Works published or created before 1923 are considered public domain so I should be safe with this image from 1913 taken in Gary, South Dakota.  A public domain work is a creative work that is not protected by copyright and  which may be freely used by everyone.

Below is a scan of the original mounted print:

The image below has been edited to crop out the torn edges, visible spots retouched and made the shadows a little richer.

Along with old photographs comes stories and memories triggered from days gone by.  My mother-in-law recalls a dance hall above this bar and when the dancers would be rockin’ the floor the ceiling lights, in the bar, would swing.

Farmers’ Night, usually occurring in March before spring work, was held in the dance hall where families would enjoy entertainment and hoped to win a prize.  She remembers one Farmers’ Night as though it were yesterday:  A handsome young man, that she had been corresponding with in Oregon, had returned to Gary and there he was… at  Farmers’ Night.  They were married the following fall…

Thank you to Buck Dessler of Gary, South Dakota for retrieving this gem from his childhood home.

Have you ever wondered about copyright laws and old images?  The following link contains a chart with the laws when working with older images:

http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/public-d.htm