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Stuff It: 1922
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1922. "Balch School students." Note the bin at left marked "STUFF ME with waste ... of this school was William E. Higginbotham (1858-1922), perhaps a distant relative of Shorpy Higginbotham. Architectural Forum, 1922 Recent Developments in the Detroit School System The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 11:19am -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1922. "Balch School students." Note the bin at left marked "STUFF ME with waste paper." Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Higginbotham DesignNote that one of the architects of this school was William E. Higginbotham (1858-1922), perhaps a distant relative of Shorpy Higginbotham. Architectural Forum, 1922 Recent Developments in the Detroit School System The necessity of making intensive use of all available school space in Detroit, for a rapidly increasing number of children of school age, led to the adoption of a school administration system of the "platoon" type which has in late months been receiving careful study by school authorities from many parts of the country. It was seen to be necessary that classrooms be made to provide for more than one set of pupils and that the idea of individual, permanent desk and seat be abandoned. To dovetail into this plan was the well recognized importance of varying the work of the school day, and as finally worked out the "platoon system" provides for two entirely separate sets of pupils, one set using the classrooms while the others are engaged with other school work, this latter set using the classrooms when the first set has begun its out-of classroom session. The intermediate school consists of six 60-minute periods, with an hour for lunch. Each period provides both the recitation and the study activities under the teacher who gives instruction in the subject. Every one of the boys and girls takes an hour daily for exercise and shower bath. An auditorium is in use each period. From 70 to 200 or 300 students assemble each period to listen to lectures on social and civic affairs. George M. Balch Intermediate School, Detroit Malcomson, Higginbotham & Palmer, Architects This is one of the recent Detroit schools to be planned for operation on the "platoon system." It is of fireproof construction, with concrete and hollow tile floors. The exterior is of mingled shades of mat face brick with Indiana limestone trimmings. The building accommodates 1,080 pupils and was erected in 1920, when the cost of building was at its height, for $608 per pupil, or 55 ½ cents per cubic foot. +89 Still Pretty Much The Same (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Education, Schools)
Shel and Jez: 1922
June 19, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Shelly & Jezebel." And that's all they wrote. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/09/2013 - 1:29am -

June 19, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Shelly & Jezebel." And that's all they wrote. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. A matter of tasteCat: "Pretty good, huh?" Turtle: "Blecchh! I don't see how you can eat this stuff! Give me some nice fat juicy grubworms any day!" Still here?I wonder if Shelly is still around, as box turtles can live to be 100 (although often much less than that in captivity, unfortunately). Is "Shelly" the turtle equivalent of "Spot" or "Whiskers"? Turtle humor"Shelly." I get it. Cute! DinnertimeA lapper and a snapper. LolturtHow long before this shows up on I Can Has Cheezburger with a pithy caption? Are you a turtle?YBYSAIA. Nine Lives: Worthwhile or not?It's possible that Shelly is still with us. Jezebel, unfortunately, has most likely burned through all of her nine lives. TurtkittSo cool - why can't we humans get along like that? Turt LawHow can you NOT name a turtle Shelly? One nip is all it takesWhen I was a kid I wagged my finger in front of a friend's box turtle. He gave me a good nip, thinking I was a juicy worm. If Jezebel ever put her nose too close to Shelly, she probably learned some respect for turtle power. Another ShellyA friend also has a turtle named Shelly. When he was a child (about 50 years ago) he and a chum each chose a small turtle from a pet store and named it Shelly. After a few years, he noticed he still had Shelly whereas his friend's turtle had died. He eventually became a biologist and discovered that Shelly was some sort of rare tortoise that typically lives 100 years or more. He still has Shelly, 50 years on, and has put in his will that his niece is to take care of Shelly upon his demise. I've always found that to be a fabulous story. Getting alongMice would get along better with cats, too, if they lived in a portable fortress and had bone-snapping beaks. TobyI have a turtle named Toby....I think it's a great name! I dunno about typical turtle names...... but when I was quite small I had a tiny turtle that I named "Turdy". I didn't realize until much later why my older sister sniggered everytime I called it by that name. Obviously, "Shelly" is a much more suitable name! Fun photo. (The Gallery, Cats, D.C., Natl Photo)
Motorcycle Cop: 1922
August 1922. Washington, D.C. "Eslie Williams." The officer and his Henderson #1. ... had a similar setup. Hendersons were quick, the 1922 Police model could do an honest 100 mph, although I doubt the brakes were ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 11:54am -

August 1922. Washington, D.C. "Eslie Williams." The officer and his Henderson #1. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Painful ergonomicsHandle bars set to hit thighs on close turns, seat angled down at the rear, up at the front, oh my. Like the palm-slap horn/siren though. Excelsior-HendersonA motorcycle with a more distinct sound than a HD. Harley Who?The Henderson, built from 1911 to 1931, was considered to be the Rolls-Royce of motorcycles and was the favorite ride of police departments throughout the country. (Rolls-Royces, sorry to say, were not considered to be the Hendersons of luxury cars.) Suicide ClutchI'm going to guess the left peddle is a suicide clutch (next to the gear shift mechanism levers. So-called because if you are stopped with the machine in gear and take your foot off the peddle (perhaps to maintain balance) you'll shoot forward unless the engine stalls. [Psst. It's a PEDAL. - Dave] Old BikesYes, that is "The" brake pedal on the left. There is no front brake. I would guess the rocker-clutch is on the right side of the bike. LocationIs that Griffith Stadium in the background? Re: SoundThere is a YouTube video of a running 1928 Henderson, it sounds great! Too large to embed so here's a link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgWb2nmxfAU Hey why don't you stop by the detectives officeput in a report about your stolen clothes iron. Low set handle barsRe: Painful ergonomics - I thought the handle bars were set low, so the officer could drive with his knees; leaving both hands free for his rolling shootouts with Al Capone and Bonny & Clyde. Then I saw this https://www.shorpy.com/node/5914 and it changed my thinking entirely. Henderson?Are you sure that's not a Harley? There's a lot of oil leaking around that crankcase. On the "suicide clutch"my 1936 HD ULH had a foot clutch/hand shift , and it wasn't too bad once you got used to it. The Henderson clutch is double linked, the foot pedal, as noted, and a second hand lever that also worked the clutch, so that if you needed both feet down, you still had control of the clutch. Ace motorcycles had a similar setup. Hendersons were quick, the 1922 Police model could do an honest 100 mph, although I doubt the brakes were up to the job. Re-Tire TimeLooks like a pretty wicked gash at 6:00 on the front tire. Four Crosswheel spokes. Gives the most "comfortable" ride possible on bicycle wheels. (The Gallery, D.C., Motorcycles, Natl Photo)
One Gun, One Bunny: 1922
Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Denby Christmas tree." Junior remembers this as the best Christmas ever! ... Fall's Interior Dept in the Harding Administration in 1922. Fall got bribes to lease the lands to Harry Sinclair (Sinclair Oil) and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/02/2012 - 6:55pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Denby Christmas tree." Junior remembers this as the best Christmas ever! His gun-giving dad is Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Christmas PresentsWonder what she got for Easter. A Santa Claus doll? Happy Days were not aheadEdwin Denby Jr., 10 years old in this photo, was killed in WWII aboard the USS Shark submarine in February 1942 in the South Pacific. He was 29. http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/denby-e.htm Wow!The mouldings in this house are amazing! And the ceiling is insanely high, even by Victorian standards. Those walls look to be at least 16 feet. The sideboard seems like an Empire (mahogany piece) with a wonderful bevel mirror). And I happen to have a few different sizes of antique tin boxes (cash boxes) like the one in front of "junior". They are black with gold and red stripes, and the interior usually has a removable tin tray. Not .410, probably .22It's single-shot and break action, but if you blow up the picture you can see it has an octagonal crowned barrel, a blade front sight and a leaf-type rear sight. Thus, a rifle, not a shotgun. Conceivably not a .22, but some small caliber, and a .22 seems most likely. [So not a .22, but a .22? If you say so. - Dave] There will be blood.Denby is the guy who transferred the naval oil reserves (Teapot Dome) to Albert Fall's Interior Dept in the Harding Administration in 1922. Fall got bribes to lease the lands to Harry Sinclair (Sinclair Oil) and oilman Edward Doheny, the basis of the main character in Upton Sinclair's novel Oil, and who was played by Daniel Day Lewis in the film There Will Be Blood. Given the timing of this photo, one wonders exactly what is on Denby's mind, besides the clear danger the bunny might be in. Uh oh!She gets a rabbit, he gets a rifle. Trouble ahead. Deja VuDidn't we Shorpyites previously see another Denby Christmas Tree? I (think) that I remember it as quite lacking when compared to this one. [You are perhaps thinking of the Dickey family. - Dave] There I go, confusing my Denbys and my Dickeys again. - Mal Hunting seasonNo doubt Junior will be using his sister's Christmas bunny as a target next week. Rifle MinutiaeI am in agreement with "jwp". It looks like a Remington Sporting Rifle No. 4. Single shot octagon barrel, 22 short and long caliber. (also manufactured in 32 caliber) Made from 1890 to 1933. Her bunny is safe but other critters may not be. My non-expert guessLooks to me like a single-shot break-action shotgun, probably 410 gauge, which is not much of a power house. Friend of mine got shot in the small of his back with a 410 from less than a foot away, while getting out of a car with some other hunters (one of them obviously really clumsy) and he survived. Of course he wasn't a soft little bunny. Rifle IdentificationThe rifle is a "Crack shot" model .22 caliber manufactured by the J. Stevens Arms & Tool company. Stevens was the company that developed and introduced the .22 LR round. Arguably the most popular and widely shot rifle/pistol round in history. A Remington Rolling Block It IsOne of the most elegant guns ever made... it's hard to see how there could have been fewer moving parts. Denby Sr.Edwin Denby Sr. is an interesting guys outside of his Teapot Dome involvement. He enlisted in the Marine Corps as a private in 1917 at age 47 and was discharged in 1919 as a Major. There had been a large number of mail robberies in 1921 so when appointed Secretary of the Navy in 1921 he ordered that the Marines be used to guard mail trucks and trains. The Marines had a simple instruction: if two Marines were guarding the mail and a robber had them covered, they weren't to put up their hands but both go for their guns. The robber might get one of them but the other would get the robber. "When our Corps goes in as guards over the mail, that mail must be delivered, or there must be a Marine dead at the post of duty. There can be no compromise." Remington #4That is a Remington #4 Rolling Block,single shot take down rifle, you can see the take down lever on the side of the receiver.To load you must first cock the hammer and then pull back on the breechblock to expose the chamber then insert the cartridge and push the breechblock closed, you are now ready to fire. Like dddlensman said most likely a .22 rimfire but possibly a .32. A very nice present. (The Gallery, Animals, Christmas, Kids, Natl Photo)
Icebox Buick: 1922
San Francisco, 1922. "Ice-packed Buick motor stunt." A demonstration of the "Heat Control ... It Worked From page 8 of the Sunday, Feburary 26, 1922 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle , with the still in effect War Tax ... bother with the car. This was a pretty good trick for 1922. Charles S. Howard I believe the fellow standing in front of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2015 - 7:30pm -

San Francisco, 1922. "Ice-packed Buick motor stunt." A demonstration of the "Heat Control Carburetor." 6½ x 8½ inch glass negative. View full size. Lotta cool hats thereNot a bare head to be seen, at least by me. I do like that handy oil can mounted in its own holder there on the firewall. I wonder when those went away. Probably long before all the hats. Nice stunt!That must have been a very impressive feat, considering how hard it was to start an engine when it got really cold. Assuming, of course, that the oil didn't get as thick as molasses, the spark plug cables didn't short, and the carburetor wasn't flooded with water from the melting ice ... Do we know if the car started after this automotive version of the ice-bucket challenge? It WorkedFrom page 8 of the Sunday, Feburary 26, 1922 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle, with the still in effect War Tax being extra: The Driverlooks a tad apprehensive. You can almost read his mind, "Come on, Baby, start!" Age of AcceptanceNote that with one or two exceptions that caps are worn by the boys and the fedoras by the older guys. How about bringing it down to 5 below?It's a nice stunt, but the engine won't get any colder than 32 degrees Fahrenheit. That's not so cold as most winter mornings. [Not a frequent problem in San Francisco, though. -tterrace] [Also, while ice can't get any warmer than 32 degrees, it can certainly be colder. The ice in my freezer is kept at zero degrees. - Dave] All in due timeFive below is when you brought the oil in at night and heated it on the stove the next morning, back in them days. Or just didn't bother with the car. This was a pretty good trick for 1922. Charles S. HowardI believe the fellow standing in front of the Buick is Charles S. Howard, owner of the Buick dealership in SF and later the owner of the legendary racehorse, Seabiscuit. [Not with that nose. -tterrace] I'm missing the logic...If the carb used exhaust heat to warm the fuel, what made it a good carb for cold starts? Did it have some kind of fancy automatic choke as well? Hats vs. CapsBack then, I believe, for men, the hats vs. caps divide was one of class. Blue collar workers, laborers, and such wore caps. White collar workers and the wealthy wore hats. Except for cowboys, of course ;-) It's just like making ice creamBobu, it may actually be colder than 32 degrees Fahrenheit, if salt is sprinkled on the ice. If you look closely at the gentleman directly in front of the radiator, his outstretched right hand is cupped and appears to have a whitish material in it. I'm betting he's sprinkling salt on the ice as it's being shoveled on the engine... A pretty common featureIt's basically a manifold heat riser which routes exhaust gases through a passage in the intake manifold, under the carb. It became a common feature on carbureted cars. It really wouldn't help starting though, since it only has an effect once the car is started. But, it does help driveability during warm up. The logicGasoline with moisture content can ice up the venturi during cold weather and stop a running engine. I had a 60's era Chevy which fed a bit of the exhaust gas through a 'crossover' that went under the carburetor for that reason. A bimetal-sprung thermostatic valve would work to close the crossover when the engine was hot. I still have a 70's era Datsun Z which does not have that feature. The latter stranded me on an interstate one subzero Christmas Eve in the early 80's due to icing. As the caption says, this was a stunt and as such would not truly prove their claim. Choke it!I cut my teeth on carburetors, chokes, accelerator pumps and floats. The passage under the carburetor was great, but the system required that it flow enough exhaust gas to produce the heat to open the choke. Older vehicles tended to burn oil, and this oil went out the exhaust. Some of this oil mixture exhaust was routed through this passage under the carburetor. Over time this oily exhaust would clog up the passage, so the choke wouldn't open as designed. This caused the engine to stall, and further attempts at starting were futile. The spark plugs would be soaked in gas, so they needed to be removed and cleaned or replaced and the passage cleaned out. This usually meant the intake manifold needed to be removed and the deposits chiseled out. With fuel injection, we take for granted that we can turn the key and the engine will start and run right away with no hesitation. Every now and then I have to work on a carbureted vehicle, and I forget to pump the gas pedal a few times before turning the key. ["Turning the key" -- how quaint! - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
Beach Style Parade: 1922
June 17, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Washington Advertising Club bathing beauty contest at ... Follies Girl Washington Post, June 18, 1922. CROWN ANNA NIEBEL BEACH STYLE QUEEN Judges at Tidal ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/06/2018 - 10:20pm -

June 17, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Washington Advertising Club bathing beauty contest at Tidal Basin." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size.         "Quintet of beauties wore the models of Lansburg & Brother, which captured first prize in the store competition." Caboose of the quintet is Miss Iola Swinnerton, First Lady of Shorpy, who took second in the individual costume contest. Read all about it here. Miss IolaIt's nice to see her again, even if only a glance. Laurels to Former Follies Girl Washington Post, June 18, 1922. CROWN ANNA NIEBEL BEACH STYLE QUEEN Judges at Tidal Basin Contest Award Costume Laurels to Former Follies Girl 5,000 WATCH AS 45 PARADE Simple Attire Wins -- Miss Swinnerton Second -- Lansburgh's Captures Store Prize         Five thousand Washington lovers of the aesthetic, artistic and beautiful -- and, incidentally, of aquatic pastimes -- crowded the Tidal Basin bathing beach yesterday afternoon to witness the annual bathing costume style show, staged under the auspices of the Washington Advertising club. Bathing costumes entered by 11 local stores were exhibited by 45 selected models.         Miss Anna Niebel, former Follies girl, who lives at 1370 Harvard street northwest, won first prize by unanimous vote of the judges. Her prize-winning costume was one of the most simple exhibited, indicating that the element of practical usefulness was taken into consideration by the judges in making the award. She represented the Sportmart [seen here, here and here]. Former Winner Takes Prize.         Miss Iola Swinnerton, 3125 Mount Pleasant street, winner of a former beauty contest at the basin, was the second choice of the judges. Her suit was one of the five entered by Lansburgh & Bros., the firm to which was awarded the cup for the best composite store exhibit.         L.E. Rubel, chairman of the Advertising club committee, in charge of the contest, presented the cups to the winners.         The entries ranged from the extreme simplicity of the one-piece type of suit with the abbreviated skirt to more elaborate creations with multitudinous frills and ruffles. A knitted toque to match the wearer's suit was one of the innovations in bathing headgear that attracted attention. Not So Much Scantiness.         Most of the suits were more extensive, so far as the amount of material used was concerned, than those exhibited in former years. A rubber suit of green and white cut on extremely loose lines set the pace for originality.         Weather conditions were ideal for the show, although it had been announced that all suits entered were of the kind that could have been worn in the rain without damage. Iola!As always, I only have eyes for Ms. Swinnerton. She is always lovely. Iola's second 15 minutes of fameAfter the roaring twenties, Iola Swinnerton's trail goes cold for a while. But in the 1940s, she reappeared in various daily newspapers as "Chicago's Stone Woman," a reference to a disabling affliction that caused some of her muscle tissue to calcify, leaving her disabled. Her 1942 marriage to Theron V. Warren, described as an organist and shipyard worker, was also covered, including photos in various papers of her repeating her vows from her wheelchair. Other than an unsuccessful petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court filed on behalf of Theron V. Warren in 1958, and his death in 1975, I could find no other clues to their fate after 1947. [According to our earlier research, Iola Taylor married Gerald Swinnerton in 1918; he deserted her in 1941. Evidently her affliction was too much for him to bear. - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Iola S., Swimming)
Swimming Hole Ambush: 1922
August 21, 1922. "Citizens' Military Training Camp, Camp Meade" (Fort Meade, Md.). ... guys are in! Abandon Tree I think given the time - 1922 - and location - Fort Meade Army base - that they are practicing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2018 - 4:41pm -

August 21, 1922. "Citizens' Military Training Camp, Camp Meade" (Fort Meade, Md.). National Photo Co. View full size. Nowhere on the Internet will you find a picture of more guys simultaneously jumping off a tree than the 10 shown here. Synchronized Tree DivingWhat a great picture this is, the timing must of been some work. I wonder what type of camera was used to take a excellent motion shot without being blurry. [A view camera that took 4x5 glass negatives. - Dave] Group DiveI hope that's a deep part of the river. I can't imagine that no one ran into somebody else. Great shot. Down by the RiverMan, this picture truly is a marvel of synchronization, not to mention the shape these guys are in! Abandon TreeI think given the time - 1922 - and location - Fort Meade Army base - that they are practicing abandoning ship. Which is why they are all facing in a different direction. To avoid landing on another man after a thirty foot fall from the deck rail of a troop transport. [Interesting theory. They'd be all set if their tree got torpedoed. Citizens Military Training Camp was a month-long program for young men held in July at various military reservations across the country from 1921 to 1940. Below, an excerpt from a 1920s news item on the Fort Meade CMTC. - Dave] "Mornings will be devoted to military drills and exercises under the direction of officers specially selected from the Infantry School at Camp Benning, Georgia, and afternoons will be spent in in athletics, games and swimming." From another 1920 news item: "The Citizens' Military Training Camp takes our young men and develops in them rugged manliness, worthy ideals, teaches them to obey the law willingly, and to co-operate in its enforcement. In other words this training prepares them for the duties and responsibilities of American citizenship." Lake EerieThe reflection at the bottom of the diver's hands and arms approaching the water looks like the limbs of some skeletal creature reaching from below to grab at him. Little PatuxentThat's gotta be the Little Patuxent River. It looks like it's running a bit high in the photo. It's REALLY high right now. Patuxent RiverI grew up on Fort Meade. I know that stretch of the river; it's along the (firing) ranges. It's now a wildlife refuge. In my years, the river was never deep enough to dive in. We used to rope swing in feet first. You had to be quick, in case the range officer was on his rounds. The area looks just about like that today. Note, the Ranger battalion that climbed the cliff at Point du Hoc on D Day trained in this area. It was very active until 1974 or 1975. Thereafter, most National Guard until the early 80's. Used to be a great place to find old cartridges and random ordnance, plus a refuge for box turtles. Great PhotoThe movement and motion caught in this photo are great. Particularly the guy lower left whose fingertips are just touching the water. Amazing. (The Gallery, Bizarre, Natl Photo, Sports, Swimming)
The Willard: 1922
Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Willard Hotel, 14th Street at Pennsylvania Avenue." National Photo ... at this location. A major fire damaged the Willard in 1922. Guests who had to be evacuated included Calvin Coolidge, John Philip ... was put in place after the 10th-floor fire of April 23, 1922. The hotel's owners decided to turn the top-floor ballroom into a roof ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:30pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Willard Hotel, 14th Street at Pennsylvania Avenue." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. +89Having escaped the "redevelopment" of Pennsylvania Avenue in the 1970s and '80s that claimed other buildings, the Willard still stands at the corner of 14th Street and remains one of Washington's premier hotels. Its adjoining neighbor in the 1921 photograph, the Occidental Hotel, is long gone (as are the streetcars). However, the Occidental's famed restaurant found a new incarnation a few steps west on Pennsylvania Avenue. Below is the same view from April of 2010. [A big round of applause for timeandagainphoto, whose ability to come up with current versions of 90-year-old views at a moment's notice is nothing short of uncanny. I posted this after dark, so you HAD to have taken this beforehand. From the same vantage. With the flag blowing in the same direction. Brrr! - Dave] Re: Dave and tterraceTo be praised by both Dave and tterrace on the same day is indeed deeply humbling. As to my ability to "prepost" a "now" shot, well, Shorpy has been referred to as a time machine afterall. Actually, I'm just trying to keep up. Fabled WillardAbraham Lincoln stayed at the Willard before his inauguration--however, it was the earlier, 4-story version at this location. A major fire damaged the Willard in 1922. Guests who had to be evacuated included Calvin Coolidge, John Philip Sousa, and Adolph Zukor. The hotel was closed in 1968 and sat empty for 18 years, which is my first memory of it. Its survival is indeed miraculous. After the FireThe scaffolding was put in place after the 10th-floor fire of April 23, 1922. The hotel's owners decided to turn the top-floor ballroom into a roof garden. It opened to much fanfare in June 1923. Nice SaveWhen I was a student at Catholic University in the late 1970's, the Willard was a boarded-up, rat-infested dungeon, of obviously distinguished pedigree, but also obviously soon to become a victim of the wrecking ball. The fact that it is standing today, in all of its old, restored splendor, is one of the great saves of local D.C. preservation. By the way, what's all that scaffolding up on the roof in the old photo? Doesn't look OSHA-compliant to me! FoliageThe trees in front of the hotel are obviously new, but I wonder if the ones on the right and left are the same, 89 years later (just not quite full of foliage yest this spring, so looking a little sparse compared to the old photo). timeandagainphoto, if you had just managed to arrange things so that there were buses in the same positions as the streetcars and a dapper-looking man with an umbrella (traffic conductor of some kind?) Sad to see that the interesting looking building in the distance on the right is now gone (the one with the cool roof). A streetcar namedUnion Station? No, perhaps I shall be better inspired when I reach N'ahlenz. Those little round windowsDid anyone ever get into the rooms behind those nifty round windows, always my dream to have an apartment up there, what is the wooden scaffolding for? timeandagainTo my applause I add mystification over those instances in which timeandagainphoto has come up with "now" shots taken from identical perspectives, but dating from well before the "thens" were posted on Shorpy. Time travel is the only explanation I can come up with. Meet our staffNotice the man standing at the base of the flag. Competing WillardsWhile they were renovating the Willard, they were also planning and/or building the JW Marriott across from it on 14th Street. The original plan for the Marriott was for it to be named the J. Willard Marriott Hotel, but folks were worried that visitors would confuse the two hotels, so it's known as simply the JW Marriott Hotel. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Streetcars)
A Tattered Tire: 1922
Circa 1922 in San Francisco, this aging Chalmers touring car needs a new shoe. Since ... the tire; she's got places to go! Rose and fell The 1922 Crocker-Langley city directory lists exactly one dealer for Maxwell & ... Pictured below is a restored 1913 touring as well as a 1922 ad similar to the one in the dealer’s window. Would you guys get on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/28/2014 - 12:23am -

Circa 1922 in San Francisco, this aging Chalmers touring car needs a new shoe. Since we're at the Maxwell-Chalmers dealer, why not take a look at the new models? 6½ x 8½ glass plate from the Wyland Stanley collection. View full size. Maxwell is still with usMaxwell-Chalmers was having a roller-coaster year in '22, sales had been growing fast but bad word-of-mouth from some less than rigorous engineering, cash flow issues from the Chalmers merger, and the '21 recession all worked together to put the company in deep doo-doo. Thankfully the board recruited a first-rate Automotive guy to turn things around, Walter Chrysler took most of his pay in stock options and had the finances solid enough inside a year that he could launch a new line with his name on it. Hurry it up, boysLet the men replace the tire; she's got places to go! Rose and fellThe 1922 Crocker-Langley city directory lists exactly one dealer for Maxwell & Chalmers autos, the Lou H. Rose showroom at 1230 Van Ness. The printing of this directory must have taken place shortly before the ill-fated merger of the Maxwell & Chalmers companies. Perhaps Lou Rose could see the end coming, because the 1923 directory contains no entry for Rose's showroom or any other Maxwell dealer. Also, the survey of Van Ness Auto Row buildings makes no mention of Rose or 1230 Van Ness. This touring cardates from about 1913. Chalmers, located in Detroit, made quality cars from 1908 to 1923. Pictured below is a restored 1913 touring as well as a 1922 ad similar to the one in the dealer’s window. Would you guys get on with it!The expression on the face of the lady in the driver's seat says it all. Right hand driveWhy is this vehicle right hand drive? Didn't they change from RHD to LHD in California in the 'teens? Maybe it was a pre-change over model car? [It's a circa 1913 model. Cars of the era were a mix of right- and left-hand-drive. By 1920, most auto makers had settled on left-hand drive. - Dave] A Rose By Any Other NameRose's automobile business remained at the same location in 1923. In the 1923 Crocker-Langley City Directory the business is simply listed as "Campe-Rose Co 1230 Van Ness Av" without a marque name. The next year Rose's name is missing from the listing with the business shown as "Campe Geo 1230 Van Ness Av" in the city directory under the heading "Automobiles." Prior to the Chalmers Dealership the address was occupied by Steven G. Chapman's automobile business in 1914, and an Oakland franchise in 1915. The Chalmers dealership is listed there from 1916 - 1922. Although the Chrysler dealership in San Francisco is shown on Market Street in 1925, in 1926 it is at 1200 Van Ness, in the same block where Rose's business was previously located. The appearance of this building, erected in 1911, has been altered according to the Auto Row Survey. The Auto Row survey's purpose was to list the surviving automobile related structures that are present in the survey study area. I believe the survey fails to mention the 1230 Van Ness address because either the building that was there in 1922 had been torn down or the address was incorporated into an existing structure along the street and the address is no longer used. Looking on Google Maps there are now only two buildings in the 1200 block of Van Ness on the even numbered side of the street. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
Oyster Alley: 1922
Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Wearley's front." Exterior of the oyster bar seen in the previous post. ... and telling that "Old Fashion" could be used in 1922 to distinguish one establishment from two adjacent businesses that all ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 10:18pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Wearley's front." Exterior of the oyster bar seen in the previous post. This stretch of 12th Street N.W. seems to have been something of a seafood hot spot. At the right we see a sliver of the enormous Raleigh Hotel. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Raleigh HotelA recent profile of the hotel here. The differencebetween an oyster depot and an oyster house is the baggage clam! Weser's OystersThe establishment to the left is Weser's Oyster Depot. Prior to Howe's, #423 was Hogan's Oyster Depot. Wearley's (established 1898 by Oscar B. Wearley) later moved to 418 12th. In 1950 another move to 516 N. Capitol Street, where it survived until the 1960s. Does anyone know the distinction between an Oyster Depot and an Oyster House? Washington Post, Feb 20, 1907 Edward Weser Dies of Old Age. Edward Weser, eighty-three years old, died yesterday morning at this home, 441 Seventh Street southwest. Death was caused by a complication of diseases due to old age. He was a native of Germany, but came to the United Sates when a boy. He was for several years a maker and seller of sulphur matches. In 1858 he established an oyster house at Twelfth and E streets, the management of which he continued until his death. He is survived by his wife and three daughters, Mrs. Annie Gordon, Mrs. Barbara Swing, and Mrs. A.J. Comiskey, and two sons, C.H. Weser and Joseph B. Weser. 1887 Boyd's directory of the District of Columbia 1908, Washington Times At a theatre near you!Dorothy Dalton in The Siren's Call. Here's what she looked like. Has anyone ever seen it? Larry, Moe, & Curly (or was it Shemp?)Might this be the place where the stooges had such trouble eating a simple bowl of soup? "Old Fashion"Isn't it interesting and telling that "Old Fashion" could be used in 1922 to distinguish one establishment from two adjacent businesses that all seem to sell the same basic product. Re: Why Oysters?Anyone with the time and inclination to learn about oysters ought to read Mark Kurlansky's book The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell. In part, the prevalence of oyster houses reflects the prevalence of the oyster itself. Europe's oyster beds had long been depleted from over-fishing and destruction of beds. In contrast, the waters of east coast (especially around New York Harbor) were bounteous. At one time, the fledgeling U.S.A. produced 88% of the world's oyster production. As a result oysters provided a cheap source of protein for people of all economic classes. In the 20th century, urban pollution (largely sewage and run-off) lowered the water quality and destroyed many of the oyster beds. Incidentally, when this photo was made, my ancestors were dredging oysters in the Chesapeake - probably supplying oyster depots in both Baltimore and Washington. UPDATE: Link to 2001 NYT article by Mark Kurlansky: "CITY LORE; When the Oyster Was Their World" The world would be my oysterif I could rent that room on the top floor! Ornamental crustaceansGotta love those lobster decorations on the balcony railing above Wearley's. Gayety, Palace, and MetropolitanThe posters in front of Howe's advertise shows at three theaters that we've seen before on Shorpy: Gayety: https://www.shorpy.com/node/6455 Palace: https://www.shorpy.com/node/5844 (in comments) Metropolitan: https://www.shorpy.com/node/5539 OystercentrismMuch like today, blame New York for the trend. They became very popular there in the 19th century. Cheap from beginning to end, you could get them on most streets and they fed the working class. As immigrants poured in and the shift moved, they took their appetite with them and the oyster moved inland thanks to the burgeoning railroads that could deliver them. Soft ClamsI know what soft shell crabs are but what is a soft clam? Why Oysters?This may have been discussed before, but can anyone shed light on the appetite for oysters in America in the late 19th to early 20th centuries? I've seen pictures of small Midwestern and western towns with only a handful of businesses, and an "Oysters" sign among them. It seems folks couldn't go more than a day or two without eating an oyster. [Fast-forward 100 years. Substitute "Starbucks" for "oysters." - Dave] Weser descendants thank youAs descendants of Edward Weser and Joseph B. Weser, we thank you for this posting. (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Natl Photo)
Feline Fontanne: 1922
New York circa 1922. "Fontanne." The British actress Lynn Fontanne, for decades a fixture of ... the dress is hideous but maybe you had to be there (in 1922) to appreciate it. It looked better on the monkey Normally I love ... in larger amounts, such as the trims on the coat in this 1922 French fashion plate. What Shocked the Cat She is wearing my ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 3:32pm -

New York circa 1922. "Fontanne." The British actress Lynn Fontanne, for decades a fixture of the Broadway stage along with husband Alfred Lunt (not pictured). 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Kitty was twitching his ear, not a sign that he was liking this, but then she was probably a stranger to the Cat. I'll second, or third that the dress is hideous but maybe you had to be there (in 1922) to appreciate it. It looked better on the monkeyNormally I love '20s fashion, but that fur trim adds nothing good to the dress. And I can't help but feel additional horror at the thought it came from an intelligent primate species---you're not supposed to skin your relatives! Green Eyed MonsterI covet her dress, shoes, and accessories! I wonder what color the dress is; I'm picturing maroon. Hopefully that dress looks MUCH better in color.Otherwise, I can't see why any woman would have ever worn it... it makes her look like she has hair growing in huge tufts all over her body and legs. Who's FurriestWhat the ...? Is that horsehair as trim for her dress? No wonder that poor cat looks horrified. Not Fontaine, please!Her name is repeatedly mispronounced as Fontaine - including by Kramer in "Seinfeld": "My Broadway is the Broadway of Merman and Martin and Fontaine." This photo was taken the year she married Alfred Lunt. She was 35 but successfully posing as 25. Lunt went to his grave believing she was a decade younger than she actually was. Theirs was widely assumed to be a "white," though devoted, marriage on both sides - perhaps the cat was a hint? I think the dress is a forest green colour meself.or maybe a dark blue. I love the shoes too. That haircut's gotta go though. Oof. Pussy RiotWhenever our cat, Blackjack, gets that look we give him a wide berth -- he'll scratch your eyes out. NOT FOR PUBLICATIONJust for your edification and amusement, Dave: Two guys are sitting on the porch watching a cat #### his ########. One guy says to the other: "I wish I could do that." The other guy says: "Man, you could, but that cat'd bite yoooouu." And Now We Knowthe correct placement of the hands for cat-strangling. Hairy AreasLynn Fontanne was almost as celebrated for her intelligent wit as for her acting, and might have had some very funny and self deprecating things to say about the expensive couture dress she's wearing here. The silky black fur tufts are almost certainly Colobus monkey fur, and the dress fabric looks like creped silk -- impossible to gauge the color. There was a steady vogue for Colobus monkey fur all through the 1920s, although it was usually used in larger amounts, such as the trims on the coat in this 1922 French fashion plate. What Shocked the CatShe is wearing my hairballs! (The Gallery, Cats, G.G. Bain, Pretty Girls)
Beauty Contest 1922 (Colorized)
Colourised from this original . View full size. Wow, it looks great. Wow, it looks great. (Colorized Photos) ... 
 
Posted by UK George - 04/06/2012 - 10:16pm -

Colourised from this original. View full size. Wow, it looks great.Wow, it looks great. (Colorized Photos)
The Empress: 1922
Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Hahn's shoe store, 414 Ninth Street N.W." Next door to the Empress ... in a series starring Dan Mason as Pops Tuttle, released in 1922. Mason was 65 years of age (born 1857) and cranked out about 11 of these in 1922-23. In the next few years he would take supporting roles in feature ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 9:37pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Hahn's shoe store, 414 Ninth Street N.W." Next door to the Empress Theater, where Mack Sennett's "Crossroads of New York" is playing. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Why don't we decorate things anymore?Note the scrollwork on the bracket of the truck roof (!) on the left; and the beautiful details on Herbert's. Art for art's sake, it's called. WirelessThis shows a great close up view of how Washington's streetcars were powered without overhead wires. Between the tracks is a slot between two metal pieces. The cars picked up power with a "plow" that ran through the slot to a power source below the street. This is particularly relevant now since the City Council wants to bring back streetcars but allow overhead wires to power them. Current law still prohibits all overhead wiring in specified areas of D.C. to protect the views. Hong Kong [what??]Note the doorway between the Empress and the shoe store, topped by the elaborate pagoda-style entry. The door leads upstairs to the Hong Kong something-or-another, according to the folded awnings in the windows. A restaurant, most likely. Maybe a dry cleaners, or custom-made clothing. Or perhaps an opium den, or oriental massage. Nawwww. [Your "Hong Kong" is reflected signage across the street. Oops. Now I see it. - Dave] OverdueMay I just add an overdue "Thank You!" to Stanton Square. Always adding interesting info and answering questions. A very appreciated mainstay at Shorpy. At The Movies - Crossroads of New YorkThe Empress is playing "Crossroads of New York" and "The Fire Chief" starring Dan Mason. The latter is a two reeler comedy an entry in a series starring Dan Mason as Pops Tuttle, released in 1922. Mason was 65 years of age (born 1857) and cranked out about 11 of these in 1922-23. In the next few years he would take supporting roles in feature comedies and in dramas. His last role was an uncredited role in the now lost sound film "The Awakening" which was nominated for an Oscar in 1928. Mason died in July 1929. "Crossroads of New York" is in most ways the more interesting film. Legendary comedy producer Mack Sennett, who introduced Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand, Roscoe Arbuckle, Buster Keaton and a host of others to the public, decided to make "Crossroads of New York" as his first dramatic feature. When it debuted (under the name "Heart's Balm") it was met with howls of laughter. Not one to let something go, Sennett had it rewritten and rereleased as a comedy. It failed as a comedy too. It starredGeorge O'Hara (whose career died with Silents), Noah Beery, whose career as a character actor made an easy transition to sound, Ethel Grey Terry, and Australian comedian Billy Bevan. Hong Kong LowThe cute pagoda marks the street entrance to Hong Kong Low, a Chinese and American Restaurant located on the second and third floor. It opened at this location in 1917. Try their Delicious Chop Suey after the theater. Arthur Stanton (no relation) let the fun get out of hand one Autumn evening in 1924: Washington Post, Oct 6, 1924 Man Fractures Arm In Three-Story Fall Arthur Stanton, 21 years old, 41 T street northwest, fell three stories to the street from the Hong Kong Low Chinese restaurant on Ninth street northwest, last night, and suffered only a broken arm, police say. Headquarters detectives were called and after investigation said Stanton had been drinking. A friend of Stanton's said he had been pushed from the window by a Chinese. Police say he wandered too close to the window and fell out. Spiffy ShoesIt looks like the ghost has just left the shoeshine parlor. Something New Every Day DepartmentUntil this Shorpy post came along, I labored under the delusion that it was Max Sennett who made the early movies. Great entertainmentNot at the Empress but two doors down. Come see Herbert's incredible contorting delivery man, Zeke "Crazy Legs" Monroe. Penn-CeraA product of Consumers Brewing Company of Philadelphia. Completely forgotten, up till now. Hot times at the EmpressIn the first year of its operation, the Empress (at 416 9th St., N.W.) suffered a fire in the operator's booth when a film machine burst into flames, as reported by the Washington Herald of May 12, 1910 and reprinted in Headley. With a full house unaware of the danger, employees subdued the flames with fire extinguishers. The Post reported, "The audience was dismissed, the admission fees were returned, and everybody left thinking the machinery had broken down." Remodeled in 1915 (with a redesigned external entrance to the booth, for safety), the Empress was in operation until about 1945. [There was also a lightning strike in 1912, and a fire in 1924. The proprietor, Marcus Notes, died in 1951. Below: March 20, 1910. - Dave] Go ahead, break my heartThe famous Gayety Burlesque house was in the same block, although the Empress was long gone when I first checked out "the strip" as a kid from the back seat of my parents' 1956 Ford Fairlane. The whole block was full of cheesy sex joints then, only blocks away from not only the National Archives, but also DC's central family shopping corridor, home to Lansburgh's, Kann's, The Hecht Company, Woodward & Lothrop, Jelleff's, Garfinckel's and dozens of specialty stores where you found goods ranging from lowbrow to the most elegant. I miss all that. A lot. I knew Bill Hahn in the late 1970s, when he was quite a senior gentleman. He must have worked in this family shop when a youth. He was a most charitable and generous person. Zoom in on the architectural details of the building on the left. Wow. (The Gallery, D.C., Movies, Stores & Markets)
Tractor Fair: 1922
Washington circa 1922. "Ford Motor Co. panorama No. 4." An exhibit of Ford cars and Fordson ... in the background? Washington Post Oct 15, 1922 $3,000,000 Tractor Display Ford Motors Exhibit at Camp ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 7:30pm -

Washington circa 1922. "Ford Motor Co. panorama No. 4." An exhibit of Ford cars and Fordson tractors. National Photo Co. glass negative. View full size. Conjunction JunctionA fascinating view of the the diverse applications of the basic tractor engine. I love the lone bored drummer in the bandstand. Can any Fort Meigs experts out there identify the buildings in the background? Washington Post Oct 15, 1922 $3,000,000 Tractor Display Ford Motors Exhibit at Camp Meigs October 24 to 28 Will Cover Six Acres, Sixty Tractors to be Used Operating Exhibition to Include Road Building, Farming, Railroading and Saw-Milling Under the auspices of the Ford Motor Company and the Ford dealers of Washington, a Fordson exposition is to be staged at Camp Meigs October 24-28, inclusive. The exposition, at which will be shown all the various uses to which a Fordson tractor can be put and the various types of machinery that can be used suitably in conjunction with it, will cover six acres of ground and have 25,000 square feet under canvas. The total value of the exhibit will exceed $3,000,000. Similar displays have been held throughout the country since May. Daily demonstrations will be made with every piece of machinery on the grounds. Agricultural and industrial displays of tractor ability will be shown with 60 tractors in constant operation. Included in the exhibition will be the tractors utilized as locomotives by the installation of special flanged wheels. These tractors will haul railroad cars over a specially constructed track. There will be featured also a complete lumbering operation, where huge logs are "snaked" in by tractor to large stationary sawmills, also tractor powered, and then converted into lumber by skilled sawyers. Loading machinery of the most advanced types, mounted on Fordson tractors, will give an exhibition of transferring loads of dirt and gravel, in huge trailing bodies drawn by tractor. Lime pulverizers and rock crushers also will be tractor operated. Tractors will be shown in connection with all types of road-building and road-maintaining equipment, scrapers, ditchers, scoop shovels and graders, representing the latest and most efficient development of many of the largest manufacturing concerns of the country in this type of machinery. Every phase of agricultural work will be shown, from tractor powered thrashing machines to Fordson-powered plows, potato and peanut diggers, farm sawmill equipment, electric lighting plants for house and barn, mowers, hay balers, stackers and other standard implements. Novelties in this line include ensilage and feet cutters and tall silo fillers. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Madame F: 1922
New York circa 1922. The second of five photos labeled with a notation that looks like ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2012 - 12:21pm -

New York circa 1922. The second of five photos labeled with a notation that looks like "Farnham." 5x7 glass negative, Bain News Service. View full size. She has Bette Davis eyes. BeautifulQuite the saucy vamp!! Very pretty lady. TrampAnd nothing but. Worst brand of silk stockings in flapperdomOkay, I get it that she is sitting on a table. That's the first strange thing. The second strange thing are those stockings. They're genuine silk, complete with holes and runs. But the way they cobbled together the feet on them looks bizarre. I see at least four seams to irritate feet. Fun with PhotographyThis picture brings to mind the work of E.J. Bellocq,who documented the ladies of Storyville, New Orleans at the turn of the century. Not that I'm making any assumptions about this womans line of work. OMG!!She could've left those raggedy snagged old stockings in her dresser drawer. They don't match up with the come-hither look. HosedStockings rolled below the knee were *exactly* the come-hither look. It wasn't that long before this picture that women's legs were completely covered. I guess the viewer is supposed to be so amazed by the sight of her knees that he overlooks the snags in the stockings. That said, those are some amazingly serviceable looking soles. That, imho, detracts more from the "come hither" look than the snags do. Nice earrings, too. Trampy?Except anything but. The negative comments regarding her and her stockings reflect an astonishingly petty viewpoint given that we're looking at her almost a century later. Put some modern tattoos and pierces on her and get back to us about her tramp status. SighWhen I was in my early 20s and enamoured of everything vintage, I would have given my eye teeth to look exactly like this gorgeous flapper girlie! Promotion to the "Pretty Girls" CategoryEven after 88 years I think Madame F deserves a promotion to the "Pretty Girls" category, stockings be damned! What do you think, Dave? Flaming Mame!"Turned-up nose, Turn down hose, flapper, yessir, one of those!" (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, Portraits, Pretty Girls)
Young Tarzan: 1922
... Weissmuller in an Illinois Athletic Club swimsuit circa 1922, prior to winning five Olympic gold medals in 1924 and 1928. Before ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2018 - 3:40pm -

Johnny Weissmuller in an Illinois Athletic Club swimsuit circa 1922, prior to winning five Olympic gold medals in 1924 and 1928. Before becoming Tarzan and signing a movie contract with MGM in 1932, Weissmuller was a spokesmodel for BVD swimwear. George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Young TarzanI actually met Johnny Weissmuller in 1976 in South Louisiana. I was in a community play called Bayou Bon Temps and one of the acts had us dressed in Tarzan outfits in honor of the first Tarzan movie being filmed in our hometown. Being 16 years old at the time, I didn't realize the significance of the man we met. I remember him as being still full of energy and enthusiasm at the time. Very cool! I wish as kids weVery cool! I wish as kids we knew what was in front of us. How to savor the moments we can't get back now. About JohnnyHe was actually born in a district of Timisoara (Romania, Eastern Europe) in 1904 and registered as Peter Weissmüller. When he was seven months old, the family emigrated to the United States aboard the S.S. Rotterdam as steerage passengers. He was the son of German-speaking parents of Jewish and Roman Catholic background, Petrus Weißmüller and Elisabeth Kersch. In the US he used his brothers name, Johnny, because it was more American. (The Gallery, Bizarre, G.G. Bain, Movies, Sports, Swimming)
Easter Greetings: 1922
Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "933 G Street N.W." Happy Easter from Pearlman's and Shorpy. National ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 5:15pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "933 G Street N.W." Happy Easter from Pearlman's and Shorpy. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Circulating LibraryDoes this sort of thing still exist? My dad used to rent Perry Masons and Ellery Queens by the week from one. In those days our public library considered such works beneath them. Now, of course, nothing is too low for the public library. Middle TThe center-door Model T Ford, made from 1915 to 1923, is considered the least likely to be seen today. Still a Library!Pearlman's circulating library gave way to a somewhat larger version of the same thing--the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. The church on the left is the First Congregational Church; the building was replaced in the 1950s, and that building was razed for redevelopment in 2008--now a hole in the ground. The Middle WayThose center door cars must have been a pain in the neck, unless you wanted to get in the back seat. Literary LionsI remember the private circulating libraries. They were usually in drug stores. They had mainly new romantic novels that were aimed the women who were probably their best customers. I had an aunt who used to rent them, at 5¢ a day (if I remember correctly). She would read 3 a week. Mi-T-Fine MasonryThis photo has so much going for it. The masonry on the buildings is a visual treat, the lovely window dressings in the dress shop, and the snappy little car at the curb. I'm quite sure the dentist's office looked similar to the one previously posted here. Pearlman's looks like a place to lose yourself for a while browsing used books. Happy Easter! Bunny hopWho knew the Easter Bunny rode in a "Center Door" sedan? Can't read something in the windowImmediately below "Pearlman's Book Store" is: NO BRA-- S--RES No brain shares? [All I will say is, NO BRANCH STORES. - Dave] To All CareHave a blessed Easter today and every day. The imprimaturof Pearlman. Courtesy of Donald Francis. Ahhhh!Ahhhh! A photograph from an age in which folks did not try to feel offended by the celebration of Christian holidays and their attendant paraphernalia. Happy Easter! [And Shalom. The proprietor, G. David Pearlman, was Jewish. - Dave] Night LightsThere's probably a sign on the alley side of the building. Hence the lamps. And then the tenants in the upstairs apartments complained, and those shields went up. Stories above StoriesAny clue to what was on the third and fourth floors? A Lodge Hall; a small theater; a handball court? Those nice-looking windows wouldn't admit much light. [The upper floors were apartments. - Dave] Thoughts and questionsFirst of all, the car with the center door reminds me of a stagecoach. Is it any wonder that it is the least likely to be seen today? Second, why would it be necessary to advertise that this business had no branch stores? The sign is prominently and permanently painted on the front window so it must have been important. Finally, my most burning question. What was the reason for private circulating libraries? To offer things that public libraries didn't? Private lending librariesYou have to think of the history of public libraries in North America to understand why there were private lending libraries. Until Andrew Carnegie began to fund the building of public libraries across North America, the only access to books for most people was either purchasing them (mail order most often) or borrowing them from a private lending library. Like a public library, you paid a fee to join and often a fee per book to borrow the books. The 252-year-old Athenaeum, in Rhode Island, is one of the nation's oldest private lending libraries. Even after public libraries came about, largely thanks to grants from the Carnegie funding of libraries, many people who could afford to borrowed from private libraries because their selection would often include more "popular literature" which many public libraries might not. As well, there was a definite class perception about public libraries. Because the poor who couldn't afford to join a private library were free to borrow from public libraries, there was the idea that books from the public library were unsanitary, an idea which private libraries often put about. Many private libraries also catered to specific ethnic groups. Yiddish libraries, for instance. There are still private lending libraries, though they are fewer and farther between than they once were. One if by land?Two if by alley? What do you suppose the pair of globe lamps were used for at the second and third stories at the left of the building? There are reflecting boards behind them so I would not expect them to be for illuminating the alley. They seem to be arranged for good visibility some distance away from the storefront. Any ideas? "No branch stores"This was a very common phrase in retail advertising in the early part of the century, when chain stores were proliferating. It meant this is the only one, so you better come in. Two Pearlman'sThere is another very probable explanation for the "No Branch Stores" signage. There were two Pearlman Book Stores in Washington at the time. Paul Pearlman (my grandfather) broke away from the family business and started his own store, in 1921 (we think). It became a Washington institution. The store in the photo is the original business operated by his father and brother. [Below, from 1924, the first Washington Post ad for Paul Pearlman's bookstore. - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Easter, Natl Photo)
Cult Figure: 1922
New York circa 1922. "Farraham worshiping." Five photos of this artsy looking lady bear a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 8:14pm -

New York circa 1922. "Farraham worshiping." Five photos of this artsy looking lady bear a name that might also be transcribed as Farnham or Fanshaw. Who will be the first to identify her? George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. "Farnham"Well, the name on the negative is "Farnham," for sure. I spend my days deciphering old documents and that is most definitely "Farnham." And I can tell you that she most definitely isn't Zoroastrian, and quite apart from the fact that Zoroastrians don't worship idols, that is a Chinese or Japanese sculpture. If she were Zoroastrian, she would look like this family. https://www.shorpy.com/node/7241 I had been wondering if the photos might be of Irene Castle. On further reflection I don't think so but I am wondering if it might possibly be Sally Farnham's daughter. Farnham was married to George Paulding Farnham, designer for Tiffany's and from a very wealthy and well-established family. She veneratesKing Viagra, long before his secrets were discovered. What on earthis that thing she is venerating? I hope this turns out to be some sort of show person and not a weird cult. Zoroaster, FaravaharShe could be a Zoroastrian, and the idol represents Faravahar. This doesn't have anything to do with the other four photos, though, so there's still a mystery. Mme. FHmm. The other photos you link to below show her as perhaps a musician or dancer. In any case definitely not the sculptor Sally Farnham. Madame F The five photos and the name. Possibilities so far: Farnham, Fanshaw, Favisham. And of course "Farraham." Julia Farnham?In 1932 Julia Farnham, "New York heiress" and daughter of the sculptor Sally Farnham, secretly married a New York mounted police officer whom she had met on the Central Park bridle path while they were riding their respective horses. So it might be her. Although there's no mention of her in the New York Times prior to the wedding. [From the NYT: "Captain Meehan is 49 years old; the former Miss Farnham is considerably younger than her husband." Now, who out there has a decent photo of Julia Farnham? - Dave] CluesFrom [who?] at sallyjamesfarnham.org: I took a closer look at the other portraits of the woman seemingly labeled Farnham and do not believe these are of her daughter, Julia. I have an image somewhere from this period and would be happy to send it. My mind kept drifting to your email and the script that may say "Farnham." I believe I may have seen a similar notation before and will check on it when I return. I also have some studio shots of Sally's studio/apartment. I will see if there may be similar objects to link these images to SJF. GWOMy guess is that that would be a Buddhist or Daoist figure, in an early example of gratuitous Western orientalism. Julia Farnhamfrom the good folks at sallyjamesfarnham.org [Obviously not the same person. - Dave] Fashionably Foreign CuriosThe faddish young lady is posing with a Chinese or Japanese shrine figure of an emaciated Buddha or monk meditating in a grotto. Small devotional sculptures of this type were mostly made of painted and gilded dry lacquer over carved wood. The figure's beard is a little strange in that context, and perhaps points to a Chinese Buddhist saint or Daoist sage rather than to a Buddha figure such as Sakyamuni. The patterned paper panels behind her, by the way, are the back lining of a Japanese Export folding screen, as seen in one of the other photos Dave posted for label comparisons. And her rather naughty transparent dress appears to have been made from an Egyptian tribal woman's netted scarf spangled with small bands of silver foil, a popular tourist souvenir of the day and still used like this by American belly dancing hobbyists. But the young lady is almost certainly posturing for the camera in a fashionable way rather than performing an actual religious meditation practice. Popular American curiosity about "exotic" foreign religions increased after World War I, but she might have posed as readily with an Eqyptian figure as an Asian one. A few years earlier, after all, there was Theda Bara posed "meditating" over a stage prop skeleton. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC)
When We Were Young: 1922
... bathing beach with a view of the Washington Monument circa 1922. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/21/2012 - 10:37pm -

The Potomac bathing beach with a view of the Washington Monument circa 1922. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. 3rd from rightI'd guess they had no concept of the two piece bathing suit. At first I thought the guy was joking but looking at the image closer and realizing it was a one piece and it was 1923 it was probably considered macho. Am I right? [Those are rental swimsuits. The necklaces are claim tags for their street clothes. - Dave] Potomac SwimmerRight. Since the bikini hadn't been invented yet, the poor guy doesn't realize that his bathing suit makes him look like he's wearing one! The guy in the middle seems to be really into the girl looking at the camera. Very cute. Dead in the WaterI wonder how many of them are dead now. All of them? Potomac BathersThey would be at least 96 if they were alive. [If they were 10 years old in this photo, yes. - Dave] The Guy on the Right...Is stunning, and he looks like someone famous now, but I can't think who. Mr. RightLooks like Matt Damon to me. Rental swimsuits!Rental swimsuits! This reminds me of my high school. Swimming was required to graduate (in 1994) and we had to share swimsuits. How gross! SwimsuitsWow, think of how great they would all look in decent bathing suits, if they look so good in these things! And when did people start to realize that they could buy their own swimsuits? Always with the rentals. [Renting means you don't have to carry a wet wool swimsuit back home on the streetcar. And don't have to wash it, either. - Dave] Swimsuits AgainGraduated in 1962. Swimming in school was separated -- boys one day, girls the next. The girls got to wear swimsuits. The boys, not so much. Stylin'The second guy from the right seems to be aware the suit is a bit feminine, hence the posture. A wonderful goof, there is always one. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports, Swimming)
Chair Car: 1922
January 1922. Washington, D.C. "Man in three-wheeled vehicle." Which is, according to ... quite practical given the abundance of wheelchair ramps in 1922. Tare weight I bet that thing weighs a ton (short, long or ... describes as a "Cootie Car." (Washington Post, Jan. 21, 1922) Although another clipping (The Daily Ardmoreite, 17 Nov. 1920) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/21/2014 - 10:02pm -

January 1922. Washington, D.C. "Man in three-wheeled vehicle." Which is, according to the nameplate, a ____G CAR. 4x5 glass negative. View full size. BeautifulWall sconces and wall embellishments, so typical in the 20's! All would be gone by the 40's, replaced by bland industrial looking light fixtures and plain blonde walls. Custer Chair Car?The vehicle looks a lot like the Custer Chair Car, featured on the very informative blog called Just A Car Guy, which concerns all things transportation-related. [It could be -- both are made by a "Specialty Co." -- although our chair-car has a G in the name. - Dave] The Segway of its eraJust need to find enough room to do U-turns. Fairly easy in hotel lobbies, but hallways? Concept good, execution needs work. [Next stop, Walmart. - Dave] Last standIt certainly does appear to be a Custer Car. A close-up of the rear hub on a similar photo appears to show the embossed legend "CUSTER CAR". The inventor, Levitt Luzern Custer, filed a 1919 design patent for a very similar-looking "juvenile automobile." (It's obviously not the same design, but the resemblance is clear.) [Two "juvenile" Custer Cars can be seen here and here on Shorpy. - Dave] The Wheels!About 60 years ago I had an old red wagon from the early 1930s that came off a hill and got hit by a car on Long Island. I bounced six times and was OK but the wagon was a fatality. The wheels were smaller than those in this photograph but I remember the style and inside the black rubber was all "fire engine red". StairdownI'm sure that vehicle was quite practical given the abundance of wheelchair ramps in 1922. Tare weightI bet that thing weighs a ton (short, long or figurative.) Restored Custer CarVideo linked from this blog. Demon of the RoadsThe driver is none other than L. Luzern Custer himself, piloting what the caption describes as a "Cootie Car." (Washington Post, Jan. 21, 1922) Although another clipping (The Daily Ardmoreite, 17 Nov. 1920) describes a different vehicle, a toy electric car for children similar to the ones here and here, as a Cootie Car: (Technology, The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
The Happy Homemaker: 1922
September 6, 1922. "Miss Elizabeth U. Hoffman." Who might be one teacup short of a place ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 1:34am -

September 6, 1922. "Miss Elizabeth U. Hoffman." Who might be one teacup short of a place setting. National Photo Co. Collection glass negative. View full size. Demo, or apartment?@Tea -- I was rather wondering that. It looks to uncluttered to be a home (ergo, I think demo kitchen in a warehouse), but looking at the ceiling/wall, it could be a cheaply partitioned apartment. And she's either missing a wall and standing in direct sunlight, or there are some big artificial lights in place. [This would be an academic or institutional setting. Maybe government -- Bureau of Standards or Agriculture department. - Dave] JinkiesOoohhh. That lady gives me the willies Harsh lights, sharp cornersHarsh lights, sharp corners everywhere, a pressure cooker on the stove, a knife on the drainboard, an alarm clock-- ominously approaching 12 o'clock--tied to the wall, hard linoleum echoing every footstep, and that terrified look on her face--perhaps Edgar Allan Poe's kitchen. Cooking in a Warehouse?Where is this, does anyone know? America's Test Kitchen in the olden days? On the tableLooks like tea bags in one of the jars on the table but what the heck is in the other jar behind the milk bottle ? Miss Elizabeth U. Hoffman...wanted in three states for her Tainted Tuna Fish Casserole! Take That, Japan!We had lifelike domestic companion androids way back in the 1920's! The Proverbial Gaspipe?Is that a spare gaspipe hovering over the table? Is it there so Miss Elizabeth U. Hoffman can take a dose when her weird kitchen proves too much for her? [That's probably a fire sprinkler. - Dave] June?My mother has this same table on the enclosed back porch of her home. It was purchased from one of many estate sales she and Dad have attended. They always believed that new isn't always better and have instilled this belief in me. Therefore I would kill for that pressure cooker! My current one -- "only" 10 years old -- always has a clogged valve. As for Miss Hoffman, June Cleaver she is not. What is this place?Quality control test kitchen in a food factory, home economics classroom, recipe lab for Mrs. Wyler's fried pies? CollectiblesOur house was built in 1905 and all these appliances are there in the basement, which was apparently used as the kitchen area before the "modern" kitchen and bathroom were added in the 40's. I wonder if they are worth money. They sure did get their money's worth -- still work over 100 years later. HarshPoor Miss Hoffman! Don't pick on her! I get the same expression when I'm forced to spend any time in the kitchen too...and I bet she's thinking "take the photo, hurry up and take the photo already"... Cupcakes!It looks like sprinkles, or jimmys, or 100s and 1000s, whatever you might call them. Although that's kind of a random thing to have in a jar with your other necessities. Walnuts!The container behind the milk looks like it is holding walnuts. The bigger pieces are always on top, then smaller pieces, and then finally the nut dust. Post Toasties!I vote for flake cereal. Makes more sense with the milk. Must confess: I'm a sucker for the domestic setting photos, even test kitchens. I love everything about this -- the rubber mats on the floor, the Pyrex casserole, the ironstone bowl, the dish drainers, the border on the china, the glass milk bottle, the enamel-topped table, the wicker stool. Obviously, someone said "Hey, Elizabeth!" and snapped the shot. I'm sure she's a lovely person, really. (The Gallery, Kitchens etc., Natl Photo)
Toes Tenderly Treated: 1922
August 16, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Toe Doctor." Once your tootsies are taken care of, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/25/2012 - 3:08pm -

August 16, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Toe Doctor." Once your tootsies are taken care of, please note that "malicious splashing" is strictly prohibited. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Why aren't these guys swimming?I don't think it's about toes. Malicious SplashingUnless your intended victim is the Wicked Witch of the West -- who probably shouldn't be anywhere near the water anyway -- is it even possible to splash a bathing companion in a way other than in good fun? Mop topWhoa! At first glance I thought the chiropodist was sporting a rad 'do. Before television and the internetpeople were so easily entertained. Cosmic CoifIt's Princess Leia's grandma! A Grand IdeaStan, having long ago given up any thought that he might rid himself of his foot fetish, stumbled upon a grand idea while at the beach one sunny afternoon. Hot GuysThose two lads under the Bathing Girls sign are HOT HOT HOT! Do-ragThe guy with the bandanna would be welcome at almost any beach these days. Have a seat over thereWhy does this picture make me think that if this guy was alive today Chris Hansen would be asking him to take a seat? What's So Funny?The expressions on peoples faces are hilarious. This photo had me laughing a full five minutes. And the comments another five. Thanks for making my day. Here's Looking At You Kid.The lady on the far left seems to know that in 87 years she and her beach mates would be a subject of discussion on a Buck Rogers type of entertainment. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Swimming)
California Street: 1922
Washington, D.C., 1922. "1859 California Street." National Photo Co. glass negative. (Update: ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 4:49pm -

Washington, D.C., 1922. "1859 California Street." National Photo Co. glass negative. (Update: This house is on the market for $1.55 million.) View full size. Almost untouchedStill there, and besides being a bit weatherbeaten, nearly unchanged: SpookyThat foot in the lower right corner is the creepiest "ghost" I've seen on Shorpy! Ghost imageThe almost ghostly child is a little spooky, but the severed foot is downright creepy SecurityThe neighborhood is looking more locked-down than it did then. View Larger Map Madeline, is that you?The child on the steps reminds me of Madeline, the hat seals it. By the way, is that a shoe is the lower right hand corner? It is a little fuzzy and looks a little strange. An effect due to shutter speed but it makes me wonder how many ghost photo sites would classify this as paranormal. Inspect This House Inspect This House OPEN 1859 California Ave. Washington Heights Few houses in such perfect condition FOR SALE OR RENT 12 rooms, two (2) baths, servants' toilet; modern heat, electric lights; room for stable on lot. A bargain for someone. STONE & FAIRFAX 1342 New York Ave. Washington Post, Feb 13, 1916 Admiral G.B. Harbor becomes the owner of 1859 California street, the property having been transfered from Mrs. Lucy P. Chambliss. Washington Post, Apr 17, 1921 Mystified!It appears she is barefooted since there is no color of the shoes. But she is dressed for an occasion. Are the shoes then all white, including the buckling? But I am mystified by the flatness starting at the ankle and downward. [Since we can see only as far as her ankles, it's impossible to say. - Dave] Where in the worldWas there room for a stable on that lot? [Stables and garages would be at the rear. - Dave] AgreedBut how in the world would they get there? I know some places had "alleys", however on this street I see no cut throughs. [The alley is the street behind the houses. - Dave] This very house for sale todayJust a few e-mails down in my Inbox today from the Shorpy e-mail that included this picture was an EveryBlock e-mail that included this "For Sale" announcement. Too bad the 90-year-old for sale ad doesn't list a price, for comparison purposes... I can't explain why a shoe would just be sitting there are the sidewalk but what appears to be a leg is a stain on the curb behind the shoe. [The shoe in this time exposure belongs to someone walking down the street. There's also a hat. - Dave] 1859 CaliforniaAs you can see by the realtor's post, this house has been completely redone since the Google Street View was snapped. The Street View reflected the very poor state of the place due to an elderly woman living alone who unfortunately could not maintain the property. (Yes those are plastic bags in the windows.) I understand that a nephew finally came from out of town to help her move elsewhere. DC Real Estate recordsPer DC Real Estate records, 1859 California St. sold on 2/27/09 for $625,000.00. Assesed at $753,050.00 in 2008/2009 Property Features Building Type Row Inside Building Style 3 Story Living Area 3,201 Year Built 1909 Bed Rooms 5 Bath Rooms 2 1/2 Bath Rooms 1 Total Rooms 10 Wall Common Brick Floor Hardwood Heat Hot Water Rad Air Conditioning None Fireplace(s) 2 That's not MadelineIt's the Morton Salt girl. AfootIt's odd that all of the person would be such a blur, save the shoe; while walking, the feet move more than anything else. So that is indeed one of the stranger "ghosts" on Shorpy. [It's the other way around -- in a time exposure of someone walking, the foot is the one part of the body that slows down long enough (at footfall) to show up. The rest of the body is in continuous forward motion. Which is why there are so many disembodied feet and legs in street photography from the era. Dozens on this site alone. - Dave] Open HouseThe house was open yesterday, and it's gorgeous. I live on the same block, and it was just really nice to see the house saved. The old lady who was living in the shell you see in this photo was clearly not able to take care of it any longer. It was a very sad situation. My Old NeighborhoodI lived at 1863 California Street up until a few years ago and new the owner, Mrs. Miles, who said she was born in the house, when it was owned by her father. She used to fall asleep on her "sitting porch" on hot summer nights and said it was a common practice when she was young. Unfortunately, Mrs. Miles was not able to take care of the house or herself toward the end. The city removed her from the property and I guess it went up for auction. Wherever she is, I hope Mrs. Miles is doing okay. Sweet old lady. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
REO Speed Wagon: 1922
January 1922. "Three REO 'speed wagons' delivered by Trew Motor Co. to the D.C. Police ... Trew (1880 - 1936), and James Thomas Trew (1890 - 1922) was secretary. The company became a REO distributor in 1913, and it also ... They didn't make 'em like they used to, even in 1921-1922. Or else, that was the tire used to get dogs to run after the vehicle, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2014 - 10:11pm -

January 1922. "Three REO 'speed wagons' delivered by Trew Motor Co. to the D.C. Police Department for patrols." National Photo glass negative. View full size. Sign of The CrossDid the Trew Motor Co. order a cross over their doorway or did they occupy a building originally built for a Christian organization? [That's a T, not a cross. -Dave] Trew MotorsTrew Motors was located at 14th and P Sts. NW in a building erected in 1919/1920. The building remains and is now part of The Studio Theater. Washington Post, November 4, 1921. Three New Patrol Wagons Bids Received and Purchase Will Be Made by City Soon. Three new patrol wagons for the police department will be bought by the city government within a few days. Marion Hargrove, purchasing officer for the District, yesterday received bids from the Commercial Garage and the Trew Motor Company. The Commercial Garage bid was $4,747.50 for three wagons of Republic make, and the Trew Motor Company’s bid was $4,998 for three REOs. BlowoutCar 594 looks to have had a blowout on the front right tire. Tread pattern is different from all the others we can see in photo. It also looks much cleaner on sidewalls so it must have been very recent considering driving conditions. The other tread patterns looks better for street use in my opinion. I am a retired LEO and my last question is how in the world did these officers EVER get their weapons out with a button down jacket to have to "unbutton" first. And one more question please, wonder why the badge difference and button difference in the coats/hats of these fine officers ? BracesWonder what the braces on the side of the car were for. [Tire holder. -Dave] Re: Trew MotorsThe city accepted the higher bid. That's unheard of today. Tank OnboardOne of the interesting features of the REO truck was the gas tank mounted in front of the driver inside the cab. The round tank can be seen in the second and third trucks. The Trew Motor Company started out as Smith-Trew in 1913, by 1920 the name had changed and was incorporated with this name in 1927. President was Joseph Billingsly Trew (1888 - 1965), VP was Wilmont Washington Trew (1880 - 1936), and James Thomas Trew (1890 - 1922) was secretary. The company became a REO distributor in 1913, and it also sold Oakland and Peerless cars. The company started erecting the building behind the trucks in 1919 at 14th and P Streets NW, and it cost $150,000 to build. Completed in 1920, it is now occupied by The Studio Theatre on the first floor and offices and classrooms on the other two floors. The building is part of the Greater 14th Street Historical District. Numbers GameIf anyone can Guess the number on the license plate of the third REO, he or she may choose any prize from the lower shelf. Non-Copycat CopNot sure what the fellow next to wagon 595 does that is different from his three other colleagues, but they get two rows of buttons while he gets one. He also gets a different insignia on his hat. RE: Braces - or "odd socks"It looks like the "missing" spare tire is already in use. #594 is sporting odd socks in that the form of two front tires that don't match. Like a RockWith those solid front axles and leaf springs I'll bet those Speed Wagons rode like a truck. Car 594 Where Are You??"Fixin' a flat, Sarge." Only three months old, and already #594 is running on the spare. They didn't make 'em like they used to, even in 1921-1922. Or else, that was the tire used to get dogs to run after the vehicle, what with the doggie-bone pattern and all. Tire technologyIt's interesting to note how tire technology has changed - especially in terms of durability. While most people today have never had a flat tire it appears that at least one of these virtually new trucks has already had to have a tire replaced. The front truck has a mis-matched right front tire and no spare in the brackets, so my guess is a flat on the way to the station. Also very musicalIf you grew up in the '80s like me you'd also know about REO Speedwagon, the band, which was extremely successful in that decade. The band took the name after one of its founding members studied these trucks in transportation history class at the University of Illinois. However, the band pronounced it R-E-O, pronouncing each individual letter, but supposedly the motor company pronounced it as a word, as in Rio de Janiero. [The letters are the initials of company founder Ransom Eli Olds, who also lent his name to the Oldsmobile. - Dave] guy with single row of buttonsmay have been a non-officer PD dept chauffeur (see gloves w/ gauntlets). (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Abe Cohen: 1922
Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Abe Cohen." Probably not Abe himself, but you never know. This is just ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 2:16am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Abe Cohen." Probably not Abe himself, but you never know. This is just the kind of malevolent-looking contraption that keeps Stephen King in business. National Photo glass negative. View full size. Wet rugsOne of my cousins owned a dry cleaning business, and they had the same contraption. It was used to dry wet rugs. You would be surprised just how heavy a wet rug is! Anyone who has operated one of these drying racks can tell you that they aren't all that "heavy duty." The wheel goes up and down with the rack. This means that when you raise the lower rack, the wheel is "over your head" (a real back breaker). The upper rack is stationary. Goodbye, Mr BondSo many weird devices on Shorpy bring those classic words to mind. Actually, I believe the wheel raises the upper rack. One reason to adjust it would be to bring it within reach - of Mr Cohen or his employees, his wife, or his zombie. It certainly could be used to stretch something, but I'll cast my vote for drying rack. Perhaps it was used at a hospital for drying linens, like those we see ... drying. Lots of overbuilt equipment in old hospitals - see any movie about shuttered mental institutions. Also, one-offs then and now were likely to be built out of whatever was at hand - perhaps pipes and a crank were just available and easily cobbled together. Ink JetI think that’s what the inside of my printer looks like. Rug washing and dryingI read an article in the local newspaper about the oldest laundry and dry cleaner in my hometown. Back in the day, besides providing a laundry service for clothing, the company also washed rugs and hung them in the attic to dry. This looks like a drying rack for area rugs (no wall to wall back in the day) with a height adjustment. OY!This looks like something in the oral surgeon's office my mother tricked me into "visiting" in the early 1950s. My mouth still hurts. OverbuiltThe bottom rack appears to move up and down with the turn of the handle. Why is this thing so overbuilt, was it used to stretch fabric? Abe needed a broom.Looks to my eye like a drying rack. Abe could have used a rake as well. Noodles? Lasagna?I would guess Abe made his own pasta and air dried it on this contraption. To the Rack!It's almost definitely a fabric stretcher. The ratchet on the hand wheel is directed to pull the lower rack down away from the upper one. I find the chain wrapped around the rafter to be more sinister. WMPWeird mysterious photo, the kind I like. Stretcher / Drier?Yeah, it seems to me like it's intended to keep something under tension as it dries. Not only is there a rack (as in a linear gear) and pinion arrangement to move the lower rods, but there's also a large toothed cog. It doesn't engage the rack (there's a smaller pinion for that), but there's a movable pawl that engages the cog to lock the whole arrangement in the desired position. Based on the size of the crank wheel and the pawl arrangement and everything else, this looked like some serious muscle was used. I'm wondering if the fabric mats (?) hanging in the back may have been the sort of object dried here. [Below, another view of the drying rack. The top half telescopes down into the bottom half. - Dave] Abe Cohen's Stage Namewas Ron Popeil! Anyone can clearly see that this is an early version of the "Bamboo Steamer!" Maker of MachineryWashington Post, August 22, 1949. Abe Cohen, 71, Dies; Maker of Machinery Abraham (Abe) Cohen, 71, senior member of the firm of Abe Cohen & Son, Arlington, Va., manufacturers of commercial laundry machines, died yesterday at Garfield Hospital after seven weeks' illness. Funeral services will be held at his home, 1437 Geranium st. nw. Burial will follow in the Washington Hebrew Congregation Cemetery. Well known in the United States and Canada, he had been associated with the laundry business for 50 years, and a member of the firm that bears his name for the past two decades. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and came to America at an early age. Cohen was a member of St. Johns Lodge No. 11 of the F.A.A.M., Almas Temple of the A.A.O.M.A., a 32nd-degree member of the Scottish Rite, the Washington Lodge No. 15 of the B.P.O.E. and the Rosslyn Business Men's Association. Surviving are a son, Moritz. A. Cohen sr., two grandchildren, Moritz A. Cohen jr. and Virginia Louise Cohen, and 10 nieces and nephews, all of Washington. Curiosity Killing the CatWell Dave, are you gonna tell us what this creation is or not? Do you think its fair to put that out there with nary a clue or explanation? Is there a prize for figuring out why it was created? Why is the name "Abe Cohen" used in the title? Is that a steering wheel that can be driven in different directions? Why does it have wheels? What are the blankets for? Is it used with the chains wrapped up there in the rafters? What do you know about this that you are not telling? Inquiring minds want (and need) to know. Don't just leave us hanging. ?????I don`t know what it`s for, but the top half retracts into the bottom. It's not overbuiltIf you're going to drip-dry eight woollen blankets (which is probably what this is for) you need something made out of steam pipe. Its similar to the drying racks in the laundry of Berrington Hall, a country house in Herefordshire in England (see pic). You fill them up with clothes and slide them in on rails on either side of a special drying furnace. Mind you - it would be a good place to hide a body too (but Miss Marple would know where to look). Severely overengineeredThis is an extendable clothes drying rack. The top half can be extended by a rack-and-pinion system. The rack gear can be seen on the vertical tubes in the middle. The ratchet wheel behind the hand wheel prevents the upper half from crashing down again. I have a hunch that Abe Cohen may have been a pipe fitter, looking to branch out. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Miss Washington: 1922
1922. "Miss Washington in bathing suit." Concealed yet revealed, Evelyn Lewis ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/30/2013 - 11:01am -

1922. "Miss Washington in bathing suit." Concealed yet revealed, Evelyn Lewis at the Wardman Park Hotel pool on a nippy day. Harris & Ewing. View full size. NiceShoes? The Look Was Common In The 20sThin loose fitting clothing without the assistance of upper support was the style in the 20s/very early 30s. Check out some of the silent and early talkie motion pictures. Young ladies always looked like they were about to have wardrobe malfunctions. I'm gonna rouge my knees and roll my stockings downI always thought that phrase from "All That Jazz" in the musical "Chicago!" was a strange lyric. Rolling down your stockings was a way of being sexy - women's legs were still considered risque in a time when long skirts were still being worn. To show your legs was the equivalent of today wearing a micro-mini skirt and bikini top. In the 1920's, rouging one's knees was a popular make up fad. Some women used rouge to highlight and draw attention to their cheeks, although modest women resisted the use of make up and preferred to make the most of ‘natural’ beauty instead. Flappers, on the other hand, thought of themselves as promiscuous and sexy rebels, and so they rouged their knees to draw attention to them. I'd never actually seen it until this picture. Thanks, Shorpy! ScandalousExposure of those knees leaves very little to the imagination. I know this is a family site,and she is beautiful, with those dark eyes. She also has hips, a facet of womanly beauty that seem to be hidden by today's fashions. And, I repeat I know this is a family site, but did the beauties of that era also go without upper body undies? NippyWait -- they had those then? Dave, you old dogI can see right through your explanation of the photo. Very witty indeed. FriendsJazz Age edition One more reason "LOL" was inventedTo react to those last two words. Well, next to last, actually. Following SuitIf I may make a pointed comment, it is easy to flesh out that this young lass is keeping abreast of jazz age bathing fashions. Thanks, commentersYou've raised a couple of interesting points. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
Funny Girl: 1922
New York circa 1922. "Fanny Brice." The singer-actress-comedienne born Fania Borach. 5x7 glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 5:37pm -

New York circa 1922. "Fanny Brice." The singer-actress-comedienne born Fania Borach. 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Dynamic DuoBrice and Streisand have one thing in common in that they had to make it on pure talent and moxie, as the classic-beauty thing just wasn't going to happen for them. Baby SnooksWhen I was a kid during the war years, my favorite evening of the week was when Fanny Brice's "Baby Snooks" was on. It was the funniest radio show ever, at least to my way of thinking. Fibber McGee & Molly were probably No. 2. Baby Snooks and moreListening weekly for Baby Snooks on the Fred Allen Radio Show was looked forward to by many a wartime and postwar youngster. Great radio shows: Burns & Allen, A Date With Judy, The Great Gildersleeve, The Shadow, The Creaking Door, Gunsmoke, Amos & Andy, Lum & Abner, just to name a few. Movie versions were produced and several made a successful transition to TV. Much better shows than some of the junk now found on TV and the "yaksters" on radio. Fanny on the RadioFanny, as I remember her, was featured as Baby Snooks in the second half of a half-hour radio program in the early 1940s. The first half featured the actor Frank Morgan (of "Wizard of Oz" fame) in a comedy bit. Her own Baby Snooks half-hour program was a later spinoff. Hanley Stafford played her father, whom she plaintively and demandingly called "DAAAA-DY," and there was a baby brother named Robespierre. A Fanny in the familyI love Fanny Brice and it seems that my great-grandmother did, too. My grandmother was named Fanny in her honor, although she later changed it to Fay. B.S.Fanny doesn't look so bad to me at all here. In fact she looks pretty elegant. What a gorgeous dress. My mother always used to say, whenever a conversation started drifting into nonsensicalness, "This is turning into a Baby Snooks conversation!" Fabulous FannyShe may not have been a classic beauty, but this earlier "Glamour" picture shows that Fanny could hold her own! (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, Portraits)
The Krusty Krab: 1922
Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Wearley's Oyster House, 12th Street." With toothsome fare priced for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 7:40pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Wearley's Oyster House, 12th Street." With toothsome fare priced for every purse (Plain Clam Stew 40¢; Milk Clam Stew 45¢). Please Do Not Touch the Turtle. National Photo Company. View full size. Its eyes are following me.I don't know what that hideous thing is supposed to be, but I won't be able to sleep tonight thinking about it. Back in the day, I wouldn't have wanted it watching me eat my clam stew at the Oyster House either. Bikini BottomAre SpongeBob and Patrick hiding behind the counter? Anti-fanityAre we at least allowed to say "aw, shucks"? It is, after all, an oyster bar! Two of these things are not like the othersA fine selection of seafood both on the menu and on the wall. I especially like the eel-like creature on the right that seems to be quite upset to have gotten stuck trying to swim through the wall. But what are those two taxidermied mammals doing there? Sea Turtle SoupI don't see it on the part of the menu you can see but Turtle soup was a common enough menu item when the trade in sea turtles was still around. Since tortoise shell (made mainly made from three species of sea turtle, including the Green Sea Turtle) was used for brushes, combs and boxes, etc., you had to do something with the meat. As well, since the Church did not consider turtle to be a meat, it was often an option for those wanting something other than fish on Friday. #*&?! that's a big tortoise headI mean wow that's a big tortoise head. Gimme That Filet-O-FishWhat if that were you hanging up on that wall? Phone BookLooks a lot thicker than the one back at the Office. That is one stand-up clam barNot even a brass rail? ButI'll bet the Krabby Patties are still $3.95. That Mr. Krabs. Shell collectingIt's obvious that Wearley's has its devoted followers. Those shells on the wall include abalone, which is found on the seacoast of almost every continent *except* the eastern coast of the Atlantic, the Caribbean and the Atlantic coast of South America. You'd not likely harvest conch in Chesapeake Bay, either. Give me some of that effen milk stew!Can't you read the sign? No stew for you! You would thinkthat if the owners of this place wanted it photographed at some cost, they would at least shovel up the schmutz on the floor. Mind your P's & Q'sSeems strange to see a sign requiring no profane language for this more "proper" time period. [Evidently it was less proper than we've been led to believe! - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Natl Photo)
What to Get the Boy: 1922
Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Sport Mart, 1303 F Street N.W." A holiday window display last seen ... NW) Today it is WASHDCDT. 735 13th Street NW The 1922 building is only half of todays. The window pattern across the 13th ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/06/2015 - 12:43am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Sport Mart, 1303 F Street N.W." A holiday window display last seen here, seven years ago. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Center Door TLove that center door Model T. This shot really gives some perspective to the difference between the T and more upmarket models. Nice ID job DBerry53, only one I got was the T! Grounded FlyerThe unidentified car third from left may be a Dixie Flyer. AT&T Long Lines, Washington #1AT&T Long Lines, Washington #1 Maybe AT&T Long Lines, Washington #1/2 is more accurate. Looking North, over the top of Leggit Drug are the top two floors, penthouse and flag pole of AT&T Long Lines, Washington #1, also known as C & P Telephone's "Downtown Toll" office ("Downtown" is behind it at 722 12th Street NW) Today it is WASHDCDT. 735 13th Street NW The 1922 building is only half of todays. The window pattern across the 13th Street front (single- double - double - double - single) is the right half of todays. In the 1970s the third floor Telegraph Department and the Fourth Floor Toll Frame (still had capped gas lines (to heat soldering irons, long since electric) within it. Both were very busy places in 1975 as when this picture was taken.. What is that car just right of center?The one on the left appears to be a 1923 Cadillac Series 63 Coupe, behind it a Model T with an interesting blanket over the hood, and the one on the right is a Packard, but what is that car between the Model T and the Packard? 1921 Dixie Flyer LineupGood call, Peter Digby! Okay, I'll biteWhat's a Grafonola? [A talking machine made by the Columbia Phonograph Co. -tterrace] Great photoSo rich in interesting details. GraphophoneThe attached Grafonola print ad from the early 20th Century also mentions something called a Graphophone. That device created in Alexander Graham Bell's Volta Laboratories in the 1880s was music player that could play both 78RPM records and the earlier Thomas Edison's wax cylinders. Sort of like the VHS/DVD players that will soon be antiques as well. [A Grafonola had an internal folded horn; a Graphophone had an external horn. -tterrace] Old to NewHere is a look at the Google Maps link to the same location today. https://goo.gl/maps/sEyfsUiuJ622 Homer BuildingThat's the Homer Building at far right, on 13th Street NW. Interesting building at far left, presumably 1307 F Street. Aside from the out-of-business Grafonola store on the ground floor, the building bears the name -- just below the second floor, of "Prince, Fotographer" - from what I can figure a photographer named Prince who tried to be unique in spelling his profession. Maybe he also ran the Quality Shop selling Kodaks. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Christmas, D.C., Stores & Markets)
Barchet, Navy: 1922
"Barchet, fullback, Navy, 1922." Steve Barchet, backfield star of the Naval Academy in Annapolis. View ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/07/2009 - 1:20pm -

"Barchet, fullback, Navy, 1922." Steve Barchet, backfield star of the Naval Academy in Annapolis. View full size. National Photo Company Collection. Squeaky cleanHis hair looks nice and squeaky clean. Don't ask why I had to point that out. Rear Admiral, USNStephen G. Barchet, U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1924, went on to a fairly distinguished Navy career with several submarine assignments during WW II. He retired with a "tombstone" promotion to rear admiral and is buried at the USNA cemetery, next to his wife Louise. Denny Gill Chugiak, Alaska Stephen G. BarchetA little Googling indicates that Stephen G. Barchet enlisted in the US Naval Academy (more accurately, was appointed to it) in 1919 which would make him a Second Class Midshipman at the time of this photo. He played fullback on the football team. In 1939 he was appointed to command the submarine USS Argonaut, which was then configured as a minelaying sub. He was in command of Argonaut on December 7, 1941 when the ship made the first submerged approach of the war against two Japanese destroyers shelling Midway Island. Barchet apparently retired as a Rear Admiral in 1954 in what is known as a "tombstone promotion" which I gather means a promotion at the end of one's career where you get the retirement pay of the higher rank in return for retiring. He died in 1964 at age 63 and is buried at the US Naval Academy cemetery in Annapolis Maryland. Interestingly, in looking for "our" Stephen Barchet, I kept running into references to a Rear Admiral Stephen Barchet M.D. a Vietnam veteran who was the former deputy Surgeon General of the US Navy. His son perhaps? A whole lifeInteresting to see him so young and very vibrant, full of energy--and then read his whole life story, uncovered by ever-alert and curious Shorpy commenters . Thanks. This guy was HOT. Stephen George BarchetStephen was born Stephen George Barchet to parents George Edward Barchet and Mathilde Hedwig Grossert who had a relationship (prior to marrying George) with Mackenzie King - former Prime Minister of Canada. George and Matilda lived on a Farm called Bellefield or Belfield Farm in St Margarets, Annapolis. Stephen George was born 04 Apr 1901 and died 30 Nov 1964. The photo above of him his awesome. I only have his Navy photo. I have been researching the Barchet family history for some time. He married Louise Elizabeth Lankford who died 18 May 1981. He did have a son named Stephen Barchet, this is the article that I found on his son (I have no idea now where I got it from). Stephen Barchet was only twelve years old when he decided to become a doctor. His older sister had just given birth and wailing in pain, a scene that left young Steve crying in his room. It was at that moment that he decided to become an Obstetrician- Gynecologist, or OB-GYN. “She was crying something terrible afterwards and I said “That should not be, that should not be” Barchet explains. Growing up on the East Coast, Barchet attended medical school in Maryland and joined the Navy as an OBGYN. He delivered babies all across the world, with tours in both Italy and Vietnam and later served in various executive positions, tallying more than twenty-seven years of active military service. It was while he was an officer on the East Coast that he first got involved in health care reform. His academieian mind went to work when, in 1975, he received an insurance statement and check in the mail. As he recalls, he was a preferred subscriber under the mutual insurance company known as USAA. “Here in the mail comes a rebate saying “You’ve been a USAA member for such and such a time and periodically, the monies that we make as part of our profit goes into each subscribers’ individual savings account.” Barchet read the letter and thought, “Why not create the same type of thing for health insurance, in the event that people were more aware of the use of health care services.” Following this revelation, his interest in the concept of medical savings accounts (MSAs) began to blossom. Barchet’s interest in health care economies and policy continued over the years, even though he officially retired in 1983. He relocated to the West Coast and took a smattering of economic and related courses at the University of Washington. “I learned enough health care economics to become dangerous.” he admits with a chuckle. In recent years Barchet has published original research on MSAs, worked with the Legislature, and members of the U.S. Congress on the issue, and he spearheaded work on a defined contribution primer for employers which was published by the Evergreen Freedom Foundation. His most recent project is Health Plan for Life (HP4Life), a model form of health coverage that is consumer-driven and employs the use of preventative measures to improve health status and curb rising health care costs. He is currently working on models for pilot projects in Washington State. When reminiscing about how he first got into medicine, Dr. Barchet admits rather wistfully, “It was a very idealistic approach that brought me into medicine, and yes I miss it.” Dr. Barchet lives in Issaquah. Kelly Anderson kellywoodhurst@hotmail.com What a small world this is...You said "His most recent project is Health Plan for Life (HP4Life), a model form of health coverage that is consumer-driven..." A good friend of mine (Harry Jasper) recently started one of the Plans through the Garfield County Hospital in Pomeroy, Wash., and is now in the process of expanding it into a larger section of Eastern Washington State. I'll have to ask him how much he knows of Barchet. John (who hopes he can pass the math test down below!) Steve B.NYT article. The "Eyes" Have ItWhat a beautiful man...with piercing eyes. Steve BarchetI happen to be the granddaughter of this very handsome young man. I never knew him personally as I was only 4 when he died, however it is my understanding that he was a very kind and compassionate man. His name plaque is among the Thompson Trophy winners wall at the US Naval Academy. Yes, he became Admiral Stephen Barchet, as did his son. His daughter, who is so dear and sweet, kind and compassionate, was truly blessed with his personality. I am the daughter of Admiral/Dr Barchet. I would love to know who has this picture and where it came from. [It's part of the National Photo Company archive at the Library of Congress. - Dave] Looks and intelligenceApparently the man had the whole package. Impressive. Looking for family member of BarchetI found a photo of "Captain S G Barchet" behind a print. It is stamped an Official US Navy photo on the back. I would love to reunite this photo with his family members. Admiral/Doctor Steve BarchetI couldn't help but notice that one of the above comments was posted by the granddaughter of Admiral Steve Barchet. I got to know her father during the Vietnam War. Then U.S. Navy LCDR Steve Barchet served as the commander of a small team of U.S. Navy health care providers that was attached to the provincial hospital located at Hoi An, South Vietnam. The team did especially laudatory work in upgrading the skills of the Vietnamese medical staff and in treating Vietnamese civilians, usually the poorest of the poor and many of them victims of the war. I wrote a book about my experiences as the Senior Medical Advisor in I Corps, the upper five provinces of the country, and Dr. Barchet and his team are highlighted in several places. They did amazing work. Should you wish to read the book here's the link to it on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Different-Face-War-Memories-Biography/dp/15744161... (The Gallery, Handsome Rakes, Natl Photo, Sports)
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