November 1942. Babies' Hospital, New York. "Nurse training. At the ping-pong table in the game room, Susan Petty, student nurse, enjoys a bit of relaxation after a busy day's work in the wards." Photo by Fritz Henle. View full size.

Union Square, San Francisco, looking north up Powell Street, circa 1958. I believe my parents were in America at the time to attend the 13th Junior Chamber International World Congress at the Hotel Leamington in Minneapolis; I am only assuming this as there is a transparency in the same container in a similar mount of the front of the hotel with a "Welcome JCI" sign under the veranda, so they may have all been photographed and processed around the same time period. If a Shorpy detective can narrow down the year that would be most welcome so I can date these transparencies in this album.

This Kodachrome transparency, taken by my father using a Kodak Retina 1a camera, is one of many that he had photographed over the years; I'm scanning the collection myself, using an Epson V370 photo & slide scanner. As I progress through all the transparencies I will post some more of the interesting late '50s America images here. View full size.

July 1943. Washington, D.C. "Waiting for the parade to recruit civilian defense volunteers." Entertaining themselves with the hand-held device known as a "newspaper." Photo by Esther Bubley, Office of War Information. View full size.

New York circa 1922. "Paul Specht Orchestra, Hotel Astor Roof Garden." Take five, boys, and don't burn the house down. 5x7 inch glass negative. View full size.

March 14, 1925. New York. "Isabella Fosta, soprano." And traveling companion. 5x7 glass negative, Bain News Service. View full size.

San Francisco. "Dort touring car, 1921." Latest display at the Shorpy Exposition of Obscure Autos. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size.

October 1922. New York. "Kopp" is all it says on this glass negative depicting a pair of kettledrums next to what might be a speaker horn or a mega-microphone. Bain News Service. View full size.

Washington, D.C, circa 1921. "National Benefit Life Insurance, interior." Described in contemporary accounts as the nation's largest "colored insurance company." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative, retouched to obscure whatever is on the wall behind that lamp in the corner. View full size.

July 12, 1922. New York. The soprano and vocal coach Estelle Liebling, instructor of Beverly Sills and a young Meryl Streep. 5x7 glass negative. View full size.

Bloomington, Illinois, 1900. "Adlai Stevenson residence." Home of Grover Cleveland's vice president, congressman and grandfather of the presidential candidate. Also William Jennings Bryan's vice presidential running mate when this photo was taken. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size.

May 1943. "San Francisco, California. The Bank of America." Medium format negative by Ann Rosener for the Office of War Information. View full size.

1952. "Pine Street at Montgomery, San Francisco." Looking toward the Matson and PG&E buildings on Market Street. 8x10 acetate negative. View full size.

From circa 1924 San Francisco comes this modishly draped miss descending from her sedan. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size.

San Francisco, 1952. "Fairmont and Mark Hopkins hotels." You'll come for the balustrade but stay for the porte-cochere. 8x10 inch negative. View full size.

New Haven, Conn., circa 1902. "Banquet in Alumni Hall (University Commons), Yale College." Ladies will please retire to the balcony. View full size.