Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: empties

"The wee bit of shamrock we all love so well. Erin's Isle." Printed on the back of this postcard: "Raphael Tuck & Sons' Post Card Series No. 157 The Emerald Isle." Postmarked Portland, Maine, March 15, 1914, and addressed to Mr. Cou M. McCarthy, Tunnel, Broome County, N.Y. Handwritten message: "3-15-14. Dear Friend, I received your welcome letter and I will write to you in a few days. Alex Gibson."

A milk bottle collar (for wrapping around the top of a bottle) that served both as a humorous reminder to return empty bottles and as an order form to ask the milkman to deliver specific items (back when dairies used to make regular home deliveries). "Help keep down the cost of your milk by returning your empty bottles. Every unreturned bottle adds to the cost of delivering milk to your door. If you have any empties around your kitchen or basement, please return them." "Lady, please send me home. Empty." "Handy Order Blank. Place over return bottle. Please leave: ________. Name: ________. Address: ________." For an enlargement of the middle panel with the cartoonish milk bottle, see Lady, Please Send Me Home!

The center panel from a milk bottle collar that wrapped around the top of a bottle in order to remind customers who received home delivery of milk to return their empty bottles. For more information, see Milk Bottle Collar: Reminder and Order Form .

A Kodachrome slide dated July 1959.

"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.'"