New York, December 11, 1915. "Mrs. John Charles Thomas." The singer Ruby Rothnour, wife of the noted baritone. In 1923 she got a divorce in Reno. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size.

New York, 1909. "Knickerbocker Hotel, Broadway & 42nd Street." Decked out for the Hudson-Fulton Celebration. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size.

Detroit circa 1906. "Detroit Publishing Co., northwest view." Note the greenhouse-style glass to the right employing sunlight for printing and perhaps enlargement, as well as the unusual windows to the left. In the early years of the 20th century, the company was one of the world's biggest producers of color postcards. Panorama made from two 8x10 inch glass negatives. View full size.

Despatch, New York, circa 1904. "Blacksmith shop, Merchants' Despatch Transportation Co." Operations of the refrigerated rail freight line in what is now East Rochester. Panorama of two 8x10 glass negatives. View full size.

Bill Bliss and his family again, enjoying a little outdoor cooking sometime in the mid-fifties. I'm not sure where this is but I'm guessing somewhere up the Pacific coast. 35mm Anscochrome color slide. Here's another photo of their trip. View full size.

New York circa 1904. "Gen. Sherman statue at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street. Hotels Netherland, Savoy and St. Regis." 8x10 glass negative. View full size.

Circa 1906. "Main Street, Worcester, Massachusetts." Bonbons and dance lessons are among the goods and services on offer in this bustling burg. View full size.

Homestead, Pennsylvania, circa 1910. "Homestead Steel Works, Carnegie Steel Co." Lots of interesting details in this humongous panorama made from four 8x10 inch glass negatives. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

Here we see the Bliss family with friends in Yosemite. The year is 1940-41 based on the license plate to the right. The guy in the top row on the right reminds me of Richard from Boardwalk Empire. View full size.

Savannah, Georgia, circa 1901. "Bull Street." Glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

Alma, Michigan, circa 1905. "Alma Sanitarium dining room." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

If you think this is just a photo of a well-worn old car, you're wrong. It's actually a significant moment in our family's history. June 27, 1966 was the last day for our 1956 Hudson Rambler. Previously, we saw it all shiny and sparkly, mere days after we got it. During the following ten years, it: took my sister to the church for her wedding; took us to graduations, my grade and high school and my brother's college; took us on our first visit to Yosemite, and later our very first camping trips (see our decals?); took my folks to visit their first grandchild; and perhaps most important of all, took me to my first visit to Disneyland.

I decided to record the event in a series of Ektachrome slides. Here, my father is clearing out all our personal items prior to the trip to the dealer to pick up our new car - a 1966 Rambler Classic station wagon. Oh; our trade-in allowance for this one: $50. View full size.

Alma, Michigan, circa 1905. "Alma Sanitarium, part of the sun parlor." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.

March 1936. "Auto parts shop. Atlanta, Georgia." Large-format nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

New York circa 1908. "Fifth Avenue hotels north from 51st Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.