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VINTAGRAPH • WPA • WWII • YOU MEAN A WOMAN CAN OPEN IT?

Classical Gas: 1942

July 1942. Washington, D.C. "Cars and trucks on Independence Avenue S.W." Photo by John Ferrell for the Office of War Information. View full size.

July 1942. Washington, D.C. "Cars and trucks on Independence Avenue S.W." Photo by John Ferrell for the Office of War Information. View full size.

 

On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5

Shorpy Vehicle Identification Imperative

No one has yet identified the humble 2dr sedan in front of that adorable Shell gas truck. It is a 1939 Hudson. My dad had a 1937 Terraplane version of the sedan in the photo. He enjoyed calling the Hudson a "Late Model Essex." Which, I guess, it was.

Car IDs

The car closest to the sailor is a '39 Plymouth. The car on the right with radio antenna and Greyhound hood ornament is a '35 Ford. Car radios were expensive in the 1930s, $80 for a Packard radio. The low-priced 3 had MSRPs of about $700, so a radio sale made the dealers happy. Does anyone know what a heater cost in 1935 - 1940?

No where to go

There are no pockets in a Navy dress uniform, difficult to know what to do with your hands. Same with football uniforms.

Sentimental moment

My Dad worked for Shell for nearly 50 years. He kept a 1/32(?) scale model version of this tanker truck on his office credenza for as long as I can remember. Nice to see a photo of the real thing.

Stylin'

The '30s and early '40s saw the gradual application of Deco and streamlined design themes to a wide assortment of machines, in this case the Shell tanker depicted.

What's the difference between a gasoline tanker and a Sunbeam toaster? In this instance, not a whole lot, aesthetically speaking.

Healthy trees

Today's view shows scraggly, anemic looking trees. So much so it's not hard at all to see the Washington Monument.

[In the December 2016 view below, it's almost as if the trees are missing their leaves. Bizarre! - Dave]

It's more than just the leaves, Dave.

[Yes. They're a sickly green color. - Dave]

Akimbo

The arms on the sailor, way on the left.

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