Florida Mammoth: 1890s

Note the running lights on that boat. They followed the rules of the road on that little river. I was in Florida in 1938-39. My mother particularly liked the flying cockroaches. The ones we were used to in New York couldn't do that.

Just think what it took to get one of those steamboats under way. No "turn the key and cast off." And if the skipper / proprietor was lucky he had help to split, haul and stow the firewood.

located to the right side of the picture on the landing. Much more conventional. One assumes it's like the one that took this shot.

And note the 3rd camera on the tripod over on the right, keeping a jealous eye on the other two cameras.

What did these poor guys use for mosquito repellent back then?

We honeymooned in Florida in May. Near a slow-moving body of water the mosquitoes were so big they could make one feel faint from loss of blood. The beaches - which had brisk, mosquito-repelling breezes - were wonderful!

Some very pleasing visual effects on the boat. Notice the ox-yoke formed by the sculpted "Princess" plate over the wheelhouse window, much like the classic Packard grill. The curlicue shapes on each side of the bow (is there a proper name for them?) add a nice touch as well, as does the shaped wheelhouse roof---complete with eagle.

William Henry Jackson's 18x22 inch glass plate photographs are a mainstay among Colorado history buffs, particularly railfans. Some of his locations seem accessible only to mountain goats. Unfortunately, most of these do not appear to be part of the LOC collection.

[The Library of Congress has the non-Western photos that the Colorado Historical Society didn't want. - Dave]

The Denver Public Library has some of them.