4000+ fine-art prints suitable for framing. Desk-size to sofa-size and larger, on archival paper or canvas.
The Shorpy Gallery
Join and Share
Social Shorpy
To love him is to like him. Our goal: 100k "likes":
Recent comments
- That Plank
- Back to the Future
- Calendar
- Not exercising was not an option
- Fruit boots
- Times Have Changed!
- Thongs
- The Original Fitness Guru
- Need more light?
- Another marker
- No UHF
- The Real Workout
- Vehicle ID
- Corner of Washington & Market
- Jackpot
- Shy Shine
- Style
- Tins, paper and grease
- ..but not forgotten
- Einstein incognito
- My hometown!
- Lead
- I like that coat!
- Lost
- Which explains why...
- Paper drives
- Pregnant Marian
- Paper drive
- The 1942 scrap paper drives were very successful.
- Delivery Wagon
Member Photos
Photos submitted by Shorpy members.
Colorized Photos
Colorized photos submitted by members.
About the Photos
Most of the photos on this site were extracted from reference images (high-resolution tiffs, 20 to 200 megabytes in size) from the Library of Congress research archive. (To query the database click here.) Many were digitized by LOC contractors using a Sinar studio back. They are adjusted by your webmaster for contrast and color in Photoshop before being downsized and turned into the jpegs you see here.
Image Galleries
Search Shorpy
Today's Top 5
Midwest Utilitor: 1920
Submitted by Dave on Sun, 10/10/2010 - 7:06pm.
Tags:
Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Midwest Utilities Corp. (exterior), 14th Street N.W." The two three draws here, for me at least, are the amused expressions of all concerned, and the name of this particular piece of equipment: "Midwest Utilitor." Oh, and the entertaining signage in the window. National Photo. View full size.
Comic book hero
Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Tue, 10/12/2010 - 12:09am.
I am the Mighty Utilitor: bow down before me! Or I can till your garden. Your call.
Neat Chick
Submitted by Phaedrus on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 6:06pm.
No raving beauty, but she seems to exude personality.
Stelzer & Co.
Submitted by stanton_square on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 11:44pm.
The text from the following ad accompanied a different photograph, possibly taken the same day. I suspect one of the men in suits is Frederick C. Stelzer. Prior to dealing in Utilitors, Stelzer & Co., 1115 14 St. N.W., sold plumbing and heating fixtures. [Update: Thanks to Dave for including the appropriate high-resolution image below. Click on it to embiggen.]
Washington Post, Apr 4, 1920A Practical Demonstration
The above snapshot was taken of Mr. Fred Stelzer leaving Washington to give demonstration of the Midwest Utilitor. Was he going to your farm? If not, why not?
It plows, harrows, cultivates, hauls a cart and is a 4-horsepower portable engine which can be used for various kinds of beltwork. Write or call for demonstration on your own piece of land.
Some valuable territory open to dealers, also good opportunity for live-wire salesmen.
Farm Utilities Corporation
1115 14th St. N.W., Washington D.C.
My Guess
Submitted by Mike Cash on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 6:29am.
From right to left: The guy who sold it, his wife-n-secretary, the guy who bought it, the mechanic, and the guy who actually has to go out and run the thing.
Two observations
Submitted by Anonymous Tipster on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 4:03am.
First: the flywheel of that thing is set inside the drive wheel, which in my eyes is a rather unusual solution. Second: those two guys behind the Utilitor look like brothers. Nothing unusual about that.
A mystery solved!
Submitted by rava on Sun, 10/10/2010 - 11:38pm.
The video solves a mystery for us. Crop circles are simply what happens when farmers forget to switch off their Midwest Utilitors before going to bed.
Utilitors from Outer Space
Submitted by tterrace on Sun, 10/10/2010 - 9:42pm.
OK, I found myself watching that video about 5 times in a row, and have arrived at the following conclusions: 1. That thing is alive; 2. I'll be having very strange dreams tonight.
YouTube Utilitor
Submitted by Don Struke on Sun, 10/10/2010 - 8:45pm.
In British Racing Green, yet.
[Another benefit: Free fertilizer. Guaranteed to scare the crap out of any horse! - Dave]
If
Submitted by Anonymous Arkie on Sun, 10/10/2010 - 8:28pm.
Her name is Kay, I think we're onto something!
Handy Power
Submitted by Vexman on Sun, 10/10/2010 - 8:07pm.
Actually these kinds of "walk-behind" tractors also were used as a power source to run all kinds of equipment like washing machines, generators, milking machines, etc. Much more than you can do with a horse!
The housewife's dream
Submitted by tterrace on Sun, 10/10/2010 - 7:42pm.
I'd like to see it handling some of those tiresome everyday chores around the house. Can it core a apple?
Two questions
Submitted by jimmylee42 on Sun, 10/10/2010 - 7:40pm.
How many mules did this device replace? When horses and donkeys were bred to get a mule, was the horse always the mother? My vote is for the horse to be the mother.
Utilitor
Submitted by tterrace on Sun, 10/10/2010 - 7:27pm.
Anagram: I roil Tut. Specialized archaeological device for testing the validity of the curse on despoiling ancient Egyptian tombs.
"Horse Farming is wrong"
Submitted by JennyPennifer on Sun, 10/10/2010 - 7:17pm.
So don't be set in your ways! You can hook up your Midwest Utilitor, leave it, and when you get back, the job will be done! I need me one of those.
THE 100-YEAR-OLD PHOTO BLOG
Shorpy.com | History in HD is a vintage photo blog featuring thousands of high-definition images from the 1850s to 1950s. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago.
RSS | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Photo Use | © 2013 Shorpy Inc.
Today's Top 5