Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: 1920

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of telephones . This is a real photo postcard used as an advertisement by the Keely Stove Company of Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The card dates to 1920, and it shows a woman with a candlestick telephone . She's getting married and wants a Keely Columbian Stove just like her mother has, so she's telephoning Herr & Co. in Lancaster, Pa., to order one. In other versions of the ad that I spotted online, the same woman is phoning J. A. Best & Co. in Allentown, Pa., and Bennett & Billington in Canajoharie, N.Y. I have another copy of this postcard that was addressed to Miss Fannie Groff, Kirkwood, Lanc. Co., Pa., R.R.#1, and mailed in New Providence, Pa., on Nov. 3, 1920. The handwritten message on that copy doesn't refer to the advertisement itself but the writer does mention "phoning" and "call[ing] . . . on the phone": "Tue. eve. [Nov. 2]. Dear Fannie, I received your letter this morning. I guess you think I am a great one for not phoning to you, but I was so busy today. And Jacob came up to vote [Warren G. Harding won the U.S. presidential election held that day], and because it rained he is staying up so I was not at Margie's to stay all night. Fannie, I won't be down this week, but I will come next Fri. eve. as far as I know now, if it suits you. We are invited to a kitchen shower on Sat. eve. Write to let me know if it will suit. And I will write later or call you up on the phone. R.E.M." History of this Genuine Photo The mother of this young lady has a Columbian Stove manufactured by The Keely Stove Co., Columbia, Pa. She is about to get married and telephones to Herr & Co., 7 E. King St., Lancaster, Pa., for she wants one just like Mother's. 515. Schaefer Ross Co., Inc., Rochester, N.Y.

David Bachman Landis of Landis Art Press (formerly Pluck Art Printery ) printed this Halloween party ticket for the sophomore class of a local high school or college. Perhaps it was for students at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and they may have taken the special 7:00 p.m. streetcar from Lancaster to East Petersburg, which is located about six miles away. Or possibly it was for a group in East Petersburg itself. Compare this ticket with two others that Landis that printed, one for a dance held two days later-- Hell'o'een Masked Dance Ticket, Lancaster, Pa., October 29, 1920 --and another for a dance that took place two years later-- Black Cat Dance Ticket, Lancaster, Pa., October 27, 1922 . Soph. Barn Party East Petersburg, October 27, 1920. Special car leaves square 7:00 p.m. Price per couple, $.150 [$1.50?].

I'm guessing that a masquerade held near the end of the month of October in the year MCMXX (or 1920 in Arabic numerals) would have had something to do with Halloween. One of the classes—juniors, sophomores, or freshmen—at an unidentified high school or college evidently created this invitation to ask the seniors to come to a party "garbed in costumes appropriate for th' occasion." Also, someone used a pencil on the invitation to darken the masquerader's ruffle and add lines to some of the squares in the plaid clothing design. A Masquerade! When? Saturday, October 25, MCMXX at 7:30 o'clock. Where? In the Conference Rm., News Bld'g. Hark, ye seniors: come garbed in costumes appropriate for th' occasion.

See also Black Cat Dance Ticket, Lancaster, Pa., October 27, 1922 for another Halloween dance held in Hiemenz's Auditorium. Hell'o'een Masked Dance Hiemenz Auditorium, Friday, Oct. 29. Kiphorn's Orchestra. Admission, 60 cts.

A Halloween pickle-pumpkin person postcard! Postmarked: Howard City, Mich., Oct. 29, 1920. Addressed to: Mrs. Ida Roush, Coral, Mich. R.F.D. Handwritten message: "Howard City, Oct. 27. Dear Ida, Will be down Sun. if the weather is good. If you have anything else on, call and let me know and we can come some other time. Lovingly, Ida Gates."

The choice of a nation. Red Seal Dry Battery. Guaranteed for all open circuit work. For ignition and all other work requiring high amperage. Red Seal Dry Battery. For ignition and all work requiring high amperage. Positively guaranteed for all open circuit work. A battery suitable for every use. Battery of 5 dry cells connected in series. Voltage about 7½. Amperage above 20. Battery of 10 dry cells connected in multiple series. Voltage about 7½. Amperage above 40. The guarantee protects you. Ideal Auto Co., 19-21 S. 9th St., Lebanon, Pa. 1919. 1920.

A weather photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park . Handwritten on the back of this real photo postcard: "This picture was taken right after it stopped hailing on Sunday, May 2nd, 1920. Some hail believe me." Although there's no postmark or notation to identify where this photo was taken, it seems likely that the hail pictured here was the result of the same weather system that produced the tornado that devastated the small town of Peggs, Oklahoma , on May 2, 1920. The twister hit Peggs around 8:30 p.m., destroyed most of the town's buildings, killed 71 people, and injured about a hundred more. The National Weather Service still ranks the tornado as the third deadliest in Oklahoma since 1882 .

Handwritten on the back of this real photo postcard: "1920 at Palisades Park. First I ever saw Grandma and Grandpa."