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Five Little Naons: 1912
"Naon children, 1912." Romulo Naon Jr., son of the Argentinean ambassador, and siblings. I ... will spend the summer. Washington Post, May 19, 1912 My new favorite picture This replaces the picture of ... if any of them did end up staying in the United States? 1912 would have been a part of Argentina's glory years, when iy was one of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 6:09pm -

"Naon children, 1912." Romulo Naon Jr., son of the Argentinean ambassador, and siblings. I can't shake the feeling that some Goreyesque mishap is about to befall these gloomy tots. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. That's just too good, Dave!I stared at this photo thinking that there was something slightly creepy and familiar about this image; then I read your caption. I'm a Gorey fan and collector, but I don't know how long, if ever, it would have taken me to make the connection; now I can't see it any other way! It is the perfect analogy - in absolutely every detail. Thanks. The VehicleI'm not an auto expert but isn't that the 1911 prototype of the Dodge Neon? Naon ChildrenFollowing is a caption from a different Harris & Ewing photo of children carried in the Washington Post. Children of the Minister From Argentina and Mme. Naon. These beautiful children gladden the home of the Argentine Minister and Mme. Naon. They were all born in Buenos Aires, but they love Washington, and are not anxious to return to their own country because they like America so much better as a place in which to live. They are Isabel, age 12; Felisa, age 10, Romulo, age 9; Juan Jose, age 5; and Carlota, the baby, who is only 2. Isabel and Felisa attend the Convent of the Visitation and Romulo and Juan Jose go to St. John's College. They all speak French and English as well as their native language, Spanish. Carlota has not yet learned French, but she can chatter in Spanish, and knows a little English. She is a dear baby with large dark eyes and a lot of silky curls of a beautiful chestnut brown. She is devoted to her doll baby and loves to sing it so sleep. When vacation days come the children are going with their parents to Buena Vista, where they will spend the summer. Washington Post, May 19, 1912 My new favorite pictureThis replaces the picture of Eleanor Tierney at Starlight Park as my favorite Shorpy image. How it delights the imagination! Isabel and Felisa remind me of the spooky Diane Arbus "Identical Twins" picture. They also remind me a bit too much of my sister and myself, who were not twins but were raised - and dressed - as such. Where's Cousin Itt?They look like something straight out of "The Addams Family"! Shining ExampleGeez, I don't know what's creepier about this photo: the doll in the stroller or the Kubrickesque twins in the back! When you're right, you're rightThey are very Gorey-esque aren't they? I can practically hear the old PBS "Mystery" theme song when I look at that picture. Handsome family though. Redrum, Redrum!In a previous appearance: LemonyThat's just too Lemony Snicket for words. Love it! The ObviousThe one in the carriage is a real doll. Bored to Death"N is for Naon who died of ennui." High AnxietyI wonder what's going through the mind of the boy on the left. If I had that glorious toy car, I'd be all smiles! Sounds of terrorDid'ja ever notice that when horror movies preview on the big screen that if they have five-year olds' voices singing a familiar childhood tune, it makes peoples' blood run cold? When they show a well-dressed, well-behaved serious child in any "standing still" scene, people are scared silly? Psychologically, it defies explanation as to why adults are so scared of youngsters who don't act like real-life children. Seems as though if you want to make a scary hit movie, you need only work into the script some very serious, disciplined toddlers who keep showing up and singing. Why izzit? P.S. The two girls doing "sister act" need bigger bows on their hats. Don't Cry for MeThat youngest girl is absolutely adorable. Yes, they look a little uncertain about something, but still, a good looking group of kids. I like stanton_square's added info (as always)--it makes it easier to picture these kids as more active, "normal" children, which I'm sure they probably were. I wonder if any of them did end up staying in the United States? 1912 would have been a part of Argentina's glory years, when iy was one of the wealthiest countries on earth. Things went downhill after the 1930s, and the country has kind of had a rough go of it since. I was there for a summer a couple of years ago though, and it's a terrific place to visit. And if you like amazing, filling food, you'll probably gain a lot of weight. Meat and bread, and more meat. Like I said, it's a great place. Lives of luxuryThese kids don't look especially scary or creepy to me (although I love the redrum and Gorey comparisons!) but rather a bit stuck up and snobbish. They seem to lack the humble charm of the other Shorpy kids, who have had to work for whatever toys and treats they may have had. Rómulo S. Naón (1875-1941)He had a very distinguished political and diplomatic career, as well as in finance, and there are schools and streets in Buenos Aires named after him. He was head of the Argentine legation in Washington from 1910, and when it became an embassy, in 1914, he became Argentina's first ambassador to the United States, a post he retained until 1917. I find records for only four children: Felisa, born 1903; Juan-José, Isabel and Carlota. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Kids)
Chelsea Piers: 1912
New York, 1912. "New Chelsea Piers on the Hudson." Feast your eyes on this veritable ... closed to Liverpool, aboard the Lusitania, in December, 1912. Drafting - the old way! My eyes, too, were drawn to the top floor ... or exit the yard. If there is a clock in view, a date in 1912 for the photo, a streetcar schedule and some streetcar records still ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/15/2024 - 3:02pm -

New York, 1912. "New Chelsea Piers on the Hudson." Feast your eyes on this veritable visual smorgasbord. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Gloriously Good! Cork TippedProbably my favorite things to look for in these pictures are the advertising signs. I never smoked or even saw a Nebo cigarette, but now I'd like to just because of that sign. One of the things I miss the most from my childhood and early adulthood is the wide variety of tobacco advertising and many of these old signs are getting to be valuable to collectors. Imagine the price of a big Nebo sign if you could even find one! White Star LinesWhere the Titanic was headed when it had an unexpected detour. The Carpathia would tie up there and discharge the survivors. Here's your Hopkins Manufacturing Building....View Larger Map Play ball! (or anything else)With commercial* and passenger shipping long gone, several of the piers have now been repurposed into a huge, multi-sport athletic facility. Their nautical past hasn't completely vanished, however, as they contain docking facilities for several party/dinner-cruise ships and a marina. Prior to the athletic facility's opening about 15 years ago the piers had been decrepit for many years. The streetcar yard in the lower right is most likely that of the 23rd Street Crosstown Line, which ran along the street of that name from river to river. It was among the last of Manhattan's streetcar lines to be "bustituted" in the mid-1930's. Today the athletic facility is a fairly long walk from the nearest subway station, that of the C and E trains at 23rd Street and Eighth Avenue, but that certainly hasn't hurt its popularity. * = shipping certainly hasn't disappeared from New York Harbor, it's just that with the advent of container shipping most activity has relocated to New Jersey, with some in Staten Island and Brooklyn Working hardThey're working up a sweat in the upper floor offices of the Steel Construction building! Funnels and mastsThe sight of all those funnels and masts poking up from the successive piers is a visual tease of the very best kind. Not the Night before ChristmasLease. The Cross & Brown Company has leased for the Clement Moore estate the plot 100 X 95 feet at 548 to 554 West Twenty-second street for a term of years at an aggregate rent of $250,000. The property will be improved with a four story and basement fireproof building, to be occupied by the Hopkins Manufacturing Company of Hanover. Pa., as a carriage factory. James N Wells's Sons were associated as brokers In the transaction.' NY Sun - Oct 15 1911 Would you stay at the TERMINAL Hotel? Does anyone ever check out? Somewhere out thereA traction modeler is dreaming of the layout he'll base on this photo as soon as his Significant Other agrees to give up the spare room. Strictly Limited EngagementA swift plummet down the Google hole reveals that "A Scrape o' the Pen" was a Scottish comedy that ran for just under three months at Weber's Music Hall. The names of the actors in the cast read like pitch-perfect parodies of themselves, perhaps from a unmade Coen Brothers period film. I note only the delightful Fawcett Lomax, who sailed back without delay after the show closed to Liverpool, aboard the Lusitania, in December, 1912. Drafting - the old way!My eyes, too, were drawn to the top floor of the steel construction building. The white shirts and ties, and the tell-tale bend of the torso, makes me believe that this is the drafting room. No CAD terminals, just wonderful old T-squares, triangles, and compasses. Those were the days! Not just a flash in the pan"A Scrape O' The Pen" apparently entertained a worldwide audience over several years. Here's a 1915 review from a run in Adelaide, Australia: A Scrape o' the Pen. In the olden days in Scotland no funeral was complete without its professional mourner, and in Mr. Graham Moffat's Scottish comedy, "A Scrape o' the Pen," which opens at the Theatre Royal on Saturday, Mr. David Urquhart, who delighted theatregoers here as Weelum in "Bunty Pulls the Strings" will humorously depict Peter Dalkeith, a paid mourner, which profession he has adopted, owing to his being jilted by the girl of his choice. This, and such old-time customs as Hogmanay, first footing, &c, have provided Mr. Moffat with excellent material for his new comedy. The story of the play is concerned with the romantic marriage of a young boy and girl according to Scottish law, the young fellow leaving for Africa immediately after signing the papers, and the subsequent adventures of the wife he leaves behind. Mr. and Mrs. Moffat are appearing in the original parts of Mattha and Leezie Inglis, and will have the support of a newly-augmented company of Scottish players. Pier 62On the west side of Manhattan piers are numbered by this method: the cross street plus 40. Thus, Pier 62 (the number above the "American Line" pier) is located on 22nd Street. Therefore Peter's estimation that the streetcar yard is on 23rd Street appears to be correct. Interestingly, this photo captures a streetcar about to enter or exit the yard. If there is a clock in view, a date in 1912 for the photo, a streetcar schedule and some streetcar records still around, we might know which streetcar, which direction it was heading and who was driving it. Might even find the fare collection records and know how many people rode that run that day. Ahhh, history's mysteries. Quaker StateAttached is an advertisement, perhaps another Billboard, flacking Old Quaker Rye Whiskey. Looks like 3 Clubmen welcoming their Bootlegger, possibly Benjamin Franklin. Quakers are allowed to imbibe but not at the Meeting House. Can anyone tell meThe purpose of the frameworks that extend above the edges of the pier roofs? My guess is that they re to prevent the rigging of masted ships from tearing into the roofs themselves - anyone have a better guess? Highly sought afterbut rarely found; honesty in a rye whiskey. Chelsea PiersThe steel frameworks on the roofs held the tracks for the rigid or roll-up heavy pier side doors during vessel unloading. One of the few...trucks in this picture: just above the Old Quaker whiskey sign. Broadway JonesThe great George M. Cohan wrote the script, composed the score, directed, and starred in "Broadway Jones," a comedy about a boy who inherits a chewing gum factory, saves the company, and wins the heart of the girl. His father, Jere, and his mother, Nellie, costarred. I can tell youThe girderwork at the edges of the finger piers can also be used in conjunction with ships' tackle to extend the reach for loading and unloading cargo. Henry B. Harris of Titanic fame presents - "The Talker"Interesting that a partially hidden billboard for the 1912 play "The Talker" produced by Henry B Harris would be so close the the White Star Line pier. Harris being a celebrity who lost his life on board the Titanic in April of 1912. Two largest shipsThe twin funneled liner at Pier 60 appears to be the White Star Liner RMS Oceanic (1899) and, further away at Pier 56 is the RMS Campania (1893). And on our leftin the distance is 463 West Street home of Bell Labs, where many devices we take for granted were invented. And in the distance to the right, over in Hoboken one can see the North German Lloyd piers, and to their right the Holland America pier which appeared earlier in Shorpy. Mercantile Marine Co.Interesting story about the company that owned all of the ship lines at these piers here. The Nebo ManYears before the Marlboro man rode the range there was Nebo man looking so cool with color coordinated tie and hat plus I'm sure he lit that match with the tip of his thumb's fingernail. Dog ParkIs that where the dog park is now? In the bottom right hand corner, where all the train/trolley cars are parked? (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Southern Accents: 1912
... (at the right of the main picture) A coquina veneer in 1912 tied them together. The original portion burned in 1932 - Who'd have ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/18/2024 - 12:40am -

Daytona Beach, Florida, circa 1910. "Hotel Ridgewood and Ridgewood Avenue." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A Connecticut Yankee in King Henry's CourtDesigned by Nutmeg State solon-turned-architect Sumner Hale Grove, the Ridgewood started out as an eclectic wood structure before receiving an annex, in a contrasting style, in 1911 (at the right of the main picture) A coquina veneer in 1912 tied them together. The original portion burned in 1932 - Who'd have guessed? - but the annex continued on until 1975. The site today. Treebeards!Love the Spanish Moss. Not so much the horse pucky. The previous century's exhaust pollution. Bike WeekThere will be thousands of Harleys on Ridgewood beginning March 1. (The Gallery, DPC, Florida)
Flyboy: 1912
1912. "Army aviation, College Park. Tests of Curtiss plane for Army. Single ... there is evidence that Milling flew at College Park in 1912. More on the history of army aviation at College Park at the College ... service department. Washington Post, Jul 28, 1912 Army Men Soar High Milling's Second Successful ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/21/2012 - 3:29pm -

1912. "Army aviation, College Park. Tests of Curtiss plane for Army. Single control." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Re: StrutsIt is bamboo, the stuff has good strength for its weight. Those airplanes were glorified box kites with a not particularly powerful engine lashed on. StrutsTell me that isn't bamboo. Bamboo!Looks like a real strut of bamboo connected to the wheel and probably to the elevator control surface! Bamboo is really strong, however. [Kind of a built-in shish kebab skewer in case of a crash. - Dave] Nice FlowerpotNot only have airplanes evolved over time but so have the crash helmets. Lieutenant MillingThis looks to be the same Lt. Milling pictured in a two seater here, though now he has a plane of his own. Thomas Dewitt MillingThe pilot looks so young! As the Anonymous Tipster suggests, he does appear similar to Lieut. Thomas ("Tommy") Dewitt Milling, and indeed there is evidence that Milling flew at College Park in 1912. More on the history of army aviation at College Park at the College Park Aviation Museum, the National Park Service, and the College Park Airport. Wireless From Aeroplane Lieut. Milling Sends Message From Machine to Field Station Lieut. Thomas Dewitt Milling and George W. Beatty, the aviator, starred in tests of the new type C Wright aeroplane at the army aviation school at College Park, Md., yesterday. It was a day of much activity. Flights started before 7 o'clock in the morning and lasted until sunset. ... One of the most brilliant of the performances was that of Lieut. Milling. Carrying a wireless instrument weighing 70 pounds in a cross-country flight, he sent messages to the wireless station on the aviation field. The feat was attempted on the orders of the wireless service department. Washington Post, Jul 28, 1912 Army Men Soar High Milling's Second Successful Flight at College Park. Soaring to the height of 1,300 feet at 6 o'clock yesterday afternoon, Lieut. Thomas DeWitt Milling, of the army aviation school, completed the last of two successful flights which he has made at College Park. Several other flights were made in preparation for the Labor day celebration at Benning tomorrow. Washington Post, Sep 1, 1912 Air Scouts Contest Today Army Fliers to Compete for the Clarence H. Mackay Trophy. A competitive test in aerial reconnaissance work by army aviators is to be held today, and the winner will receive the Clarence H. Mackay trophy. Starting from College Park early this morning, Lieuts. Roy Kirtland, Henry H. Arnold, and Dewitt Milling, of the aviation corps, will carry sealed orders directing them to locate and report upon the approaching "enemy." the closeness with which the aviators approximate the character, size and location of the various divisions of the sham opposing army; also the proximity of their landing to their starting points, and the character of their landing will be counted in the awarding of the prize. Any flier who operates at a height of less and 1,000 feet will be disbarred, such recklessness being considered suicidal in time of war. This will be the first time in Mackay trophy has been competed for. Hereafter, however, annual competitions will be held. Washington Post, Oct 9, 1912 Answer to Un-asked QuestionTo answer the question which was asked of a previous shot of a Curtiss aeroplane, the strap running over the pilot's shoulders and onto the padded bar was not an early seat belt, although it may have functioned as such somewhat. It was in fact connected to the rudder, so that the pilot turned the wheel(ailerons) and swayed his torso to achieve coordinated turns. The current system of foot pedals for rudder control wasn't agreed upon ontil the Curtiss JN4-D Jenny), I believe. Hap ArnoldLt Henry H. Arnold, known as "Hap", had an impressive military career. He was Military Aviator number 2, Chief of Staff of the Army Air Forces during WWII ("the big one" as Mr Gillis used to say), General of the Army and General of the Air Force (5 stars). He was also responsible for what later became Rand Corporation. That's the thing about second lieutenants...you never know what will become of them until much later. Are We Not Men?We are DEVO! HelmetsThe wacky helmet is a direct result of 1st Lt. Thomas Selfridge. He was the first armed forces aviator to die in a plane crash. It is speculated that had he lived, Selfridge would have become an aviation marvel. That helmet. Would be of great protection on any kind of frontal collision. Particularly from the large engine and radiator sitting directly behind you. Happy 100thAugust 29, 2009, the College Park Airport is celebrating its 100th birthday. Curtiss Model D 1911A shoulder yoke was used to twist the wing for turns. The "tail" was out in front. The 1911 Curtiss Model E had the empennage mounted in the rear and had the first ailerons. "the character of their landing will be counted in the awarding of the prize." Meaning an award to the pilot that didn't convert one of Uncle Sam's prized kites into kindling on landing. (The Gallery, Aviation, Harris + Ewing)
World Series: 1912
... Professional. Crowds at scoreboard." Watching the 1912 World Series courtesy of the Washington Post on an electro-mechanical ... the roadster but where is it in this photo? [In 1912 Mr. Foster's shop was on 14th Street across from the Willard (ad below from December 1912). The store in the 1924 photo, when he had two locations, might be the one ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 8:24pm -

"Baseball, Professional. Crowds at scoreboard." Watching the 1912 World Series courtesy of the Washington Post on an electro-mechanical scoreboard that looks something like a big pinball game. In the years before the first radio broadcasts in the early 1920s, newspapers, linked to reporters by telephone, wire service or "wireless telegraph," provided live coverage of sporting events like prizefights and baseball games to crowds on the street, with announcers and scoreboards giving play-by-play results. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Men without hatsI see two! The WillardI'm a little confused looking at this photo. I know that the Washington Post was once on E St. just north of what is now called Freedom Plaza. And there was a Hotel Johnson at 13th and E, which would be consistent with the idea that this is shot looking east down E Street from about 14th Street. But I'm confused because the building looming in the background looks like the Willard, which would be behind the camera if I'm right. Was there a building at 12th and Pennsylvania that looked exactly like the Willard? [Update: We are looking down E Street at the Raleigh Hotel. - Dave] Officer! Arrest That ManYou there! Without a jacket or a hat. Come with me. You are under arrest as either a vagrant or a visitor from the future - and with those suspenders and bow tie, the latter is obviously not the case. E StreetI think that this view is indeed looking eastward along E street. At some point, Mr. Foster's shop moved, a careful study of the buildings show that they are different. An alternative view of some of the buildings, and the "Velvet Kind" sign, is seen in the nighttime Washington Noir photo. The 1400 block of E street is visible in the background of one of the many views of the Hayes roadster. But this puzzles me. The National Theater building, with the blocky projecting bays, is perhaps seen in both. However, the Munsey Building, the large white block built in 1905, is seen behind the roadster but where is it in this photo? [In 1912 Mr. Foster's shop was on 14th Street across from the Willard (ad below from December 1912). The store in the 1924 photo, when he had two locations, might be the one at 1229 Pennsylvania Avenue. In any event, that's the Raleigh Hotel in the background. The cupola was at 12th and Pennsylvania, so this would indeed seem to be E Street. - Dave] Update: There is a reference in the Post in 1908 referring to address of National Remembrance Shop at 1333 E street. The Historical Society of DC has an image of the corner of 14th and E showing Mr. Foster's at the 503 14th site. Note the trusty policeman directing traffic in the foreground. Washington Post, Apr 26, 1914 The Munsey Trust Company yesterday bought the property at 1335 E street, occupied by William A. Engel, who conducts a saloon, bowling alley, and restaurant. The purchase of the property gives the Munsey Trust Company ownership of all the buildings and ground between the New National Theater and the Washington Post building. The trust company announced that an eleven-story office building is to be built on the site now occupied the by Shoomaker company and Engel, to adjoin the Munsey building. The new building will be of the same height as the Munsey building, and will be surmounted by a tower. The entrance of the present Munsey building will be changed. Work on the new building will begin June 1. McKim, Mead & White, of New York, will draw the plans for the building. So I take from this, that the large columns in this photograph are the entrance to the original Munsey building. when the building was expanded The facade was rebuilt to the appearance seen in the roadster photo. This suggests the roadster photo was probably taken after 1915. The World Series is the Big EventThe best thing of all is that this crowd is gathered on a Washington street to watch the results of a World Series played by franchises in two other cities. Subway SeriesThere was a time, before TV sets were common in homes, that people would gather in front of stores that sold them. In most NYC neighborhoods, they were radio repair shops. There they watched the telecasts the same way the folks in this picture watched the scoreboard, but the crowds were nowhere as large as this. However, in the 1940's and 50's there was local interest because the Yankees, Giants (NY that is) and/or Dodgers (Brooklyn, that is) were usually in the series. VarietyEven though a casual glance reveals a sea of derbies and homburgs, careful examination reveals quite an interesting variety of hat styles and "bashes" (crown shapes). (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Sports)
The Old Ball Game: 1912
October 8, 1912. First game of the 1912 World Series, between the New York Giants and Boston Red Sox. Right field ... a hat in that photo. By the way, this is a great blog. 1912 World Series I found Waldo! Kind of surprised I notice that the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 6:41pm -

October 8, 1912. First game of the 1912 World Series, between the New York Giants and Boston Red Sox. Right field grandstand at New York's Polo Grounds. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Other gamesI knew that Chicago had an annual "City Series" between the Cubs and White Sox at the same time as the World Series (when neither team was in the World Series), but I did not know Philadelphia did, too, until I looked at that scoreboard. I wonder if St Louis or Boston or New York ever had one. On the scoreboard, "New York" is in white, so I infer the Chicago and Philadelphia National League teams are probably in white, too, and so the home teams. Okay, I looked it up: The October 5 edition of the Chicago Tribune says the series was to start "next Tuesday," which would be October 8, but the records of the series say the first game was on October 9 at Comiskey Park. So, I'm guessing it rained that day in Chicago. Derbies and Fedoras galoreThere doesn't seem to be a single man without a hat in that photo. By the way, this is a great blog. 1912 World SeriesI found Waldo! Kind of surprisedI notice that the stands were integrated also. Game TimeFrom what I could find looking through archives, the game time was 2:30. Either the clock was wrong or they certainly had an early arriving crowd in those days. Or women"There doesn't seem to be a single man without a hat in that photo." Or a single woman that I can find. Game Time?Well, people were probably just arriving early. It was the World Series after all, and the seating is not reserved. If you want to get a good seat for the most important games of the year, you get there early! Men in HatsOne more possible woman is in about the 3rd row, three seats to the right of the tunnel or stair opening, above the whiskey bottle image. She appears to be wearing a large dark hat. WomenI found one woman; towards the center of the photo, just below the empty seats, wearing a white skirt and neck ruffle/bow. A thin man appears to be her companion, on her left. RE: Derbies and Fedoras galoreThis is a wonderful blog!! :) (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, Sports)
Higher Powers: 1912
New York circa 1912. "Broadway and Trinity Church." In the distance, the Singer and Woolworth ... negative. View full size. Oh to be a milliner in 1912 I walked in that exact spot 99 years later, in the spring of 2011, ... There were similar throngs of people but, whereas in 1912 most people were normal weight and possessed of significant sartorial ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/16/2019 - 8:53pm -

New York circa 1912. "Broadway and Trinity Church." In the distance, the Singer and Woolworth buildings, the latter under construction. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Oh to be a milliner in 1912I walked in that exact spot 99 years later, in the spring of 2011, taking pictures of, among other things, the Trinity Church graveyard. There were similar throngs of people but, whereas in 1912 most people were normal weight and possessed of significant sartorial savvy (including being elegantly hatted), in 2011 most people (excluding, for the most part, denizens of Wall Street) were overweight, dressed like slobs, and, if any hats were worn, they were baseball caps. I much prefer the street vibe of 1912. The attention to detail was astoundingFrom fashion to construction. Tops! Spot the person without a hat. (Tip -- there isn't one!) Amazing that among all these folks, I could not find a single one not wearing a hat. How times have changed. Oh, and as to the lovely and shapely lady in black, walking away from us in the lower right, I can only wish I'd been the gent walking behind her. Ah! the soaring vertical lines!This photograph so captures the power of the early 20th city, as well as being a wonderful example of the importance of camera placement and capturing a scene in its authentic geometrical glory. Nothing here of the depressing wide angle distortion and toppling buildings characteristic of google streetview/cell phone camera culture. Lovely and shapely Lady in BlackNice to see that I’m not the only one whose eye was caught by the woman in black. In SpiredUntil the Brooklyn Bridge was built, the spire of Trinity Church was the tallest building in NYC. On Sundays after services it used to be a thing to climb the stone staircase and peer out the small ports in the spire. I had an opportunity to climb it in January 2005. Fascinating clockworks, but the spire was cold and dirty, with more than a few dead pigeons. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
Copley Plaza: 1912
Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1912. "Copley Plaza Hotel, Copley Square." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, ... black-on-white license plate on the cool roadster is a 1912 Rhode Island dealer's license number 1. Collectors would pay four-figures ... Anyway, I finally spy a pigeon on the grass in front! 1912 Rhode Island License Plate Number 1 1912–17 Black numbers on white ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/05/2019 - 1:44pm -

Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1912. "Copley Plaza Hotel, Copley Square." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Tag on that "cool roadster"That black-on-white license plate on the cool roadster is a 1912 Rhode Island dealer's license number 1. Collectors would pay four-figures for that today. That Car!What make is that automobile in the foreground? It almost looks like an early model Jeep. I wonder if any Shorpy fan can identify it and what year it was manufactured? Granddad worked hereUntil his passing in 1960, my grandfather was maître d' in the Merry-Go-Round Room on the first floor just inside the righthand entrance. The lounge closed for a day in his honor. This grand old lady still stands. Still there todayPretty much everything else is gone, 'cepting the BPL (behind the trees) and Trinity Church (behind the photog). Cool roadsterI love the car at the curb. Probably hard to identify it here, and the bolt-on split windshield is something I've never seen before in my 40+ years in the antique car hobby. [That's some sort of fabric snap-on shroud. - Dave] Found a bird!I’m always trying to spot birds in these old photos whether they are in trees, on wires or on buildings. I have yet to find many in my several years of looking. I think Dave said it was mostly due to shutter speed? Anyway, I finally spy a pigeon on the grass in front! 1912 Rhode Island License Plate Number 11912–17 Black numbers on white porcelain plate; Design .............. vertical "RI" at left Slogan .............. none Serial format ...... 12345 1 to approximately ... 35000 Rhode Island reused numbers from earlier expired registrations. The reason being they did not want to exceed the 99,999 numbering scheme limit. They did exceed that limit in 1913. That said, this is the first 1912 registration. suggesting the auto is 1912 or earlier vintage. The auto at the curbOut on a limb. It looks like the 1912 Thomas Flyer Model MC 6-40 Roadster. radiator and spare tire mounts are similar. Cambridge FrontThe leatherette and isinglass windshield supported by brass rods was most likely made by a company in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Known as "Cambridge Windshields," they were mostly used on sporting type cars. Also note that the car appears to have Rhode Island license plate number 1. (The Gallery, Boston, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC)
Bike Shop: 1912
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Metzger bicycle shop. Detroit City Gas Co." This photo of a cycle (and ... with two wheeled vehicles, apparently! The 8-track of 1912 Those shelved items on the right are music cylinders. Music discs were a growing market in 1912 but looks as if this shop's owner had a lot of inventory to move before he ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:13pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Metzger bicycle shop. Detroit City Gas Co." This photo of a cycle (and phonograph) shop was taken to show off the gaslight fixtures. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. MotorcyclesI see four motorcycles on the left. An Excelsior Autocycle (Ignaz Schwinn was behind Excelsior motorcycles). Behind the Excelsior is a "camelback" Indian of about 1909 vintage, I think. Then another Indian and perhaps another Excelsior. In today's market those old motorcycles would extremely valuable and sought after by collectors. I think music, bicycles, and motorcycles would still make for a fun shop today. RiddleWhat do gramophones and bicycles have in common? No, seriously, I want to know. [Horns. - Dave] Flash!Is that the reflection of the magnesium flash going off behind the men? [It is! - Dave] Huber & MetzgerBill Metzger started the first retail automobile store in Detroit in the old Biddle house. He became the first independent auto dealer in Detroit and probably the US. Below, the Huber & Metzger bike shop at 13 Grand River Avenue. A hipster's dreamWhat beautiful bikes. As a cyclist, I would love to have one of them. Just like today's hipster bikesNo brakes - no coaster brakes, no hand brakes. All the with-it college kids are riding fixed gear bikes with no brakes these days. Safety third! FixiesAs far as I can see, none of the bicycles on offer have any brakes whatsoever. Such carefree times. Well that's puzzlingI don't see any light fixtures that look like gas burners. I'm not aware of any glass bell shades pointing down that were ever used on gas lights. I'm pretty sure I can see bulb sockets on the perimeter lights, although I can't quite make them out. The fixtures in the center of the room have pull-chain switches on them. [Each gas chandelier has a pair of pulls to regulate flow. Below is another example from Detroit City Gas Co. - Dave] An Odd MixThe left side of the shop has a good selection of Victor Talking Machines. The right wall has shelves of Edison cylinders . I think I see a Columbia at the back of the shop. And all those bicycles! What a combination. Mail CallI'd say those envelopes, in the showcases behind the Victrolas, hold recordings by John McCormick, Enrico Caruso, Rosemary Clooney and Elvis. Early ironSome of those "bikes" are motorcycles. Not all are bicyclesI spot at least two Indian and two Excelsior Auto Cycles on the left row and can't quite identify what is in back behind the two men sitting though I suspect another Excelsior. All NaturalNot single black tire in the shop. Everything is natural rubber. The sound of bikesI find it quite amusing that the two leading bicycle store chains in Israel, where I live, are called Matzman and Mintz. Something with the "TZ" sound drags people to deal with two wheeled vehicles, apparently! The 8-track of 1912Those shelved items on the right are music cylinders. Music discs were a growing market in 1912 but looks as if this shop's owner had a lot of inventory to move before he could think about selling discs. (Judging by their loose-looking packaging, I don't think the items in some sort of vertical envelopes on the shelves on the left are discs, although if they are, they're way outnumbered by the cylinders.) Some of the songs of the day: "She Pushed Me Into the Parlour," "Daddy Has a Sweetheart (And Mother Is Her Name)," "Ragtime Cowboy Joe," "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" and Irving Berlin's "Keep Away From the Fellow Who Owns an Automobile." Used MotorcyclesIt seems that these fellows dealt in used equipment as well, Indian Motorcycles produced the last Camelback gas tank single cylinder machine in 1908 (according to my father, who's the curator of a very large motorcycle museum). The Metzger Bicycle Concern would have a heart attack if they knew what that "old" Indian single was worth today. [This picture could just as well be from 1908. - Dave] Metzger Got AroundBill Metzger was also behind the Metz car, which has previously been a Shorpy subject. I learned that from a friend who I had sent this photo to. Gas and ElectricThe center fixtures are gas, but the perimeter fixtures are electric. Best of both worlds when electric lighting was not necessarily bright or reliable. Obsolete Stock The items on the left-hand shelf are most likely Victor records. Victor & Edison allowed their dealers to carry both lines, until Edison introduced a disc machine & Victor ordered its dealers to drop Edison. All of the cylinders appear to be 2 minute records, although Edison introduced the 4 minute "Amberol" cylinder in 1908. Both were about to be discontinued in late 1912, along with open horn machines. The celluloid "Blue Amberol" record and a new line of Amberola (inside horn) cabinet machines were introduced in the Fall of 1912. Dealers were then allowed to discount the 'wax' cylinders, to clear their stocks. By this time, Edison's consultants said people were "Victrola crazy", while Edison's cylinder business fell disastrously & Columbia quit cylinders altogether. Bicycles & gramophonesIt's what they don't have in common that matters. Bicycles sell well in warmer months when people are outdoors. Gramophones sell well in colder months when people are indoors. I believe this is Metzger's shop at 351 Woodward and not the one he shared with Huber. http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/12/11/metzger-bicycle-shop-in-1912/ (The Gallery, Bicycles, Detroit Photos, DPC, Motorcycles, Stores & Markets)
Higher Lower Manhattan: 1912
New York circa 1912. "Big buildings of Lower Manhattan." Notable skyscrapers (in a scene last ... and the Bankers Trust pyramid. View full size. 1912 -> 1917 image flip Image flip between 1912 and 1917, perspective adjusted to align. Things change mighty fast around ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/04/2017 - 1:19pm -

New York circa 1912. "Big buildings of Lower Manhattan." Notable skyscrapers (in a scene last glimpsed here) include the Woolworth tower (under construction), the Singer Building and the Bankers Trust pyramid. View full size. 1912 -> 1917 image flipImage flip between 1912 and 1917, perspective adjusted to align. Things change mighty fast around Gotham. Click for large version In the HazeThe white building nearing completion in the haze to the right of the Singer Bldg. is the NYC Municipal Bldg. It was built to house NYC government offices because City Hall had reached capacity. Both are still standing. The suspension bridge tower in the haze further right is the Williamsburg Bridge to Brooklyn. Also still standing. Where is everyone?So many rooftops in the image and yet only two people visible on them. It can't be that cold out based on all of the laundry out to dry. And all the empty flag poles! Since this is 1912, perhaps people hadn't had a chance yet to procure the new 48 star flags. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads)
Main Street USA: 1912
Circa 1912. "Main Street and Chippewa Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan." 8x10 inch ... now my wife. I'd put this earlier than 1912 If this were ca. 1912 I think we'd see an automobile or two on the street. Judging by the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2018 - 1:20pm -

Circa 1912. "Main Street and Chippewa Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. +103Below is the same view from August of 2015. Somewhere in Time!Photo from the very year in which the movie was set. No luck spotting Elise and Richard, though. A favorite of the woman who was then my girlfriend, now my wife. I'd put this earlier than 1912If this were ca. 1912 I think we'd see an automobile or two on the street. Judging by the women's clothes, I'd put it earlier, somewhere 1895-1905. [You are obviously new to Mackinac Island, famous for being where cars are verboten. Also, count the stars on the flags. There are 48. - Dave] ColorfulIf this isn't a colorized photo waiting to happen, I don't know what is. Somewhere elseMackinac Island does feel like it's somewhere (else) in time. It may be because so many of its buildings are still there. The multi-gabled Chippewa Hotel is on the left, still open every summer. At least the first 4 buildings on the right are still there, but the steeple is gone from the third building. We remember it fondly because we honeymooned there, well after the season in December; we were the only people in the hotel for a while. Still smell the horsesNo motorized traffic allowed on Mackinac Island to this day. What the hackis "bric a brac"? (The Gallery, DPC, Horses, Stores & Markets)
Apartment 17: 1912
January 1912. New York. "Basso family, 2 Carmine Street, Apt 17. Making roses in dirty, ... the brewers' guild in Germany. - Dave] Apartment 17: 1912 This is Joe Manning, of the Lewis Hine Project. I did some quick ... (on 1910 Census), either died or skipped town between 1912 and 1915 as the mother Columbia is shown as the head of household in 1915. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/30/2012 - 4:09pm -

January 1912. New York. "Basso family, 2 Carmine Street, Apt 17. Making roses in dirty, poorly lighted kitchen. They work some at night. Pauline, 6 years old, works after school. Peter, 8, works until 8 p.m. Mike, (cross-eyed), 12 years old, until 10 p.m. Father keeps a rag shop." Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. A million barrels of beer on the wallIn late 19th century New York City, George Ehret was its most successful brewer, and the partly obscured line on the calendar page bottom (“1,000,000 barrels sold every year”) was no empty brag. He made a trip to Germany during the First World War, couldn’t get back to the U.S., and the government, caught up in anti-German actions, seized his business. When he managed to return, he worked to straighten everything out, and sponsored a number of pro-American ads for War Bonds. Here's a calendar similar to the one in the Basso home. (Note the Star of David incorporated in the company logo. He might not have made it out of WW II Germany.) What the war couldn’t do to Ehret’s business Prohibition did; the company floundered and in 1935 was bought by the Jacob Ruppert Brewery, also in New York. [That "Star of David" -- the hexagram or Bierstern (beer star) -- is a symbol of the brewers' guild in Germany. - Dave] Apartment 17: 1912This is Joe Manning, of the Lewis Hine Project. I did some quick research this morning. In the 1940 census, Mrs. Basso (first name Columbia) was a widow, and lived in NYC with three sons, John (50), Michael (40) and Peter (36). John is not in this picture, but Michael and Peter are. John was working, oddly enough, as a flower dyer. Michael was a trucker, and Peter worked in a print shop. Michael died in New Jersey in 1986. I could find no certain death records for John, Peter or Pauline. I hope I can find more when I get time. This kitchenlooks neither particularly dirty or poorly-lit for the standards of the day. The room is humble but it looks fairly clean to me, especially considering the activity they're engaged in. [The magnesium flash took care of the lighting. - Dave] Jacob Rupert BreweryThe Rupert Brewery, brewers of Knickerbocker Beer, took over the Ehret's Brewery in 1935. Col. Rupert, of the beer company, also owned the NY Yankees. The Brewery was torn down around 1965 and the Rupert Houses, a group of high rise residential buildings was built shortly after that. Last CallAs a footnote to a footnote, a recent Streetscapes column in the New York Times outlined the rise and fall of Ehret's Brewery. It was demolished in 1969 for an apartment complex. The clock tower pictured in the calendar was intended to be saved, but wound up being destroyed by vandals. To Joe ManningThis is the first chance I've had to mention seeing you on the CBS Evening News last week. The item Seth Doane did on you and your work with the Lewis Hine photos was excellent, and the interview with Mamie La Barge's granddaughters gave the topic a sense of relevance. The video can be found here. 2 Carmine St.I'm guessing this is what 2 Carmine looks like from the outside today: View Larger Map Maxfield Parrish CalendarI always enjoy seeing these in old photographs. His art was ethereal The Basso Family through the yearsFollowing up on Mr. Manning's post, I can see the Basso Family on the 1910, 1920 and 1930 US Census. Also on the 1915 NY State Census. The original family in 1910 was: Antoine (father), Columbia (mother), John (20), Antoinette (14), Michael (10), Edith/Aida (9), Peter/Pietro (7) and Pauline (4). 1915: The father, Antoine (on 1910 Census), either died or skipped town between 1912 and 1915 as the mother Columbia is shown as the head of household in 1915. All sibs are still there at 2 Carmine St. 1920: Antoinette is gone so she either married or died between 1915 and 1920. Probably married as she was in her 20's. Everyone else is still there, but they have moved to 28 King Street which is a few blocks south of Carmine. 1930: Edith is gone so like Antoinette she either married or died between 1920 and 1930. Left are Columbia, John, Michael, Peter and Pauline. I couldn't find anything on Pauline after 1930. Clock WorksThe clockworks from the Ruppert Brewery survives today at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. The tower may be gone, but the works are still with us. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, NYC)
He Sells Celery: 1912
April 1912. 10:30 p.m. at Center Market in Washington, D.C. Eleven-year-old celery ... full size. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. apr. 1912 wow. this picture was taken the same month the Titanic sank. amazing. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 5:28pm -

April 1912. 10:30 p.m. at Center Market in Washington, D.C. Eleven-year-old celery vendor Gus Strateges, 212 Jackson Hall Alley. He sold until 11 p.m. and was out again Sunday morning selling papers and gum. Has been in this country only a year and a half. View full size. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. apr. 1912wow. this picture was taken the same month the Titanic sank. amazing. interestingso this photo was taken the same month the Titanic sank; amazing. (The Gallery, D.C., Kids, Lewis Hine, Stores & Markets)
Cleveland: 1912
Cleveland, Ohio, circa 1912. "U.S. Post Office, Custom House and Court House, Public Square." 8x10 ... to scoot? Cars 23, horses 1, pushcarts 1 It's just 1912, but the competitive battle between four-hoofed and four-wheeled ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/12/2023 - 12:37pm -

Cleveland, Ohio, circa 1912. "U.S. Post Office, Custom House and Court House, Public Square." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. JaywalkersI love these old pictures from before crosswalks had even been thought of. "I want to be over there. The shortest way is diagonally across the intersection. Off I go." +104Below is the same perspective from July of 2016. Little Red WagonSo is this a little red wagon and someone using it to scoot? Cars 23, horses 1, pushcarts 1It's just 1912, but the competitive battle between four-hoofed and four-wheeled transportation is pretty much over. (The Gallery, Cleveland, DPC, Streetcars)
Billy and the Giant: 1912
June 27, 1912. Rye, New York. "Wells & Coffey." English heavyweight champion ... cruiserweight, not even a heavyweight. Bombardiers of 1912 When I saw this, it made me curious. I've always thought of a ... job was to get the bombs on the target. Obviously, in 1912, the title could not have referred to anything much like that. I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/18/2013 - 3:20pm -

June 27, 1912. Rye, New York. "Wells & Coffey." English heavyweight champion "Bombardier" Billy Wells, left, sparring with Jim Coffey, the Roscommon Giant, to prepare for his fight with Al Palzer. Palzer won by a knockout in the third round. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Giants were a lot smaller back then Everyone is bigger today. My nephew is 17 years old. 6'9" 289 lbs. Was always big. That's bigger than the average offensive tackle in the NFL 20 years ago. Junior in High School. He's got a list of 20 NCAA Div 1 football programs and a couple have sent someone to see him play. Hopefully he can stay healthy and get a 4 year scholarship. Funny thing is, there is a kid on his team taller and heavier than him. That kid looks to be 7 foot and at least 30 pounds heavier. He went to a Nike High School Combine last spring that ESPN filmed and I saw lot of kids that made him look undersized. Anyone else reminded of the oeuvreof Sir Mix-a-Lot when seeing this picture? "Moth holes in my britches"Title of the autobiography of Jim Coffey, the Roscommon Giant. Alternate title: "Three rounds and you're out." Boxers, they are bigger todayJim Coffey may have been nicknamed the Roscommon Giant, but at 6'1" and a normal fighting weight of just over 200 pounds he'd be more like a midget compared to today's heavyweights. Billy Wells was a couple inches taller but as far as can be determined fought in the range of 185 to 190 pounds. Today that would make his a cruiserweight, not even a heavyweight. Bombardiers of 1912When I saw this, it made me curious. I've always thought of a "Bombardier" as the man in a WWII era flying fortress whose job was to get the bombs on the target. Obviously, in 1912, the title could not have referred to anything much like that. I figured it must have been a title associated with the artillery, but found that it was also a rank, equivalent to Lance Corporal. You Call Those Gloves??!!I've had snow mittens with more padding in them! Bill's SkillsHe must have been a decent fighter, given his straight unbroken nose and normally shaped ears; other fighters of the era looked an absolute mess in those departments- On top of his gameIt's not too surprising that Billy Wells looked unmarked going into his fight with Al Palzer. He had fought only ten previous fights and won nine of them, in several cases by quick knockout. Despite losing to Palzer, Wells went on to have a successful career, holding the British heavyweight championship for several years and retiring in 1925 with a record of 41-11. Two of the losses were to Georges Carpentier, one of the top European heavyweights of all time. Al Palzer fared much worse; after defeating Wells he went 1-6 in his next fights, and then his own father shot him to death. Jim Coffey had a long and successful career despite never winning a title. He remained active until 1921 and ended up with a career record of 40-6-1. Trivia: if you've seen one of the dozens of movies produced by the Rank Organisation in the 1930's through 1950's you've seen a man strike a gong during the opening title sequence. That was Billy Wells. Fraud!These men cannot really be boxers. Their shorts do not extend to mid-shin, nor are they baggy in the seat. And no ink! Wardrobe MalfunctionCheck out the head kerchief. Had the elastic worn out on Mr Wells trunks or is that a "Favor" from Lady Guinevere? Whatever it was I do hope it stopped any wardrobe malfunction. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Sports)
The Pontch Again: 1912
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Hotel Pontchartrain." Yet another view of this relatively short-lived ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/08/2023 - 5:20pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Hotel Pontchartrain." Yet another view of this relatively short-lived hostelry on Woodward Avenue, whose downfall was a paucity of private bathrooms. Familiar landmarks include the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Cadillac Square and the Cadillac Chair. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. "Misfit"I wonder what went down at "MISFIT"? Or did they just sell irregular clothing? And what could those fellas on the corner be taking a gander at? [Misfit was the haberdashery owned by Sol Berman at 120 Woodward Avenue. The headline below is like something out of the Onion. - Dave] Anywhere you wantThere do not seem to be much in the way of parking regulations yet. Check out the street in front of the hotel. Nice Cleanup DaveI downloaded the original image from the LOC a while back. You've done a very nice cleanup job for the Shorpy site! Thank you. [Thanks, but I didn't do any "cleaning up." - Dave] My mistake. I'm confusing this image with a sister image you've previously posted that was pretty distressed. Cheep lodgingsHenry Ford had a purple martin bird house at his home Fairlane that he called the Hotel Pontchartrain. Don't know if Albert Kahn was the architect. You'd Almost ThinkApparently, the plethora of windows was no offset for the paucity of bathrooms. Street sightingOdd load waiting to cross the street. Coil of rope? Life preserver? Spare tire? Aha! Much clearer in closeup. The fellow is obviously hefting a coil of rope headed for a nearby ship chandlery. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
No News of Major Butt: 1912
... and possible survivors. "After midnight April 17, 1912, and still selling extras, 12th Street near G. There were many of these ... as it originally appeared in The Denver Post, April 16, 1912. Archibald C. Butt’s Fate Sad News to President’s Staff ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 11:37pm -

Washington, D.C. -- news of the Titanic and possible survivors. "After midnight April 17, 1912, and still selling extras, 12th Street near G. There were many of these groups of young newsboys selling very late these nights. Youngest boy in the group is Israel Spril (9 years old), 314 I Street N.W.; Harry Shapiro (11 years old), 95 L Street N.W.; Eugene Butler, 310 (rear) 13th Street N.W. The rest were a little older." Photo and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Major ButtI hear he was a rather cheeky fellow. Loss of Butt Painful The story as it originally appeared in The Denver Post, April 16, 1912. Archibald C. Butt’s Fate Sad News to President’s Staff Washington, April 16.–News of the Titanic disaster spread sorrow over official Washington. The report is especially distressing on account of the fate of Maj. Archibald C. Butt, the president’s military aide, who was aboard the vessel returning from Europe. Major Butt’s trip to Europe was partly an official mission in that he bore a message to the pope from President Taft thanking his holiness for creating three American cardinals. Found online about Butt: Archibald Butt was an Army officer who so impressed President Theodore Roosevelt, he was appointed his military aide. After Roosevelt helped Secretary of War William Howard Taft to victory in the 1908 presidential election, Capt. Butt was retained as military aide, and in 1911, was promoted to major. Maj. Butt was close to and deeply loyal to both presidents, but they had a falling-out several months into the Taft administration. Mr. Roosevelt decided to challenge President Taft for the 1912 Republican nomination. To say the least, Maj. Butt was a little stressed out about the situation and went to Europe for a reprieve. He booked passage home on the Titanic. According to many survivors, Maj. Butt bravely helped load lifeboats as the ship sank below the waves. He was last seen playing cards in the first class smoking room once the lifeboats had gone, and his body was not recovered. About 1,500 people turned out for a memorial service for Maj. Butt in his hometown of Augusta, Ga. President Taft delivered an emotional eulogy. No News of Major Butt: 1912This is Joe Manning, of the Lewis Hine Project. The little boy in the middle was Israel April (not Spril). I tracked down and interviewed his daughter several years ago and posted a very nice story about "Izzy" and his family. You can see the story at this link: http://morningsonmaplestreet.com/2014/11/26/israel-april-page-one/ Two heroesFrom the April 12, 1912 Washington Post: Clarence Moore died beyond a doubt at the side of his friend and fellow-hero, Major Archibald Butt. They remained together while lowering woman and children into the lifeboats, and jumped at the eleventh hour when the boilers of the giant ship bursted. Repeatedly, Moore refused to take a place in one of the boats, the survivors who saw him say. His friend, Butt, knew that he was an oarsman, in fact, he realized that Clarence Moore could do most anything any true sportsman could, so he requested Moore to man an oar in one of the last lifeboats to leave the ship. “No, major, I’ll stay and take my chances with you; let the women go,” Moore said to his companion according to Robert William Daniels, one of the survivors, who is stopping at the New Willard. “And he evidently stuck with Butt until death took them both,” said Mr. Daniels. “The two men jumped at the eleventh hour and were lost.” Major Butt Boards TitanicI wrote a long bit about Archibald Butt. Take a look at it as it has some history on him as well as the story why he went off to Europe. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, D.C., Lewis Hine)
Ready for Takeoff: 1912
College Park, Maryland, 1912. "Aviation, Army. College Park aviation field, 2nd season. Capt. F.B. ... Frederick Hennessy Washington Post, Sep 12, 1912 It was announced by Capt. Frederick Hennessy, who is in charge ... school. Washington Post, Oct 15, 1912 Capt. Frederick Hennessy, in charge of the hydroaeroplane ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/26/2012 - 11:44am -

College Park, Maryland, 1912. "Aviation, Army. College Park aviation field, 2nd season. Capt. F.B. Hennessy, Curtiss plane." Harris & Ewing. View full size. What? me worry?He looks just a tad anxious. Captain Hennessy, a brave guyand possibly a friend of football star Red Grange. That helmet looks a lot like the one used by "The Galloping Ghost." Really?Seems he's looking at the designer and asking: "This thing really flies, right?" Dual purpose"Captain Hennessy, I need that helment back by 3 o'clock for our last practice before the big game Saturday. Have a good flight." State of the art componentsFriction tape, bamboo struts, baling wire, adhesive tape, leather gauntlets, make-do leather football helmet and a steering wheel sans the inner tube ... still, the guy looks supremely confident. We owe a lot to these pioneers! Frederick Hennessy Washington Post, Sep 12, 1912 It was announced by Capt. Frederick Hennessy, who is in charge of the school at College Park and the barracks, during the absence of Capt. Chandler, that flying hereafter will be in the morning at College Park, and in the afternoon at the hydroplane school. Washington Post, Oct 15, 1912 Capt. Frederick Hennessy, in charge of the hydroaeroplane school, together with Lieut. H.H. Arnold and Lieut. T. DeW. Milling, tomorrow will leave for Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley, Kans. At Fort Riley the officers will demonstrate the two type "C" aeros, which were shipped from College Park Saturday. Two new aeroplanes are expected at College Park within a few days, coming from the Wright factory in Dayton, Ohio. They may be purchased by the government. William Kabitzke and Paul Conover, Wright aviators, will fly the machines. Washington Post, Oct 16, 1912 Capt. Frederick Hennessy, with Lieut. H.H. Arnold and Lieut. DeW. Milling, will leave this morning for Fort Leavenworth, Kans., to inspect a new type of automobile. The officers will take the machine over the roads from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Riley, a distance of more than 200 miles. It differs from the regular cars in that it is driven simultaneously on all four wheels, fore and rear, and is reputed to possess much more power and stability than the ordinary car. Washington Post, Nov 19, 1912 Capt C. deF. Chandler, commandant of the army aviation school at College Park, with several officers at the school, left Washington yesterday for winter headquarters at Augusta, Ga. Lieut. Harold Geiger, with several other officers of the hydroaeroplane school, will leave in about one week for San Diego, Cal., for the winter school at that place. Capt. Frederick Hennessy, of the hydroaeroplane school, will remain here throughout the winter in charge of the tests of the four Wright machines which William Kabitzke will make at College Park. Washington Post, Feb 28, 1913 Orders were issued from the War Department last night which, for the first time in the history of the army, will mobilize a complete and fully equipped squadron of aeroplanes. Nine flying machines will be immediately dispatched to Galveston and held in readiness for complications in the Mexican situation. The station to be established there will be in charge of Capt. Charles de F. Chandler, commandant of the army aviation school. Capt. Frederick Hennessy, who has been in charge of the aviation schools at College Park and the Washington barracks all winter, left last night for Galveston to select a site for the station. A land station and hydroaeroplane station are to be constructed, and it is understood that all the eight officers ordered to the mobilization will hold themselves in readiness for a rapid move to Vera Cruz in case the unexpected should happen. Shoulder YokeThat thing by his shoulder was used to control the ailerons. Curtiss had developed this particular feature to avoid violating the Wright Brothers' patent on wing warping. The pilot leaned against it to keep the plane in level flight. Fascinating picture showing one of the alternate paths that airplane controls went down before becoming more standardized. Aviator Falls 600 Feet and Still LivesSan Francisco Chronicle July 11, 1913 Aviator Falls 600 Feet and Still Lives - Captain Hennessy Is Saved From Death by His Foot Catching in Wire Strut - San Diego, July 10 - Falling 600 feet in a military biplane and saved from being crushed to death when his heel caught between a steering wire and a strut was the thrilling experience of Captain F.B. Hennessy, one of the daring military pilots attached to the first aero squadron at North Island yesterday, according to information which leaked out this morning. He had attained a high altitude, when his plane suddenly pitched forward and threw him out of his seat. His right foot became caught in the wires which control the ailerons. The plane immediately began to fall. Captain Hennessy, however, succeeded in wrenching his foot free, regained his seat in spite of the dizzy plunge of the machine and righted it within 200 feet of the water. He said, it is reported, the machine drooped 600 feet before he regained control. (The Gallery, Aviation, Harris + Ewing)
Letterbox: 1912
... D.C. "Post Office Department. Motorcycle postman. 1912." S14 collects the mail. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. ... locks are produced at the same location as they were in 1912, at the Mail Equipment Shops, 2135 Fifth Street, NE, Washington, DC. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 11:56am -

Washington, D.C. "Post Office Department. Motorcycle postman. 1912." S14 collects the mail. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. "Arrow" keyThe lower serial (marked "Street Letter Box" around "United States") lacks the "Mickey Mouse" ears that appear on the cases of later locks. The "Arrow" key was used for locks mounted within the door of a letterbox. It is called an "Arrow" key because it has an arrow marked on the box indicating which edge of the key points down when inserted into the lock. Both of these locks are produced at the same location as they were in 1912, at the Mail Equipment Shops, 2135 Fifth Street, NE, Washington, DC. Another photo on Shorpy shows assembly of the "LA" lock. Frank R. Scheer Railway Mail Service Library Cox MailboxI believe the fellow in the photo is likely the John C. Gaither mentioned below: the 'S' in his badge indicates a substitute carrier. An article earlier in the year anticipates the use of motorcycles to replace horses for the postal service. It states that, at the time, Washington D.C. employed 34 horse-drawn carts collecting mail at an annual cost of $420 each. I can't find any account of what became of these trials. Samuel C. Cox received patents on this type of letter box in 1910 and 1915. To Collect Mail Quicker Trial Route with Motorcycles and Cox Boxes May Revolutionize Services. Under the direction of Postmaster Merritt the city postoffice will place in operation September 24 and experimental route of mail collection, which if satisfactory may revolutionize this work in all the cities of the country. The experiment contemplates the combined use of motorcycles with the drop-bottom letter box invented by Dr. S. Clifford Cox, of this city. The motorcycle is equipped with a bin which can be placed under the box, which when unlocked pours the mail in the to bin. The collector merely has to halt his machine for a moment and is not called upon to dismount, as the throwing of the lever causes the box to close up properly. The route being arranged lies in Bloomingdale and Eckington. It is now being equipped entirely with Cox boxes. Washington Post, Sep 18, 1912 Mail Man on Motorcycle New Collection Service from Cox Boxes Begins Today. It is expected that a motorcycle will be placed in the service of the local Post Office Department today for the collection of mails at Bloomingdale, and if the experiment proves a success after a 60-day trial it is possible that more will be tried out. John C. Gaither, a substitute carrier, will make the first trials. It is expected that the start would be made yesterday, but on account of bad weather it was postponed. Thirty-five new boxes, known as the Cox box, have been installed in Bloomingdale. These boxes are arranged near the curb, and have a bottom with a chute. Without getting off his motorcycle the carrier unlocks the box, and is ready for the next. The motorcycle is specially built for this purpose, and has a single cylinder, five-horsepower engine. Washington Post, Sep 25, 1912 CheersThis has to be Cliff Clavin's grandfather. This is fuel efficiency!Let's return to this method. Hmmm, I hadn't considered rain, sleet and gloom of night. Never mind. First Street, NW?Could this picture have been taken on First Street, NW in Bloomingdale? The church in the background looks like Mt. Bethel at Rhode Island Avenue, NW. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Motorcycles)
Harvard Underground: 1912
Cambridge, Massachusetts, circa 1912. "Entrance to subway, Harvard Square." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, ... [Very common. - Dave] The No. 1 bus circa 1912 The trolley on the right states "Harvard Square" on top then "Dudley ... which to pick. Plate Number 7525 According to the 1912 New England Automobile Register, Massachusetts license plate 7525 belonged ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/21/2011 - 2:09pm -

Cambridge, Massachusetts, circa 1912. "Entrance to subway, Harvard Square." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. All God's Children got hatsIn all these early 20th century photos, every head gets a hat, even petite little goils got huge chapeaux. I am focusing now on the extreme right of the picture, under the Billings Apothecary sign, where one can see the back of a "beat cop" with the old timey, double-breasted police uniform and bobby-looking helmet, such as those seen in most old comedy movies when Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplain would get in trouble. Do the east coast cities still have policemen who walk a beat on the city streets? I haven't been there in so long, I'm not sure they still do that. My Uncle was a Brooklyn policeman who walked a beat from 1936 through 1966 and also patrolled the l939 World's Fair in Queens, N.Y. I love living in the past (it is an escape) and thank you Shorpy for reigniting old memories so accurately. P.S. The lady crossing the street appears to be wearing two hats. That's more like it - exorcismNice sunny day, faster shutter speed with plenty of activity - but no ghosts. Harvard YardNancy says the brick arches to the left of the street car are the entrance to Harvard Yard. Can anyone ID the cars? The KioskHere is the inevitable Google Street View comparison, albeit from a slightly different angle (the traffic pattern in Harvard Square seems to have changed in the past 100 years): View Larger Map The subway station moved from this original location across the street; its headhouse is still there and referred to by natives as the "kiosk" although it's now occupied by the Out of Town News newsstand. When the Red Line was expanded past Harvard in the 1980s the entrance was moved from that headhouse to a clunky brick monstrosity about 50 feet away. As you can see, the small wood frame house is still extant just next to the gate into Harvard Yard (behind/to the right of the headhouse), although I'm not sure about the tall building we can see beyond it. Now that space, roughly, is occupied by the Widener Library, which hadn't yet been built because it was named after an alum who sank with the Titanic 'round about this time. The buildings you can see on the right side of Massachusetts Ave (aka Mass Ave) in the original were razed in the 1960s by Harvard to build a brutalist concrete monstrosity (are you sensing a theme here?) that now houses their health services for students, among other things. Police headgearDuring the first part of the 20th century, most American police officers wore headgear in use during the latter part of the 19th century. The practice, at least with the Boston Police Department, was to wear the gray colored hats in the summer, then switch over to black during the winter months. The police officer shown in the photo was of course a member of the Cambridge Police Department. Not so petite little goilThere, at the center of the portico. She's dressed like a child no more than eight or ten years old, and is carrying the baby dolls to prove it, but she's already bigger than some of the adult women in the photo. If that's her mom next to her, genuinely petite under her big hat, that's one little goil who must have taken after her great big dad. ApothecaryThe Billings and Stover Apothecary seen at the right on Brattle Street persisted until 2002. Right-Side DriverI notice that the car with the plate number 7525 has the steering wheel on the right-hand side. I wonder how common this was in those days. [Very common. - Dave] The No. 1 bus circa 1912The trolley on the right states "Harvard Square" on top then "Dudley Street transfer station" underneath. The name transfer station refers to the busy Dudley Square stop, which today services trains and buses and then referred to different trolley lines. Today this same (and extremely popular) route is serviced by the MBTA's route number one bus running from Harvard Square in Cambridge to Dudley Square in Roxbury. Many of the most popular modern bus routes in the Boston area were once trolleys. Click n' ClackNary a sign (yet) of the Tappet Brothers! 113 Brattle StreetOut of sight around the gentle curve of Brattle Street exists the grand old structure once known as New Preparatory School. Run by the family Benshimol, all Harvard graduates, and principled by the patriarch Ernest, it was touted as a pre-school for those fixed on getting into those ivy covered halls. The other thing the school was famous for was hockey. I was neither headed for Harvard, nor played hockey, which kept my GPA pretty low. I did graduate. I did wear the blue blazer with the three gold buttons, and sport the blue and gold school tie. I did go to college. Ernie B. ran his classes with a hockey stick, a broadsword, a tipped foil, and a baseball bat. All used for effect, embarrassment, and pain as his students would stand on the great table to recite whatever he wanted as he slapped the table, poked the student and smacked the students butt if they failed to provide, all the while yelling (like a hockey coach) over and over what he expected, without giving away the answer. The building is now occupied by a company that seems to hunt heads for the dark side. Harvard provides plenty of herd from which to pick. Plate Number 7525According to the 1912 New England Automobile Register, Massachusetts license plate 7525 belonged to Arthur Fairbanks, 26 Elmwood St., Cambridge, for his 22 h.p. Buick, engine number 1030. I would guess that the man behind the wheel is Mr. Fairbanks. Nearly all American cars except the Model T Ford had right-hand drive up to 1912; most switched for the 1913 model year. There were a few stragglers, notably Pierce-Arrow, which did not make the switch until the 1920s. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Streetcars)
Snellenburg's: 1912
1912. "City Hall and Market Street west from 11th, Philadelphia." With a ... Hall of Fame The 1912 NL Phillies had a losing 73-79 season finishing in 5th place, 30 1/2 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/09/2018 - 2:59pm -

1912. "City Hall and Market Street west from 11th, Philadelphia." With a variety of interesting signage, including an electric baseball scoreboard at Snellenburg's department store. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Reading TerminalIt must have been a Sunday or a holiday, because I cannot imagine that the street in front of Reading Terminal, with its huge consumer food market, could possibly be that deserted on a business day. Spinner's Silk ShopSounds like a place I'd love to waste an afternoon in! Looks like a LozierThat car looks like a ca. 1911 Lozier. Pictured below is a 1911 Model 51. The Lozier Motor Co. was located in Detroit and built luxury cars starting in 1900 and ending in 1915, when the company went bankrupt. +101Below is the same view from October of 2013. All goneThe bottom 2 stories of the Snellenburgs department store, as shown in the 2013 photo, have just been completely removed, leaving a large hole in the ground. Snellenburg'sInterestingly enough that grotesque looking building in the 2013 photo IS Snellenburg's. They demolished the upper floors and covered the rest in a modern facade. Earlier this year it was finally torn down for good, but some of the original facade was exposed during demolition. You can see some photos I took of it here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rgb/sets/72157648680746443 Hall of FameThe 1912 NL Phillies had a losing 73-79 season finishing in 5th place, 30 1/2 behind the New York Giants, they had that year's SO leader and future HoF'er Grover Cleveland Alexander- in his 2nd season- on their roster. Meanwhile in the AL the Athletics had a 90-62 record finishing 3rd 15 games behind World Series winners the Red Sox. On their roster they had future HoF'ers pitcher Chief Bender and infielders Eddie Collins and Frank 'Home Run' Baker. (The Gallery, DPC, Philadelphia, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Mysterious Fire: 1912
May 24, 1912. "R.P. Andrews fire, 628 D Street N.W." Washington Post headline: ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 12:11pm -

May 24, 1912. "R.P. Andrews fire, 628 D Street N.W." Washington Post headline: "Mysterious Fire in R.P. Andrews Warehouse Does $75,000 Damage." The item goes on to say that the cause was thought to have been "wires connected with the electric elevator." National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Enough signsThank goodness there were enough signs so the firemen could find this obscure little business. I also think being next to the buffet helped. Master detectives.Paper, paper, paper, stationery, stationery, paper, paper paper, and twine. Plus faulty wiring. And the place goes up in flames? A complete and utter mystery! The "P" in "R.P. Andrews"......stand for Primatech, of course. This was a Company raid on an early group of Heroes led by Hosmer Higginbotham, whose superpower was to reverse the sizes of the wheels on pennyfarthing bicycles. $75 todayAdjusted for inflation, that's $1.6 MILLION dollars today! [Or would it be more like a billion? - Dave] When the fire's out...Stop! Hammer time! More fuel for the firePaint supplies and toilet paper. Those combustibles wouldn't have slowed things down. Both are advertised on the windows. [The sign says "Printers' Supplies." - Dave] Modesty PermitsNote the mention of TP in the window of R.P. Andrews' shop. I guess our Edwardian forefathers weren't as modest as I thought. I'm still kind of shy about carrying toilet paper home in my shopping bundle for all to see. Hmm.Anyone know what the R.P. Andrews warehouse contained? I'm stumped... (The Gallery, D.C., Fires, Floods etc., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Lake Drive: 1912
The Detroit suburbs circa 1912. "Lake Drive -- Grosse Pointe, Michigan." 8x10 inch dry plate glass ... it until they cross Alter Road. Porcelain Plates 1912 Michigan license tags had black letters on an orange background, and the ... enough room for a house between the road and the lake. In 1912, the GPs were just becoming attractive to auto barons looking for an ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/17/2023 - 2:13pm -

The Detroit suburbs circa 1912. "Lake Drive -- Grosse Pointe, Michigan." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. That Hat This is the PointesHorses are expected to hold it until they cross Alter Road. Porcelain Plates1912 Michigan license tags had black letters on an orange background, and the plate was porcelain. Those early ones bring a hefty price today on eBay. Lake's the sameThis looks like the only curve on Lake Shore Drive in any of the Grosse Pointe cities (GP, GP Farms, GP Shores, GP Park, GP Woods) where there's enough room for a house between the road and the lake. In 1912, the GPs were just becoming attractive to auto barons looking for an estate out of the city, so there has been a lot of change since this photo was taken. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Smoke and Mirrors: 1912
Toledo, Ohio, circa 1912. "White Star steamer Owana leaving for Detroit." 8x10 inch dry plate ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 1:41pm -

Toledo, Ohio, circa 1912. "White Star steamer Owana leaving for Detroit." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Placid it is thenThat's the way my landlubber stomach likes to travel on water. Nice and smooth. TodayPeople would protest in horror seeing a ship spewing that black smoke into the atmosphere. Deceptive realityThat water is so smooth that were I to see this in a scene in an old movie, I'd say, "Meh. Model." (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Toledo)
Everywhere a Sign: 1912
February 23, 1912. "Three-ton electric sign blown into Broadway." Our second look at the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 2:26pm -

February 23, 1912. "Three-ton electric sign blown into Broadway." Our second look at the toppled sign in front of a railroad ticket office and Hepner's Hair Emporium. From the New York Times account the 100 mph gale: "An electric sign, 100 by 200 feet, on the roof of the Kohn Building, just south of the Hotel Knickerbocker, caught one of the worst puffs of the big wind and toppled over into Times Square. A policeman, who had just darted into the store on the ground floor to warn those within that the sign was coming down, barely escaped it as it fell. The sign, weighing nearly two tons, crashed over into the street, still clasped hinge-like to its moorings at the bent base, while the top, crumbling into the street, shattered to bits a large plateglass window in the Lehigh Valley Railroad's office on the ground floor." George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Hepner's is historyIt's been replaced by a YMI clothing store. However, the famous Knickerbocker Hotel building to the left is still going strong. But serving as an office building with a Gap store on the ground floor. View Larger Map +102Below is the same view from September of 2014. Also of note is the renovation of the Knickerbocker and its pending restoration as a hotel. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC)
Come Fly With Me: 1912
December 1912. "Auto polo," somewhere in New York. It looks a little risky to me. 5x7 ... A new sport N.Y. Times article from 1912 on an auto polo exhibition at Madison Square Garden. It notes the high ... I'm wondering if this is Ebbetts Field, which was built in 1912. I guess more likely the Polo Grounds. Is there anyone out there who can ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 2:40pm -

December 1912. "Auto polo," somewhere in New York. It looks a little risky to me. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. And a movie!The game in action! Perfect candidatesfor the Darwin Awards? Yeesh~! Best reason to chant "Get a horse" yetForerunner of the demolition derby? Auto Polo's Young DaredevilsFrom the the Kansas City Star Magazine - November 14, 1971 Few sports were ever devised, I think, with the thrills and spills, the collisions and rollovers, the spectator excitement of a game played in Kansas in Model T Fords nearly 60 years ago. The name of the game was auto polo. Continue reading Risky?I'll see your "risky" and raise you "stoopid!" But it does look exciting, and boys will be boys. Was I born too late or too bright? That's EntertainmentIt's like bumper cars, only without the bumpers. Look at 'em go!This may well be the best action photo on the site. Ten, Nine, Eight...Countdown to Farkitization. A new sportN.Y. Times article from 1912 on an auto polo exhibition at Madison Square Garden. It notes the high injury rate of the sport! Zap. Pow!Now these people know what an EXTREME sport really is. Looney Tunes PhysicsIf the forward motion of the headfirst tumbler coincides perfecty with the downward arc of the upraised mallet, then the next thing we'll hear is "boi-oi-oi-oi-ing" followed immediately by birds chirping. Safety LastI can't imagine why this never caught on. Ebbetts Field???From the angle of the bleachers, I'm wondering if this is Ebbetts Field, which was built in 1912. I guess more likely the Polo Grounds. Is there anyone out there who can make an educated guess? Stadium pictures like this make me nuts. (In a good way.) Maybe Hilltop ParkEbbets Field opened in 1913 and was under construction until very close to Opening Day. This photo might have been taken at Hilltop Park, where the Yankees (then the Highlanders) played until moving into the Polo Grounds in 1913. Mack Sennet, where are you?This looks like something out of Keystone Kops! Yes, before somebody yells at me, the word "Kops" was really, REALLY spelled with a "k". Posed?I have a feeling this may not be quite so much of an action shot. Something - perhaps a prop - has been painted out behind the left-hand car's rear wheel. And there's definitely a support of some kind holding up the other car. Looks like a lump of timber about six inches across. Looks like the two blurred figures took a dive for the camera. Still quite mad, though. [One of the cars in the other "action" shot from 1912 is propped up at an angle, too. - Dave] Hilltop ParkIt's Hilltop Park. You can line up the wall, buildings, and even the advertisements with this photo: (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, G.G. Bain, NYC, Sports)
Forbes Field: 1912
Pittsburgh circa 1912. "Entrance to Forbes Field." Grandstand admission 75 cents. 8x10 inch dry ... a World Series, which would mean 1909 is more likely than 1912. [1909 flags wouldn't have 48 stars. - Dave] Child Labor I ... been a Lewis Hine shot. Flag Display Days May 31, 1912, Decoration Day, later known as Memorial Day, The Pirates played the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 6:48pm -

Pittsburgh circa 1912. "Entrance to Forbes Field." Grandstand admission 75 cents. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Watch behind you!It's sometimes amazing to look at these old photos and wonder about how safety standards 100 years ago were so different. There are folks sitting on the second tier, one guy on what looks like a crate -- with no support to prevent anyone sitting or standing at the rear from falling with just one simple mistake. Absolutely remarkable to see that. 1909?The flags make me think it's during a World Series, which would mean 1909 is more likely than 1912. [1909 flags wouldn't have 48 stars. - Dave] Child LaborI spot 3 young vendors in the crowd. This could have been a Lewis Hine shot. Flag Display DaysMay 31, 1912, Decoration Day, later known as Memorial Day, The Pirates played the Cincinnati Reds at home with a 6-2 win. Fourth of July 1912, Pittsburgh played The Cincinnati Reds again at Forbes Field and won the game 3-2. I tried to find Honus Wagner in the crowd but figured he was already on the field. Ancestrial SlobsOur Ancestors weren't too concerned with littering. Those gutters are filled with trash! 50 years ago this monthBill Mazeroski hit the only World Series Game Seven walk-off home run at Forbes Field to lead the Pirates to victory against the Yankees. 75 centsAdjusted for inflation, the same ticket would cost you around $17 today. Interestingly, current grandstand tickets for Pirate games now cost anywhere from $9 to $16. Never a No-NoThere was never a single no-hitter thrown in Forbes Field in the 61 seasons it existed. It was also the site of Babe Ruth's last 3 home runs (May 25, 1935), when he played for the Boston Braves. __field Motor Co.What is the name of the Motor Company in the background? [Bellefield Motor Co. - Dave] Dignified PatronsA refreshing scene, so different from modern sporting events. Note the complete absence of team-logo knockoff merchandise. There may be a heckler or two in the crowd, but the drunken, swearing fans of today would be tossed from that stadium tout de suite. FFFans just gathered at the site of the former Forbes last week to listen to a rebroadcast of Bill Mazeroski's series winning home run on its 50th anniversary. The site is currently part of The University of Pittsburgh campus, and home plate is still on the ground (covered in protective plexi) in the floor of the building that takes up most of the space. (When I attended a few years back, legend had it that they had to move it a few feet though, otherwise it would have been in a closet.) Finally, if you're ever in Pittsburgh, check out the Miniature Railroad and Village at Carnegie Science Center -- they made an exquisitely detailed to-scale replica of Forbes Field, and used dust from a donated original brick to make the infield! Boy with BundleBoy to the right has a bundle of sticklike things. Assume he is selling them, but what the heck are they? [Rattan balloon sticks or pennant canes. - Dave] Flags & Bunting & new constructionEvery June or July in the early years of Forbes Field, the Pittsburg Press hosted the Tri-State Track and Field Meet there. News accounts describe the stadium as "bedecked by flags and bunting" for the event. In 1912 there was considerable new construction. The entire playing field was relocated to move the foul line relative to the left-field bleachers. The first-tier seating was also revised, which entailed the pouring of concrete and installation of new railings. The first tier would be what looks like the second story from the outside of the stadium. [A few tricolor flags here. They look French or Italian. - Dave] Auto-palooza!I love the perspective of the long line of brass-era automobiles all lined up for us in this photo, and the contrast of the one lone horse and buggy. Also, there seems to be a teenager sitting in the car closest to us, but I can't tell if he's behind the wheel or not. He's probably as anxious to get his license as the teenaged boys of today - some things never change! One of my favorite photos on Shorpy. Thanks Dave! Precarious PerchesNote that there is a wall to keep you from falling. The crate sitters are on top of the wall. The Fine PrintEach of the the large shields has lists in each of the white columns. Are these "memorial," "ceremonial"? I could make several guesses. Any insight? More Flag MinutiaeSome tricolor flags may be Pittsburgh City flags. The flag on the top ledge above the man on the crate appears to be a City of Pittsburgh flag. Two flags above the glass archway to the far right bottom of the photo may be city flags also. Lots going on here!Such as the kid with the papers in the foreground...I can almost hear him saying to the other kid, "G'wan, get outta here ... I'm woikin' dis side of da street!" And, as for the trash in the gutters, no worse than you'd see in the parking lot of one of today's major stadiums after a big game. And speaking of parking lots, how about the one in this photo? A single row that stretches around the stadium. Shouldn't have any problem finding your car after the game. And the way the fans are dressed is great. No face painters or painted shirtless beer swillers either. Oh, and you guys up there on the beer crates ... be careful! Game Day AttireLast weekend, I went to a college football game. I wore tennis shoes, jeans, and a cute little t-shirt with my team's colors and was very comfortable. I'm just trying to wrap my head around what it would be like to attend a sporting event dressed like the woman in the lower left corner-- a voluminous, light-colored dress and that *enormous* hat. (I also love the hat the woman in between the archways is sporting!) Of course, they would have been used to wearing that amount of clothing wherever they went, but still-- you go, ladies. What a Ballpark!I'm a native here but alas never had the chance to see a game in this famous park. I have a friend though a little older than I who has an actual seat from Forbes Field. A collector of sorts, he's now set his sights on a seat from the now defunct Mellon Arena. Is This Forbes Field???Beyond Forbes Field's left field was the Carnegie Library Building which was built in 1895. Where is the library building? Because of a park and the Carnegie Library there were no houses beyond left field. What park is this??? re: Is this ForbesHere's another picture of Forbes Field. Sure looks the same to me. Grandstand seatsWhen I was a kid my dad took me to many Pirate games at Forbes Field. He started taking me in 1958 when Ted Kluszewski was first traded to the Pirates from Cincinnati. At that time good reserve seat tickets were $2.50 and bleacher seats were 50¢. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Pittsburgh, Sports)
Central Square: 1912
Cambridge, Massachusetts, circa 1912. "Central Square and Massachusetts Avenue." 8x10 inch dry plate glass ... corner. Interesting to see that the Oak Grove Grocery in 1912 sat in the same spot (albeit in a new building) as Store 24 in the 1990s ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/08/2023 - 6:39pm -

Cambridge, Massachusetts, circa 1912. "Central Square and Massachusetts Avenue." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Voted least likelyto still be here, by those born with a cynic's soul (or who have since acquired one by being disappointed one too many times by vintage photos), it surprises: Adding to the simple joy of mere survivalhood, it forms a particularly nice Romanesque ensemble with the Cambridge City Hall across the street. Formerly Seedy Central SquareMy first job after college was in Central Square, a couple blocks past City Hall (the tower at the center of the photo). Then, in 1980, Central Square was interesting but a bit run-down. On my last visit a couple years ago, I found it gentrified, but lacking its former character. The main differenceThe way the women dress now is scandalous! Sounds like a jingle ..."Have a lunch and a shine!" Klashman Bros. TailorsI wonder if that’s Mr. Klashman who just finished crossing the street on the left, his right heel in the air. 100 Years Of ConvenienceI've spent much time in and around this corner. Interesting to see that the Oak Grove Grocery in 1912 sat in the same spot (albeit in a new building) as Store 24 in the 1990s and Convenience Plus in recent years. At least it's not a bank -- yet. Seedy encounterCentral Square was the site of my weirdest urban panhandler experience. One summer around 1980, I came out of the Central Square T station and was accosted by a loquacious street denizen. He wanted money, but rather quickly got fixated on my pants, which were corduroy. I wore corduroy year-round, an affectation I did not consider too weird for Massachusetts. The panhandler got so worked up about my fashion inappropriateness that he seemed to forget about money. I thought perhaps he wanted me to give him my pants, but being some distance from Filene's Basement, I didn't think I could get away with it. NewsiesI think I've seen those kind of caps called "newsboys' caps." They're young guys' caps, so I guess it was natural for kids on the street to adopt them. The two guys talking on the corner look like they're from Central Casting -- 'get me a couple newsies.' Next to Harvard SquareThat hustle and bustle seen here are still going on today in a vibrant neighborhood and melting pot of culture. The street is Massachusetts Avenue, which stretches from downtown Boston through Cambridge and beyond to the suburbs. The cobblestone streets are under the modern pavement in some areas that were still there many years later. It's a rich and interesting area, full of life. A Civil War Veteran?I wonder if the bewhiskered elderly gentleman on the corner was heading to Post 30 of the Grand Army of the Republic or to inquire of T.H. Raymond about automobile insurance for his new Oldsmobile Autocrat. Though the horse still dominated in Cambridge this may be the oldest window display for automobile insurance I have seen on Shorpy. William H. Smart Post 30, Massachusetts Department GAR, was chartered in 1867 and surrendered the charter in 1935. It was named for Private William H. Smart of Company G, 1st Massachusetts Infantry, killed at Blackburn's Ford, Virginia, in 1861. There is lots of detailed GAR information available on the www. A trigger shot --So many threads to my life in and around Central Square. My first job while in school was at a print shop on the bottom floor of 678 Mass Ave. Not sure if this image has that building or a predecessor. The one I'm referring to was built in 1910. It could well be the one we see along the left of the image. Somehow I ended up with an old lawyer's desk from an office in that building. The desk itself is massive -- sits in our basement, and probably got moved into the building when it was newly finished. Our marriage license sits in the records for the City of Cambridge -- the bell tower in the background. I also had to pay many a parking ticket, some earned by my roommates who'd borrow my car to tool around Boston. There was nightlife in the 1980s and '90s in the area -- the Middle East just down the street toward MIT, and the Man-Ray / Campus dance club off one of the side streets. And if you were in college and you needed to get a tux, you took the Red Line to Central Square and walked to Keezer's, a consignment shop with rows of options in all sizes. This was a delightful morning visit, Shorpy! Thanks so much! Central Square was NOT seedyIt's an urban center, not unlike neighborhoods in the Upper West or East Side in NYC. It had music, food, culture, and people. Not any different than Harvard Square just up the road. I suppose if you grow up in leafy quiet suburbia in the middle of nowhere, an urban center can seem dangerous. Suggestion: Get out more. (The Gallery, DPC, Streetcars)
What Goes Around: 1912
The year is 1912 and the place is Detroit. What's going on here? View full size. ... LP gas that we use now). The original caption: "April 4, 1912. Foundation for gas holder, Detroit City Gas Company." Happy ... It seems to small for an arena or a test track, even at 1912 speeds. Gas holder? My guess - building the bottom of a gas holder ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 10:50pm -

The year is 1912 and the place is Detroit. What's going on here? View full size. UPDATE: Many people correctly identified this as the beginnings of a gas holder, or gasometer -- a storage reservoir for what used to be called "city gas," or coal gas (as opposed to the natural and LP gas that we use now). The original caption: "April 4, 1912. Foundation for gas holder, Detroit City Gas Company." Happy ThanksgivingTo Dave and all of the Shorpy friends - Happy Thanksgiving (would they be Shorpyians or Shorpyites?) Mongo Not KnowMongo only pawn in game of life. Gas Storage Tank?Are they building a storage tank for natural or manufactured gas? Gasholder?I think they're constructing a gasholder. What's going on here?Well, first I thought it might be a kiddie ride, but upon further inspection it seems to be some kind of construction site. But for what? a. A storage tank b. A church / synagogue / temple c. A railroad turntable (though no rail lines can be seen) d. A platform stage for Lady Gaga or Madonna? Got Gas?Is it the first step in constructing one of those gas storage tanks that has a diaphragm-like device that raises up and down with the volume of gas in the tank? Round and roundMight this be some sort of tank for holding something. From Mongo?Other than building a landing pad for Flash Gordon's pals, I'd guess it's going to be a big storage tank for something earthly. The constructionof the base of a gas storage tank, probably at Detroit. I dunno, unlessit's some kind of early 20th-Century supercollider. Goes AroundThis looks like a concrete foundation for some sort of round tower, but what do I know, I am just a machinist. My guessLaying foundation for one of those gigantic gas storage tanks you used to see all over up until the 1960s or so. Air Ship Landing.Looks like an Air Ship landing facility to me. Gas Tank?Building a gas tank? My guessBuilding a wastewater treatment facility Building a water or other liquid storage tank?They're building the roof (as it were) and then the sides get built from underneath. On the other hand, that's a heck of a tank. RRMust be a roundhouse turntable I know!Early twentieth century crop circles. My answer isThey are building a natural gas storage tank. Is it...Is that one of the old gasworks under construction? Beginning Foundation for a Building, Water Tower or Gas Tower?One of those 3 things are all I can guess about what is going on here! It's a gas holderLike this: https://www.shorpy.com/node/8422?size=_original SewageSewage disposal plant? Gas tank?It looks like one of those big circular gas storage tanks. It's a crop circle machineIt's a crop circle machine so the aliens know where to land Just a guess, butI think they're building some sort of gas or oil holding tank. ConstructionBuilding a water treatment plant. The Detroit GasometerThis looks like the foundation for a new gasometer, maybe this one. Atom smasherParticle accelerator? A very small one. {OK, probably not.} Maybe the base of a large water tank? It seems to small for an arena or a test track, even at 1912 speeds. Gas holder?My guess - building the bottom of a gas holder for city gas storage. ObviouslyIt's the beginnings of the space station in "2001." Just a wild (pitch) guessCould it be the foundation for Tiger Stadium? There Goes the NeighborhoodWhatever they're building (tank, smoke-stack, merry-go-round?), it's going to destroy whatever property value remains for the the hovel next door. AND THE ANSWER IS ...As many of you correctly guessed, it's a gas holder. See the caption under the picture for the details. Ice skating rink??Happy Thanksgiving all! Gas CityIn Indiana, next to Marion, is the small town of Gas City, so named because natural gas was found there. It was thought to be a bonanza, but that proved wrong, the gas was quickly emptied, the name was never changed. Hurry up, guysWe've got to get the world's largest merry-go-round finished by Thursday! Riveting machinesNote the two large U-shaped riveting machines at left. There has to be a powerful air compressor somewhere around. The plates will be riveted and then the seams will more than likely be caulked to prevent leaks. What's the man doing at the top of the screen?He is standing at the base of something long, with his wife looking on. It took me a minute, but it's a mast! The boat is off to the left. You can see the front (bow), poking out from behind the building. Also, I am guessing the house next to the construction site is now owned by the construction company. The fence has been taken down for easier access. GasometerphileWow. I lived on this site nearly 30 years ago (West Grand Blvd and West Fort Street). Of course by then there were no traces of the gas plant being there at all. Sad because I have a serious fanthing for gasometers. Most of the houses across the road there are gone now. Neat to see that horse drawn wagon in front of one. Love this blog! I'd rather have a coke We still have a coal gassification plant here in Schenectady, NY, although it's been converted to storage for many decades now. The leftover coke was sold as a heating fuel, but the smell around the plant was pretty foul. NYMO was able to supply cooking and lighting gas to the thousands of G.E. employees in the surrounding area up until it switched to natural gas. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
On the Avenue: 1912
New York circa 1912. "Fifth Avenue south from Thirty-Sixth Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass ... "On The Avenue Of Golden Dreams" Curbed is a 1912 Pierce-Arrow Model 36 Vestibule Town Car, the chauffeur alertly trying to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/17/2022 - 10:26am -

New York circa 1912. "Fifth Avenue south from Thirty-Sixth Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it, You'll be the grandest lady in the Easter Parade. I'll be all in clover and when they look you over, I'll be the proudest fellow in the Easter Parade. On the avenue, Fifth Avenue, the photographers will snap us, And you'll find that you're in the rotogravure. Oh, I could write a sonnet about your Easter bonnet, And of the girl I'm taking to the Easter Parade. "Smile and show your dimple"A little-known fact about Irving Berlin's famous song "Easter Parade" is that those are not the melody's original words. The tune was composed in 1917 as "Smile and Show Your Dimple" to cheer the girls whose boyfriends had gone off to fight World War I. Berlin revised it in 1933 with the Easter lyrics for the Broadway musical revue "As Thousands Cheer." Their great granddaughters will wear torn jeansFifth Avenue divides the numbered streets into east and west addresses. If you're looking south down Fifth Avenue and standing on this side of Fifth you're on East 36th Street, not West. To the immediate left, these beautifully outfitted ladies are strolling past 381 and 383 Fifth Ave; two buildings that appear to be one. "On The Avenue Of Golden Dreams"Curbed is a 1912 Pierce-Arrow Model 36 Vestibule Town Car, the chauffeur alertly trying to catch an early glimpse of his returning employer. Even the hack pony couldn't resist a sideways glance in the direction of the magnificent horseless carriage. "Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it." https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21223/lot/518/?category=list Steering wheels?Are the steering wheels on the right side? Or is this image reversed? [Is that license plate reversed? The signs on the storefronts? - Dave] Double visionViewers will note at least one -- the other is obscured -- of the double deck buses the Avenue was known for. Assuredly one of the first city bus lines in the U.S. But even the most knowledgeable will be hard pressed to identify the builder (and not just because it's mostly hidden): the Fifth Avenue Coach Co. were DIYers. Word of the Day"And you'll find that you're   in the rotogravure." I was just thinking about that line this morning. Is there anyone who didn't first encounter the word "rotogravure" in this song? A "few" changes ...Remarkable to me is the fact the building on the west side of the street, with the arches, still stands. A bit farther down is a building with columns and a flag flying from its roof. That building still stands though it no longer has columns and is now taller having undergone massive reconstruction, The building that follows it, with the onion dome at the corner is the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. It was demolished and moved to Park Avenue. The Empire State Building now stands on the site, and was constructed in thirteen months including the time taken to demolish the old Waldorf. A bit past the Waldorf, a flag flies from the approximate location of a new tower about to be built that will be almost as high as the ESB. +96Below is the same view from November of 2008. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, NYC)
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