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Portland, Maine, circa 1910. "Forest City Landing, Peaks Island." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
If you were to look at a group photo taken there (or just about anywhere) now, with pavement instead of dirt, you would see dirty people instead of the clean people pictured here. Boys with their pants hanging down under their backside, girls showing off their tatoos and obese middle-agers toddling about. No wonder we no longer lead the planet in much ... except stupidity!
[If only we could send you back to warn them! - Dave]
Used to live (occasionally) on the north side of Spar Cove, on the opposite side of the island. It's a bit of a hike, and anything with wheels made hauling groceries easy. Feeney's Market was OK, but you still needed a lot of stuff from the bigger stores in Portland.
I think this picture would be greatly enhanced if it were in Technicolor, which would define the contrast in the rather lavish costumes and each individual's choice of attire. And it needs some bustling music in the background to denote everyone's quest to get somewhere, quickly, hurrying to their intended destination, perhaps something similar to the William Tell Overture or The Flight of the Bumblebee. (Ya know, places to go and people to see, stuff to do and goals to accomplish?) Yes, it is a rather lazy day in my house today and yes, I do have too much time on my hands. Thank goodness for Shorpy.
Reminds me of the "Real Nice Clambake" scene in the second act of "Carousel."
I wonder why the man to the right of the bridge at the edge of the photo is looking back? He appears suspicious, as if he has just done something and is trying to quickly get out of the area. He must have the first one off the boat.
Next to the door under the word "Island" on the big sign is a sign with a picture of a bell. It looks like a sign for a telephone. Somehow I doubt it, though. What is it?
[It says "Local and Long Distance Telephone." - Dave]
In 1910 your little family lived a short distance away from a ferry landing. You've got 50 cents burning a hole in your pocket and wondering what can we do today. Hello! We have an easy choice.
Concessions! That's where it's at. Also I love the people in all of these wonderful pictures who are obviously interested in the fact that their picture is being taken. I could "people watch" on this one for hours.
I'm mainly a 35mm user but I've plate envy. There's something about plate images that makes them shine through as here.
It might be exactly 100 years old but when you fill the screen with the image you've almost a sense of being there.
They might be eloquent, but those dresses must have been a pain to get around in.
And wouldn't it be nice if that fare was the same today.
There is an uncontrived uniformity of dignity in the attitudes of everyone in this photograph, obvious in their erect postures and impeccable dress from the youngest to the oldest--their body language says it all. They would be horrified if they could look ahead 100 years and see the slovenliness that a group of their descendents would present in public and wonder what on earth happened! When I see groups like this at this time, I wonder how many safely avoided a trip on the Titanic.
It has been about ten years since I was there, but it still looks something like this.
I just love the women's hats of this period. They are usually quite elaborate, as big as serving trays and often look like wide bakery cakes. It makes me wonder what the hats looked like in color. The woman in the foreground next to the lightpole is wearing a hat that looks it has a birdbath with a dead animal draped over it.
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