp, unfortunately.

For the original photo, see American Beauties .

For the original photo, see American Beauties .

Although it's difficult to make out, the soldier at front middle is holding up a piece of cloth that looks like a pillowcase. Printed or embroidered on the cloth is an American flag along with the words "American Beauties." Notice, too, the soldier--perhaps a sergeant or other officer--at top middle who's standing head and shoulders above the rest. Rather than facing the camera like the others, he seems to be peering off in the distance at something out of the frame of the photo. Mouse over the image to see close-up views of sarge looking sideways and the pillowcase hold-up.

"The Pines, overnight cabins, dinners, gas, oil, cigars, Route 4, Hydeville, VT. Reasonable rates. Mrs. R. J. Wells, prop. A kozy kamp for tourists. Camp here."

A photo of faith, hope, and charity for the Vintage Photos Theme Park (any one of these themes or all 3, post up to 3 photos) . A real photo postcard of children who are standing around a fountain and displaying their patriotism and faith by saluting a flag and cross at Bible School Park, which was located in Johnson City, New York. A posting on the Davis College History blog (see Shall We Gather at the Fountain? ) reprints this same photo and explains that the fountain was originally built as part of an amusement park. The Practical Bible Training School later bought the park, and today it's the site of Davis College , a Bible college. A second blog posting (see Postcard of the Front Drive of PBTS Looking to Riverside ) shows another postcard and a contemporary view of where the fountain stood.

"Camp Geo. G. Meade, Middletown, Pa. ________ 1898. Horse Shoe Plug Tobacco is the best." Top portion of a letterhead or billhead sheet--with a flag illustration and an advertisement for Horse Shoe plug tobacco--that was evidently printed for use at Camp Meade in Middletown, Pa., during the military camp's existence between August 24 and November 17, 1898. The 45-star version of the United States flag as seen here was in use from 1896 to 1908 (see the Historical Progression of Designs section in Wikipedia's Flag of the United States entry). As Wikipedia explains, " Camp George G. Meade near Middletown, Pennsylvania was a camp established and subsequently abandoned by the U.S. Volunteers during the Spanish American War. . . . Camp Meade was established August 24, 1898, and soon thereafter was occupied by the Second Army Corps of about 22,000 men, under command of Maj. Gen. William M. Graham, which had been moved from Camp Alger in an attempt to outrun the typhoid fever epidemic. Camp Meade was visited by President William McKinley on August 27, 1898. . . . Camp Meade was abandoned about November 17, 1898."

Correspondence from "Marion" to "Charles" that 's constructed using words and illustrations cut out from one or more New York City newspapers in the manner of a stereotypical ransom letter. Charles was evidently a soldier in 1917 as World War I raged in Europe, and there are references to "the captain," "pass time," the Quartermaster Corps , and Madison Barracks that may provide clues to where he was stationed (300 miles away at Madison Barracks in Sackets Harbor , N.Y., perhaps?). The letter also mentions popular entertainments of the time--Ward's Jazz Band performing at dances, silent film actress Theda Bara appearing in Cleopatra at the Lyric Theatre on 42nd Street, and music playing on the Victrola . -------- Oct. 30, 1917 Dear Soldier, Latest news from New York. Friends and fellow citizens, hear us. Special gossip of a day. Prepare now. Advice free. Every time is pass time--nit. And the captain answered, this way out! The land of joy. Dance awhile, no charge for dancing. Splendid dance floor, Ward's Jazz Band, windows and light on all sides. Business before pleasure. See mummies come to life again when they see Theda Bara in Cleopatra, the William Fox production, Lyric Theatre, 42d St., W. of B'way . . . . Charles, now is the high cost of living so save rice. Don't marry. Oh, boy, take me to motion pictures at Madison Barracks and have lively music on Victrola. Have you fancy groceries and table luxuries at the Quartermaster Corps kamp? The very idea! We specialize in all kinds of sea food. I have a nice can of jam for you, big friend. Yours very truly, Marion

A photo of tents, including wigwams, yurts, etc. for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. A photo from the early days of automobile camping.