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Washington, D.C. "Texas Company. Payne & Twomey, 1925." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Who wants tobacco cakes?
Okay, kids, let's get our Sherlock Holmes hats on. Bare trees indicate not Summer months; not many leaves around, probably end of Winter into Spring; tilth of soil supports late Spring; light source would be biased to the South, so we're probably looking in a southerly direction; smoke blowing stiffly to left, a strong breeze usually from the North West in this area; and to the right, the embankment seems to be for a railroad. Hmmmm. If in D.C., this would be North East, and I'd have to guess betwixt Rhode Island and New York Avenues. Any guesses? This is an incredible photograph. Thanks!
Based on a bit of reading between the lines, I believe the industrial building in the background is the Hydraulic-Press Brick Company. In the 1920s it specialized in a face brick called Hy-tex, which could be the wording on the lower banner. Its offices were in the Colorado Building in downtown Washington. I'm still trying to figure out where the plant was.
[Washpost archives: In 1932 the Hytex brick plant was on the Alexandria Pike. - Dave]
I just wanna try the Tobacco Cakes. Sounds yummy.
Another fantastic photo. I notice the poles all look like raw trees pressed into quick service. I love the humble gas station building; it reminds me of ones you might have seen in the south, yet here it is in D.C. The industrial tanks and buildings that curve along the road on our left make for even more interest. This tiny store and gas station is the "grandfather" of today's convenience store.
How crude those posts look. They appear to be as is tree trunks. I wonder if the were coated with something like creosote. How did they stand up over the years?
Payne & Twomey's is apparently a proud purveyor of Chero-Cola. I looked it up and it was one of several soft drinks under the umbrella of Chero-Cola Co. which was later renamed the Nehi Corporation. Chero-Cola was revamped in the mid-30s and rebranded as Royal Crown.
[Below, a 1922 Chero-Cola ad from an Ohio newspaper. - Dave]
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