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Circa 1912. "Baltimore from the Emerson tower." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
I think at this point of its history it still had the Bromo-Seltzer water bottle on top.
With the knowledge of what direction the photo faces and the revelation that The Emerson Building is The Bromo-Seltzer Tower, and finding no equivalent, modern-day view available, I did my best to recreate the shot in Google Earth. You can see the results here.
Very few of the old buildings are there still, or at least are visible. Of particular note is the BALTIMORE BARGAIN HOUSE sign, still visible today. That advertisement may have been there for 100 years by now.
The Baltimore Bargain House is still standing, too (it's now a state office building ), but everything in the foreground, including the couple blocks of Liberty Street that run diagonally, was razed when the Baltimore Arena was built. The street at the bottom of the picture is the first block of South Howard.
The tall white building on the left with the arch windows on the top floor (and the Spy vs. Spy chimney) is the Baltimore Gas and Electric Building, completed in 1916. Now converted into condos and known as "39 Lexington." Based on the angle, this photo may have been taken from the top of the Emerson Building, AKA Bromo-Seltzer tower.
[Another clue would be the caption: ""Baltimore from the Emerson tower." - Dave]
Seeing the Continental Building to the right of the clock tower and the dome of City Hall to the left of the buildings to the left of the same clock tower, and knowing that Continental is at Baltimore & Calvert (see Continental's Shorpy post) and City Hall is two blocks North and one block West of Continental, we can say this was taken facing East, though I haven't figured out just where the camera was.
[There might be a clue in the caption. - Dave]
I was thinking: no other place I visit on the Web gives so much entertainment and enlightenment per click, day after day.
I was expecting someone to question the YMBOD on the side of the Iaasac Hamburger & Sons building.
(Your Money Back On Demand)
Prominent dome right of center on the hazy horizon.
I think I know, but it sure look nuts!
I saw the sign for "Hamburgers" on that tall building and thought it was a really big fast-food place. The other sign explains that it is a clothing store.
Skip Luke
I've always found the mechanical appurtenances on building tops interesting. The purpose of some -- smokestacks and water tanks -- is obvious but many others, like those tentlike structures, are a mystery especially since this was before the days of air-conditioning equipment.
[Those are ventilators. Also many skylights. - Dave]
On the right in the distance, immediately to the right of the clock tower, is the Continental Building, seen here.
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