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Close Friends: 1920
... at Lafayette Park." Seats three! 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. They certainly aren't well prepared. I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/15/2014 - 12:05pm -

San Francisco circa 1920. "Oldsmobile coupe on Gough Street at Lafayette Park." Seats three! 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. They certainly aren't well prepared.I hope they don't get a flat. Street of San FranciscoThis was too easy. View Larger Map Looks Brand NewNo spare tire on the rim and overall dapper look of this car suggests it is brand new. [That's the reason the photo was taken, Christopher Helin being the travel and automotive writer for the San Francisco Examiner. -tterrace] Winged FeetI've never before heard of the Goodyear Wingfoot tires that appear on this Olds; however, if I had a set of tires so grandly named, I'm sure I'd be far too confident to fuss about the lack of a spare. Brief (and dry) bio of Christopher HelinSomeone commented about how the woman could have been the photographer's wife over on Facebook, which prompted me to see what I could find on the man himself, purely out of curiosity. I first located him in 1910 in the US Census, living in Minneapolis, 23 years old with wife Alida, sister Katherine and parents Andrew and Katherine. His occupation was listed as Salesman, and his father's, "Sawer / Saw Mill." He appears in the Minneapolis city directories right up to 1919 where he's listed as "Advertising solicitor, Minneapolis Journal." He next appears in the 1920 Census, living in an apartment at 400 Stanyan Street in San Francisco with his wife Alida and children Francis (age 8), Richard (4 10/12 - never saw them add months to children over 1 before!) and Geraldine (age 1 2/12). His occupation is now "Fore Man, Saw Mill." Everyone is listed as being born in Minnesota. My only guess is he relocated to San Francisco and grabbed the first job he could while submitting articles to get a foot in the door with the Examiner. By the time he appears in the 1921 San Francisco city directory, he's relocated to 1044 Lake Street (his occupation isn't shown, but he had already had automotive related articles in the Examiner by at least October of 1920). By 1922 he's listed as a "solicitor" for the San Francisco Examiner, and residing in Burlingame. By 1930, he's become an editor for the newspaper (though in 1931 the city directory still has him as an advertising solicitor), and he had added a fourth child, Patricia (age 9), and was living at a home he owned at 1132 Cortez Avenue in Burlingame. He does appear in a few articles in the late 1920s into the 1930s as having run (unsuccessfully, I believe) for local public office. One of the articles did have his photo in it, which I'll get to later, as its kind of interesting. By 1940 he'd become an insurance salesman (a change of occupation from the mid-1930s going by the city directory listings), and was still living at the same address. Chris J. Helin died in February of 1964, and his widow Alida is listed in 1965 at the same address. By 1971 she'd moved to an apartment complex at 10 De Sabla Road (her son and presumably grandson were living in town, one worked for GE, the other as a salesman for some place called "Russells"). She died in 1977. Getting back to his photo from the late 1920s, his features immediately jumped out at me - Mr. Chris J. Helin is the glowering gentleman in the middle of the seat in this photo. [Bravo! - Dave] Re: tterrace's "too easy"Not quite easy enough -- if you want the exact view, you have to click forward two times from the spot you chose. Nice to see that even though the retaining wall seems to have been stripped of some of its ornamentation since 1920, the concrete post with the rounded top is still identical. The car is basically where the black SUVish vehicle is in the Google Maps post. [That car in the Google view is directly opposite the house with the red bricks that's farther up the street at the extreme right edge of the 1920 shot. -tterrace] Still Used TodayThe Goodyear Winged Foot has been their trademark since shortly after the company began. Here's a recent sign. Motion DampersExternal contracting brakes on the rear axle, and a front axle devoid of brakes. In San Francisco. There's some real entertainment potential. Christopher Helin was my grandfatherChris was my father's father. He was in the first graduating class of 1903 from De LaSalle HS in Minneapolis. He started work with the local Tribune newspaper and worked his way into a position as assistant editor of the auto section. William Randolph Hearst personally moved him and his new family to San Francisco in 1916 and made him Editor of the SF Examiner's Auto Section. In order to help sell cars (and thereby sell advertising) in a city already having a world class transportation system, he would test drive new cars during a substantial tour outside the City thereby creating a desire to travel in a similar manner which only an automobile could provide. To view an annual collection of these Sunday Supplements click here. He left the SF Examiner in the early 1930's when the markets crashed and auto sales became next to impossible. The woman on the left is his sister, Katie Helin. The man on the right is Howard Meacham, one of his two assistant editors. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Paige & Octavia: 1929
... Octavia and Washington Streets." 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Hasty Repairs Looks like tools got tossed ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/17/2018 - 11:52pm -

San Francisco, 1929. "Graham-Paige sedan at Spreckels Mansion, Octavia and Washington Streets." 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Hasty RepairsLooks like tools got tossed under the rear of the car for the shoot. The Christopher Helin photosHave been a joy to me for the past few years. The detail is amazing, and to see these cars when they were brand new is a real treat. I have seen a lot of restored cars, and restored a few myself, but there is nothing like the original to give a true idea of how magnificent they were back in the day. Thanks, and keep up the good work. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Little Tomboy: 1927
... Driveway of Diminutive Dropheads. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Way, way, WAY west of Laramie Jordan was one ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/31/2023 - 6:08pm -

San Francisco circa 1927. "Little Jordan Tomboy convertible coupe." Warming up on the Shorpy Driveway of Diminutive Dropheads. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Way, way, WAY west of LaramieJordan was one of those also-ran - literally! - companies probably remembered more today for their marketing than their cars. Note the "golf-club" side door ... gives new meaning to "fore! on the floor" doesn't it? 17.50" RimTire size is 28 inches in diameter, with profile cross-section of 5.25 inches, so 28 - (5.25 x 2) = 17.50" rim. Fender stepThe step on the rear fender means it has a rumble seat? [A "dicky seat." - Dave] I Am the Little Jordan Tomboy ...... said in my best, "To Tell the Truth" accent. An ad from June 5, 1927: "Like a disturbed rabbit"That’s great stuff. Thank you, HarahanTim. Serious honkers.For such an EDBD car. I'd Like To ... ... step into this photo, tell the gent in the driver's seat to get out, and then drive myself into 1927 San Francisco. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Tall in the Saddle: 1925
... Ladder optional at extra cost. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. 2120 Washington According to Zillow: ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/06/2016 - 2:19pm -

San Francisco circa 1925. "Oakland 6 Coupe." Ladder optional at extra cost. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. 2120 WashingtonAccording to Zillow: Built 1908. 7,782 square feet. Seven bedrooms, six baths. Last sold in 1998 for $4.9 million. Current valuation $10.1 million. Let the extravagant headgear proliferate! Though by 1925 few men wore silk toppers or women bird-of-paradise millenary, this coupé is ready to accommodate a Ziegfeld girl in full costume if necessary. Fortunately, many roads were still in such poor condition that the car's high wind resistance would probably not have been the limiting factor as to speed. Chris Helin's favorite blockThis time it's 2120 on Washington Street. Duco lacquer on the "Blue Oakland"GM started using DuPont quick drying Duco lacquer on the Oakland in two shades of blue in the era of this car. Previously car bodies sat around forever waiting to dry to be mated with long completed chassis. According to a DuPont mag I own a GM employee painted a car with this material and was not satisfied with the results; then went at it seriously buffing it to remove the paint. It gleamed! If you decide to colorize this photo make sure it is blue. Duco rocks!As Shorpy's resident guitar nut, I have to add this to Hayslip's informative post on Duco lacquers. When Leo Fender began making his solid-body electric guitars in the late 1940s and early '50s, he used Dupont's Duco nitrocellulose and Lucite acrylic lacquers to finish them. The Duco colors, same as used on the cars of that era, included Dakota Red, Daphne Blue, and--my favorite--Seafoam Green. The Lucite colors included Lake Placid Blue, Olympic White, and Shoreline Gold. So your Pontiac could match your Precision Bass! TiresDon't know if that day's technology permitted a multi directional tire tread but the tires were manufactured with dual sided whitewalls. TiresWhite sidewalls both sides. Wonder if the tire tread was multidirectional as opposed to today's tires (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
The Outing: 1919
... on what looks to be a chilly day. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Gas or no gas First base is out of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2015 - 5:35pm -

        "Goodness, Isobel -- we seem to be out of gas!" San Francisco circa 1919. "Maxwell touring car." Transporting its tourists on what looks to be a chilly day. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Gas or no gasFirst base is out of the question with those suits of armor. Test drive?Maybe it's the angle, but it appears the man is a passenger...and the front plate on the car is a dealer plate. It makes me wonder if they were doing a test drive--or perhaps a spouse is the one taking the picture and the ladies wanted to show off their stylish duds. I remember my grandmother wearing shoes like those for as long as she could get about. I'm not a clothes horse but I'd love to go back for a day to wear the hat and coat of the lady on the left. Just stunning! [The Christopher Helin photos were taken for his automotive articles in the San Francisco Examiner, generally using cars from local dealers. -tterrace] Could Be“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” The coolest thing Mark Twain never said. RoadIt appears they have more problems than being out of gas. It seems the road kinda disappears. [The rather artificial look of the "rocks" suggests this was taken in Golden Gate Park. -tterrace] Oh, baloneyThose are some smooth front tires Front Sprocket?Can any automotive historians explain the purpose of the toothed sprocket that can be seen between the spokes of the right front wheel hub? Perhaps the speedometer drive? Stewart SpeedometerAs Goats Of Venus suggests, the visible gear and sprocket on the front wheel are indeed part of the drive mechanism for a speedometer—most likely a Stewart model (later Stewart Warner).  A very good discussion with pictures of fitting one on a Ford Model-T can be found here. SpeedoThe sprocket (actually, a gear) is part of the speedometer drive. The smaller gear, which can be seen in the photo, drove the angle drive which, in turn, spun the cable that connected to the speedo head, inside the car. In the early cars, like this Maxwell, the cable was a small inked chain that rode inside of an armored outer sleeve. Most cars used Warner speedometers at the time (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
The Rolling Dead: 1921
... by 1924 the Dorris would be extinct. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Top Of The Hill And Behind The Hedgerow One ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/13/2017 - 1:24pm -

San Francisco circa 1921. "Dorris 6-80 touring sedan at Spreckels Mansion." Latest entry in the Shorpy Compendium of Cretaceous Conveyances; by 1924 the Dorris would be extinct. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Top Of The Hill And Behind The HedgerowOne does not get the full understanding of this being at the top of a hill until seeing: https://sf.curbed.com/2014/11/25/10018636/behind-the-hedges-and-inside-t... And the historic view will never be seen again until the fortress-like privacy hedgerow is removed. https://sf.curbed.com/2014/7/31/10065838/here-now-a-photo-tribute-to-dan... An Impressive BeastCan anyone say what those two small panels on top of the hood are for? Putting on AirsThe doors on the hood are vents, as noted by Shorpy reader Zcarstvnz in an earlier Dorris post. The little compartment below and in front of the driver's door housed an air compressor for supplying air to the tires. Ready for our close-upsJust curious....We have seen many pictures of new cars from various manufacturers in the 20's and 30's shot in San Francisco. We tend to think of car production back then happening in the east, especially Detroit. Did these early car manufacturers ship cars to San Francisco for promotion shoots or did California have a thriving car industry we never heard about? [Christopher Helin wrote a continuing series of automobile feature articles for the San Francisco Examiner, illustrating them with these photos of dealer and owner vehicles. -tterrace] Yes, We Can Be FrankThe car was registered to Mrs. Mattie A. Frank (1877 - 1962) of 2555 Webster Street, San Francisco. Her husband was Albert Frank the president of S. H. Frank and Company who was being driven around in a Locomobile Town Car at this time. S. H. Frank and Company sold shoe supplies along with shoe findings, and they were also tanners and leather dealers. The firm is still in business today (founded 1857). (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Room for One More: 1918
... of the Spanish Flu epidemic. 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Covid19 is a pandemic ... not a ... as a society. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/24/2022 - 7:36am -

1918. "Federal truck -- San Francisco Casket Co." Makers of the box you'll go in. A sobering scene from the depths of the Spanish Flu epidemic. 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Covid19 is a pandemic ... not a "pandemic"First of all, mwelch, May 2020 was way early in the pandemic to be taking a poll that you still consider to be valid in March 2022. Just in the United States, nearly a million people have died from Covid19. I probably didn't know anyone who had it in March 2020 either. But today a [unvaccinated] neighbor across the street is dead from it and the brothers of three friends are dead. One friend said her brother's wife and children refused to wear masks at the funeral because "Covid is a hoax". As Dave, I know at least a dozen people, including family and immediate neighbors, who have had Covid. It includes a couple in their 80s who, for some reason decided flying to Chicago was more important than avoiding exposure. The husband spent two months in the hospital after they got back and came home with an oxygen tank. I know two people who suffer from serious long-term effects of Covid; one wakes up with a hangover every morning and cannot concentrate for more than a few minutes at a time. I'll also point out that asking random people in a line about a potentially deadly disease for which there was no treatment is a really bad approach to collecting information about the disease. I imagine some people told you, "No" because they didn't want to answer the follow-up question to a "Yes" answer. It was also a really rude question to be asking strangers. Comfort?Look at that truck's suspension and talk about a hard ride. Not that one would care in the first place. On one's final ride. Mass TransitNot the most luxurious of hearses, but isn't it commodious, though? A simple pine box?The wood used in these caskets appear to be redwood or cedar likely shipped down the coast from Northern California or Seattle. In 1900 a typical casket was made of wood often covered in cloth. Costs were around $16, about $400 in today's dollars. Mass-produced steel caskets didn't show up until 1918 when Batesville Casket introduced them. These appear to be a bit fancy with all the molding, 3 or 4 different styles. Curious what the numbers stamped on the ends indicate. Dept. of Public HealthNOTICE -- something about GARBAGE, MANURE, REFUSE and "premises." They Opened the Door and In Flew EnzaPerhaps the 1918 date is not a coincidence. The worldwide outbreak of Spanish Influenza in 1918 killed more people than WWI, and while San Francisco was spared the worst of it, there were still over 40,000 ill and 3000 dead in the city during the later half of 1918. Considering it killed a disproportionate number of the poor and recent immigrants, a truckload of obviously low end (judging from the unfinished wood and lack of decoration or hardware) would have been a common sight for a few months. OverloadedConsidering there are no brakes on the front and probably mechanical ones on the rear, I sure wouldn't want to try to stop that overloaded truck on a San Francisco Hill! It looks like a scene from a comedy short, where the front of the truck suddenly flies up when they try to start. CoffinThe two top rows are caskets. The bottom three are coffins I believe. More Than Just NumbersIf you increase the resolution size of the photo you will see scenic views either hand painted scenes, lithographs or photos on the ends of the caskets, not numbers. [Amazing. I see "The Last Supper" and "Dogs Playing Poker." What do you see? - Dave] In the high-res blowupIn the lower board of the upper casket, I see a group of well-dressed office workers, circa 1925, at some sort of holiday gathering. One woman has an oil can in front of her. I never would have noticed that without seeing this high-res enlargement. The lower casket just has a typical beach scene in what appears, to me, to be Galveston, Texas. Two people are walking, two are riding horses. Coffins vs CasketsCoffins are where Vampires sleep, Caskets are what they bury dead people in. Pareidolia        A psychological phenomenon involving a stimulus (an image or a sound) wherein the mind perceives a familiar pattern of something where none actually exists.         Common examples are perceived images of animals, faces, or objects in cloud formations.         Pareidolia is the visual or auditory form of apophenia, which is the perception of patterns within random data. Combined with apophenia and hierophany (manifestation of the sacred), pareidolia may have helped ancient Chinese society organize chaos and make the world intelligible. -- Wikipedia [That would explain it. - Dave] How to explain Shorpy.com?!?!??!A couple of weeks ago I was talking to some Kaiser Permanente associates from the California region. Killing time until all the folks were on the line, I asked where they were calling from, and they said,"Oakland." I laughed and said, "I hope you drive better than some of the long-ago Oakland drivers I've seen on Shorpy.com." "What's that?" they asked. "Well, it's mainly a large-format photography site, but the whimsical subject matter and amazing comments of the moderators and readers are what make it a Web addiction. Like the Oakland drivers; for the past couple of months they've had a series of 1950s photos of Oakland traffic accidents. And they have kittens dressed as people and beach scenes from 100 years ago, and . . . and decrepit old buildings . . . and . . . and there are photos of . . ." "Jim, this is another one of your wild stories, right? There's no such thing as Shorpy.com, right?" ------------------------------------------------------- Imagine if I tried explaining it today, with people seeing imagery in the woodgrain of caskets from 100 years ago! The San Francisco Casket CompanyThe sign in the front window indicates this photo was taken in front of the headquarters for the San Francisco Casket Company, Inc. (SFCCI) which was at 621 - 627 Guerrero in 1918. The firm was started about 1900 by George Dillman, and it was originally located at 542 Brannan. Dillman had been working at Samuel Nelson & Co., who were casket manufacturers, immediately before this. About 1903, SFCCI moved to 3120 17th Street for approximately two years, and then to 17th and Shotwell until around 1908. John H. Nuttman (1856 - 1946), who had been the vice-president, became president around 1907. It was circa 1908 that the business address changed to the 627 Guerrero location. The October 9, 1918 issue of Building and Engineering News tell us this building on Guerrero was partially destroyed by fire causing $75,000 worth of damage. With the ongoing influenza epidemic in the fall of 1918 the fire could probably not have come at a worse time for the firm. The company had suffered another fire in February 1917 causing $15,000 in destruction to the four story structure. The SFCCI then built a four story and basement brick factory, along with offices and showrooms, at 14th and Valencia for $75,000. The brick work apparently cost $20,800, and the steam boiler system was $3,479. The new factory address is shown as 325 Valencia in the 1919 Crocker-Langley San Francisco Directory, but later it became 321 Valencia. The building plans, by Etienne A. Garin, were completed in December 1918, White & Gloor's plans for the building brick work were accepted on February 24, 1919, and all construction was completed by April 17, 1919. The building was officially recorded by the city on July 7, 1919. One interesting change is that Garin designed a mill work building, but architect Charles O. Clausen redesigned the plans to be reinforced concrete before the structure was built. The new "L" shaped building still exists, but it has been heavily modified into residences and businesses. Most of the original brick work has been hidden, but some is still visible down an alley way. The company remained at this new location until 1962, but then it seems to have gone out of existence. Eventually the president of the company became one of Nuttman's son, John B. Nuttman (1880 - 1960), and finally a daughter Hannah F. Spammer (1895 - 1980). The snippet from Building & Engineering News below is from October 16, 1918 which tells of the fire. The second piece, from "The Standard," a weekly insurance newspaper from May 17, 1919, relates how the rules of the San Francisco Fire Commission prevented a quick extinguishing of the 1918 blaze. The last article, from the October 20, 1910 San Francisco Call, describes how one of the SFCCI drivers got out of a speeding ticket. The driver is likely William I. Nuttman (1889 - 1973) another one of John H. Nuttman's sons. A tisket, a tasketAll I know is, a coffin is a box with a separate lid that has to be nailed on; hence the expression, nail in your coffin. A casket is a piece of furniture with hinges and handles and padding and a pillow and whatnot. What can I say? I am a bona fide taphophile with thousands of funeral and cemetery photos (taken by me) to prove it, and I have an intense interest in end-of-life issues. Moving along, I cannot explain it but this wonderful photo of fifty wooden coffins/caskets stacked sky-high instantly reminded me of one of the funniest black-humor scenes I have ever seen on television. It was from the Bruce Willis slash Cybill Shepherd farce, Moonlighting, which aired back in the '80s. As I remember it, they (BW and CS) were driving a hearse in a high-speed chase and somehow they ended up smack dab in the middle of a baseball diamond, stopping the hearse so abruptly that the casket flew out of the back and came to rest on home base where naturally the body slid out, whereupon the umpire loudly pronounced him safe, eliciting markedly unladylike and protracted guffaws from me. Truss but verifyI don't think I've ever seen truss rods on a truck before. They were still fairly common on rail cars - tho rapidly becoming obsolete - but those, of course, are typically a lot longer than a truck. (A quick search will turn up a like-bodied family member https://www.shorpy.com/node/18816 ...perhaps this something peculiar to the 'Federal' make) Stacks and Stacksof coffins. An older friend of mine, who was a child at the time, attested to the severity of the flu epidemic. He well remembered coffins stacked 5 high and in several rows in the parking lot alongside an undertaking establishment here. No room inside, of course. In 1918 people knewAbsence of a visual like this made me question the current "pandemic". I had initiated an inquiry in long Covid-lines, ending with cashier or a bank teller. Not a single case, in their family, circle of friends and friends of a friends "had it". I am talking as early as of May of 2020. [Covid-19 is not even half as deadly as the 1918 Spanish flu. On the other hand, there are thousands of "visuals like this." Personally I know around a dozen people who've "had it," including family members. - Dave] Pandemic MemoriesI remember Mom saying "they couldn't make coffins fast enough." She was born in 1908. Why it's The USA@mwelch, really enraging comment but I guess it's OK because my father fought in WWII and was wounded to the day he passed at 90yrs old so you can speak. I guess you had no loved ones you couldn't be with as they died alone from covid. Grow up. Eat, drink and be merryCovid has driven that home, at least a little. Remember, the last shirt does not have any pockets. But it is also available in 5XL. Picking nits, the Spanish flu should rightfully be called the Kansas flu. That's where it reportedly first popped up. Then neutral Spain was just the first country where it was being officially reported from. With the US and much of the rest of Europe being under wartime censorship and the censors not wanting to hamper their respective war efforts by reports about a pandemic. I second Doug Floor Plan about COVID supposedly just being a glorified cold - not. 1918-1920 they did not have the medical knowledge we have. Or the medical means. Or our general health and wealth. We do not have the starved-out war-worn population they had after WWI. Send COVID back to 1918, and presto, it would do the Spanish flu thing in no time flat. Just think - no masks, no shutdowns, no remote schooling, no home office, no vaccines, no tests, no quarantine, no oxygen supplements, no anitbiotics against opportunistic pneumonia, no ICUs, no ECMO, no antithrombics, no nothing. Under 1918-1920 conditions Covid would do the Spanish flu thing in 2020-2022 all right. A "rude" question for doug floor plan. You seriously believe a "pandemic" with a survival rate of %98.6 is comparable to the spanish flu of '18? The BS you spewed about family and friends dropping like flies tells me ALL your dead friends and family were morbidly obese and or elderly. Also, that 1 MILLION covid deaths is also BS. People who believe MSM propaganda are useful idiots, nothing more. Appreciate ya outting yourself. [I was going to say something here but golly, it looks like I'm due back on Planet Earth for this week's MSM Conspiracy Workshop! - Dave] Hey, folksIt’s depressing to see this covid scrap break out under the coffin photo, but I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. There is plenty of room for discussion about the measures and responses (It’s a social, political, and ethical discussion), but there’s really no room to question whether it actually happened. My family of six is double-vaxxed but we all got omicron over the holidays, ranging from nasty aches and pains to a runny nose for davidk, the oldest of the bunch. No one went to the hospital, no one died, but we all tested positive on the home test kit. After the passage of a few months, we then all got the booster shot. Please let’s not pretend this isn’t a thing. And please let’s be civil and rational – this is a huge test for us as a community and as a society. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Big Six: 1921
... Army brass at the wheel. 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Big Cig for the Big Six. Not factory ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/13/2022 - 10:33am -

San Francisco or vicinity circa 1921. "Studebaker 'Big Six' touring car." Cigar-chomping Army brass at the wheel. 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Big Cigfor the Big Six. Not factory issueThere's a spotlight mounted along the driver's side window. It's odd they photographed the car when it was so dirty, especially if for military use. Side curtains My God, what a tremendous hassle side curtains must have been when skies started to threaten. Pull over, dig them out from wherever they were stored, sort them out, make sure you didn’t have the driver’s side rear when you wanted the passenger side, and how sweltering it must have been in a summer storm under all that black oilcloth, and how frigid in the winter. I’m sure this guy just had to shout and six enlisted men would appear from someplace and take care of it. Accident waiting to happenThat front tire might or might not be a retread, but in any case, it is coming apart. Nice ride!What a classic, but what a pain it must have been to put air in the tires! I wonder what the small round opening just ahead of the rear wheel is for? [Access to the leaf spring front shackle grease fitting. - Dave] Thanks! Side CurtainsStudebaker had a system called "Jiffy Curtains" that worked by suspending the top of each curtain to a cable that ran along each side of the top from front to back. Just unclip the bottom and side edges and fold up the curtain like an accordion, then slide towards the rear like a shower curtain. There was a flap over the rear window where it would all be stored. Not An Attractive CarThis model must have not lasted for long. Sorry to say, it is not at all attractive. [Sorry to say, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927. - Dave] Open cars v closed carsThe hassles with putting up those side curtains was one of the reasons that by 1925 closed-bodied cars outsold open-touring cars in the United States. Trapped I wonder what it took to get out of the backseat with those curtains in place? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Hop In, Honey: 19xx
... us what she's driving, and when? 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. "Ask the man who owns one" Packard. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/12/2015 - 9:25pm -

From somewhere in San Francisco comes this undated, unlabeled photo of a lady in a fancy-looking phaeton with a glass headrest. Who can tell us what she's driving, and when? 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. "Ask the man who owns one"Packard. Not sure what year, but guessing late teens or so. Hitchcock cameoI can't ID the car, but I can the big house across Jefferson Square Park at the upper left: it's the Fortmann Mansion at 1007 Gough, which in its decrepit state in 1958 portrayed the "McKittrick Hotel" in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. Then a year later it was torn down. Behind the trees at the upper right, St. Paulus' German Evangelical Lutheran Church, built in 1893 at the corner of Gough and Eddy, also made a brief appearance in the film. It was destroyed by fire in 1995. Circa 1928 Cadillac?Dual cowl phaeton/ oops i'll change that to a similar vintage Hudson; didn't know they had their own "flying lady." HybridIt appears to be a 1924 Packard, but the hood ornament looks like it's from a 1928 Hudson. So they lost the Packard's rad cap and replaced it with the Hudson's? PackardI am fairly certain that this is a Packard of about 1930/31. The 'Glass Headrest' is in fact a windscreen for the rear passengers. It has fold-out 'wings' to deflect the rush of air, similar to the wings on the front windscreen. With the roof erected, it also provides a separation for the rear passengers from the lowly chauffeur up front. 1922–1933I think that this high-style cruiser is a 1922-1923 Packard Model 126 Sport Phaeton with custom body by Pullman Co. The car is a 1929 Hudson The hood ornament is the only thing to give you a hint. ID? MaybeAccording to Google "Images for hood ornaments guide", second picture in, it could be an Auburn between the years 1928 to 1931. That's based on the hood ornament, but photos of the actual car (compared to the Shorpy picture) don't really match. Flying Lady.The hood ornament looks like it belongs on a Rolls Royce. 1923-ish Packard Sport TouringAll the salient parts match. The Buffalo wire wheels are a conversion—you can see the original holes on the brake drums. The radiator mascot, bumpers, spotlight, and side-mounted spare are contemporary accessories, or cadged from other cars. The rear windscreen may be the same, but with its wings folded in. Edit I forgot to attach this photo earlier-- the radiator-shell shape, matching headlight bezels, the hood louvers and latch, windshield frame, belt moulding, long radiator neck, and access port for greasing the rear spring shackle, all point to the Packard. Their Model Series didn't line up exactly with the calendar, so the year model is not completely unambiguous. Ask the Lady Who Owns OneSome model of Packard, maybe 1926 Touring? Should be plenty of experts out there. I guessit's a 1928 Cord. On the MarquePackard; note radiator top. A Lincoln I'm ThinkinMaybe around 1925 and might be the Model L. Excuse My Dust!It's a mid-1920s Packard, not a factory dual-cowl phaeton. The rear windscreen appears to be an add-on accessory. Back then it was quite popular with the higher end automobiles to accessorize the hood ornament with something other than the factory job. Packards at the time came with Motometers. Hudson Hood OrnamentThe hood ornament is the "winged sea goddess" radiator cap from a late 1920s Hudson: ModifiedPlacing the model year as 1924 due to the drum headlights but the spare wheel mounting seems to be after-market as it is not recessed into the fender. Four wheel brakes narrows the field but positive as a Packard would be iffy. Car IDI'll say it's a 1923 Packard SportPhaeton. I agree with WatchwayneIt's a Packard. Around '23. The radiator cap has been swapped out and I don't blame them. This cap is beautiful. If you look at the radiator, the top has a curved slope that was found on the Packards. Above the running board towards the rear, you can find an oval access hole. These items are the same on both vehicles. Kind of a jalopyA little hard-used. Top is missing, running board is distorted. This could have been taken in the late 30s or even the 40s. [The license tag, tires, and fact that the photo is a 5x7 glass negative, point to an earlier time frame. - Dave] License to dateI'm going with 1927. Special KNote the "K" tread design and monogram (which may be the reason the picture was taken -- retrofit your ride with modern Kent Balloon tires). 1927?I am interested in the reasons why tterrace concludes for 1927. In the reverse picture detail I only see: 1 - 99[.-...] 19 CAL[IFORNIA] .. So why 1927? Tterrace, please make me wise. [The plate format shown in the photos in my comment was used only in 1927 and 1928; 1927 was a guess based on what seems like thicker characters in that year. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Z-Mobile: 1919
... the Shorpy File of Flyweight Flivvers. Glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Fine !! (but not dandy) tsk tsk tsk: parking ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/14/2022 - 11:02pm -

San Francisco City Hall circa 1919. "Briscoe auto -- Zellerbach Paper Co." Today's selection from the Shorpy File of Flyweight Flivvers. Glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Fine !! (but not dandy)tsk tsk tsk: parking on the sidewalk (and in front of City Hall, no less !!) We don't allow that kind of scofflawing these days. The Plant behind the carLooks like a short lived, however noble, attempt at competing with Ford. ZellerbachA noble name. The family paper company was founded in 1882, and became Crown Zellerbach when it merged with Crown Willamette in 1928. In the 1950s the company was the second largest landowner in the West. In 1958 it was the target of a federal anti-trust action. In 1984-85 it was the victim of a successful hostile takeover. It was stripped of assets and what was left was sold to James River, which in turn was sold to Georgia-Pacific. The name is still prominent in the Bay Area. The Crown Zellerbach building in San Francisco (also known as One Bush Plaza) dates from 1959. There's a Zellerbach Hall and Auditorium for live performances on the campus of UC Berkeley. And a Zellerbach Family Foundation makes charitable grants. BriscoeThe pictured car is a 1919 Briscoe Model B 4-24 roadster. Briscoe automobileManufactured in Jackson, Michigan, between 1914 and 1921. Early models had a single headlamp, set into the front of the radiator, like a cyclops. Alternate titleA Briscoe from Frisco. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Approach With Caution: 1919
... Hide your children and stand clear! 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Frightening The single most dangerous street ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/29/2014 - 9:43am -

San Francisco City Hall circa 1919. "Peerless truck." Three young ladies aboard what seems to be some sort of street-cleaning, finger-ripping machine. Hide your children and stand clear! 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. FrighteningThe single most dangerous street machine I have ever seen. Before Rosie the RiveterI love showing people these sorts of images, in light of the fact that most of our images of American Women in Action come from the WWII era, where they were pressed into service because men had gone to war. These ladies, in 1919, look like they just ... have jobs. I love the proto-Rosie coveralls and headscarves, the likes which show up again a scant fifteen years later as something unusual in "The Saturday Evening Post" and LIFE magazines. Crazy Contraptions I think if Rube Goldberg had ever designed a truck, it would look just like that. Finger ripping is putting it mildy.That truck looks as if it was designed to inflict injury. I hope those women got hazardous duty pay. AwesomeI just stumbled upon this site. I love vintage photos, and this one is terrific -- who knew that there were women filling roles like this in the early 20th Century? Safety guards ! Safety guards!We don't need no steenking safety guards! GoldbergianIn 1904, freshly minted from the UC-Berkeley Engineering School, Rube Goldberg took a job with the San Francisco Department of Water and Sewers. Although he left in a few months to be a cartoonist for the SF Chronicle, it appears he kept his hand in by designing machines for the Department. More Danger LurkingAnd if you do get passed the hair pulling - finger ripping apparatus, there's always that two foot section of lead pipe on the floor to worry about. Tot-TwirlerWhen I see gear like this, I'm just going to start labeling it "babyshredder." The third operator was necessary for when the first two inevitably got caught in the machinery. Count your fingersI trust those open belt and chain drives are OSHA approved. But I bet it was more interesting when you could see the parts of machinery doing their thing. Pilot for short subject seriesI believe this is a still from "The Three Stoogettes", an unsold movie short series which was way ahead of its time -- "We'll clean your sheets, we'll clean your streets, in half the time, no more grime ... zots!" PeerlessI infer that to mean returning from the job with fewer of one's peers in the passenger seat than one left with that morning. Hey HoneyThis truck looks a heck of a lot like a "honey dipper" to me. Other than the 1919 running gear and mechanism, they still look like that today. [Like our previous street flusher, this rig was one of many deployed as a public-health measure during the flu epidemic of 1918-1920 to control dust. - Dave] WowserDefinitely high tech for its day. The belt drives appear to be increasing the speed to a (pump?) under the end of the tank. I can't see any spray nozzles so I would assume it's used to refill the tank? Street Cleaner??It looks more like the kind of equipment that would be used to spread liquid asphalt (aka tar) on a roadway before spreading a layer of stone on it. Admittedly, it's very clean, so this might have been a publicity shot for the manunfacturers. "So simple the ladies can operate it!" You can't make this upThanks to Jim Page for informing us "Here we see a 1918 Peerless Isadora-model Pinchmaster 3000 truck". "Pinchmaster", could there be a more appropriate name of it than that? [Jim did make that up. The reference to Isadora Duncan was especially sly. - Dave] Original power washerBelt driven PTO runs the rear mounted pump. Two control levers by the closest operator regulate how much flow is produced to swish the road apples to the gutter. Vehicle IDI usually allow others to handle the vehicle ID chores here at Shorpy, but since no one has stepped up: Here we see a 1918 Peerless Isadora-model Pinchmaster 3000 truck. Few were made, as this model required a three-person crew, and the replacement 1919 Peerless Fargo-model Chopmaster 4000 only required a crew of two-and-a-half (two in a pinch). The three P'sPeerless, Packard and Pierce Arrow were makers of some of the best cars and trucks of their era. Chain drive has its advantages: (1) less unsprung weight; (2) ease of gear ratio change; (3) lack of rear wheel spin in soft ground; (4) great sound going down the road. CrewThe third crew member is the flight engineer. Unsightly Limbs and Appendages...Removed While You Wait! Just step a little closer, please. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Predator: 1919
... Park." Upholstered in alligator. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Fabrikoid Ferocious predator of the Nauga. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/23/2014 - 12:21pm -

San Francisco circa 1919. "Cole touring car at Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park." Upholstered in alligator. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. FabrikoidFerocious predator of the Nauga. No wonderI had never heard of this brand of car before. Regardless of the choice of "finish", that is one ugly vehicle. Anyone know how many of these were made? Questionable coveringNevertheless, a handsome automobile. I particularly like the lines of the roof and rear windows - rather modern for the times. Whatever happened to the manufacturer? A Wrap and a RapRush1959 pegs it as a "wrap". When we weren't doing commercial and Air Force planes, my very last business included a "sideline" of vinyl wraps for everything from motorcycles to 18-wheelers. At the last industry convention in Las Vegas, one could watch a pair of brand-new Rolls Royces being wrapped in everything from fake snakeskin to alligator and whatnot, over and over, for five days. (A travesty, really.) This particular job would have my customer coming back in a very bad mood and all the profit on the job would be eaten up by the labor and materials to redo sections. Those bubbles on the left front fender and that detaching flap above the leaf spring this side of the right front wheel would get a do-over. [Those "bubbles" are screw heads. -Dave] Whenever I had a customer come in for a wrap, I always thought, "There's no accounting for taste", but the grumpy accountant loved the results. Whenever I see one of our wraps rolling down the road, I'm surprised to see it intact these many years on but the prevailing emotion is joy that my old shop is now a funeral home and I'm not there (yet). Helluva Long HoodJust imagine crashing with that vehicle - the driver wouldn't be there until some minutes had passed. WowI thought the caption meant the SEATS were upholstered in alligator, not the entire car. Oddly enough the seats are cloth, guess they didn't want to get too carried away. It certainly makes a statement, I'm not sure what the statement is. The gift that keeps giving -- and takingFor the man who has everything. AlligatorYou want alligator because it doesn't mind getting wet. Fabric covered carsLikely to hold up about as well as vinyl covered automobile roofs did in the 1970s, which were a stylish but rust-attracting option available on just about every make from lofty Rolls Royces to humble Pintos. SkinnedLeather coated for your driving pleasure. Don't drive it anywhere in Africa unless you want a wildcat to mate with it. Luxury V8By 1919 Cole had dropped all 4 and 6 cylinder vehicles and were making only big V8s. Roadsters, touring, it didn't matter -- all had V8s. Not a 'Touring Car'It's a body style known as a "Sedanca DeVille." Color/Covering on car?Is that a leather look? Was that common? [We've seen an alligator-finished auto from this period before. As mentioned in the comments, the material used was Dupont Fabrikoid. -tterrace] Fabrikoid BrochuresArchive.org has two DuPont brochures for Fabrikoid, printed in 1911 and 1930. Below is a page from the 1911 edition. The entire brochure can be accessed here. The 1930 brochure can be accessed here. Red Green says:"Wrinkles in your Duct Tape is a sign of poor workmanship". The same can be said for this travesty. That's a wrapThe original vinyl body wrap! I think that thing rusted to bits in no time. Well really,why not ? Marque ProductionCole Automobiles were assembled in Indianapolis, Indiana from 1909 to 1925 with prices in 1919 ranged from $2,595 to $3,795. Total Cole production numbers vary depending on the source. Hemmings stated in 2013 that 35,267 Coles were produced, but many other sources list a total production of 40,700. Cole production in 1919 is listed as 6,225 in the book "Cars" by Adriana Brain, but Hemmings claims that the peak of production was 1916 with 5,160 made. There is no doubt that in the post WWI depression Cole vehicle production dropped. During 1922 Brain states that 1,722 Coles left the factory. Production dropped further in 1923, and late in 1924 production ceased. These last cars were 1925 models (607 produced). Joseph Cole chose to liquidate his company early in 1925. He died on August 8, 1925 just before the liquidation was finalized. Before company ended production a 1924 Cole paced the Indianapolis 500. Cole was friends with Speedway founder Carl Fisher, and Fisher decided to honor his friend by giving Cole's company the pace car responsibilities. Cole engineer Louis 'Lew' Pettijohn drove honorary race referee (judge) Henry Ford around the track in the pace car. Approximately 70 Cole cars are known to still exist. Both the Cole Motor Car Company factory and his Indianapolis home are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Home, James: 1920
... one of the city's tonier districts. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. The tonier district Thanks to clever ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/11/2018 - 6:53pm -

San Francisco circa 1920. "Studebaker Big Six town car." In what must be one of the city's tonier districts. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. The tonier districtThanks to clever sleuthing, in which I played a small but (ahem) crucial part, we find that this is on the 1700 block of Franklin Street. Both houses are still there. Today's housing pricesWonder what that same house is worth today, Probably couldn't afford it. [The answer: $7 million. -Dave] One block west of Auto RowAll three houses are still there! There are two houses at the left, one behind the back fence. That one is still standing too, but its porch has been enclosed. This same garden was in another photograph by Christopher Helin. This location is one block west of the fancier part of Auto Row, and a block and a half from the southeast corner of Lafayette Square, the park where Helin photographed many cars. Housing prices.Most of us probably could not afford most of the homes in San Francisco. The median price for a home there is about $1.6 million and expected to rise by 7 percent over the next year. The median income is about $120,000. Thanks to tterrace for the view of the house. The ladders/stairs on the front of the home are interesting. Are they fire escapes? If so, why the ladder leading to or from the roof? Or does the ladder provide access to the roof for some kind of regular maintenance? Just roof thingsTo answer Kolo's question, yes, they're fire escapes. Many of these single family homes were subdivided and sub-subdivided as rentals, which required them to come up to (then) fire-codes, and many ugly but utilitarian escape stairs mar the face of the victorians around here. As to the roof ridge ladders, it looks like there's a flat spot in the roof with some utility "stuff" mounted on it. It could be HVAC, it could be a solar hot water heater, or communications stuff, so it'd be good to have a safe way to access that space. It could also be an additional escape route. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Driving With Dorris: 1920
... of Brobdingnagian Broughams. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. 2150 Washington Street Built 1915. Just a ... games? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/03/2016 - 5:42pm -

San Francisco circa 1920. "Dorris 6-80 seven-passenger sedan." Which retailed for an eye-popping $7190. Latest entry in the Shorpy Baedeker of Brobdingnagian Broughams. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. 2150 Washington StreetBuilt 1915. Just a block down from the Spreckels Mansion. In Today's MoneyIn today's dollars that would be $85,000 81 lbsWith all the modern camera lenses these days, I'll make a wager that most wouldn't be as sharp as the lens on this old camera. KEEP INFLATED TO 81 LBS, indeed! [You can read the tire because the negative is 7 inches wide. - Dave] Cost Effective?I guess a simple pane of glass (visor) was less expensive than inventing windshield wipers. Someone forgot about the S.F. fog coating the inside of the windshield though. And, is the driver sitting on the wrong side of the car or is the driver's position reversed from current? [As long as the man is in the passenger seat, there is no driver. - Dave] MonogrammedI.K.H. How appropriateShorpy has a Dorris day, on Doris Day's 92nd birthday! Paying for what?That panel above the running board is awfully wavy for $7199. [That's the splash apron. - Dave] Brobdingnagian BroughamsLove it. This and the "Forgotten Phaetons" are my favorite Shorpy descriptions of car models and/or manufacturers that most (including me) have never heard of. Louver Come BackThere's that double upper pane of glass again that has me so intrigued. https://www.shorpy.com/node/20682#comment-188906 I'm hoping someone with a preserved example of one of these windshields will comment on this. I'm sure of course that it doesn't work as well as wipers, but is it effective at all? And I like the adjustable hood louvers. Along with the window tassels and tricolor finish, these are features I would simply expect from a car at this price point! Grandma, is that you?Nice tassels on the pull-down windowshades. "To the opera, Livingston." Those two wheel brakesMust have been a real joy on the hills of San Francisco with a beast of that size and weight. Scuffed SidewallsLooks like those front tires have seen plenty of cases of being wedged against the curb when parked on the hills of San Francisco. As late as the 1950s you could get ticketed for not doing that. Pictures and wordsI come for the extraordinary photographs, but I stay for the sesquipedalian rich captions. Early SUV? An earlier version of the SUV? Do you think this driver also toted children to soccer games? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
The Latest Models: 1929
... day in 1929. What could go wrong? 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Nice large car She'll be very comfortable ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/11/2014 - 12:23pm -

"Graham-Paige sedan, San Francisco." It's a beautiful sunny day in 1929. What could go wrong? 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Nice large carShe'll be very comfortable living in it. Totally stylin'!Both models are stunning. One handsome and muscular, one more delicate and impulsive, both beautiful. Wonder if they belong to a stockbroker. Where are you getting all these wonderful San Francisco photos? Makes it feel like home has a past. [They come from the estates of Marilyn Blaisdell and Wyland Stanley, dealers in San Francisco photographic views (including the collection of Christopher Helin, motors editor of the San Francisco Examiner). Shorpy has purchased hundreds of these large-format glass and film negatives over the past few months. - Dave] Stock TipSell! Sell! Charleston, Charleston, la-dee-da-da, etc.Turned up nose, turned down hose, flapper, yessir, one of those, has anybody seen my gal? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Bud Dry: 1924
... gasoline. 5x7 inch glass negative by automotive impresario Christopher Helin. View full size. WK comparison The Willys Knight was a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/18/2014 - 6:46pm -

Northern California in 1924. "Willys Knight touring car on dirt road." With both Red Crown and Budweiser filling stations close by for parched cars and drivers, the Prohibition-era beer probably not as potent as the gasoline. 5x7 inch glass negative by automotive impresario Christopher Helin. View full size. WK comparisonThe Willys Knight was a conventional car except for the sleeve valve engine. Willys bottom line car was the baby Overland (see Lands End: 1925), which had unique 1/4 elliptic springs coming to a point behind that cowcatcher, qv. Pickup quotient of damsels with a Knight is another issue. Silent KnightPowered by the interesting (although complex) sleeve valve engine, which Knight had "proved" to Daimler to the extent that the German car company used them extensively for years, the American cars were marketed as Silent Knights free of tappet noise associated with conventional valves. We have a winner!This has to be the undisputed winner in the "Most Attractive Rural General Store, 1920-1930" category. Neat, tidy, and painted. Anheuser Busch During ProhibitionDuring the "Great Experiment", AB only brewed a near beer called Bivo at 0.5% alcohol by volume. I suspect that the Budweiser sign only sadly harks back to better days four years earlier when Budweiser was still available. [The brand you're thinking of was Bevo, just one of A-B's Prohibition-era products. The company also made a low-alcohol version of its flagship Budweiser. Below, an ad from the June 20, 1924, Washington Post. - Dave] Wind MotionWhat makes this photo stand out for me is the almost startling effect of the wind on the flags and many branches about. Makes it seem very much in motion. Inherit the WindWho says you can't see the wind? Here we see a gust of wind from 90 years ago, captured on film. The flag and the branches were blown by the wind during the fraction of a second that automotive impresario Christopher Helin opened the shutter to expose the plate to light. Cool pic Shorpy. Ann Hewser?I'd just bet that the gentlemen on the porch would read that sign as ann - hew-ser bush. My granddad did! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, Rural America, Stores & Markets)
The Splendid Stutz: 1928
... and wire-reinforced glass. 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Dribble Car Is that a fresh leak on the ... that is, a particularly favored location of photographer Helin. This is at the Laguna Street entry, and the blurry apartment house in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/25/2021 - 12:49pm -

San Francisco, 1928. "Stutz two-door five-passenger sedan." The "Splendid Stutz" was also marketed as the "Safety Stutz," featuring four-wheel hydraulic brakes and wire-reinforced glass. 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Dribble CarIs that a fresh leak on the pavement? Ritzy RubbersWonder what they used for tire shine back then? Two-ToneNice two tone paint job. I wonder what the colors are. My guess would be cream and brown. The Splendid HatWith adequate headroom for this stylish gent to wear a straw boater. I'm guessing he wasn't involved in any riots! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lDwghpwxyg Lafayette, we are hereLafayette Square, that is, a particularly favored location of photographer Helin. This is at the Laguna Street entry, and the blurry apartment house in the distance at the right is 2121 Sacramento Street, built 1926. Safety glassWithin five years those windshield wires would be replaced by laminated safety glass. Last night I was reading the April 1933 issue of Popular Science (like you do) which contained a Model Garage column urging the replacement of ordinary glass by laminated safety glass. By then it was available as an aftermarket alternative. If I read the Internet sources correctly it was available in the late 1920s and common (standard on Fords) by 1936, at least in the UK. By 1939 it was ubiquitous. Old school tire shineBrake fluid. Cut through the crud and left a nice sheen. Tire shineTypically, motor oil was used to make that rubber gleam and glimmer. PuddleIf it ain't leaking, it's out of oil. - Commonly used automotive expression of not that long ago, also applied to radial aircraft engines. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Wills Sainte Claire: 1925
... sedan at Lafayette Park." 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Mr. Versatility If your vehicle has a Blue ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2021 - 10:56am -

San Francisco circa 1925. "Wills Sainte Claire Six seven-passenger sedan at Lafayette Park." 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Mr. VersatilityIf your vehicle has a Blue Oval on its nose or your pocket knife holds a sharp edge, you can thank C. Harold Wills. Shiny!On this and other photos of cars of that era it becomes obvious how much effort their owners (or drivers?) spent taking care of them and polishing them to perfection. Beautiful, but how do you fit seven?That's a swell car. but how do you get seven people in it? Checker cabs had folding jump-seats, facing aft. So maybe this car is similar: you put three across in the back row, and then add two more, on the folding seats, facing back. [Correct. - Dave] Fun factIn 1907, C. Harold Wills designed the Ford script logo. Breezy dayAs the blurry eucalyptus fronds attest. Where there's a WillsThe Wills Sainte Claire Company was founded by C. Harold Wills. He named it after himself, of course, and the Saint Clair river that ran by his factory, but with added 'e's for extra fanciness. The company produced only 12,000 cars from 1921 to 1927. The cars were solid and advanced, but hard to repair and expensive. Wills was Henry Ford's associate starting from Ford's racing days. He developed the Model T's planetary gear, pushed for vanadium steel for lightness, and even designed the blue Ford logo. After his company went bust, he was okay - he had also invested in steel companies producing vanadium steel! One of the few flat spotsI wonder if those are the same trees? Wills MuseumMaybe the company produced only 12,000 cars, but nevertheless there is a Wills Sainte Claire Auto Museum! And, by the way, Wills had also his own emblem, the "Wills Gray Goose." (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Star Car: 1922
... With a shout-out to FS and WL. 5x7 inch glass plate by Christopher Helin. View full size. Sleek The omission of exterior door handles ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/18/2014 - 2:03pm -

San Francisco circa 1922. "Star auto ascending steep grade." With a shout-out to FS and WL. 5x7 inch glass plate by Christopher Helin. View full size. SleekThe omission of exterior door handles imparts a sleek, stylish look to this broadside view. It is a handsome car for the early twenties. Excellent design is also noted in the Star's medallion. Billy DurantThe Star was an automobile built to compete with the Model T Ford by Durant Motors, a firm started by William Crapo Durant (1861-1947) after he was ousted as president of General Motors. I believe production started in 1921 or 1922, which would date the photo a little later than 1920. The driver looks like Durant himself. He certainly is very intent on getting the car up the hill. The Durant firm did reasonably well in the 1920s but collapsed in the Depression. Durant died in poverty in 1947. StarI have a hubcap for that car. What's in a name? I'm guessing the Durant Crapo wouldn't have sold well. ShiniestShorpymobile ever! Shiny!Look at the reflection of the spokes on the underside of the fender! Shiny! 1922 StarDurant built the Star to directly compete with Henry Ford's Model T. The Star Touring Car cost $348 without a self-starter or demountable rims for the tires. The self-starter and demountable rims initially added about $100 to the price, but then were included with a minimal price increase. Durant sold more than 100,000 (all body styles) during the introductory year, but he could have built more had his manufacturing plants had sufficient capacity. A Model T Touring Car cost $348 on January 16, 1922, and the price rose to $398 on October 17, 1922. These prices were also without the self starter ($70) and demountable rims ($25). Ford produced over 1.3 million cars (all body styles) during the model year. Crossed legs . . . Must have been on one of San Francisco's steeper hills judging from the stance of the photographer reflected in the door; anyone have a guess as to which street? Wonder if there's a connectionMy father owned a Star. A bright red one. He never told me whether or not he liked the car. But he never owned another red car. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Construction Zone: 1931
... equipment and trucks." 8.5 x 6.5 inch glass plate by Christopher Helin. View full size. Truck IDs Truck with water(?) tank is a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/16/2014 - 5:28am -

The San Francisco Bay Area circa 1931. "Earth-moving equipment and trucks." 8.5 x 6.5 inch glass plate by Christopher Helin. View full size. Truck IDsTruck with water(?) tank is a Pierce Arrow. Others are Sterlings with chain drive. Note Pierce Arrow has hard rubber; others have balloon tires. High tech! What will it be?It would be interesting to know what it is they're constructing. Maybe somebody will know. Chain driveSterling retained chain drive at least as late as 1952 (see picture), and maybe later for all I know. I think they were the last holdout with this driveline system. Contractor where I grew up had a fleet of them, and I can still hear their clanky whine as they went by. The shovelThe shovel is a Northwest, probably a model 80 or 105, probably gas but possibly diesel. Relatively modern for the time. Many contractors were still using steam shovels at this point. The CarCirca 1926-27 Chevrolet coupe. Chain DriveAs late as about 1959, I remember seeing Mack chain drives, with solid tires, no less, thundering down Fulton Street past Borough Hall in Brooklyn. Given the condition of that heavily worn pavement, it must have been a punishing ride indeed for those poor drivers! Gas Shovel Pit and Quarry, September 1922. New Gas Shovel The Northwest Engineering Company of Green Bay, Wis., announces that after exhaustive tests in the field a new Northwest gas shovel has been released for general sale. This shovel, because of its sturdy simplicity and unusual range of utility, is expected to find wide application for the general contractor and road builder, and in quarries and sand and gravel pits. The device is an adaptation of a new, and according to the manufacturer a revolutionary shovel mechanism, to the Northwest crawler crane. This crawler device is depended upon to give the shovel ideal mobility. Incorporated in the crawler base is the patented Northwest steering device which, in the words of the maker, make the device “as easy to steer as a truck.” The shovel travels at a good rate of speed to and from the job without taxing the motor and, being operated by a gas engine, no stops to get up steam are necessary. … Could be grade separation.A temporary bridge is in place and a 4-lane divided road is being knocked out from below. NorthwestSize of the shovel looks like a 105. Here is a 1926 Model 105, set up as a dragline, working. http://youtu.be/aavrzUYlcyY?list=UUFi8qTmbq8tIIyCap45cEGA Sunset Boulevard under construction at Sloat?Using the hints in the photo (Excavation work in sandy soil under a divided highway, electric railway/streetcar tracks, and the caption info), I'm guessing that this is a view of Sloat Boulevard with the excavation for the new Sunset Boulevard taking place. Just a guess from 2700 miles away. I vote for SloatI'm with grubbed. The attached photograph was taken by the City of SF's Department of Public Works in October 1931. It shows construction work on a viaduct for Sloat Boulevard to cross over an as-yet unnamed new roadway, which became today's Sunset Boulevard. Those fence posts sure look the same. Three votes for Sloat and SunsetI agree with grubemed and Histry2. First, the year of the photo corresponds with San Francisco's development of Sunset Boulevard through undeveloped sand dunes west of the city. Histry2's photo does seem to be of the same construction site. This image, taken the same day, captures what appears to be the same temporary bridge as in our photo. It impresses me that, eighty-three years later, the overpass is still in use and is a handsome, but time-worn, bit of engineering. I'm not sure the same will be said of most bridges being built today. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin)
Locally Grown: 1918
... and some sort of leafy vegetable. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Broken Spring; Shifted Load I would politely ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/14/2014 - 11:15pm -

The Bay Area in 1918. "Service truck and greens." Eucalyptus trees and some sort of leafy vegetable. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Broken Spring; Shifted LoadI would politely disagree with your assessment of the fender mounting, Dave. I do not see any evidence of mounting holes or hardware for said fender and the radius of the scrape is the same as the wheel, a fender would have a larger radius centered on the axle. I surmise that perhaps a heavy load shifted while moving causing the spring to deflect enough to make the wheel contact the body side or the spring or one of its shackles broke causing the body to collapse down which would pivot on the good (far) spring and bring the wheel into contact with the wheel. Just my 2¢ Just Ask PopeyeThe crop looks like spinach to me. I say it's spinach,And I say the hell with it. Drive Train SupplementalService trucks of that era did have a differential. It was mounted above the axle centerline and employed reduction gears that transferred power to the wheels. This allowed more ground clearance and a more compact drive assembly. It was quite advanced, for it's time, and not as primitive as one might think. Typically, smaller trucks, like this one, did not have chain drive. The big Macks, Federals, Morelands were chain driven. BTW, these big trucks also had differentials, which were solidly mounted to the frames. This made it simple to change final gear ratios for load and road conditions. All the mechanic had to do was change the drive sprocket and add or subtract a few links from the chain. The "Tire Mark"Is where the rear fender used to be. Not buying fender theoryI'm not so sure about the fender theory. I searched for other Service Motor Truck Company images and most don't have rear fenders. For it to be a fender witness mark, you'd have to assume it was harder for the manufacturer to cut the side of the presumed to be curved fender flat than it was to purposely build the wooden portion too large and the trim it back in a perfect tire shaped arch... That must have been some amazing spinning piece of machinery with a dangerous cutting head. Or it's just the tire. No foodies here?Seems the erudite Shorpy fans are missing in these comments and don't know their Amaranthaceaes from their Brassicaceaes. re: I say it's spinach... so do IBut spinach was not too bad. What I really hated as a child was turnip greens and collards. My mother served spinach with sliced boiled eggs. Not sure if that was regional (south Alabama) or a family recipe. Tyre MarkThe radius of the worn area of the body surely indicates that it is the same as the radius of the wheel and tyre. The end of the cross-beam is obviously worn by something as are the side timbers. The worn area on those is deeper towrds the rear of the mark. There is no evidence that 'fenders' or mudguards have ever been fitted over the rear wheels, and if they had, the radius would be greater than that of the wheel/tyre. It was quite common to not have rear mudguards on commercial vehicles. The question is, how did the mark get there? I doubt if the spring could flex sufficiently for it to have been caused by overloading, therefore I suggest that driving a few miles with a broken spring, and the wheel rubbing the body is likely. Identifying the cropLooks like collard greens. Crazy situation with all the Eucalypts. [If you grew up in the Bay Area, chances are you grew up with eucalyptus trees. I ate practically all my grade school lunches in the shade of an enormous one. -tterrace] speaking of collaredgeez, I've never dressed up that nice to even EAT my collard greens! [Two of them look like inspectors or management types. -tterrace] Tire MarkIt looks like there is a substantial tire mark on the body of the truck above the rear tire. It does not appear to be caused by a reflection of the tire or to have originated by the sides of the body dropping onto the top of the tire. Possibly the impression was caused by the tire separating from the wheel rim. The wood below the mark seems to have rubbed free of all paint; the body is damaged above the tire mark; there are two grooves incised into the body panel - the bottom one curved; the wheel is damaged at about the 4 o'clock position; the wheel hub has an extra bolt holding it together (seven bolts instead of six in an equally spaced pattern); and the wheel has an extra split in it just after the 12 o'clock position (the marks at the 2 and 8 o'clock positions are where the two rim halves join together). Even if the wheel did not fail, something definitely has damaged the truck. Also of interest, the builder of the truck bed hand painted it with a floral design around each panel. [What it marks is where the rear fender was. - Dave] Not a lot of spinach eaters here, I seeThose are collards. Even in Alaska spinach doesn't get that big, and never mind the shape and texture of the leaves. Not that I like collards, or anything. Tire mark on bed of truckIt is likely this truck had a spare set of steel wheels with lugs on them for muddy fields and that height would have been about right - aftermarket or farm built spec rim. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin)
Petroleum Palace: 1928
... Tar Hotel site." Now all long gone. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Interesting Early Automobile Age Architecture ! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/23/2015 - 12:45pm -

San Francisco, 1928. "Buick sedan at Texaco service station. Jack Tar Hotel site." Now all long gone. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Interesting Early Automobile Age Architecture !What would you call that? Moorish Art Deco? Spanish Mediterranean Art Deco? Man. they sure don't build them like that anymore! The only feature that does not seem desirable is that the roofed fueling area is attached to the main structure without a solid firewall. There's a viewing window, and perhaps a door, from the main structure into the fueling bay wing. This would be problematic in case of a fire. Other than that, today's gas station architects should sit up and take notice that a large gas station does not have to be an eyesore! Where is the chauffeur?Owner's initials on the passanger door. And where is the Man With The Star? Should be three, gas, tires/windshield, fluids. Visible pumps can't be seen by the invisible driver. One year inThe drum headlights mark this handsome Buick as a 1927 model. Looking good for a one year old. About the carCan anybody tell me the function of that section of the running board below the driver's door? Jack Tar HotelStory on its demolition. These were called"kick plates." They protect the splash apron from scuffing, and you can tap the side of your shoe against the vertical part to dislodge dirt or slush. This design has a little doormat built in. Why it was belovedThe Jack Tar Hotel. Re: Jack Tar HotelThere are times when only a heartfelt "My God!" will do. A palace for carsFor some reason, in the 1920's, gas stations and movie theatres were both lavishly constructed; so much so that it almost became legendary. Per Old Photo Fan queryMy best guess is that it's to keep your foot from hitting the body's paint job and/or keeping your dirty shoes from leaving anything somewhere more important. Best quip about the JTH"The box Disneyland came in." (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, Gas Stations, San Francisco)
Sidewalks Are for Sissies: 1920
... points if you can Street View this. 8.5 x 6.5 negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Forget the location Feast your peepers on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/16/2014 - 9:17am -

San Francisco circa 1920. "Franklin car ascending steep grade." Bonus points if you can Street View this. 8.5 x 6.5 negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Forget the locationFeast your peepers on that paint job! From the ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle, Aug 29, 1920; pg. A7 City Driving Art In Itself Driving in Country Far Different in Method, Expert Holds Franklin Car Proves Power The Franklin car has a lot of power, as will be proven by the accompanying photo, which shows the new touring model speeding up a difficult and roadless grade. Article does not mention the location of the hill. Vallejo StreetThe 900 block of Vallejo Street. View Larger Map Nice upgradeI don't know if it's unusual or not in the City, but I do find the squeezing in of a garage there rather ingenious. [Very common in older San Francisco homes. -tterrace] $an Francisco!Those beautiful old stacked homes in San Francisco now go for millions! About those Bonus PointsI think tterrace deserves them for fast work and a great view of the lovely houses. [Bonus points are included with the Shorpy Inc. Christmas bonus, as per corporate policy, redeemable in turkey or ham. - Dave] Thanks Dave. Does that come with cranberry sauce? Blood, Sweat and TearsWhat goes up ... must come down. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Que Sera, Sera: 1922
... entry in the Shorpy Parade of Archaic Chariots. Photo by Christopher Helin. View full size. Well-known location Little has changed, down ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/21/2015 - 2:30pm -

San Francisco circa 1922. "Dorris touring car at Shreve & Co." Latest entry in the Shorpy Parade of Archaic Chariots. Photo by Christopher Helin. View full size. Well-known locationLittle has changed, down to the streetlamps, although I suspect the prices are a bit different. Archaic chariots!Classic. And they probably thought they were the best. Shreve & CompanyCorner of Post and Grant, a block down from Union Square. View Larger Map A Perfect Exampleof why we refer to the trunk as a "trunk." Almost Over My Headbut on my second read I got the "Que Sera, Sera" reference. A title well written. Neat history on this bldg.right here. YuchNothing to do with the picture you posted, but I had to clean off the remains of my breakfast from my keyboard. Any chance of making Shorpy a paid-site so we can avoid advertisements like this? [We'll let you know as soon as your check arrives! - Dave] The future's not ours to seeSadly, 1923 would be the last year of production for the costly and hand-built Dorris motor car. Doriss LivesNow I get it, but it took several minutes! I get it tooA fine looking day to be driving a Dorris. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco, Stores & Markets)
Doctor of Tires: 1934
... you say it pulls to the right? 8x10 nitrate negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Very Frustrating The car appears to be a 1931 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/07/2014 - 5:11pm -

San Francisco, 1934. "Fisk Service garage." So, Mister, you say it pulls to the right? 8x10 nitrate negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Very FrustratingThe car appears to be a 1931 Studebaker of some sort, but I can't pin down the model. Let me be the first to ask!For a close up of that repair order! Bald is BeautifulNot much left to align. Straight Stops, Please The equipment being used on this Studebaker Dictator (which turned out to be an awkward moniker as the scourge of fascism advanced during the '30s) may at first appear to be an alignment machine. But instead, it is a brake equalizer, necessary because the pushrod (or cable)-actuated brakes of the day, which did not naturally self-equalize as hydraulics do, frequently needed adjusting for straight stops. The equalizer works by spinning the wheels, like a dynamometer, while measuring each brake's drag when the brakes are applied. That's the purpose of the gauge at far right -- one for each wheel -- and the mechanic is apparently adjusting the brake on the right front. Stude SixIt's a 1931 Studebaker Six. It lacks the oval headlamps that the upscale Eights had. Test BrakesDoubleclutchin is correct about this being a brake adjustment. One of the few things I can make out on the work order is the check mark next to the "Test Brakes" section, also the tool in the Mechanics hand is a "Brake Spoon", a tool used to turn the star wheel of the brake adjuster. This is a picture of a more modern brake spoon but the function is exactly the same. Pimped rideIs the badge on the radiator grille ("San Francisco") a common customization of the era? Or a customization at all? Dealer badge? Seems like that would have been pretty darn expensive at the time. Heck, it wouldn't be cheap to do it now. New (to me)In my many decades of admiring, acquiring, or attempting to acquire pre-WW2 automobiles, I don't believe I have ever run into the after-market home-town moniker this Stude sports, at least not one done in elegant script and attached to the radiator grille. Location The 1934 Crocker-Langley City Directory directory has the Fisk Tire Company at 422 2nd St.; the next year the company is also at 414 9th. Radiator badgeThis is my Great Uncle Henry Augustus Welch from Franklin, New Hampshire. We were never able to figure out what the "Deland" badge was for. Manual starterThe keyhole shaped opening in the radiator grille was for an auxiliary crank starter, Peugeots had the same opening in the front bumper up into the 1960's. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Diamond T: 1920
... became as extinct as the Diamond T. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Without fixed sides Another aspect in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/24/2014 - 8:21pm -

San Francisco, 1920. "Diamond T truck -- DeLand & Son Draymen." Draymen and drayage being haulage-related terms that eventually became as extinct as the Diamond T. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Without fixed sidesAnother aspect in the definition of dray is a cart without fixed sides, as illustrated in our current photo. Drays.Dray and Draymen are still in common usage in England to describe specifically beer deliveries to pubs and bars. But I've never heard of 'drayage' before. Not quite dead yet"Drayage" survives! At least in exhibition halls and trade show venues, where the cost of having forty packing crates conveyed from a loading dock to a trade show booth site might just eclipse the value of the display materials themselves. In modern times, the term "drayage" connotes a mashup of operational logistics, fork lifts, and an occupational fervor reminiscent of medieval guilds. It's nice to remember the word, but you'd really better remember to allocate a big pile of cash for drayage. TeamsterDraymen maybe extinct, but the term teamster is alive even though teams of horses were on there way out in 1920. In horse drawn parlance a dray had the rear wheels no higher than the deck of the body; a wagon with rear wheels that extended above the deck was called a truck.(simplified explanation) DrayageDrayage as a term is not extinct yet! Here in SC, we have Smith Dray Line http://www.smithdray.com/ . Moving and storing since 1888! Not that anyone would ever suggest SC is mired in the past or anything.... Last MileGranted, the term may be extinct, but draymen and drayage are here to stay. Drayage hauling is one of the most critical components of the global economy's intermodal transportation system. Goods crisscross the globe by rail and ocean freight faster and cheaper per ton than ever before, but still must get from the rail yard or port to customers. This "last mile" of delivery is still done by truck, though Diamond Ts are hard to find. All of those brown trucks and red-white-blue trucks delivering Amazon, Zappos, and sexynighties.com packages are draymen. The packages arrive by air and make their "last mile" in an panel truck operated by an independent contractor, though the transportation unions would prefer employment. Check out www.drayage.com My great-great grandfather ran a drayage company by covered wagon from the rail yards to rural customers in Comanche County, TX. He died of pneumonia in his wagon on the banks of the Brazos River in the rain waiting for the flooding river to subside so he could ford it. More Inventions NeededSomeone needs to invent a forklift. Those crates look very heavy even if they were empty. This truck has solid rubber tires. The cargo and driver have to endure a bone shattering ride. UK ExtinctionBritish English near equivalents for extinction are 'carrier', 'carter' & 'haulier'. Drayage Historical Turning PointDrayage got a lot easier when they started using wheels. That didn't affect the term, however. [A dray is a cart or wagon, so presumably they've always had wheels. - Dave] I knew a Drayman onceAs a youth in England growing up in the East, my father ran an old sea coast hotel in King's Lynn (Norfolk) for one of the breweries. When the men delivered the beer barrels and such, my dad referred to them as Draymen. That was back in the early 70's. Dray definitionAccording to the Oxford English Dictionary a dray was originally a sled and later the term became applied to the low heavy wagons with wheels particularly used by brewers. The lap of luxuryRoof, tilting "wiggly" glass windshield, padded seat & backrest, leaf springs with maybe a half inch of travel. The life of the drayman. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
To Build a Fire: 1920
... we put the cocktail shaker? 8.5 x 6.5 inch glass plate by Christopher Helin. View full size. Two Couples, One Bed and One Tent Is this the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/27/2014 - 11:14am -

        "Say, Bill, don't you think the girls did a marvelous job setting up the tent?" California circa 1920. "Briscoe auto at campsite." We'd say it's about time to rustle up some grub. Also we call dibs on that camp chair. Now where'd we put the cocktail shaker? 8.5 x 6.5 inch glass plate by Christopher Helin. View full size. Two Couples, One Bed and One TentIs this the silent version of Bob & Carol and Ted & Alice? Where is Smokey when you need him?Oh Man! That fire, not the mention the stogey that the guy on the right has fired up, are going to ignite that litter they're sitting on. Too bizarre. No Winchesters or Brownings here.We have a fine pair or Remingtons in this cool pic. It's an easy mistake since both resemble similar guns though. The shotgun is a Remington model 11 and not it's more expensive Browning cousin. The giveaway is that the Model 11 has no shell cut-off switch on the side of the receiver like all A-5's. The rifle is a Remington Model 12. They were a little more streamlined than their more famous competitor Winchester. Kelpie is correct that the shotgun was a Browning design, but the rifle credit goes to J.D. Pedersen. Gum treesI'm not sure exactly where they're camped, but it's certainly an odd location -- a eucalyptus forest. "Eucs" (or gum trees to our Australian friends) were planted in great numbers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Given the location of many of the other photos in this series, I'm guessing the foursome might have been posed in a eucalyptus grove in either Golden Gate Park or the Presidio of San Francisco. BTW, the piled up eucalyptus duff surrounding their campsite is notoriously flammable. London callingLet's hope this little foray into the wilderness turns out better than the Jack London short story of the same name. The fellow on the right is truly Mr. Safety Last. Note his right arm atop (or next to) the head of the ax lying on the ground. The fellow on the left has his wedding ring on his right hand. (The photo isn't reversed, as evidenced by the car's steering wheel.) That is & was pretty common in several European countries/cultures. Don't try this at home!Building a fire without a proper fire pit is exceedingly dangerous and shows a lack of needed camping skills! Blazing speedNext installment: We see just how fast the Briscoe machine can deliver them to safety, once their little campfire sets that mass of bone-dry underbrush ablaze. Mr. Browning, I Presume?I see a nice Browning Auto 5 (A5) 12 gauge leaning on the car. Also, there looks to be a Winchester Model 1890 pump .22 "gallery gun" as well. Both of these were designed by Browning. I have an Auto 5 that shoots like a dream. Wouldn't give it up for anything. Pressed trousersThe reclining chap must be new to camping judging by his neatly pressed dress pants and, as mentioned, the cigar ready to ignite the whole idyllic scene. Winchester .22 Pump RifleKelpie, we had one of those Winchester .22s at the farm, and at least three generations there learned to shoot with it. It finally got so worn that, in the mid-1960s, it developed a dangerous condition. If there was a live round in the chamber, it would fire automatically when the gun was held level horizontally; no trigger pull required. Of course, my cousins and I thought this was great, but my uncle heard one of us bragging about our "machine gun" and took the gun out of commission. Later, I had it repaired, re-blued, and re-stocked and it was like brand new, ready for new generations. Wonderful plinker. Night MovesIf they are all planning to sleep in that tent, and assuming they take a "head-in, feet-out" attitude, arranging themselves in "spoons" positions perpendicular to the tent flap - whoever gets the far left spot will be at the bottom of a heap by morning unless they level out that ticking mattress. Of course that cat-faced gal with the bundle may be plotting to sleep in the car. (The Gallery, Camping, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin)
Uneasy Rider: 1931
... the car seen earlier here . 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Offhanded He should have had the stitches ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/12/2016 - 12:57pm -

San Francisco, 1931. "Auburn at Golden Gate Park." Similar to the car seen earlier here. 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. OffhandedHe should have had the stitches holding his pocket closed removed before he posed for the picture. He would then have been able to get his whole hand into it! WorrywartThe guy looks a lot like Bob Crosby on a bad day. Similar, but DifferentThe earlier Auburn is a sedan with a canvas covered roof. This one's a convertible. [So it is! I thought they had the same tag number, but not quite. -Dave] Not an easy clean.Imagine crawling underneath That Auburn to scrub those B.F. Goodrich double whites. Serial NumbersNote that they are both dealer plates. I'd be happy with either car today. That gentleman needs a shoeshineThen there would be a smile in his heart--even if the scowl on his visage remained the same. Knockoff HubsWheels, use a hammer to spin the hub cover. If you look carefully, you can see the arrows on the front wheels hubs that indicate which direction they spin. Auburn was quite sporty. This example is interesting in how the height of the windscreen is used to make car look bigger. HubcapsHow did they get them off. They are only flat on one side to pound them on/ tighten them. You would have to hit on an angle to loosen them. Auburns looked so great!Like many teens of my generation, I first became aware of Auburns and Cords when Olds introed the Toronado, which hit me (as Nicky-Nick-Nick would say) "Like the hot kiss at the end of a wet fist." My wife and I are shopping right now for what will likely be our last new car, and they all look like bars of soap. Re: Knockoff HubsYou used the hammer on the flat side of the 'wings' to loosen the hub (hence, 'knockoff'); the threads on the hub tightened with the rotation of the wheels when the car was moving forward, so the hubs only needed to be hand tightened, with maybe a love tap or two from the hammer. The hammer, incidentally, was wood or leather, to avoid damaging the hubs. Re: Re: Knockoff HubsBack in the day I owned a 1962 MGA 1600 MkII equipped with wire wheels with knockoff hubs. Rather than wood or leather, the mallet had a solid copper head to avoid damaging the hubs. Wish I had that car today. HeterogeneityNot readily visible in the photo are the contrasting colors that were in vogue on the 1931 Auburns. The photos below provide much more vivid illustrations of the blatant color schemes available. One of the people assisting the design staff was Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky who was known for his use of extravagant color schemes. He was, at the same time, also the body designer of the more subtlety colored DeVaux cars seen here. The Auburn shown is a model 8-98A Custom Phaeton Sedan which cost $1,345 and weighed 3,700 pounds. The freshly styled Auburns were three inches lower than the previous year which was possible by the use of underslung semi-elliptic springs and 17 inch wheels. The bumper with the drop in the center was a covert allusion to the reduced height of all Auburn models. The windshield on this model could fold down over the cowl. Safety glass was optionally available, but radios from the factory were still not offered. This was Auburn's best year for sales with 32,301 cars produced, and the firm rose from 22nd place in the industry in overall sales to 13th place. It was the only time Auburn broke into the top 20 of U.S. automobile manufacturers. Sales would fall more than 64% in 1932. Auburn production finally ended in August of 1937. The rights, tooling, castings, etc. for the V-12 engine Auburn brought out in 1932 were purchased by American LaFrance, improved, and then utilized in their smaller fire trucks until 1963. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Kid Dogs: 1919
... to see him in the warehouse office. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Where'd the rest of my truck go? It ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/22/2014 - 9:18am -

San Francisco circa 1919. "Service truck at Dodd warehouse." If anyone knows the whereabouts of Nick and his piece of chalk, the foreman would like to see him in the warehouse office. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. Where'd the rest of my truck go?It probably bounced off driving on a cobblestone road with solid tires! Where'd the rest of my truck go?Oh man, I'm so gonna get fired for this! MisdirectionJust to confuse future researchers, let's call this door "14½." I see the problemThere's not enough bolts holding the rear wheel on, we need more bolts! Where it wasThe 1920 Crocker-Langley City Directory shows Dodd Warehouses at Lombard and Montgomery in the waterfront district, just a block from the Embarcadero and Pier 27, in fact. Today the area, which is at the northeast foot of Telegraph Hill, has all been redeveloped. Choose From The Dominant TenWabash, Indiana, has a long history with truck building and, more recently, trailer building. This vehicle was built by the Service Motor Truck company. Is that a bird?Can anyone tell what he has stuffed into his coveralls? [It looks vaguely paisley. - Dave] Dressed for Success!I am always amazed how folks dressed for work back then; no matter what the job, it was always shirts (dress white), and a tie, and sometimes a suit jacket. Even for the messiest work! I think people took more pride in their appearance back them but that's just my opinion. Door 15My suspicion is Nick made off with it. More specifically......the Dodd Warehouse was located at 190 Lombard St. The building (a sturdy stone structure apparently the home of Del Monte Milling from 1884-1907) is still standing and the thing takes up a good chunk of property at that location. It's hard to figure out where this building and its low-number address would fit in. View Larger Map (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
Dort Duo: 1923
... long for this world in 1923. 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. The Other Motor City Dorts, Stars, Durants, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/06/2015 - 10:42am -

"Dort car in San Francisco." An automotive brand that was not long for this world in 1923. 5x7 inch glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size. The Other Motor CityDorts, Stars, Durants, and, of course, Flints. On the perhaps biased basis of these photos, there certainly seems to have been an awful lot of products of the "Vehicle City", Flint Michigan, rolling around on the streets of San Francisco in those long-ago days. The name lives onConsidering how quickly some early automobile companies disappeared the Dort did ok. Started by a carriage manufacturer that dated to 1884, started autos in 1915, lasted until 1924. But the Dort name lives on today. There is a Dort Highway in Flint, MI. When I was young I lived not too far from there. A big shiny DortLooks like it will take more than that to get a smile from that girl. Wow.Great car but I'm so entranced by the beautiful passenger that I can hardly focus on anything else. Almost the sameThis 1923 Dort Six sold for $15,400.00 in 2011. Fabulous Photo! The Background...The Car...The People! Re: Wow.The eyes. Almost General MotorsDort autos were built by Josiah Dallas Dort who had been a partner with William Crapo Durant, the founder of General Motors. Their partnership in Durant Dort Carriage Works was disolved after Durant formed GM. Dort then went on to create Dort Motor Company. He supplied mechanical parts to the Gray Carriage Company of Chatham Ontario from 1915-25 for their Gray- Dort autos. Dort abruptly left the automobile business in 1925 stranding the Gray family without a source of parts and their firm subsequently went out of the auto business also. HeadlampsLamps seem to have Ford script. Didn't know Ford supplied other makes. [They didn't. - Dave] The Eyes have it!Those eyes are mesmerizing. Time is of little consequence. After almost a century those eyes reach into your soul. Immediately, they were the first thing I noticed about the photograph. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chris Helin, San Francisco)
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