MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
 
JUMP TO PAGE   100  >  200  >  300  >  400  >  500  >  600
VINTAGRAPH • WPA • WWII • YOU MEAN A WOMAN CAN OPEN IT?

Memorial Day: 1942

May 1942. Southington, Connecticut. "An American town and its way of life. The Memorial Day parade moving down the main street. The small number of spectators is accounted for by the fact that the town's war factories did not close. The town hall is in the left foreground." Medium format Kodachrome transparency by Fenno Jacobs for the Office of War Information. View full size.

May 1942. Southington, Connecticut. "An American town and its way of life. The Memorial Day parade moving down the main street. The small number of spectators is accounted for by the fact that the town's war factories did not close. The town hall is in the left foreground." Medium format Kodachrome transparency by Fenno Jacobs for the Office of War Information. View full size.

 

On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5

This Is Why We Love Shorpy!

I still can't get over the fact that this picture is 75 years old! The Kodachrome just makes it look like it was taken yesterday.

Immaculate lawn

It's clear the war effort didn't keep the groundskeepers at town hall from doing their work, and doing it very well, I must say.

Parade plans

Southington News of 5-29-42. Front page article about the next day's Memorial Day parade activities. The whole newspaper makes for interesting reading.

Parking for the Parade

Parked along the fence, left to right, are a 1940 Chevrolet; a 1937 Ford; and a 1933 Oldsmobile (note the people inside watching the parade).

The first five cars parked along the parade route, starting at the yellow curb and working back, are a 1939 Buick; a 1942 Buick (which is not a Roadmaster model); a 1941 Pontiac; a 1934 Chevrolet; and a 1941 Buick.

The American Legion is marching behind the boy band.

The parade must be in the morning because the flag is still at half staff (it is raised to the top of the flag pole at noon on Memorial Day).

It looks like there used to be a circular driveway in front of the town hall. The curb in front of the building has two ramps that go all the way to the street.

There are at least six children on top of the roof of the building next to town hall. Another five are on the cannon in the parkway. I saw them because I had my eyes examined by Dr. Duffy.

The detail

I had forgotten the detail of medium format Kodachrome. When I first started as a photography student we still worked in with film. I was one of the very last classes to do so.

The world has changed so much in just over 10 years.

Kodachrome

Kodachrome never ceases to amaze me. This photo looks like it was taken last week.

Southington From Above

This aerial view shows Main Street (State highway 10) at Academy Street

Two newer buildings are across the street, but town hall remains with little change.

Baby carriage?

Gorgeous scene. Is the blue suit wearing woman in the foreground pushing a baby carriage? It's very interestingly designed.

[It's a stroller. - Dave]

Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.