Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: piers

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A photo of a dock or a pier for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. This is a 1957 snapshot of the Steel Pier , an amusement pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Billed as "The Show Place of the Nation," the pier hosted a variety of shows and acts, including a diving horse and a bicycle-riding bear. When I purchased this photo, however, I didn't realize that it showed a bear and a woman riding bikes on the high platform visible on the left-hand side (mouse over the image to see an enlargement ). After I spotted the bear, I still couldn't imagine that you could train an animal like that to climb a ladder and ride a bicycle. But a YouTube clip of the Bicycle-Riding Bear that's part of The Nieroslavski Family at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, N.J. --filmed during summer 1960--provides a glimpse of how the bear performed its act. Attitudes toward animal acts have changed over the past fifty years, however, and making a bear ride a bicycle seems inhumane and dangerous by today's standards. As far as I've been able to determine, there are no longer any bicycling bears or diving horses in Atlantic City.

"5/1/1906. Come and join me in a bath. Bathing scene, Heinz Pier, Atlantic City, U.S.A. Seashore home of the 57 varieties." Addressed on the back to "Miss Sue I. Barger, 1307 Flora St., Phila., Pa." This amusing advertising postcard published by the H. J. Heinz Company features the Heinz Pier in the background and includes the food processing company's pickle logo and 57 Varieties slogan. The pier was destroyed by a hurricane in 1944. For another Heinz card from the early twentieth century, see H. J. Heinz Company, Main Plant and General Offices, Pittsburgh, Pa. :

This tinted real photo postcard shows the original Sewickley Bridge , which spanned the Ohio River between Sewickley and Moon Township in western Pennsylvania. Located about twelve miles northwest of Pittsburgh, the bridge was completed in 1911, dismantled in 1980 after significant deterioration, and replaced by a new bridge that opened in 1981. A Find A Grave search identified the final resting places of "Wesley Charlton" (probably Mark Wesley Charlton, Sr. , 1877-1921) and "Wm. Snowwhite" (probably William Snowwhite , 1886-1968). Charlton and Snowwhite likely lived in the area at the time the bridge was completed in 1911. I haven't been able to determine any other specific reason that they chose the bridge as the subject for the holiday postcard that they created that year. Greetings of the Season, Christmas, 1911 This is an exceptional view of the Ohio river bridge and the only one of its kind in existence. It was obtained through an unique process by Wesley Charlton and the plate and product are the exclusive property of Wm. Snowwhite, the sender.

"A barrel of fun at the Steeplechase Pier, Atlantic City."

A red-border Kodachrome slide, circa 1959. Hot Rods zoom around the track while Satellite Jets fly through the air at Hunt's Pier in Wildwood, New Jersey. For additional photos, see the Hot Rods page and the Miscellaneous page (for Satellite Jets) on Ralph Grassi's Funchase site.

A red-border Kodachrome slide, circa 1959. A couple poses for a photo as Satellite Jets whiz through the air and the Merry-Go-Round revolves around and around at Hunt's Pier in Wildwood, New Jersey. For additional photos of the the Satellite Jets and Merry-Go-Round, see the Miscellaneous page on Ralph Grassi's Funchase site.

A Guild Color Processing slide, circa 1959. The Flyer roller coaster promises "A Thrilling Ride Over the Ocean" (the words are only partially visible beneath the sign) at Hunt's Pier , an amusement pier located along the boardwalk in Wildwood, New Jersey. For additional views of this roller coaster, see The Flyer page on Ralph Grassi's Funchase site.

Printed on the back of this real photo postcard: "J. A. Walk Studios, Philadelphia, Pa., Atlantic City, N.J. Opp. Million Dollar Pier entrance." For a similar souvenir photo, see The Jolly Crew of Atlantic City Life Boat No. 5 .

Handwritten on the back of this photo: "Atlantic City, N.J."