Detroit, Michigan, circa 1905. "Goebel Brewing Co., bottling works." Our third look at the brewery at Rivard and Maple streets. 8x10 glass neg. View full size.

Holyoke, Massachusetts (vicinity), circa 1908. "An elevating car -- Mount Tom Railway." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

New York circa 1910. "Track level, main and exits, concourses, Pennsylvania Station." 8x10 dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.

Continuing on our theme of the ancient-1970s history of consumer electronics, here's my niece and nephew playing with my Fairchild Channel F video game. According to Wikipedia, it was the first ROM cartridge-based video game console, selling for $170 when released in 1976. It was a color system, despite the appearance of the screen. I'd intended using it with my Advent VideoBeam projection TV, but the Channel F's signal wasn't sufficiently up to snuff sync-wise (or something) to satisfy the VideoBeam. Shortly after this, I got an Atari 2600 that worked with it. I myself never really got heavily into video gaming, other than a brief and mild addiction to Atari's Space Invaders and Breakout. Mainly I was just fascinated by the big, colorful graphics whizzing around on the giant VideoBeam screen. This bounce-flash Kodachrome was considerably underexposed, so I had to boost it quite a bit. Oh, and feel free to grab a chocolate from the Whitman's box. View full size.

Circa 1914. "Ford Motor Company plant, Highland Park, Detroit." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

February 10, 1948. Washington, D.C. "Potomac Electric Power Co. -- commercial kitchens, restaurants and lighting. Mayfair Restaurant dining room." You'll come for the food and stay for the flattering indirect illumination. 8x10 acetate negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size.

April 1865. Charleston, South Carolina. "St. Philip's Church with ruins of Circular Church and Secession Hall." Casualties of the Great Fire of 1861. Wet plate glass negative by George N. Barnard. View full size.