Tickets and Passes

"Fifteenth Annual Ball of the Reliance Fire Co., January 1st, 1879, Lady's Invitation."

The Rev. John William Hamilton was founding pastor of the People's Church in Boston, where he served from 1875 to 1884. He was later elected as a bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church. This fundraising card provides evidence of the ambitious building program that took place during Hamilton's tenure at the church. According to The Centennial of New England Methodism (Boston, Mass: Crawford Brothers, 1891), ed. George A. Crawford, the construction of the People's Church took about seven years. "The corner-stone of the chapel and parsonage was laid May 27, 1877.... The corner-stone of the church-building itself was not laid until July 3, 1882, and the building was not opened for worship until Sunday, February 10, 1884" (pp. 508-9). The Owner of This Card Has Purchased One Brick in the People's Church Cor. of Columbus Avenue and Berkely St., Boston. The Rev. J. W. Hamilton, pastor. The edifice combines three buildings in one: the church, parsonage, and chapel. The main auditorium will seat 3000 people; the chapel opens into it, greatly increasing its capacity. No expensive tower or costly ornaments, and the church will be free. The Rev. D. W. Couch, financial agent. D. E. Poland, pres. and treas. board of trustees. "The rich and poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all." [Proverbs 22:2.]

"Grand Fireman's Dress Ball, American Fire Company, No. 5, at Fulton Hall, on Friday evening, March 8th, 1872. John Snyder, president, Rob't McDonnell, sec., Sam'l H. Price, treas. Tickets one dollar, to be prepaid."

"Commencement Exercises, Opera House, Friday, June 18, 1886, at 2 o'clock, p.m., afternoon only. Admit one."

"Good for a ride, Pittsburgh Traction Co., Pittsburgh & East Liberty."

"Iowa State Fair, Des Moines, Iowa, September 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Complimentary Pass: H. H. Harris, Lady, a/c C.B.&Q. R.Rd. Number 539. John R. Shaffer, secretary. Wm. T. Smith, president."

"Battle of Gettysburg. Scholar's ticket. This ticket and 15 cents admits a scholar to matinee." The Battle of Gettysburg , one of the bloodiest clashes during the American Civil War , began 150 years ago on July 1, 1863, when Union and Confederate forces met near the town of Gettysburg in south central Pennsylvania. This is an early student ticket for the Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama , a huge 360-degree panoramic painting that depicts a dramatic scene from the battle. The Gettysburg Cyclorama was created in 1884 for display in Boston, moved to Gettysburg in 1913 in time for the hundredth anniversary of the battle, and is now part of the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center .

"Come to the Barn Dance at Oratamin Farm, Tuesday evening, July 3rd, 1917, at 8 o'clock. Given by Blauvelt Equal Suffrage League. Admission, 25 cents."

"50c Banquet 50c. The Yellow Dogs will gnaw at the ancient relic in peace and harmony at the Coleman House, Thursday, March 8th, 1923, after the regular meeting." See also Angelica Paez's Order of Yellow Dogs membership card and my own Ancient, Honorable, Transcendental, and Effervescent Order of Yellow Dogs, 1924 membership card.

"Dorney Park Skee-Roll Alley, 2 coupons."

Stevens Bros. Circus Special Permit This permit entitles holder to kiss the big elephant's ass. Matinee performance only. Subject to federal tax. Issued by ________. Stevens Bros. Circus. An advertisement that appeared in the Circus Report , June 26, 1976 , p. 17, suggests how humorous permit cards like this may have been used: "Moochers Circus Pass. A few years back all billers and lithographers ahead of a circus carried these moocher passes for those 'pain in the neck' yahoos they ran into each day. They were also great to bring 'know-it-alls' down a peg. If you never saw one of these gems, they read 'Circus pass entitles the holder to Kiss the Great Big Elephant, etc. etc.' Nice business card stock, just a small supply."

"Brownstone & Middletown R.R. Co. Good for one passage. Waltonville to Brownstone. Good during year of issue. 2792. Allen K. Walton, president. Round trip. Return coupon." The Brownstone and Middletown Railroad Company transported passengers and cargo, especially the Hummelstown brownstone that was quarried nearby, along its four-mile route in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania . For additional information about the railroad and quarry, see Brownstone Quarry Near Hummelstown .

A Century of Progress, International Exposition, Chicago. Good for one admission to Fort Dearborn. Price 25¢ tax free. 1833-1933. L. R. Lohr, general manager. Rufus C. Dawes, president. A-216172.

"Texas Centennial Exposition, Dallas, extends to Mildred Zahn, Resettlement Administration, the courtesy of free admission to the gates of the exposition from June 6th to Nov. 29th, 1936. W. A. Webb, general manager. 1543." As Wikipedia explains, "The Texas Centennial Exposition was a World's Fair held at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas (USA) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Texas's independence from Mexico in 1836. . . . The exposition was credited for buffering Dallas from the Great Depression, creating over 10,000 jobs and giving a $50 million boost to the local economy." Sadly, William Alfred Webb , the general manager whose signature appears on the pass, died two months after the exposition opened. Mildred Zahn, the recipient of the pass, worked for the Resettlement Administration , which was "a New Deal U.S. federal agency that, between April 1935 and December 1936, relocated struggling urban and rural families to communities planned by the federal government."

"Free pass when presented at the door the night of the Buddy Deane Hop. All we ask in return is that you tell your friends about the Hop of the Year." -------- Winston "Buddy" Deane was the host of the Buddy Deane Show , which was a popular teen dance show that aired in Baltimore from 1957 to 1964. If you're familiar with the John Waters film (and later musical) Hairspray , then you may know that the Buddy Deane Show was the basis for the film's Corny Collins Show. Deane was also the disc jockey at record hops in Maryland and Pennsylvania during the late 1950s and early 1960s. These were advertised as a "Buddy Deane Hop" or the "Hop of the Year," and they were often sponsored by school and community groups as fundraising events. In the years following the release of the original Hairspray movie (1988), Deane deejayed again, this time for middle-aged fans at record hops in Baltimore . Buddy Deane passed away in 2003 at the age of seventy-eight.

"Free guest ticket. Admit one. This ticket will admit ________. Not good on Saturday or Sunday. Coswell Drive-In Theatre, Appomattox." The Coswell Drive-In apparently closed in 1980 or 81, unfortunately, and photos taken in 1997 show a crumbling movie screen and building.