Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: shaped

Note the cylinder phonograph on the sideboard, the kerosene lamp on the right, and the wallpaper in the background, See also the full version of this photograph and a photo of a similar cylinder phonograph .

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the monthly topic of family gatherings for Thanksgiving or other occasions . A family pauses for a photo before they dig in to their Thanksgiving dinner. Despite the turkey, pies, and other dishes on the table , my eye was drawn to the kerosene lamp hanging from the ceiling, the elaborate design of the wallpaper in the background, and the cylinder phonograph hidden in the shadows on the sideboard. See a cropped version of the photo for a better view of these items. For another photo with a similar phonograph, see Young Man Posing with an Edison Cylinder Phonograph . This is a real photo postcard with a divided back (introduced in 1907) but no stamp box, address, or message.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of something interesting or surprising in the background . . At first glance, this is a typical photo of a woman sitting on a chair. In the background, however, is a girl watching from the window, which seems a little spooky. This is a real photo postcard with a divided back. "R. B. Hunter, LisbellAw" is stamped in ink on the other side, but the card is otherwise unused. Could "LisbellAw" refer to the village of Lisbellaw in Northern Ireland?

What appears to be an odd game of hide-and-seek in a spooky forest is captioned "Peek-a-Boo, July 3, 1908," on the front of this real photo postcard. The image's irregular edges add to the strangeness of the scene. The imprint on the back—"W. W. Deatrick, Kutztown, Pa."—identifies this as a photo by William Wilberforce Deatrick (1853-1925), who was a longtime faculty member at what is now Kutztown University . Additional examples of Deatrick's photos are available for viewing in the Kutztown University Postcard Collection . See also " W. W. Deatrick Left His Mark at Kutztown ," an article by George M. Meiser that appeared in the Reading Eagle , April 6, 1983.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of photo with decorative border or frame . Printed on the other side of this real photo postcard: "White House Photo Parlor, W. H. Burnham, Prop., 25 Clinton Ave., Cortland, N.Y." A portrait of a young girl with glasses. Her dress has a lacy collar, she has a bow in her hair, and she's wearing a necklace and a lapel watch with chain. The type of Azo stamp box (with four corner triangles pointing up) printed on the other side suggests a date that may be as early as 1904 to 1918. Compare the oval border of this photo with the one used for Man's Portrait in Elaborate Border .

For more information, see the cropped version of this real photo postcard.

A mothers and babies photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. A fashionably dressed mother with a gentle smile poses for a picture as she holds her baby, who's staring in wide-eyed astonishment at something off camera. This is an undated real photo postcard from Paris, France (based on a partial address— Ave. de Neuilly —stamped on the other side). See also the full version of this photo.

"Happy New Year — 1911 — from the Morgans." A real photo postcard greeting from the Morgan family, location unknown.

For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard.

A real photo postcard with a CYKO stamp box on the back that suggests a date between the 1900s and 1920s. The fellow in the photo doesn't seem to be too happy about the New Year.

A photo with decorative border or frame for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. "Reporting for diaper duty, sir!" With an elaborate border consisting of an eagle, flag, canons, bombs bursting in air, and other patriotic and military symbols, it's surprising that this real photo postcard features an image of a child rather than a soldier.

For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard.

Mama cow and baby calf seem to be giving the photographer a sideways glance as the farmer and his family hold them in place to pose for the camera. See a cropped version for a close-up of the disgruntled bovines. The decorative mask--with its stylized flowers and curled-up edges--gives the appearance of a fancy photo frame. For a similar real photo postcard, see Man's Portrait in Elaborate Border .

A woman standing among the shrubbery is surrounded by the stylized scrolls and flowers of the decorative mask used to print this real photo postcard.

A real photo postcard printed with a decorative mask. The scrollwork and flowers in the design of the mask make it look like an elaborate picture frame.

For more information, see the full version of this real photo postcard.

A cyanotype real photo postcard for the Vintage Photos Theme Park theme of pick a particular format (daguerreotype, cabinet card, CDV, real photo postcard, cyanotype, slide, Polaroid, or what have you?) . Handwritten message: "It's been a long time since we saw this, and we will never see it again. I'm sorry it has been destroyed. I haven't forgotten the promised pictures of St. L. You shall have them some day. Yours, J.W." Addressed on the other side to Miss Virginia Stone, Pulaski, Va., and postmarked at Tazewell, Va., on Jan. 24, 1907 (the year is illegible on this card but I have another St. Louis cyanotype from J.W. that was postmarked on Aug. 25, 1907). J.W. and Miss Virginia Stone were two of the more than 19 million people who visited the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. The Ferris Wheel that's visible in this blue-tinted cyanotype photo was originally constructed in 1893 for the Chicago World's Fair . The wheel was disassembled in Chicago, transported to St. Louis, and rebuilt in time for the fair in 1904 (mouse over the image above for an enlarged view of the Ferris Wheel ). After the St. Louis World's Fair ended, the Ferris Wheel met its fate on May 11, 1906, when it was dynamited and sold for scrap. "It's been a long time since we saw this," said J.W. in his note to Virginia in 1907, "and we will never see it again. I'm sorry it has been destroyed." The Missouri Historical Society's World's Fair Ferris Wheel album on Flickr contains photos showing the installation and demolition of the wheel.