Birds, Strange and Otherwise

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of amusement parks . This is a 1960s snapshot of the Gliding Swans ride at the Dutch Wonderland amusement park, which opened in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1963. Austen Dennison in his book, Dutch Wonderland (Arcadia Publishing, 2015), p. 21, provides some details about the swan-shaped vehicle: "A unique tram-like ride with a swan design was introduced in 1965. Beneath the swan overlay, the ride's framework consisted of a farm tractor with two trailers that carried passengers throughout the park. The Gliding Swans, as they were referred to in a 1966 pamphlet, operated for only three seasons before being removed due to increased foot traffic." For another photo from the park, see Amish Folks at Dutch Wonderland, Lancaster, Pa.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of birds (wild or domesticated) . Four women pose among the pigeons in the Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) in Venice, Italy, probably sometime in the 1920s. There's no stamp, postmark, or address on the other side of this real photo postcard, but one of the women wrote this message: "Yes, Lucy actually said we ought have her picture taken in this plebeian manner. The pigeons annoyed and scared us but otherwise we are perfectly happy." Printed on the other side: "Cartolina Postale" (Italian for "postcard") with a "Satrap" stamp box.

A nineteenth-century New Year calling card with a fanciful illustration. In the sky, a man is holding the reins connected to a pair of large birds who are pulling the airship that he and a female passenger are riding in. The initials "A.H.N.Y." on the airship's balloon stand for "A Happy New Year." Down below, a sailor on a ship is waving his hat as he hangs on to a mast next to a large banner that also displays a greeting for "A Happy New Year."

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of an accident waiting to happen . In this photo, four members of a family are posing in front of a fenced-in area for the chickens. It's a little disconcerting to see that the gun that the boy is holding over his shoulder is pointed directly at the man -- his father? -- standing behind him. The faded quality of the upper portion of the photo makes it difficult to see the faces of the man and two women, giving them an almost ghostly appearance. This is an image from a real photo postcard with no address, message, or stamp on the other side. The Azo stamp box (with two corner triangles pointing up and two pointing down) printed on the verso indicates that the photo may date to as early as 1910 to 1930.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of birds of a feather (whether proverbially sticking together or not) . Handwritten note on the other side: "Joe's Prize Rooster." This is a real photo postcard with a divided back and a type of Azo stamp box (with four corner triangles pointing up) on the other side that suggests a possible date that may be as early as 1907 to 1918. There's no address, postmark, or other information on the verso that would provide any additional clues to the date or location of the photo. See also the full version of the photo.

A real photo postcard featuring "Joe's Prize Rooster." See also a cropped version of the prize.