July 1955. "Frank Sinatra's gambling-in-the-sewer scene from the film "Guys and Dolls." What better place to have the oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York? Photo by Maurice Terrell for Look magazine. View full size.

        UPDATE: Click here for a better look at the big locomotive barely visible behind the freight yard sign.

"Eckington Yards, June 4, 1923." A rare and unusually detailed look at the Baltimore & Ohio rail yard in Washington, D.C., during that year's big gathering of Masonic lodges. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size.

September 1942. New York City. "First Chinese seamen granted shore leave in wartime America. Chinese seamen on United Nations vessels may now obtain shore leave in American ports. Heretofore, because of the large number of desertions by Chinese crew members, alien seamen of Chinese nationality have been detained on board when their ships touched American ports. As a result of conferences between representatives of the Chinese Embassy, the Recruitment and Manning Organization of War Shipping Administration, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the Department of Justice, Chinese seamen may now be granted shore leave if guarantees are given that they will not desert. Lee Ah Ding (left) and Yee Chee Ching, Chinese seamen from a British freighter, try typical American food for the first time. Yee took a hot dog in stride, but Lee refused to have anything to do with this strange foreign food. He did, however, drink a Coke with relish." Really, a hot dog with relish probably would have been better. Photo by Edward Gruber, Office of War Information. View full size.

Washington, D.C. "Rock Creek Park scenes -- young women in automobile." Vine- covered cottage with a girl-covered coupe. Harris & Ewing photo. View full size.

Bert and Iva's daughter Helen is home to Wausau, Wisconsin, from California with the new baby. While Baby sleeps, the grandparents and parents play a lively game of Monopoly. Kodachrome from the Bert's Slides Collection. View full size.

No nation rose so white and fair.
None fell so pure of crime.
        — Confederate Monument inscription

Augusta, Georgia, circa 1903. "Albion Hotel and Confederate Monument." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

1931. Washington, D.C. "Man holding long snake skin." The fellow last seen here. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.

New Zealand ca. 1920s. "Hunter with quail photographed by Frederick N. Jones of Nelson." Dry plate glass negative. View full size.

June 1943. Washington, D.C. "Hattie B. Sheehan, a streetcar conductor for the Capital Transit Company." And if all you have is bills, no problem. Photo by Esther Bubley for the Office of War Information. View full size.

July 1942. "Florence, Alabama (vicinity). Counselor at Boy Scout camp -- swimming and canoeing." Instructor for these gangly lads, captured here in one of Jack Delano's artier shots for the Office of War Information. View full size.

"Edge of burned district, corner of Franklin and Sacramento Streets, San Francisco." Aftermath of the April 18, 1906, earthquake and fire. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

Annapolis, Md., 1892. "Class of '94, U.S. Naval Academy." Wishing the Class of 2014 a Happy Graduation! 8x10 glass negative by Edward Hart. View full size.

Malden, Massachusetts, circa 1906. "Pleasant Street from Malden Square." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

Aug. 21, 1959, somewhere in New Zealand. "Two women with four small children in a pushchair on a city street, probably Wellington." Evening Post newspaper photograph collection, Alexander Turnbull Library. View full size.

Chicago circa 1900. "12th Street bascule bridge." Andy about to overtake A.B. Ward on the Chicago River. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size.