Framed or unframed, desk size to sofa size, printed by us in Arizona and Alabama since 2007. Explore now.
Shorpy is funded by you. Patreon contributors get an ad-free experience.
Learn more.
Keene, New Hampshire, circa 1905. "Cheshire House." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size.
An inside joke for long-time Shorpy members. Happy Birthday, Shorpy!
This was so unrecognizable I thought perhaps Keene was mislabeled -- but it’s not. Two-fifths of that bank is gone, and the entire hotel. It’s been gone a while because the replacement buildings are quite old too!
[The hotel is indeed gone, except for its grin. - Dave]
Just to the right of the Cheshire House(.), directly in front of "The Kitchen(.)" there is what looks like a metal spool fastened to a pole, which is in turn fastened to a stone post. Can anyone identify this contraption?
[Appears to represent an apothecary's mortar and pestle to advertise the adjoining drug store. -tterrace]
I see it now. A brilliant deduction on the part of tterrace!
Time was when a person could earn a pretty good living making awnings.
Was there a specific reason that periods were used on signage of this era? Or was it just a peculiarity that sign painters always did and never questioned?
On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5