An undated photograph of what appears to be a float in a patriotic parade. The photo was probably taken in Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.. A horse is hitched to a bed on wheels/casters. An early variation of ‘lifetime guarantee,” is on the side of the bed – “Guaranteed While You Live.”
It is hard to imagine that the bed could actually be pulled on a unpaved street by the horse. The individuals, dressed in white, are not identified. And, it is not known what type of uniform the men are wearing.
At the time the photograph was taken, furniture dealers were the main sellers of beds and mattresses. One of the main furniture dealers in the Lykens Valley was Reiff and Helt of Lykens, who were also undertakers, thus making the “Guaranteed While You Live” statement slightly humorous, in that the family would be purchasing a casket from the same dealer, which presumably also would be guaranteed, and the guarantee on the bed would no longer be valid.
Additional information is sought about this photograph and the circumstance for which it was taken.
_________________________________
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.