McVan's Nite Club, Buffalo, New York

Another of the many night club souvenir photo folders from the collection. (Click on night club in the label section at the end of the post to pull up the others.) Sometimes it almost impossible to come up with information on these old venues, sometimes far easier. The earliest references to McVan's that I was able to find are from the 1940's. An article in Billboard Magazine from 1946 lists Lillian McVan as the owner manager of the club, seeking dance bands and floor shows. I've found reference to an ownership change on April 17, 1963 when the club was purchased by former Buffalo mayor, Steven Pankow who converted McVan's from a night club to a supper club. No info on whether Lillian McVan was still the owner or not. In McVan's latter years, it was a rock venue and eventually a hard core punk showcase. Among acts that I've been able to verify played McVan's, Art Tatum, The Ink Spots, Gypsy Rose Lee, Jimi Hendrix, and Alex Chilton. Printed on the back of the folder, "Dine Dance and Fun. TOPS IN ENTERTAINMENT 3-FLOOR SHOWS NIGHTLY-3 9-12-2:30 McVAN'S NITE CLUB Date January 28, 1950 SOUVENIR PHOTO $1.00"

Tintype Gallery

The process was first described in 1853 by French photographer and inventor, Adolphe-Alexander Martin, the tintype, more properly called the melainotype or ferrotype, was a photographic process where a direct positive print was made on a sheet of iron. Technically, the image is a negative, but exposed on a background that has been painted, lacquered, or enamelled in black, it appears to be positive. The ferrotype uses the same method as the ambrotype, except that the ambrotype was made on glass and then placed in a black, backed frame. The ferrotype also reverses the image, unless taken with a special camera with a built in prism, the image will be flopped. Because the materials were cheap, and almost indestructible, unlike the ambrotype, the tintype became the first affordable photographic process, making it possible for the lower middle and poor working classes to have portraits made. I've got lots, and lots of tintypes, this first five will, in time, be followed by other tintype galleries. I've already posted a couple of tintypes, unique in themselves. Click on tintypes in the label section.

Diving Board

No date or location. An older photo, probably from the twenties or thirties.

Graduation Photo

I have a number of photos that come in these cardboard, free standing frames. Normally, I'd just publish the picture, but I rather liked the simple design of the matt. From, "PARK STUDIO 875 CAMBRIDGE ST. CAMBRIDGE, MASS."

The Fall of the House of Usher

No mystery on this one. I used to work at a photo lab, I owned a 16mm copy of the 1928 silent, experimental film, The fall of the House of Usher, directed by James Sibley Watson, and Melville Webber. I made a inter-neg from one of the frames, and this print. The lady is Hildegarde Watson, as Madeline Usher.

Culture In America 2

These photos were found in the same envelope of the ones in the previous post. While there is no proof that they were taken at the same function, the number is right for a single roll of film, and the lady with the fur muff in the first image is in the party photos. No dates or location.

Culture In America 1

I'm dividing this collection into two parts. I've got a lot of photographs that were all found in the same envelope. No dates, or locations. They seem to be photos of a party, divided into the adults only half and the more a kids/young people friendly group. Part two are pictures of the entertainment.