Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: balloons

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."

An early twentieth-century postcard depicting a couple aloft in an airship as they celebrate the new year by scattering gold coins and red hearts across the countryside.

Edward Ridley & Sons, a New York City department store, printed this trade card for customers during the holiday season in 1880, and the store also took out newspaper ads to offer its "annual greeting." The other side of the trade card is a wintertime illustration of a little girl holding some toys as she stands in the snow. This side (above) features the store's Christmas greeting: 32nd Annual Greeting A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Toys, Dolls, and Holiday Presents. Edw. Ridley & Sons 309, 311, 311½ Grand St. 59 Orchard St. 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70 Allen St. New York The following excerpt from the store's advertisement in the New York Herald on December 5, 1880, provides additional details about its holiday sales: Thirty-second Annual Greeting Santa Claus' New Building. Opening Monday, December 6. First Floor—Endless variety toys, dolls, hobby horses. Also china, glass ware, &c. Second Floor--Work boxes, writing desks, Japanese varieties, &c., &c. Tuesday, December 7. Third Floor—Dolls, dolls, dolls. And everything belonging to a doll. Fourth Floor—Wednesday, December 8. Will contain toys of the very finest description…. Our new building gives 23,000 square feet. All devoted to toys. Come and see the toys and our methods. Worsted embroideries, slipper patterns, brackets, &c. Photo and auto[graph] albums, in plush, Russia[n] leather and French calf bindings. Handsome jewel and combination cases, pocketbooks, cigar cases, &c. Prices below every other house—we warrant.

This is the front of a Victorian-era trade card advertising a New York store (for the other side, see Christmas Greeting, Edward Ridley & Sons Department Store, New York City, 1880 ). I'm not sure why this wide-eyed little girl is taking all those toys with her out into the snow. She's dressed for the winter weather, however, and is even holding her hands—and her doll—in a muff to keep them warm.

"Here's hoping Santa won't forget you. Santa Claus Warehouse." Info on the back of this postcard: "Genuine Frees Animal Series. Photographs of real live pets. No. 765. Christmas Comics. 6 designs....Publ'd by the Nyce Manufacturing Co., Vernfield, Pa." This printed postcard reproduces a photo by Harry Whittier Frees (1879-1953), who posed cats, dogs, and other animals in amusing scenes like this. For additional information about Frees, see All My Christmas Dreams Came True :

"Spoffords Lake in the Future, New Hampshire. Submarine No. 13." Postmarked: "Brattleboro, Vt., Aug. 1, 1910." Addressed to: "Mrs. Bell Brown, Elm St., Montpelier, Vermont." Message: "Hello old (?) sport, How goes it anyway. Am still alive and hope this will find you the same. H.A.K." This early twentieth-century postcard bears a mundane message on the back, but the front depicts an exciting futuristic scene of submarines, flying fish, battleships, whales, buoys, airships, sea serpents, sailboats, hot air balloons, lighthouses, and other figments of the imagination at Spofford Lake in southwestern New Hampshire.

"X-mas Greetings. N. America. Merry Christmas Series 403." Even Santa Claus noticed the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914! See also Panama Canal Drawing Book, 1914 :

A real photo postcard showing three dapper gentlemen in suits, ties, and straw hats pretending to ride in an airship in a photo studio located in Douglas, Isle of Man. Notice how the pilot is carefully operating the fake control lever as a cigarette dangles from his mouth. I just hope that the gas bag above him doesn't contain dangerously flammable hydrogen! Printed on the back: "F. Johnson, Fort William, Douglas, I.O.M."

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of my old pal—depicting friends, buddies, pals enjoying each other's company . Sign: "We don't care if we never go back." Banner: "Indianapolis." An unused real photo postcard of two friends pretending to be in a hot air balloon as they pose for a souvenir photo in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Noko stamp box on the other side suggests that it may date between 1907 and 1929. I have other cards with photos of the fellow on the left that were postmarked in 1911. See also I Don't Care If I Never Come Back .

"B. Fürth, Vienna. Made in Austria." Cupid uses a spyglass to peer down from his hot air balloon on this matchbox label.

A real photo postcard showing "Daddy" (handwritten in the upper left-hand corner) posing on the deck of an "F-6" submarine. Although the postcard is heavily soiled and some details of the painted scene in the background are difficult to make out, it appears that there are two or three ships floating (or sinking?) in the heavy waves behind the sub, while smoke billows from the smokestacks of a ship that's visible on the horizon at left. Meanwhile, two or three biplanes and an airship are visible in the sky above. The "F-6" hull number on the submarine is puzzling, but perhaps it's intended to refer to the U.S. Navy's submarine no. 6, the USS Pike , which saw service between 1903 and 1922. For more information, see the Navy Historical Center's page regarding USS Pike (Submarine # 6, later SS-6), 1903-1922 and Wikipedia's article on USS Pike (SS-6) .

An undated red-border Kodachrome slide.

Or at least that's what I thought it looked like!

An airship photo for the theme of photographic tricks and amusements during the free-for-all week of Wild Card Month in the Vintage Photos Theme Park. See also the full version of this real photo postcard.

See also the cropped version of this real photo postcard.

Posted to the Vintage Photos Theme Park group for "rattan/bamboo/wicker" theme week. Although the photo is obviously contrived, the gondola--with attached ropes and sandbags--looks like a real wicker basket similar in appearance to those used for hot air balloons. A real photo postcard addressed on the back to: "Mr. and Mrs. J. [Paules?], Oakryn, Pennsylvania, U.S. America." The message on the back: "Sept. 22nd, 1910. We are spending the afternoon at Zurich on our way home from Switzerland, had a lovely drive. The lady in the balloon with us is the one we have been staying with at St. Gallen. Love, Leslie and Ethel."