Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: rebus

A camping/tents photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Judging by the banner hanging above the tents, Camp Chicken is the name of this encampment. Three women and a child pose in front of the three tents on the right. On the other side, a man is lying in a hammock, and behind him is a boy and another man, both of whom are sitting on chairs. A breeze blowing through the woods has blurred the large American flag flying above the kitchen tent, and some of the smaller flags hanging above the openings to the other tents are also blurred. Sunlight filtering down through the trees has formed a dappled pattern in the clearing. This is an unused real photo postcard with an Azo stamp box on the other side (four corner triangles pointing up) that indicates a date that may be as early as 1904 to 1918. For similarly in-tents scenes, see Tents at Raise 'ell Camp, Cooks Mill, Pennsylvania , Bob White Camp , and The Methodist Church Choir Camp, 1908 .

This rebus puzzle sheet is left over from the time when photocopiers and fax machines were the technologies used to share jokes. This specific version of the sheet dates to December 17, 1998. Although the days of photocopy humor and faxlore are long gone, Rick Archer has attempted to trace the origin of this piece. He first encountered a slightly different version of the Christmas rebus puzzle in 1996, and he has compiled his findings about its history on his Original Christmas Puzzle Web page (he also posted an answer sheet ). See below for the answers to the rebuses on this photocopy: Identify the Christmas Songs from the Pictures - Answers 1. Jingle Bells 2. Walking in a Winter Wonderland 3. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town 4. Joy to the World 5. Up on the House Top 6, O, Come All Ye Faithful 7. I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas 8. What Child Is This? 9. We Three Kings of Orient Are 10. Deck the Halls 11. I Saw Three Ships 12. O Christmas Tree 13. O Holy Night 14. The First Noel 15. The Twelve Days of Christmas 16. Away in a Manger 17. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus 18. All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth 19. Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire 20. It Came Upon the Midnight Clear 21. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow 22. Silent Night 23. O Little Town of Bethlehem 24. Silver Bells

The back of a small novelty ticket (or, more specifically, a "through check" or "seat check") used by T. E. Metzgar, who was a conductor on the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad . For more information, see the front of the ticket (below). Through Check - Erie to . . . Langdon's - 9.0 Waterford - 18.5 Union - 26.2 Corry - 37.0 Spring Creek - 44.0 Garland - 50.0 Irvineton - 59.7 Warren - 65.5 Sheffield - 78.8 Ludlow - 85.4 Kane - 94.5 Wilcox - 103.7 Johnsonburg - 110.1 Ridgway - 118.2 St. Mary's - 128.3 Rathbun - 137.5 Emporium - 149.1 Cameron - 155.0 Sterling - 158.6 Driftwood - 167.6 Round Island - 177.8 Keating - 182.7 Westport - 189.3 Renovo - 195.2 Lock Haven - 222 Williamsport - 248 Sunbury - 288 Harrisburg - 344 Philadelphia - 449 Baltimore - 426 New York - 443 Good for this day and train only. With any other conductor it is useless. If you wish to stop over, notify the conductor.

Despite its discoloration, this small novelty ticket for the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad (1861-1907) is notable for its use of rebuses (see my translations of the pictures, numbers, and letters below) to indicate the children's fares and to request that passengers keep their feet off the seats. The back of the ticket (see below) indicates that this was a "Through Check." On railways where they're still used today, through checks are more commonly called seat checks. As I understand it, a conductor typically first inspects a passenger's train ticket, marks the destination on a seat check, and then places the check on or above the passenger's seat. This allows the conductor to keep track of passengers and which stops they need to get off at. Apparently, T. E. Metzgar was the only conductor who used a seat check like this, since it specifies on the back, "Good for this day and train only. With any other conductor it is useless." My best guess, then, is that Metzgar had these printed himself and may have used them on special occasions or perhaps just for children. Has anyone else seen anything similar? Philadelphia & Erie R.R. Rebus: "Key-P UR Boots & Shoes off the Seats." Translation: "Keep your boots and shoes off the seats." T. E. Metzgar, conductor. Rebus: "5 Children Free." Translation: "Children under 5, free." Rebus: "12 Children 5 Half Fare" Translation: "Children over 5 and under 12, half fare."

"Clarence E., York, Penn'a." I think that this roughly cut card is intended to be a calling card with a puzzling last name in the form of a rebus . I haven't been able to figure out what the name might be--Clarence E. Eishart ("Eyes-heart") is one possibility, I suppose. Any other ideas? Update: This is probably Clarence E. Eisenhart (eyes and heart). See my note below in the comments section.

Rebus: "Eye AM Uriah E. Heckert. W-Hoe T-He Devil R Yew?" Translation: "I am Uriah E. Heckert. Who the devil are you?" Acquaintance cards--like this rebus version--continue to attract some media attention. The latest is a Daily Mail posting by Annabel Fenwick Elliott on April 24. See her discussion of these "cheeky cards": " May I Have the Pleasure of Seeing You Home?' The 'Flirtation Cards' 19th-Century Men Used to Woo Ladies (But They Had to Be Returned If She Wasn't Interested) ."

A Farmer's Love Letter Do you care at ( carrot ) all for me, for my heart beats ( beets ) for you and my love is as soft as a squash but as strong as an onion . For you are a peach with your reddish ( radish ) hair and turned-up ( turnip ) nose. You are the apple of my eye, so if we can't elope ( cantaloupe ) then let us ( lettuce ) marry anyhow, for I know we could make a happy pair ( pear )." For a fill-in-the-blanks version , see below: