N and Union: 1942

Submitted by Dave on Tue, 03/27/2007 - 2:58pm.

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Shulman’s Market at N and Union Streets SW, Washington. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Louise Rosskam. We’ve gotten a lot of inquiries asking: Why do you colorize the photos? The answer is: They are not colorized. These photographs were taken on Kodachrome film, invented waaay back in the 1930s. Color photography in general goes back more than 100 years.

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Colorized?

Submitted by Lauren on Sun, 03/23/2008 - 9:59pm.

Why would people think that these were colorized? seriously, how dumb can you get? XD

So vibrant back then; I love the little boy just wandering about...

Rationing sticker

Submitted by Mr Mel on Thu, 01/24/2008 - 3:32pm.

The windshield has a gas rationing sticker, the letter "A" on the passenger side. That was the basic gas allowance, "B", "C", etc, allowed more gasoline to be purchased by the car owner. I believe the "A" allowance was 5 gallons a week and ration stamps were required.

Pictures in the window

Submitted by Brent on Thu, 01/24/2008 - 1:48pm.

Not sure about old Adolph in the window of Shulman's Market, but I do recognize Il Duce - Benito Mussolini on the left side. Maybe and advertisement for some magazine or some sort of patriotic screed against the various "rats" the US was now at war with.

Soaped Windows

Submitted by DanV on Thu, 01/24/2008 - 2:10am.

Looks like they "soaped" the car windows, too. Although it appears they used paraffin wax, not soap. It came in blocks and was used to seal the top of jams & jellies. Doesn't come off with water - you have to use gas or kerosene, or a razor blade. Kids caught doing this when I was young got the "pleasure" of removing it, too (not that I have any personal experience or anything... ;^)

And is that a picture of Hitler in the window?

The Car

Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Wed, 01/23/2008 - 2:18pm.

You have the age right, make wrong. It's a 1931 Chevrolet. Wonderful shot, Shorpy!

Old color photos

Submitted by Mark on Wed, 01/23/2008 - 2:05pm.

This is such a magnificent photograph. I remember, as a child, assuming the whole world was colorless, since all the"old" photos I saw were b/w.

Here is a link to WW-I color photos, they are incredible.

http://www.worldwaronecolorphotos.com/

The car

Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Wed, 01/23/2008 - 8:24am.

The car in this picture, a Model A Ford, is 10 to 12 years old.

N and Union: 1942

Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Sun, 05/27/2007 - 1:27pm.

Wonderful shot. Colourised? Colorized? I sincerely doubt that anyone has that degree of virtuosity, although Photoshop ace Tom Maroudas comes pretty close. (See http://precodecinema.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html and http://precodecinema.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html for details.)

I remember reading an article by Andreas Feininger about the super qualities of Kodachrome when it was 10 ASA (ISO) and came in 8" X 10" format. Apparently, he took some Kodachrome pictures in that format back in 1937, and once developed he put them in a drawer in his darkroom where it was permanently dark and arid. In the '80s he was cleaning out his darkroom and found the perfectly preserved pictures is the same condition as they were over forty years before. The colours were vivid and the contrast had not changed. Amazing film. I hope that the digital medium can come within hailing distance of this marvelous film. (And as an advocate of digital, I am not holding my breath.)

Very nice scene

Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Sat, 04/07/2007 - 7:27am.

Nice, very nice shot. It's amazing how the image is sharp. How is the photographer that took it?

[Louise Rosskam died in 2003 at the age of 93 - Dave]

Color Pictures in 1942

Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Sun, 04/01/2007 - 11:37am.

At the date of this picture, color was widely available but was a premium process that was expensive. But if you've ever seen naval war footage of 1942 it's mostly in color because the Navy began using it, interestingly the Army in Europe didn't.

What short memories we have

Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Sat, 03/31/2007 - 7:12am.

Does anyone remember that The Wizard of Oz was released in 1939? The first movie shot in color was The Gulf Between (1917).

Graffiti

Submitted by Dave on Thu, 03/29/2007 - 2:10pm.

Someone soaped the windows -- scribbled on them with a bar of soap. What kids did back before spray paint. And thanks -- Shorpy loves you too!

Colors are

Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Thu, 03/29/2007 - 1:34pm.

Colors are gorgeous!

Interesting to see the graffiti scratched into the store window. A store in this same location today would likely have the same vandalism.

Love Shorpy! An everyday stop for me now.

My God, I can't get over the

Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Thu, 03/29/2007 - 12:43pm.

My God, I can't get over the quality of these....I don't think I've ever seen any color photos this old look as good as these do. If the year hadn't been posted, I would've thought these were taken on some recent movie set or whathaveyou. Absolutely gorgeous!

James clerk Maxwell

Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Thu, 03/29/2007 - 3:08am.

I read an account that maxwell stumbled into and 'lost' an apparent color process. Sorry it's an unsourced and unqualified assertion; i cannot remember where i saw that.. :( but that there is surviving examples

Love the car

Submitted by Chris V on Wed, 03/28/2007 - 3:17pm.

Another great picture. Interesting to see how worn the car is.

By the way, do you have Prince Albert in a can? Then you better let him out!

colorized??

Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Wed, 03/28/2007 - 1:52pm.

I'm sorry, anyone thinking the color shots have been "colorized" must have issues with their vision.

You do understand though, this is not 2042. I'm just sayin'...."Shorpy - The 100-Year-Old Photo Blog" and all...not that I mind the color or the more "recent" pictures. They are all fascinating. Long live Shorpy!