MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
Home

Search Shorpy

SEARCH TIP: Click the tags above a photo to find more of same:
Mandatory field.

Search results -- 30 results per page

The Hotel Essex: 1906
... 1900, now the Plymouth Rock Building. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing. View full size. How could they resist? I can ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/09/2024 - 4:53pm -

Boston circa 1906. "Atlantic Avenue elevated at Hotel Essex (Terminal Hotel)." Completed in 1900, now the Plymouth Rock Building. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing. View full size. How could they resist?I can attest that certain letters -- always the same letters -- were often out in the neon sign on the roof, resulting in HOT SEX. Clearly, this was not due to chance, but creative vandalism. Gone? Then what is this?https://maps.app.goo.gl/HeJRkk4dkxWC9dP79 Really echoes the architecture of the Hotel Essex. Is this just a similar building in a close location (next to South Station. I guess if it was industrial, then look alike buildings could be all over I guess?) [Oh right. Not gone! - Dave] Despite certain neon letters not working properly... this is the cleanest 1906 photograph I've ever seen. Fireproof, as featured inFireproof Magazine, July 1906. No interior photographs or floorplans, but the architect is identified, Arthur Hunnewell Bowditch. His Wikipedia page doesn't include the Hotel Essex among his notable projects. But, in 1931/32 he designed the Art Deco Paramount Theater, the last of the great movie palaces built in downtown Boston. Looking at the two 1906 photographs and Street View, I'm certain there was a second-floor entrance to the Hotel Essex, directly from the elevated train platform. A nice perk for guests. If only --So 120 years ago, I could walk to my local train station and arrive at South Station, walk out and up the stairs to wait for the next elevated train to my office at North Station. But today, I have to go below ground and take two overcrowded subway rides to get to the same location. MBTA, please bring back the Atlantic Avenue line! Platform AdsOne of the advertisements I can see on the platform is for Mennen's Toilet Powder. The rest are inscrutable to me. (The Gallery, Boston, DPC, Railroads)
Woodward Avenue: 1917
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1917. "Looking up Woodward Avenue." Dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. "Mellow as ... as a small-town Georgia baseball player who signs with the Detroit Tigers. Health Insurance Almost 100 years later, the country is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 9:50pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1917. "Looking up Woodward Avenue." Dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. "Mellow as Moonlight"If I was a drinkin' man, I would be sippin' some a that Cascade whiskey. Motor city, for sure!Not one single horse in view. Temporal AcheMan, this is one of those Shorpy photos that really make me wish I had a time machine. Not much leftAbout the only thing still remaining is the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, and even it has been moved about 300 feet from where it stood for 130 years. An amazing photo. Casting against TypeI see the film "Somewhere in Georgia" is playing, where Ty Cobb stars surprisingly as a small-town Georgia baseball player who signs with the Detroit Tigers. Health InsuranceAlmost 100 years later, the country is in a major pique over health Insurance and the Detroit Creamery had the answer all along. This maybe the best urban photograph yet, it certainly is the busiest. Notice the #2 streetcar?It's got one of those fancy-schmancy 'people scoopers' on it, like this: https://www.shorpy.com/node/4468 HodgepodgeOne of the best urban pictures yet! Too much to take in at one sitting; The Opera House, that wonderful memorial, the traffic, those streetcars. I wonder what the tent was for in front of that fountain, just across from the Opera House. FascinatingThere's so much to look at in this photo. I especially enjoy seeing people going about their daily lives, not posing for a camera. The movie theater sign says "All Next Week, Somewhere in Georgia". According to IMDB.com "Somewhere in Georgia", starring Ty Cobb, was filmed in the winter of 1916 and released in June 1917. Is the 1915 date on the photo in error? [Do we know what "circa" means? - Dave] An Edison ElectricI notice that the Edison Electric is being driven by a woman. My grandmother (who lived in Detroit) said that the only car she ever drove was an Edison Electric. She was afraid of driving a gasoline-powered car. [Women liked electrics because there were no gears to shift, and no clutch -- shifting and clutching on cars of that era required quite a bit of muscle. - Dave] Cloudy crystal ballCover story in Time Magazine, October 5, 2009: "The Tragedy of Detroit: How a great city fell, and it it can rise again." Speaking of moonlightFarewell, good moonlight towers. Twenty years gone by the time of this photo. Is it a coincidence that Shorpy has hit upon another star of the silent screen? The theater beneath the Blackstone Cigar sign (far right)features Gladys Brockwell, who, like Kay Laurell (1890-1927), died in her thirties. Horrific 1929 car crash in California. Merrill FountainThe Merrill Fountain in front of the Opera House still exists, too. Granted, it was moved about seven miles up the road to Palmer Park. Before it was called Wootwart (Woodward)The definition of the "good old days" ... Traffic LightsGreat image. Did traffic lights look different then, or did they not have them in Detroit? [In 1917, traffic signals came on two legs. - Dave] Re: An Edison ElectricLooks more like a Detroit Electric car than the very rare Edison. The main reason the ladies like the electric car was no crank starting. Charles Kettering changed that a few years later with the electric starter motor if IC engines. Notice the complete absenceof horse poop. And horses. Stop sign doesn't apply...Surprised to see that pedestrains do not follow traffic signs as they crossed the streets. It seems that those signs were for trolleys and cars only. It anwered my question why my g-g-great uncle got killed by a trolley. ProsperityWow! You can almost hear the hustle and bustle of prosperity in this amazing photograph -- the essence of early 20th century proud American urbanity. Go to Google Earth or some other mapping web site and visit the corner of Woodward and Fort today -- a dreary, faceless, lifeless desert of glassy highrises without a pedestrian in sight. HeartbreakingWhen I go through Detroit now it is a vast third world, broken down, trashed city, with gangs and thugs peering from behind collapsed buildings. How in the name of all that is worthy could this magnificent American city come to what it is today? Almost makes me want to watch Glenn Beck. Oh what a feelingI had to smirk a bit when I opened of the intersection on Google streets and the first thing I saw was a shiny Toyota. FABULOUSThis image is go busy and wonderful. There is so much to notice. I wonder what the conversations were and so much more. There is a tent in the middle of the square to the left of the statue. Why? What is the statue of? All in WhiteI love the woman all in white crossing the street with her plaid skirted friend (near the front of the photo, just before the frontmost car). She looks so different than everyone else. I bet the two women just walking into the frame below them are talking about her. She's showing ankle AND calf! I'm sure she'll be a flapper in a few years! The girl in whiteI think that the girl in white is in fact a girl - probably a young teen accompanying her mother (the lady in the plaid skirt). Therefore she would be perfectly well dressed for her age. However that also means that she would be in the right demographic to become a flapper once the twenties (which would coincide with her twenties) rolled around. Great picture - Lord I could look at it for hours! That banner over the street"ENLIST NOW! YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU" And to your left...Seems even Detroit had its requisite "Seeing..." touring bus company. I count three "charabancs" in this photo, one across the street from Bond's with "WELLS" emblazoned on the back, and two in the centre-left crammed with mostly female tourists. Wonder what they were off to see next? I'm loving the little insignificant human moments the photographer caught and immortalized: the man at the lower left trying to make something out on a bulletin board; the hefty many putting his arm around his companion's waist next to the memorial; three ladies converging outside the theater. Fantastic. The building on the far leftis the 1896 Majestic Building, designed by the famous Chicago architect Daniel Burnham. Among other things, Burnham also designed the Flatiron Building in NYC, and oversaw the construction of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. The Majestic was Detroit's tallest building until 1909, when the Ford Building (also a Burnham creation) was completed. The Ford still stands today, as well as Burnham's other Detroit creations, the David Whitney Building and the Dime Building. Sadly the Majestic was torn down in 1962 to make way for the exponentially less-interesting 1001 Woodward Building. “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will not die, but long after we are gone be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistence. Remember that our sons and our grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us. Let your watchword be order and your beacon beauty.” -Daniel H. Burnham Sight Seeing in Detroit ca. 1917The Dietsche Sight Seeing Company was one of several companies that offered tours of Detroit back in this time period. Below is a photo of their advertisement offering their services to local companies who might want to entertain their out-of-town customers with a "Sight Seeing Trip around the city, Belle Isle, or Water Works Park." Given the description of the street banner, this photo was probably taken sometime around June 5, 1917, which was the date on which all men between the ages of 21 and 31 were required to register for the draft. Soldiers and Sailors MonumentStill nearby, but not as nicely maintained. Very Nicely MaintainedThe Soldiers & Sailors monument is actually very well maintained. Notice how it's not all blackened with soot as in the old photo. When you view it up close you can also see where some very nice restoration has recently been done. Not everything in Detroit is a rotting hulk. Still busyNot like this, but the ice skating rink at Campus Martius is already set up and would be approximately directly in front of the Detroit Opera House. Downtown Detroit is not the home of thugs or crime at all, really, but is sadly quiet when the businesses are closed. Many of the buildings are still here, and magnificent. Come visit before they tear them all down. I'll be ordering a large print of this image! Thank you Shorpy. Re. "Mellow as Moonlight"I saw this photo a few days ago, and, like GeezerNYC, I was quite struck by the Cascade Whiskey billboard. Now, I know that Geo. Dickel is still in business, and I was familiar with Dickel's Tennessee Sipppin' Whiskey and Old No. 8, but I had never heard of Cascade. It must have gone the way of the buggy whip and Lydia Pinkham, I thought. But then today I stopped at the liquor store after work to pick up a bottle of wine, and GUESS WHAT THEY HAD?!?! shhhh...too loud. So, then and I bought some. And do you guys know what? It's pretty goood. I';m drikning it right now. And I just wanna True story I swear. Hey! do you know what? I bought some oft hat Cacsade whiskey? Or is it whishky? Aanyway, I just wanna You know what/ You guys are greatf. I just wanna Hudson's Grows, and...Hudson's grew with Detroit, and perhaps inevitably, declined with Detroit. Cascade HollowThe current Cascade Hollow Whiskey was created to deal with a shortage of the Dickel No. 8 and then just hung around. They didn't have enough whiskey of a certain age so they made a new brand and put their younger stuff in it so that the quality of the No. 8 wouldn't suffer. The Cascade Hollow has been discontinued, but it's still on the shelves in many places. The name Cascade was replaced by the Dickel name after Prohibition and a number. In order of price (& quality) the current Dickel offerings are: (Cascade Hollow) Dickel No. 8 Dickel No. 12 Dickel Barrel Select (which is one of the best whiskeys I've ever had. And I've had a lot.) Anyway, Dickel is currently owned by the evil international spirits conglomorate Diageo, which also owns Guinness, Hennessey, Smirnoff, Johnny Walker, Tanqueray, Bushmills, Cpt. Morgan, Jose Cuervo, Crown Royal and many many more. I can't relate to this picture at allThere is no one in this picture that looks like me or anyone else in my family and for that matter most of my friends...maybe that's how most of the people making comments about it want Detroit to look like. Movie ID helpIn the background, there appears to be a movie showing called "The Spoilers", but Wikipedia says it came out in 1914, not 1917. Just below that it looks like "Barrymore (?) as Georgia" and to the left of that is "Ty". Anyone have some ideas as to which movies are being advertised? [The movie is "Somewhere in Georgia," with Ty Cobb, released in 1917. - Dave] Re: Re: An Edison ElectricMy great-great-grandfather Frank Montgomery Foster was selling Kissel Kars in Detroit. In 1913, he also had "one of the Detroit's finest garages at the corner of Gratiot Avenue and Grand Boulevard." It looks like the two cars in the bottom left of the photo (with the barrel fronts) may be Kissels, but I don't know enough about autos of the era to ID them. KernsMy co-worker's last name is Kerns. I showed him this picture one day and eventually forwarded it to him. He then forwarded picture to his family and learned that his mother Americanized their Polish name around 1917 after seeing that building "Kern's Children's Clothes." One of the best!The photo is insanely busy and the comments led me on a couple scavenger hunts online. Introduced to Gladys Brockwell, Daniel Burnham, Cascade, Dietsche company, etc. A very entertaining hour and a half on this one pic! Of course, being from Detroit makes it that much more interesting. Also, Heartbreaking, Detroit is a pheonix. You watch what she can do! The people have so much spirit. We love our city like a member of our family. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
The Fed: 1937
... Beaux Arts trained architect (Pan American Union building, Detroit Institute of Arts). He later applied modern sensibilities (e.g. reduced ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/14/2024 - 12:53pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1937. "Federal Reserve Building, Constitution Avenue. Front and right side." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size. "I want to talk for a few minutes ... about banking"Thus began Franklin Roosevelt's first broadcast fireside chat, eight days after his inauguration. FDR's response to the banking crisis was codified in the Banking Acts of 1933 and 1935, which centralized the Federal Reserve System -- and led to this building. The design was chosen in a 1935 competition which -- as can be seen -- resulted in the most grounded, solid-looking building imaginable. Very much part of what, it has been plausibly argued, saved American capitalism. Is Cret in?The building is officially named the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building after Franklin Roosevelt's Chairman of the Federal Reserve. It was designed by Paul Philippe Cret, a Beaux Arts trained architect (Pan American Union building, Detroit Institute of Arts). He later applied modern sensibilities (e.g. reduced ornamentation) to classical forms to come up with buildings like this, the Univ. Texas Main Building and the Folger Shakespeare Library. The style is called Stripped Classicism or Greco Deco(!). If it looks familiar, it was the style used by many of the building built by the New Deal/WPA. It lost popularity, though, when both Nazi Germany and the Soviets under Stalin made it their preferred style. (The Gallery, D.C., Theodor Horydczak)
Rooftop Detroit: 1899
Detroit circa 1899. "Detroit N.E. from Chamber of Commerce." The elevated vantage affords an ... blocks. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Detroit Music Co - Woodward Avenue A street that looks a lot different now. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/02/2016 - 11:28am -

Detroit circa 1899. "Detroit N.E. from Chamber of Commerce." The elevated vantage affords an excellent view of at least a dozen of the city's celebrated "moonlight tower" carbon arc lamps -- giant electric fixtures 165 feet tall, each illuminating several blocks. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Detroit Music Co - Woodward AvenueA street that looks a lot different now.
Marines vs. Army: 1924
... 6-0 Georgetown, 39-0 Ft. Benning, 14-0 Dickinson, 28-0 Detroit, 3-0 Carnegie Tech, 47-0 III Corps. Vanderbilt must have been a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/23/2024 - 6:49pm -

November 1, 1924. Washington, D.C. "Devil Dogs vs. Infantrymen. McQuade makes gain for Marines against Fort Benning at American League park." Jack McQuade, former University of Maryland football star, in a game that saw Quantico's Leathernecks mop the field with Army in a 39-0 rout. 4x5 inch glass negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size. You take out that big guy. No, YOU take him out.The Army player with no helmet looks a little long of tooth but the guy's a mountain. As every sports buff knows, the Jarheads went 7-0-1 that season: 33-0 Catholic, 13-13 Vanderbilt, 6-0 Georgetown, 39-0 Ft. Benning, 14-0 Dickinson, 28-0 Detroit, 3-0 Carnegie Tech, 47-0 III Corps. Vanderbilt must have been a powerhouse. No one else even scored against the Marines. Not much of a chance... for that running back to get the ref to call a "facemask penalty" on the defender. You made my day!I was born in the US Naval Hospital, Quantico, VA, 30 years after this football game took place. My father did not retire from the Marine Corps until I was 30 years old so, of course, I am not the slightest bit surprised that the Leathernecks clobbered nearly everyone they played that year! Great sports shot by any standardsPhotographers spend thousands on gear to get shots this good nowadays. I wonder what sort of camera/lens combination was used here. Rails to TrailsThe "Fast Electric Trains" of the WB&A gave way to a nifty bike trail. http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/map.cfm CamerasIt's amazing how in focus this picture is. Now we have all the digital cameras that are so easy to use, but back then a photographer had to really know how to get a great shot. HeadgearI wondered because there are two guys without - just wondering. It Still HurtsWhen I went to my first duty station after boot camp I was recruited to play in the Annual Navy Marine touch football kegger game. I was only two years out of high school and since I had played varsity for two years as a lineman (offense & defense -- we were a tough breed then), I figured it would be a nice afternoon of sport. I soon found out why no sailor who had played the year before was on the squad. Those Marines were like a team possessed and I still count it a blessing I survived the game. However the beer and bull session post game was well worth the agony. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
Dupont Circle: 1905
... those pedestrians . 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Cast of Characters ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/25/2024 - 2:08pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1905. "Dupont Circle at Connecticut and Massachusetts Avenues N.W. White building at left is Patterson House, 15 Dupont Circle." Not to mention all those pedestrians. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Cast of CharactersClick twice to embiggen. No Exhaust FumesSeeing old photos here dating to 1905-1907, it is clear how very quickly motor cars overtook horse-drawn transport. Here there are no automobiles yet, so no gasoline fumes, just the earthy smell of life, especially in the intersection. The Patterson placeThis building with all the horses started as the Patterson Mansion. It was designed by Stanford White, and had just been completed a couple of years before this photo. The Patterson family only occasionally stayed there and often lent it out. President Calvin Coolidge lived there during White House renovations; Charles Lindbergh used it after his transatlantic flight. It also spent ~60 years as the Washington Club, before being converted to apartments in the 2010s. SurprisedOne feature of note for me is that there are bars on all of the ground level windows. Something I guess I have allowed myself to not notice in my naive thinking that so far back times would have been more honest. Ah ...... the earthly smell of life. So that's what that was. I thought it was low tide. Level of detailI’m very impressed by the level of detail in the embiggened slice that Dave has provided. Once I opened it, I embiggened even more and was further impressed by the facial detail in the old woman crossing the street (center) and the mother and daughter walking towards us (right). Then I noticed the bricks, the leaves, the grass ... amazing. 135I walked a foot-beat here once in the late '70s. The cast of characters included One Armed Johnny and Bad Feet Sam. Fun times. (The Gallery, D.C., DPC, Horses)
Detroit: 1910
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910. "City Hall and Campus Martius." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. +101 If the Soldiers and ... street view of basically the same area today. Looks like Detroit has leveled all the structures that were standing in 1910. [It ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 3:10pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910. "City Hall and Campus Martius." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. +101If the Soldiers and Sailors Monument hasn't moved in the past 101 years, this is the street view of basically the same area today. Looks like Detroit has leveled all the structures that were standing in 1910. [It has moved twice over the years. To the left of the Google Street View below is the 100-year-old Dime Bank. - Dave] View Larger Map Fantastic!This photo is absolutely perfect! There are men, cars, advertising, women, children, horses and so much more. I love it. What a great window into the past. The Food To Tie To Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents for the Year 1911. Patentees of Designs, Trade-marks, Labels and Prints. … Kellogg Toasted Corn Flake Co., Battle Creek, Mich. "The Food To Tie To" (For Prepared Cereal Foods.) No. 2,877; Nov 7; Gaz. vol. 172; p. 258. … Apparently, "The Food To Tie To" failed as an ad campaign — it does feel awkward to pronounce. Prior to this post, a Google search of this Kellogg's slogan yielded only two results: both google-book scans of a 1912 government publication of patent listings. Follow the Google search of this slogan to witness the steady accumulation of search-engine results as a multitude of blog/web-sites scrape and automatically re-post content from Shorpy. P.S. Undoubtedly this black-and-white image of the Kellogg's "The Food To Tie To" sign on the Campus Martius fails to capture the contrast and readability that the full-color signage would have presented. It is difficult to read the slogan and one must look closely to see the cowboy and his lasso. Any Shorpy photo-colorationists willing to lend their skills to offer historical palette schemes which might have attracted the eye of a 1910 breakfast-cereal consumer? View TodayHas anyone got a modern view of this site? Given Detroit's decline, it would be interesting to see it from this angle. [See above. The notion that downtown Detroit is some sort of decaying urban wasteland is a mistaken one. - Dave] Parallel ParkingIn 1964 I managed to fail the parallel parking portion of my driver's test while driving a relatively small 1962 Dodge Dart with power steering and automatic transmission. It appears the taxi guy is trying to park that 3 ton beast without the benefit of power steering or automatic trans. He's a better man than I. [Circa 1910 Hudson Model 20 touring car. At around 1,800 pounds, it weighed less than a ton. - Dave] If onlyIf only time travel were possible. To me, that era was the most serene. Discounting any wars, epidemics or such. I would go. The BoothInformation? Tickets of some kind? It looks too small to be a news or food vendor booth. [It's a kiosk of the kind used for posting bulletins, news, weather etc. - Dave] The Kellogg signThe original Kellogg Toasted Corn Flakes box was not colorful by today's standards, being dark green and red lettering on a beige background, but with those three banks of lights focused on it, I am sure it stood out on the sign. On close inspection it appears that the rope lasso also might have had its own string of lights just above it. As far as what the lighting on the cowboy might have been, it is anyone's guess. To get an idea of the original box (and tin) colors, just Google "Kellogg's Toasted Corn Flakes" images. [The rope itself is a string of lights. This sign probably used hundreds of bulbs. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Hamilton House: 1910
... at 1 Bowling Green. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Saved! Slated for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/05/2024 - 11:07am -

Manhattan circa 1910. "U.S. Custom House, New York, N.Y." The Alexander Hamilton Custom House, completed in 1907 at 1 Bowling Green. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Saved!Slated for demolition in the 1970s, after the completion of the World Trade Center put the customs office there. There was no longer a counter to take a sample to of a ship's cargo for testing and assessing. My father, as a young office boy, would take oil samples from the Standard Oil Co., then a few doors up Broadway, to be tested. The clerks stations survive to this day. In the 1970s I helped clean out the Merchant Marine Library there (a mariner could borrow a book and leave it at another library in another port on the honor system). They were dumping the books. I still have some, and others ended up at the museum library this 16-year-old worked at. In the 1990s my wife had a job at the National Museum of the American Indian, one of several occupiers of this great building (Bankruptcy Court is another, as well as the National Archives branch for NYC). Her office was the space that I cleaned out in the 1970s. If you visit, a look at the rotunda and its WPA murals by Reginald Marsh is a must. All in a building designed by Cass Gilbert. Oh - and the statuary out front? Daniel Chester French. Thanks, AleHouseMugPreservation of this building almost makes up for the loss of the original Penn Station ... almost. AwningsSome awning salesman must have made his yearly bonus on that building! History SavedGorgeous building. Everything else to left and right has been torn down. There's a wonderful display there which shows the design and construction of the building. Admission to the Museum of the American Indian, part of the Smithsonian, is free. Excellent bathrooms, btw. Italianate BowlingOff the left edge of the photo (to the north of the Customs House) still stands Bowling Green. So called because the Dutch played lawn bowling there. During the Revolutionary War, the iron fence around Bowling Green was melted down for munitions, including an image of the King's head. The Italian Palazzo-like building (complete with campanille and Romanesque arches) behind (to the east of) the Customs House now sports a boring glass tower with the address 2 Broadway. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC)
Detroit Skyline: 1918
Detroit circa 1918. "Sky scrapers from interurban station, Jefferson Avenue at ... A view last glimpsed here . 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Now just faces in the crowd ... marked with red dots were very prominent in the 1918 Detroit skyline (at left), but now are just faces in the crowd. At the bottom ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/07/2023 - 2:28pm -

Detroit circa 1918. "Sky scrapers from interurban station, Jefferson Avenue at Bates Street." A view last glimpsed here. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Now just faces in the crowdThree of the four buildings marked with red dots were very prominent in the 1918 Detroit skyline (at left), but now are just faces in the crowd. At the bottom with a red dot is the back of the First National Bank, which replaced the Hotel Pontchartrain (backside is seen in 1918). Click to embiggen A lot happens in a yearComparing the 1917 view and this 1918 view, two new skyscrapers were built! Is that even possible? The Cadillac Square building at the right (which still exists but lost it's its minarets), and the white building in front of the Hotel Pontchartrain, which is gone. In fact, even this portion of Bates street is gone, it's now under the City-County building and the parking structure behind. ["Circa 1917" doesn't mean "in 1917." It means around ("circa"!) 1917. - Dave] Number 97What is with the large 97's on the one building corner as well as the water tower? Hide and seekThe white building half hiding the Hotel Pontchartrain in the original photo is called the Vinton Building. In Doug Floor Plan's photo, it is hidden behind the Z-shaped First National Building. This photo shows the Vinton Building with the First National behind it. Number TowerThe number "97" on the water tower and building is advertising the street address of the Fred Lawrence Printing Company at 97 Woodward Avenue. Their street sign is visible in both images. The earlier image doesn't show the number. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Yesterday in the Park: 1907
... and Industry. Detail of glass negative by Hans Behm, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. When beauty IS skin deep ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/19/2024 - 4:46pm -

Chicago circa 1907. "Jackson Park -- Driveway and Field Museum." Formerly the 1893 Columbian Exposition's Palace of Fine Arts; today the Museum of Science and Industry. Detail of glass negative by Hans Behm, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. When beauty IS skin deepIt's not quite the same building today: the exterior was originally a semi-permanent material ("staff") and had to be rebuilt for the Museum It's hard to tell but it looks like it might already be deteriorating in the picture. Car ID1904 Winton (with luggage rack on roof) Gentler, for sure!Shorpy should have a category just for Willoughbies! A Gentler TimeI want to walk into the photo, cross that lawn in the summer sunshine—avoiding the sprinklers, of course—visit the museum, and leave the 21st century behind. A wondrous placeWe spent many happy hours at the Museum of Science and Industry with our children when they were youngsters. Yesterday in the Park --I think it was the Fourth of July. Dog Gone Amazement ...I noticed the dog looking at one of the cars going by. He, like the people, seemed fascinated by the new contraptions rolling down the road. In 1907, the automobile was still a modern marvel. Our society was gradually transitioning from the horse and buggy to the automobile. When Henry Ford began mass producing the Model T, on the assembly line, the automobile quickly replaced the horse and buggy. That happened not long after 1907. Thank you, Dave, for all the neat photographs from history you have posted on this site! We all have the opportunity to get a glimpse of the past thanks to the person who took the picture. I'm glad this photograph captured the handsome dog, standing by his owner, looking at the car. He may have been one of the first dogs in history to chase a car! Smell v. SightI believe the dog is looking at the horse, not the car. Of course, a dog's sense of smell is more important to him than his vision or hearing and the horse's smell is probably more interesting to him than the car's. The car is just a smelly nuisance. (Panoramas, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, Dogs, DPC)
Detroit Landmarks: 1908
Detroit, 1908. "Cadillac Square, Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument and Hotel ... And: Someone stop that hat! 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A Spindly Affair This is ... (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/19/2023 - 12:32am -

Detroit, 1908. "Cadillac Square, Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument and Hotel Pontchartrain from City Hall." Also the lower section of one of the city's famous "moonlight tower" arc lamps. And: Someone stop that hat! 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A Spindly AffairThis is my first time to see one of those moonlight arc lamp towers up close. Seems kind of flimsy - though I notice all the guy wires. Climbing one of those for maintenance was surely a risky business and there doesn't seem to be anything to prevent anyone from doing so. [The lamps probably come down to street level for maintenance. Hence the crank. - Dave] Moonlight ElevatorDave, the lights didn't travel down to meet the man. The man used a hand-cranked elevator to travel up and service the lights. This is depicted and described in the following NY Times news article: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/travel/austins-moon-towers-beyond-daz... (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Knickerbocker Trust: 1904
... Fifth Avenue at W. 34th Street." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. We're just dust in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/24/2024 - 1:59pm -

New York, 1904. "Knickerbocker Trust Building and Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Fifth Avenue at W. 34th Street." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. We're just dust in the windIf you look at that first column of windows closest to the Knickerbocker Building & go up five windows, there appear to be two people there (possibly kids). A shame we'll never know who they were. [Phantoms! - Dave] There's something else there nowThe Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was torn down in 1929 in order to erect the Empire State Building. Is the Knickerbocker Trust Building still there? ¾ ain't half badWithin a few years, three of the four corners of this intersection would be occupied by buildings bearing some of the most famous names in New York (Astor, Knickerbocker and Altman). The Knick -- did anyone dare call it that when it was in its prime ? -- was widely publicized in the architectural press, and survives today, expanded and simplified ... a Faustian bargain that spared it a Penn Station type date with the wreckers. Earlier KnicksKnickerbocker Trust failed amid the Panic of 1907, although a year later it reopened for a few more years under that name. By 1912 it was an acquisition target, and the "Knickerbocker" name disappeared from the firm's title in 1914. Its building at 358 Fifth Avenue, however, was never torn down, but was expanded, then modernized to the point that it's impossible to see Stanford White's magnificent columns. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/realestate/08scapes.html (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
War Kitchen: 1941
... "Light bulb in the trash can" reminded me that here in Detroit (and I assume other cities) the Edison Co. would exchange light bulbs ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/21/2022 - 10:31pm -

July 1941. "War housing. Mrs. B.J. Rogan and her small son, Bernie, in the kitchen of the Rogans' new war home at the Franklin Terrace housing project in Erie, Pennsylvania. Mr. Rogan is a drill press operator at a nearby plant which is working three shifts on war contracts. The Rogans pay about twenty percent of their income for rent." Medium format acetate negative by Alfred Palmer for the U.S. Office for Emergency Management. View full size. Light bulb in the trash canThat used to be a familiar sight, as manufacturers held to highly inefficient--thus highly profitable--incandescent bulbs long after alternatives were possible. It took an act of Congress (Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007) to phase out incandescent bulbs that typically lasted 750-1000 hours, as opposed to today's LED bulbs which won't need replacing for 25,000 hours. That CoffeepotWas my worst enemy after visiting my father-in-law's house for the first time for an overnight stay and being asked by my wife to "make coffee." Of course I had no idea how to make coffee in that kind of pot. We had only been married a year and I had been in the US for the same. Needless to say, I greeted everyone to breakfast with the best coffee sludge a newbie could make. Still thereThe Franklin Terrace apartments are now called the John E. Horan Garden Apartments. The old kitchen was tiny but charming; now, not so much. https://www.hace.org/housing-info/hace-rental-properties/john-e-horan-ga... https://www.hace.org/about-us/revitalization/ Snack TimeIt's about 2 pm according to the clock on the wall. I am just wondering what he did to get a snack at 2 pm. When I was his age, I didn't dare ask for a snack that soon after lunch. I usually waited until about 3 pm. Chances were 50/50. If if got to be 4 pm - it was too late - 'dinner is soon'. There's a busted light bulb in the trash bin. I wonder what wattage it was. Looks peaceful to meEverything spic and span and in its place while Mrs. Rogan whips up something tasty for her family, but I'm sure it reflects accurately on the home front during wartime. Those Servel gas refrigerators always seemed to produce a faint odor, but they did work using a science I never understood of how to make cool with a gas flame. Between 1955 and 1960 with I was in Boy Scouts, we'd spend Memorial Day weekend at a deer lease in the Hill Country of Texas between Kerrville and Medina. The first thing our Scoutmaster did upon entering the asbestos sided cabin was light the Servel refrigerator and that odor lingered throughout the weekend, but we had a lot of fun. [Fun fact: Servel is a contraction of "Serving Electricity." - Dave] Movin' on upIt's new, nice, clean, and not an attic nor a small travel trailer still on wheels. I couldn't find the Rogan family in the 1940 Census, but did find this description of their living arrangement progress: "Defense housing, Erie, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. B. J. Rogan and their small son, Bernie, at home in the living room of their new defense home in Erie, Pennsylvania. Mr. Rogan is a drill press operator at the nearby General Electric Company plant. He earns $42.50 a week, and pays about twenty percent of his income for rent. Before moving into a newly constructed defense home at the Franklin Terrace housing project, he lived in a remodeled attic, and then a trailer. For the latter he paid 6 dollars a week, including all utilities." I'm pretty sure the B. stands for Bernard. The Franklin Terrace housing project is now the John E. Horan Garden Apartments. Horan was/is the director of the Erie Housing Authority. These units are now public housing. PercolatorI suggest Baxado ought to retry the percolator for making coffee. I still have my parents' percolator which is used extensively on camping trips. Makes a great cup of coffee, but be careful of the grounds! Encyclopedias, The seat of knowledge Loco ...... motive on the table. 1941, huh?Since The U.S. didn't enter the war until December, why was this family living in "war housing?" [Yes, huh. Some googling might provide enlightenment. Keywords: Lend-Lease, Battle of Britain. - Dave] Found 'em Bernard J. Rogan, Sr., wife Lenore, and son Bernard Jr. are in the 1940 census, living in Washington DC, where Bernard Sr. is an insurance agent. All 3 were born in Pennsylvania. In 1948 they are living at 2130b Gladstone Ct., Erie PA. Occupation was listed as "Tool Rpr". In 1950, they are back in Washington DC, where Senior is manager of a service station. Lenore works for the Federal Power Commission. Senior died in about 1983. Lenore died in 1992. Junior died in 2016. Let there be (free) light."Light bulb in the trash can" reminded me that here in Detroit (and I assume other cities) the Edison Co. would exchange light bulbs (burned out for new) at no charge. That went on for years until some local store owner sued Edison for restraint of trade because he wanted to sell more lightbulbs. And won! What a yutz. Monday ... is laundry day. And this kitchen appears to have a combination kitchen sink and deep laundry tub. If Mrs. Rogan was lucky she would have an electric wringer washer, otherwise it would be the old washboard. It would lean against the angled portion of the laundry tub. My 1928 house still has its original double concrete laundry tubs. There were also refrigerators that operated on kerosene. Re: Snack Time by Soda_PopGiven his age, the social conventions of the time regarding raising children, etc., it's highly likely that Junior had a relatively early lunch - between 11:30 and noon, followed by a nap. Upon rising from said nap, he could have had a regular snack, followed by playtime in the yard all afternoon. Dad may have been at work until 3 or 3:30, and walked home by 4. Dinner may not have been until 5, so a 2 o'clock snack for Junior wouldn't have been out of place. Kids' stomachs are smaller than adults are, and their metabolism is generally higher. (The Gallery, Alfred Palmer, Kids, Kitchens etc., WW2)
Detroit: 1897
Circa 1897. "Post Office, Detroit." Sign on utility pole: "Please do not spit on the sidewalk." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Not in Austin The ones in ... as noted below, they were purchased used by Austin from Detroit. - Dave] 1892 From the woman's attire in the right background, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 10:22am -

Circa 1897. "Post Office, Detroit." Sign on utility pole: "Please do not spit on the sidewalk." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Not in AustinThe ones in Austin were built in Indiana. [They may have been manufactured in Indiana, but, as noted below, they were purchased used by Austin from Detroit. - Dave] 1892From the woman's attire in the right background, (white blouse, dark skirt--not quite in an "A" line, probably a boater hat), I guess that this was taken in 1892. If she is not quite in fashion, then 1893. Moon tower!That looks exactly like one of the "moonlight towers" of Austin, Texas -- and according to Wikipedia, they were purchased used from Detroit in 1894. I wonder if that's one of the ones residing in Austin now. Fort and ShelbyThe old post office in Detroit was on the northeast corner of West Fort and Shelby. Nothing in this photo remains today. Alright, alright, alright ..."Party at the Moon Tower." Sidewalk Sign EnvyI would like to time travel and swipe some of the polite requests to refrain from spitting on the sidewalk, and bring them to current day Boston to be posted. The sidewalks are covered with spit and gum, and there is nothing quite like walking behind a spitter. That is particularly true on a windy day. Back to the photo, the post office is magnificent! I wonder if it had spittoons inside. A short tripSeems ironic that there should need to be a letterbox across the street from the world's largest post office. High SteppingWhat's with the man high stepping in the street, a block back? [He's getting on a bicycle. - Dave] Smooth pavementI can't help feeling a bit of envy by looking at that smooth pavement on the street. Notable that this was taken at a time when the automobile was still considered a fad, a mere toy for the idle wealthy, and was not still being used as a regular means of transportation. Federal BuildingThere's quite a history of this place, as well as more photos, over at: www.buildingsofdetroit.com/places/post M.O.S.W.Looks like John Cleese doing his Silly Walk in front of the library. It is quite odd to find nothing at all remaining from this wide swath. Many buildings from this era are still in place - any drive through Detroit shows that. Then & NowHey guys, I couldn't resist this one, I just went out on the bike to get an "after" photograph of this view. Enjoy! http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsgeorge/3935273602/ (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
PneuTube: 1942
... were the trips to the massive Hudson's Department Store in Detroit where they had cash registers with eight drawers. In 1972 I flew to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/05/2024 - 3:13pm -

November 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. A pneumatic tube system connects the main yard office with yardmaster offices throughout the Illinois Central railyard. Switch lists and other communications are quickly sent in this way." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Ol' Dan TuckerThe operator looks like he combed his hair with a wagon wheel. But hold on!It also cuts hair! A technology no long pneuMy local bank branch abandoned its drive-thru tube system within the past few years, but some remain, as do manufacturers of the equipment. Probably the main use today is in hospitals, providing safe and monitored transfer of laboratory and pharmacy materials. The largest urban pneumatic mail system was in Paris, where 'pneus' could be sent from 1866 to 1984, with peak usage (30 million messages) in 1945. The last such system, in Prague, was wiped out by flooding in 2002. Emails, 1942 styleI had once the privilege to work for a company that was using a pneumatic tube system well into the 1990s. Back then that was still the most efficient way to quickly share drawings and documents with colleagues who were working at the other end of a mile long facility. Back then that was the most economic way to provide prints and copies within such a company. Printers and plotters were much more expensive and needed to be utilized. Hence a central printing and copying offce. Which was located next to the microfiche archive. And also sported a microfiche printer and a cyanotype copier (as in "blueprints"). I must be getting old. BTW, the City of Prague (Czech Republic) may have been the last city to have had a municipal pneumatic mail system in operation. Alas, it got swamped during the Great 2002 European Floods, and that was that. SENDSo it's essentially an early version of text messaging. Department stores had them.I remember them c. 1958 in Cleveland, at Sterling-Lindner-Davis. There was a restaurant, too, with a child menu I was treated to a few times. And elevator operators. Red light bulbsAt least I think they're red and not blacklights. Also they don't have any protection form being broken by a wayward cylinder. Most frequent pneumatic tube communicationU up Smith's Department StoreAs a kid growing up in Windsor, Ontario in the 1950s a trip to Smith's with Mum was always a treat. When she made the purchase the cash was put into the cylinder and away it went to the cash room. The store employee wrapped up the purchase, and a short time later there would be an increasing volume of hissing air coming from the return tube and suddenly POP. The cylinder fell into a cushioned bin, and the employee would open the cylinder to give my mother her change and receipt. But the real treats were the trips to the massive Hudson's Department Store in Detroit where they had cash registers with eight drawers. In 1972 I flew to Chicago from Seattle and my cash was sent off in a pneumatic tube. Central Cashier StationI remember several stores that had a secure (caged area) that served as a central cashier location that would receive customer payments from the floor sales clerks via the tube. They would process the bill and the included cash payment and send any change back to the clerk through the tube. This way only a few folks had access to the cash drawer. Still in UseThe UK supermarket ASDA (still with a minority Walmart holding) still use pneumatic tubes to send cash paper money in pods from the checkouts to the cash office. I worked in one for a time and can still hear the vacuum motor winding up, a whoosh of air and then the rattle and clatter as they fell into a tub in a sealed safe. (I didn't tell you that OK?) I know you are, but what am I?This looks like Pee Wee Herman working his first job! It must be really hot in that office since he has actually removed his jacket and bow tie. (Technology, The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads, The Office)
Hotel Tuller: 1980s
... The Tuller Hotel was one of the largest luxury hotels in Detroit in the early twentieth century, with 800 rooms, each with a private bath. It was also the first hotel built in Detroit's Grand Circus Park district. Lew Whiting Tuller (1869-1957), who ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2011 - 5:01pm -

A circa 1980s look at the Tuller Hotel, seen earlier here and here. "Tuller Hotel, 501-521 Park Boulevard. The Tuller Hotel was one of the largest luxury hotels in Detroit in the early twentieth century, with 800 rooms, each with a private bath. It was also the first hotel built in Detroit's Grand Circus Park district. Lew Whiting Tuller (1869-1957), who erected and operated this hotel, was a major builder of hotels and apartment houses in Detroit in the 1900s and 1910s. The three distinct buildings share a common Italian Renaissance styling." Photograph and caption by the Historic American Buildings Survey. View full size. Mayor Coleman Young EraA more apt description would be that this is the Detroit of the Coleman Young era. If anyone is interested in seeing the difference between the vacant properties of Detroit against the border of affluent Grosse Pointe, look no further than the satellite photo of Google maps and the Alter Road divider to see an infill landscape (GP) versus plenty of land (Det) where thousands of homes stood less than 20 years ago. This is the area where Charlton Heston and my father grew up (although neither knew of the other). You've heard of the Honeymoon SuiteThis must be the Homewrecker Suite. Afterparty Is this after Charlie Sheen stayed there? AlmostToo sad for words. I was looking earlier this evening at a series of pictures showing how some of the great buildings in Detroit have fallen into neglect and disarray. A great shame. Liberalism's Great SocietyLiberalism's Great Society in actual practice, and what they intend to do to our entire country, if we don't stop them. [This is Reagan-era Detroit, a city whose decline does not have much to do with "liberalism," or politics in general. - Dave] Downward Spiral Just heard on NPR yesterday how Detroit's population has fallen from a high of 2 million to around 700,000 today. While I knew Detroit was in a bad way I had no idea the depth of its despair. Hard to believe the "Motor City" of my youth in the 50s and 60s has lost its prominence. How quickly it has faded. I thinkthe Who must have stayed here. And thank you, Dave, for the nippage in the bud of political nonsense. There's already too much snarkery in the world. Shorpy is above all that. Hold up there, CowboyRadical Liberalism began in the 1960s hippie movement in SanFrancisco while Reagan was still a cowboy riding his pinto across the make believe range. Radical Liberalism's rampant runaway across America is alive and well and great cities in this country are all on the decline because of it. This hotel room is repeated all over America. it's not political, it's a fact. [Factwise, when the hippies were grooving to the Summer of Love in San Francisco, Ronald Reagan was governor of California. In 2010, Detroit is depopulating as the auto industry there declines. More people would link the export of manufacturing to the free-trade policies of conservative administrations than to any kind of "liberalism." What would really be interesting (or entertaining) would be to lay out the specifics of how "liberalism" is responsible for the condition of this hotel room. As for it being "repeated all over America," the number of ancient abandoned highrise hotels in this country is probably close to zero. - Dave] I base my comments more on what I see happening in middle america where rampant extremist liberalism deposited its payload, not so much on THIS hotel room in THIS city. Point about Reagan whether he was riding the range or not, is HE had nothing to do with this hotel room. Where do you live? An Ivory Tower, no doubt where you do not have to mingle with the masses. If you are going to let in one political comment then, speaking from a liberal viewpoint, Shorpy will Also cease to exist. [Roll eyes] Interesting comment from the guy making his political statement commending you for not allowing a political statement. [Roll eyes] You run a good site here, but people are hungry in America, keep your nose clean and give us something to enjoy. [nice of you to allow me this conversation--be nice to continue it in person as so much is lost in text] [Next up on Fox: "Politically Incoherent." - Dave] Factwise, there have been some good comments, and some who understand the point I was making. You just aren't one of them, Dave. I had thought you to be a smart guy and now I realize you are just a smart-ass guy. I bet you have a small penis, too. Current Detroit PhotosColor photos of Detroit's sadder side can be seen here: http://www.marchandmeffre.com/index.html The Tuller isn't part of the set but others show the loss of what Detroit had been. Here Comes The Political MessWhy is it some people just have to share their political opinions with you? Please go where they care about your political opinion; you see I could not care less about your political views. Now if you have photos to share you have my attention. A common cycleMany a respectable hotel has gone through a cycle of decline. This is not a new thing. As fashions move on, the rising cost of redecorating to stay high-end or even respectable, at some point, intersects with falling revenues. Buildings obsolesce, become more costly to maintain, leaving less money for services. Clientele becomes more and more down-market, until the building finally succumbs to decades of neglect. Sometimes, after a decade or so of dereliction, the establishment finds new owners and new capital, and rebounds. The Tuller was not so lucky. As we have seen, some folks are just itching to blame this cycle on '60s liberalism (cue eye-roll), but this cycle played itself out many times before that decade. PoliticsI think there were some politicians of all types who contributed to the decline of Detroit, most prominently in the mayor's office. That said, Shorpy is a much better place when it is nonpartisan. Damn Hippies Killed the TullerSorry, I just couldn't help the title. The image came first. The room just creeped me out. YIKES!Looks like they kept the "DO NOT DISTURB" sign out to long. I was hereI was one of the architectural team that evaluated the condition of the hotel just before it was demolished, and the seeds of its decline were sown back in the 20's and 30's, and are not the result of liberalism, Reaganomics, or anything more complicated than the poor decisions of the owners. The additions to the hotel, especially the one on Washington Boulevard side, were poorly planned and poorly executed - you had to go outside across a metal fire escape just to get from one side of the hotel to the other! The original hotel could never have been called elegant, and its decor over the years just got worse until a 1950's remodel made it look up to the minute in 1954, but terribly dated by 1960. Every other major hotel in Detroit, the Statler, the Hilton, the Cadillac, the Fort-Shelby, was ruined by 'modernizations' in the 50's, 60's and 70's that replaced or covered the original elegance and classic details in favor of ersatz 'luxury' that faded quickly. The thing that killed them ALL, however, was the opening on the Westin in the Renaissance Center in the early 1970's. How could any old, drafty, non-air conditioned hotel with its rattly elevators, cracked plaster, peeling paint and knocking radiators compete with a 2000 room glass and concrete symbol of the future? Both the Cadillac and the Fort Shelby have been renovated and re-opened, both required complete gutting and both required conversion of half of the building to condos, just to pay the bills. Now these are the hot new properties, and the Westin looks tatty. The Tuller WAS too far gone to save, its fate was sealed in the 1950s. The '67 riots sealed Detroit's fateIn addition to the usual business cycle of fancy old hotels losing favor to newer "better" hotels, the city of Detroit received a huge black eye 15 to 20 years prior to this photo. "White flight" was in full swing by the time of the 1967 riot in Detroit. After the riots, the prosperous black population wanted to move out of the city too. The result was the affluent property and business owners moved to the suburbs. Without a reason for wealthy hotel patrons to visit the city why would there be a need for a luxury hotel in the city? Idiot's delightNobody has pointed out that the Republican party chose to hold its 1980 convention and nominate Ronald Reagan in Detroit. The idea was to showcase the problem city--AND to promise that things would be different. With 30 years' perspective, we can draw conclusions about both of those notions. The Tiresome Discussion About DetroitWhy must every discussion of my hometown devolve into either tirades about the evils of "liberalism," or none-too-subtle allusions to race (the "Coleman Young wrecked the paradise that was Detroit" angle), or some nasty combination of the two? But oh-so-little consideration seems to be given to the underlying economic structural factors and technological tides that have been much more historically important in making it both the great boom town of the early 20th century and the poster child of urban dissolution in more recent decades. Jeez o peteI think that the decline of big cities has less to do with the tidal flows of two-party politics, and more to do with the invention that made Detroit what it was, the automobile... and the mass migration of everybody with money out of those cities. Not to mention poor city planning of the 50s-60s that slashed many urban neighborhoods into pieces with freeways. Cities have only begun to recover in the past decade. In any case, I find it difficult to see how hippies are to blame, especially not for our present and future problems considering that generation is nearly in its 70s. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, HABS)
Jackson Park: 1907
... Drive, Jackson Park." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Surprisingly unchanged +105 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/19/2024 - 4:39pm -

Chicago circa 1907. "Lake Shore Drive, Jackson Park." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Surprisingly unchanged +105Google gives us nearly the exact same view. I can almost see the ghosts of the girls walking there: The land now in the background across the water is Promontory Point, a man-made peninsula opened in 1937. German BuildingThe picturesque building rising behind the stand of trees is the German Building, built for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. This is one of the few survivors of that spectacular world's fair, which covered the whole of Jackson Park and spilled over into the nearby Midway (a block wide swath of real estate between 59th and 60th Streets, then as now connecting Jackson Park with Washington Park). The German Building faced the shore of Lake Michigan, not far from the Fair's Fine Arts Building (later rebuilt as the present-day Museum of Science and Industry). Different accounts hold that it was converted into a beach house and a museum of some sort after the Fair ended. In the wave of anti-German sentiment that accompanied World War I, it was renamed the "Liberty Building" (just as sauerkraut was renamed "liberty cabbage," I guess); the structure met an untimely end when it burned to the ground on March 31, 1925. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, DPC)
Detroit: 1910
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910. "Hotel Pontchartrain and Campus Martius." Frequent photographic subjects of the Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Big Brother It must have been ... can see BERMAN on the awning) at 120 Woodward Avenue in Detroit. Below, another Misfit Clothing Parlor in New York. - Dave] ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/02/2022 - 1:05pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910. "Hotel Pontchartrain and Campus Martius." Frequent photographic subjects of the Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Big BrotherIt must have been a challenge trying to operate the tiny Hotel Metropole in the shadow of the giant Pontchartrain. And what a testament to the brand power of Coca-Cola. Ninety-five years later, that logo is so modern that it sticks out like a photobomb. Times They Are A-ChangingIf you were to have taken this picture 5 years before the horses would outnumber the cars. Who's Selling What??Love to know what "Misfit" is advertising. ["Misfit" seems to have been the retail category for what we would today call clothing seconds, or maybe something more like Big & Tall. There's another Misfit sign shown here, in New York, and here, in St. Louis. - Dave] WildlifeI love the stag and deer statues. Those things are huge! Misfits explainedBelieve it or not, people would have their pictures taken and not show up for the prints. Photogs would sell the orphan or - Misfits - pictures to recoup their losses. The main market for these Misfts, were immigrant bachelors who wanted to send pictures of their sweeties back home, but they either didn't have sweeties, or they didn't have enough to have their pictures taken. Hence, an immigrant bachelor who wanted to impress the family back in County Cork, or Berlin, would finger through the Misfit bins and pick out athe girl of their dreams. [That's a colorful explanation but, as noted below, these are clothing stores. This particular Misfit was the haberdashery owned by Sol Berman (you can see BERMAN on the awning) at 120 Woodward Avenue in Detroit. Below, another Misfit Clothing Parlor in New York. - Dave] Migrating Wildlife The "stag and deer" statue is actually of elk. It's one of several temporary monuments that were erected in Detroit for the 1910 national convention of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE), which was hosted by the Pontchartrain Hotel. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Eureka Vacuum: 1912
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Woodward Avenue." A shopper's paradise. Meet you in an hour at Cinnabon. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. View from Grand Circus Park Detroit renumbered all of their street addresses in 1920. Therefore, the old ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/04/2021 - 3:43pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Woodward Avenue." A shopper's paradise. Meet you in an hour at Cinnabon. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. View from Grand Circus ParkDetroit renumbered all of their street addresses in 1920. Therefore, the old 260 address on the left indicates that this photo was actually taken from Grand Circus Park where Park Ave. (foreground) intersects with Woodward. View Larger Map View Larger Map I am disappointed!!Just when I was in the mood for some Chop Suey and not a place in sight. Player Pianos, Fifth FloorHope they had a good elevator! Woodward buildings still standI think the current street view above is a little off. I think this picture was taken from a spot just south of Grand Circus park between where the Whitney Building and Broderick Tower are now. Most of the buildings on the right including Grinnell Brothers still stand. Also the block of buildings on the left south of the Pontchartrain Hotel are still standing. Re What were they thinking?"When this is 'View full size' we're all be dead." PianosI counted 6 piano stores not 3. Grinnell BrothersGrinnell Brothers (sign on right side of street) was a Detroit area institution all the way into the 1980's, when the entire chain went out of business. They had stores in every area mall and not only sold pianos, but other musical instruments, lessons, records, sheet music, pianos rolls, everything to do with music. Wonderful stores, they just couldn't keep up with the times. What were they thinking?I love pictures like this! This is a frozen second in the lives of all these people. Where were they all going? What were they thinking about? Who was worried, or excited, and about what? Who had just gotten good news, or bad news? Who was going to work, or to do something fun? Who was pregnant, or had new a child, or grandchild? I also wonder what was playing at the theater. I assume it was live theater, primarily, although there were quite a few short films, and the production of feature-length films was only a few years away. If I had my choiceI have to agree with user "tterrace", I'd much rather walk down the 1910 version of Woodward than today's, oh if just for a day. What sights to behold. What happenedGrowing up in Detroit and remembering my mother taking me downtown on the streetcar and shopping at Hudsons, Kerns, and Crowleys and then for being a good kid she took me across the street to Kresge's downstairs and bought me a waffle sandwich which I will never forget. I often hear the phrase "you can't go back" but I miss and loved the way the city was. Mouse Furs, yuck!Oh wait, it's Mau's Furs. Never mind. What Could It Be?I wonder what the three objects are on the street to the left and in front of the second streetcar. No one is near them. [Newspaper bundles, thrown off the streetcar for pickup by Woodward Avenue newsies, would be my guess. - Dave] Prettier?I won't get in to the prettier/not prettier debate, but based on Anon. Tipster's Google Street View links, the adjectives that occur to me are more along the lines of : 1910: alive, vibrant, visually diverse, inviting; 2011: sterile, lifeless, visually monotonous, inhospitable. Hats anyone?As far as I can tell, with the exception of one small boy, everyone is wearing a hat. Ah, those were the days. Lots of piano storesI counted three different piano shops on this block, Bush & Lane, Manufacturer's and Melville Clark. Was this a sort of "piano district" at the time, or were pianos just ubiquitous enough in parlours of the day that several dealers on a single block was nothing unusual? [Player pianos were, I think, something like the plasma TVs of their day. - Dave] "Spirit of Detroit"The buildings at the left have been replaced by the statue "Spirit of Detroit" and Coleman Young Municipal Center. There's an automatic "people mover" tram running almost directly above where the camera was. This part of Detroit is quite a bit prettier now than it was a century ago. View Larger Map View Larger Map Urgent need to tinkleIs there anyplace on this street that sells pianos?? Of course it's DetroitMore cars here than any other 1910 picture we have seen. One thing, I think I'm pretty knowledgeable about antique cars, but does anyone know what the heck that round tank on the rear of the car at center right is? Has me puzzled. [Something steamy, perhaps. Condenser? Reservoir? - Dave] Are You Properly Attired? The boy about to board the trolley seems to be, although the ring around his shoulders could also be a part of whatever he's dragging behind him. A lamp maybe? Hard to tell - I run out of pixels before I can enlarge/enhance it enough. Still, it looks like a bicycle tire to me. Perhaps other Shorpists will have better data. Bush & Lane Piano Co.on the left had their main manufacturing facility in Holland, MI. They went out of business in 1930, victims of the Depression as were many other piano manufacturers. Right RulesLooks like all the cars of the time were right hand drive. Anyone know when we decided to change? [Gradually. - Dave] Majestic TheatreThe Majestic Theatre opened in April 1915 per its website, so I wonder it that dates this post to 1915. [Detroit had several Majestic Theatres over the years. The Majestic in this photo opened in 1908 at 231 Woodward. - Dave] Piano StoresOK, I count at least six piano stores! And at least three fur stores. More piano storesI'm counting possibly seven piano stores--Bush and Lane Pianos, Manufacturers Piano Co, Cable Piano Co, Tarrand Pianos, Grinnel Bros Pianos, Melville Clark Pianos, and another just to the upper right of the Grinnel Sign. I'm surprised that there isn't a Wurlitzer sign somewhere in this. I'm also seeing a Victor Records. Pianos were all the rage for years--before everyone had radios and tv. People learned to play for entertainment for themselves and others. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
The Pontch Again: 1912
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Hotel Pontchartrain." Yet another view of this ... Square and the Cadillac Chair. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. "Misfit" I ... rope headed for a nearby ship chandlery. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/08/2023 - 5:20pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Hotel Pontchartrain." Yet another view of this relatively short-lived hostelry on Woodward Avenue, whose downfall was a paucity of private bathrooms. Familiar landmarks include the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Cadillac Square and the Cadillac Chair. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. "Misfit"I wonder what went down at "MISFIT"? Or did they just sell irregular clothing? And what could those fellas on the corner be taking a gander at? [Misfit was the haberdashery owned by Sol Berman at 120 Woodward Avenue. The headline below is like something out of the Onion. - Dave] Anywhere you wantThere do not seem to be much in the way of parking regulations yet. Check out the street in front of the hotel. Nice Cleanup DaveI downloaded the original image from the LOC a while back. You've done a very nice cleanup job for the Shorpy site! Thank you. [Thanks, but I didn't do any "cleaning up." - Dave] My mistake. I'm confusing this image with a sister image you've previously posted that was pretty distressed. Cheep lodgingsHenry Ford had a purple martin bird house at his home Fairlane that he called the Hotel Pontchartrain. Don't know if Albert Kahn was the architect. You'd Almost ThinkApparently, the plethora of windows was no offset for the paucity of bathrooms. Street sightingOdd load waiting to cross the street. Coil of rope? Life preserver? Spare tire? Aha! Much clearer in closeup. The fellow is obviously hefting a coil of rope headed for a nearby ship chandlery. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Detroit City Gas: 1908
Detroit circa 1908. " Detroit City Gas Co. building , Washington Boulevard and Clifford Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Empire Building ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/11/2019 - 12:23pm -

Detroit circa 1908. "Detroit City Gas Co. building, Washington Boulevard and Clifford Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Empire Buildinghttp://historicdetroit.org/building/empire-building/ Billows OffsetThe three verticals are all vertical on the film, producing a weird optical illusion that's typical of the period. If it's on the negative, it's done by offsetting the lens from the film (via a flexible billows) rather than pointing the camera upwards, the lens and the film remaining vertical. [Psst. BELLOWS, not "billows." - Dave] When horses polluted more than autosThe horseless carriage parked at the curb seems to be an electric car, make unknown. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Detroit Rubber Works: 1908
Detroit, Michigan, 1908. "Detroit Rubber Works." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What do they manufacture? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 6:16pm -

Detroit, Michigan, 1908. "Detroit Rubber Works." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What do they manufacture? Vulcanized, galoshes and boots, rubber bands, or condoms? [Hmm. Detroit? Rubber? Morgan & Wright was the world's largest maker of bicycle tires when, in 1906, they moved from Chicago to Detroit to exploit the needs of the growing automobile industry. In 1911 the company was sold to the U.S. Rubber Co., renamed Uniroyal in 1961.] I found the steam whistle!Just to the left of the two "smoking" smoke stacks. Cookin' With GasGreat view of a gasometer complete with promotional message on it. Story in dBusiness Magazine this MonthI just read a story about them/Uniroyal in the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of dBusiness magazine (a Detroit business periodical). Morgan & Wright's Wartime WomenDuring World War I, Morgan & Wright hired many women to fill essential production jobs previously held by men. Here's a photo from the collection of Wayne State University. Amelia Bloomer and Parisian fashion designers usually get the credit for introducing women to wearing trousers, but it's likely that more American women got to experience this for the first time during their temporary wartime jobs. Strange PhotoIt looks like something painted by Edward Hopper. Not even a rubber band can be found there today.[Area immediately southwest of MacArthur Bridge Park.] View Larger Map What did they make?Bet they made some Baby Buggy Bumpers. Uni, Roy & AlUni, Roy & Al say "Cook with Gas". (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Factories)
Bustling Detroit: 1915
Detroit circa 1915. "Woodward Avenue and Campus Martius." Among the Motown ... Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument, Ford Building, Detroit City Hall and Dime Savings Bank. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Only Two Left I was in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2012 - 4:11pm -

Detroit circa 1915. "Woodward Avenue and Campus Martius." Among the Motown landmarks in this panorama of two 8x10 glass negatives are the Hotel Pontchartrain, Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument, Ford Building, Detroit City Hall and Dime Savings Bank. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Only Two LeftI was in Downtown Detroit two weeks ago for a conference, and I got to see many of the sights that have been featured on Shorpy over the past few years. The only two buildings in this picture that are still standing are the Ford Building (the tall white building smack dab in the middle of the picture) and the Dime Savings Bank Building (the tall white one directly behind City Hall). Just about everything else is gone or - in the case of the Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument - moved. The two survivors were both designed by the Chicago firm of Daniel Burnham, as was the case for the (now demolished) Majestic Building at the extreme right edge of the photograph. Thanks for putting it all together for us, Dave! Just a few yearsIt's amazing to realize that just a few years earlier you would see this plaza full of horse drawn vehicles. We think we live in unbelievable technological times, but the changes that had taken place by 1915 were incredible. Right hand driveWikipedia has this comment about right hand drive, which makes sense now that I think about it: "On most early motor vehicles, the driving seat was positioned centrally. Some car manufacturers later chose to place it on the side of the car closest to the kerb to help the driver avoid scraping walls, hedges, gutters and other obstacles." My GrandfatherMy Grandpa was an elevator operator at the Hammond building in Detroit for nearly 50 years, from 1907 to 1956,when the building was razed. During "off peak" hours, he would run errands for the many lawyers and businesses in the building, including their most famous tenant of the early 20th century, the Detroit Tigers baseball club. Every time I see one of these amazing DPC photos of Detroit, I imagine that among the throngs of people we see going about their daily lives so long ago, was my Grandpa going about about his daily life. I just know he's there, somewhere. Thank you Shorpy for these wonderful glimpses into the past. No don't jump!Oh wait, it's a statue. Right hand drive carsI was surprised to notice many of the automobiles in this photo are designed with the driver on the right hand side, as opposed to the modern American convention of left side drivers. On the DimeIs someone standing on a window ledge on the left tower of the Dime Savings building, eight floors from the top (just to the right of the cupola on top of City Hall)? Maybe Mrs. Wiggins locked him out of his office again. Name changedThe Dime Bank is now known as Chrysler House. Right hand drive Seems a natural evolution. Almost all drivers of horse drawn vehicles sat on the right side. When speeds increased and we drove on the left side of the road, I suspect a change to left hand drive was natural. Two Little Rascals!Directly in the front of the Monument. It looks like a cop grasping two youths by their ears! Window washer on the Dime? The fellow on the window ledge is a window washer.... Look carefully and you can see his safety belt hooked into each side of the window.... A fairly common job with all the buildings with their windows! (Panoramas, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Livingstone Channel: 1910
... east." Construction of the navigation channel along the Detroit River circa 1910. 8x10 dry plate glass negative. View full size. ... New York Times, Oct 20, 1912 New Channel at Detroit Navigation into Lake Erie Made Easier — The Opening ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 11:18am -

"Livingstone Channel, looking east." Construction of the navigation channel along the Detroit River circa 1910. 8x10 dry plate glass negative. View full size. $10 Million Ditch New York Times, Oct 20, 1912 New Channel at Detroit Navigation into Lake Erie Made Easier — The Opening Celebrated. Detroit, Mich., Oct. 19. — With the booming of guns and blowing of steamship whistles, the Livingston channel, from the lower Detroit River into Lake Erie, was formally opened to commerce to-day and a fleet of fifteen vessels passed through it and on to lower lake port destinations. The new channel is constructed at a cost of $10,000,000 and will relieve congestion in the dangerous Lime Kiln crossing, where rocky banks and a swift current have heretofore troubled navigators and deleayed traffic. The ceremonies to-day were under the auspices of the Lake Carrier's Association. The City of Detroit, Michigan, Vol. IV, 1922. For a number of years Mr. [William] Livingstone advocated the construction of an independent waterway for down-bound vessels in the lower Detroit river and spent much time interesting the government engineers in the work and prevailing upon congress to supply the necessary funds for the development of the channel. In 1906 congress made an appropriation for surveys and in 1907 appropriated funds for the work and authorized it to be known as the "Livingstone Channel" in recognition of the many services rendered by Mr. Livingstone. Work was begun in the spring of 1908 and completed in the fall of 1912. The channel was opened to commerce October 19, 1912, with imposing ceremonies. This channel ranks with the important engineering feats of the age. Mr. Livingstone's progeny and legacyWilliam Livingstone has previously appeared with his children here in the "Classic Rockers: 1900" photo. According to this source, he served as president of the Lake Carriers Association from 1909 until his death in July, 1925. The channel which was named in his honor is located here in the lower Detroit River on the west side of Bois Blanc (Bob-Lo) Island. It is used by downbound vessels while upbound vessels use the Amherstburg Channel east of the Island, except during the slow winter shipping season when the Livingstone Channel is used in both directions as a traffic-controlled, one way channel. Detroit River Bypass The $10M appropriated for this much needed "Ditch" was only a scratch on the surface. This feat of engineering was to cost many more millions before it was completed to the satisfaction of the shipping industry in the 1930's. The channel itself was cut in the "dry," meaning the river was dammed in the area of excavation and pumped out. It was completed in sections. The photo shown is looking northward, I believe, and one can see the power houses used for supplying electricity to the huge travelling bucket towers in the background. The pile of rock to the right in the photo was left there and today it is referred to as Spider Mountain by the locals. The specifications for the initial cut was: 12 miles long 22 feet deep and 300 feet wide (min.) On completion in 1912 it was already outgrown by the increase in size of the newer vessels and plans were set underway for enlarging the system even more. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Downscale Detroit: 1908
Circa 1908. "Monroe Avenue, Detroit." One of the nascent Motor City's seedier (and moldier) districts. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Monroe Avenue or Woodward ... in its own way. Thanks for the photograph of a typical Detroit street. Both of my grandfathers emigrated to the US, settling in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/10/2019 - 7:38pm -

Circa 1908. "Monroe Avenue, Detroit." One of the nascent Motor City's seedier (and moldier) districts. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Monroe Avenue or Woodward Avenue?Cinematreasures lists the address for the Alhambra Theatre as 9428 Woodward Avenue. [And what are the address numbers on the storefronts in our photo? - Dave] My bad, I thought the one sign said they were moving to Monroe Ave when their building was ready. HometownSeedy but lovely in its own way. Thanks for the photograph of a typical Detroit street. Both of my grandfathers emigrated to the US, settling in Detroit around the time this photo was taken. Three years before the National TheaterMonroe Street (Avenue) was Detroit's first theater district. Near the center of the picture, the building with the arch on the ground level is the Royal Theatre (or "Royale Theatre" or the "Theatre Royale" as it's been known by over the years) on Monroe Avenue at Farmer Street. What's unique here is that this picture has the distinction of being one of the few in existence to show Monroe Avenue early in the 20th century *without* the 64-foot tall twin gold-topped towers of the National Theater - now the last remaining vestige from the aforementioned Monroe Avenue theater district. A few excerpts about the National Theater, in operation from 1911-1975 from HistoricDetroit.org : "Located on Monroe Street at Farmer, near Greektown, the National opened Sept. 16, 1911, as a vaudeville house. It was located in Detroit’s old theater district — before the movie palaces near Grand Circus Park were built. The old Detroit Opera House and the Gayety, Temple, Columbia, Liberty and Family theaters were among the venues that once stood nearby, making it Detroit’s main avenue of entertainment. Inside, its small lobby was narrow and lined with tan tile and led into the 800-seat theater, which was simple yet graceful with a high, square proscenium. The interior represents the earliest surviving example of theater construction that would later characterize Detroit’s movie palaces of the Roaring ’20s. It had a suspended plaster interior shell with a brick supporting structure. The shape and technique are similar to what Kahn used in his Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor (built in 1913). Intricate, gold-leaf designs were painted on the walls. Patrons would climb up staircases in the side towers to reach the seats in the balcony. As vaudeville slowly died out and newer theaters like the Madison (opened in 1917) started showing motion pictures, the National was forced to make changes. It, too, started showing motion pictures, but the small theater couldn’t compete with the rising movie palaces such as the Michigan and United Artists theaters and quickly switched to burlesque with a live orchestra. In the 1940s, the National Burlesk Theater was advertised as “Detroit’s biggest and best” burlesque theater. The runway was lighted from beneath with multicolored panels that the dancers pranced around in their high heels. In the 1960s, evening shows would often start at 8:35 p.m. Among the ladies strutting their stuff were Miss Dee Dee Devine, Miss Lorelei Lee, Miss Gina Gina, Miss Linda Love, Miss Leslie Lang and Miss Ann Darling. The National was Detroit’s last live burlesque theater, but burlesque was a dying fad. As its patrons took their business elsewhere, the National’s performers would start taking off more clothes. The Kahn-designed theater that opened with vaudeville closed with porn. In the early 1970s, the National made the logical progression from burlesque to showing adult films, operating as an X-rated movie venue known as The Palace. By the early 1970s, the Monroe Block was a dying, decaying area of mostly empty storefronts. In 1975, The Palace joined them." Incredibly, as of May 10, 2019, the National Theater still stands (even in its neglected state indoors, it still retains its original asbestos stage curtain), though it's been threatened recently with a proposed "redevelopment" of the entire block - in which, only the facade would be saved as some sort of "pedestrian walkway". Here's a couple of pictures of the same block with the National Theater. The first one is a colorized shot from 1918 at the intersection of Monroe and Farmer. The second is from 1988 from a similar perspective to the 1908 photo (looking south/southwest - the National Theater is at extreme left). By 1990, almost everything you see in that second photo will have been razed - everything except the National Theater: Entrepreneur heavenThe Monroe Block was a normal pre-Civil War commercial area. The area didn't change when Detroit grew up around it in 1920s. Instead, it hosted successive waves of immigrants starting their first business - for instance, David T. Nederlander, founder of the Nederlander Organization theater operators, had a pawn shop nearby when this photo was taken. In the 1970s, when Detroit hoped to build a downtown shopping mall, the city took over the Monroe Block and evicted tenants. Preservationists fought to save the buildings by declaring it a historic district, but couldn't stop the city's demolition by neglect - open windows and unmaintained roofs made the buildings unstable, and by 1990 they had to come down. The mall was never built, but earlier this year, builders started a 35 story mixed-use tower on the vacant land. 3 BallsFor many years I have known that the 3 Ball signs identified a pawn shop. This image illustrates the point where you see several shops labeled "Loan Office" with the 3 Ball symbols hanging out front. This got me to thinking, where did this symbol originate? After a very short internet search I found this link. https://www.hatcitypawn.com/blog/what-do-the-3-gold-balls-outside-a-pawn... Autobots transformed it.Urban renewaled into something else entirely. August 2018Similar perspective - 110 years later. The National Theater (left) is all that remains from Detroit's first theater district on Monroe. One thing I neglected to mention in my last post is that it's been said that Bud Abbott (of "Abbott and Costello") spent a brief stint managing the National Theater in 1915! : Two "Theater" LadiesHere is a painting I did based on a photograph taken in the 1930s in front of one of the theaters on Monroe Street. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
First Baptist: 1904
... and Hogan Streets." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Whence Fourth? I had ... the first as “Second.” First Baptist Church of Detroit Second Baptist Church of Detroit Third Baptist Church of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/11/2022 - 3:53pm -

Jacksonville, Florida, circa 1904. "First Baptist Church, Church and Hogan Streets." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Whence Fourth?I had to look it up. From here: The reasons for a “Second” church forming in a community with a “First” church can vary. Sometimes, it’s the result of a difference in theology or practice. When serious divisions or disagreements within a particular denomination or congregation exist, and they cannot be equitably resolved, the result is often the formation of a new church and sometimes a new denomination. An easy, practical way to differentiate one church from the other was to refer to the dissenting church that came out of the first as “Second.” First Baptist Church of Detroit Second Baptist Church of Detroit Third Baptist Church of Detroit Faith restoredThe Almighty didn't allow his (or her) house to be taken away, which is always a possibility when the property is in the heart of downtown (it's on the block behind Cohen Bros. -- "The Big Store"). Thank you, Lindsay, for all your skywalksWhen I saw the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville on Google Street view, I thought it must have fallen on hard times, with the boarded up stained-glass window next to the elevated Metro track. But times are good. In the attached photo the Romanesque style church is still at the NE corner of Church and Hogan. But the Lindsay Building now joins the back of the church. A skywalk across Ashley Street connects the Lindsay Building to the Lindsay Memorial Auditorium (labeled Longs Medical Supply), from where services are broadcast. The auditorium is attached to a building sometimes labeled First Baptist Church Dining Room and a skywalk across Laura Street connects the dining room to the First Baptist Academy of Jacksonville. A skywalk across Beaver Street connects the Academy to the huge First Baptist Church Parking Garage No. 2 (No. 1 is at the corner of Laura and Ashley and connects to the dining room via skywalk). Click to embiggen. SecondOh so many years ago when visiting the US (I was probably 8 or 9), I always wondered why there were no Second Baptist or Second Methodist churches in any of the towns we were driving thru. One day I asked my grandmother. She couldn't stop laughing. Never did get a satisfactory answer. Archfan: Thank you for that information. Very interesting. Answers the question that my grandmother had no clue of. Tarps over stained glass?Do I see damaged leaded glass windows? Was this under repair or the aftermath of a storm? [This is new construction waiting on windows. - Dave] Fire of 1901First Baptist Church was completely destroyed on May 3. 1901 during the Great Fire of 1901. In 8 hours, the fire destroyed 146 blocks making it the third largest urban fire ranking only behind San Francisco (1906) and Chicago (1871). Looking north down Hogan Street, at Hemming Park, from the top of the post office building. First Baptist Church was located on the second street corner on the right. [The building started out as Bethel Baptist Church, which was rebuilt after the fire as First Baptist, incorporating sections of masonry that survived the blaze. - Dave] (The Gallery, DPC, Florida, Jacksonville)
Traffic Ahead: 1901
Detroit circa 1901. "Woodward Avenue and Farnsworth Street." The future Motor ... what the world looked like from the top of a pole. Detroit Institute of Arts and the main library, across the street. The only ... the far right of the picture. Similarly, the site of the Detroit Institute of Arts, to the northeast of this corner, is out of view to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/29/2023 - 3:35pm -

Detroit circa 1901. "Woodward Avenue and Farnsworth Street." The future Motor City on the cusp of the Motor Century. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. Re: Pole ClimbingThe town here in Texas where I grew up still had the metal climbing steps on poles in the late 70s, but by then the bottom steps had been raised about 7 or 8 feet off the sidewalk, probably to keep adventurous kids from climbing the poles. I always wondered what the world looked like from the top of a pole. Detroit Institute of Artsand the main library, across the street. The only two things on Woodward Avenue that don't make me think I was born 75 years too late. bjzielinski's Street View is in front of the Maccabees Building, original (radio) home of The Lone Ranger. Actually, Cater-Corner From the LibraryThis view is looking southeast at the corner of Woodward and Farnsworth. Farnsworth does not extend west of Woodward (the street to the west of Woodward is named Putnam). The future (and current) site of Main Library is thus out of view to the far right of the picture. Similarly, the site of the Detroit Institute of Arts, to the northeast of this corner, is out of view to the far left. The location shown is now the site of the Horace Rackham Education Memorial Building (opened in 1941), which was originally built for the Engineering Society of Detroit, but is now owned by the University of Michigan and largely leased to Wayne State University. Previously on ShorpyLooking up Farnsworth in this Kodachrome from 1942. One of the photos that helped get me addicted to Shorpy way back when. Interesting poles for sureThree quick Shorpy questions: 1. The street lamp almost in the middle of the photo appears to have a pulley and rope, extending down the pole to the street. Is this light now electrified, where its predecessor perhaps was oil-fired, requiring raising and lowering the lamp twice daily for lighting and extinguishing, plus re-filling the oil? 2. The other poles which seem to be handling electricity, also basically in the center of the photo, appear to be metal. since they're honey-combed in the middle. I would have thought wood was the preferred pole material. Were these man-made (and fairly stylish) back in 1901? 3. Finally, I hope someone shows us that intersection today. Bet it looks incredibly different now. About those polesPower poles could be and WERE made from a number of different materials, although wood was the preferred medium. In western New York, many power poles and street lamp poles from this time period were made from reinforced concrete, which wasn't surprising because the County Engineer "happened" to own a batching plant. But like them or not, they were still usable until the late 1950s and early 60s. The metal poles that replaced them only lasted and twenty to twenty-five years. Pole ClimbingSome telephone poles still had the climbing steps in them when I grew up on the 50s. Since then they've discovered climbing spurs. LibraryIt looks like this photo is looking north along Woodward. If so, then the main branch of the Detroit Public Library was built in the open area to the right of the second house. Designed by Cass Gilbert, the library was started with a $750,000 gift by Andrew Carnegie. He offered the money in 1901, but the city didn't get around to accepting until 1910. Some things don't change. Eventually, the houses were replaced by the front lawn of the library, probably when it expanded in the '60s. Current viewView Larger Map PolesMark, those are arc lights, which were high maintenance compared to later incandescent and todays bulbs. Note the transformer on the pole just below the attachment of the bracket arm, the wires dropping down to it from the crossarm, and the low voltage wires hanging in a catenary shaped arc to the lamp fixture. Arc lights were much brighter and lower maintenance than oil lights. The carbon rods had to be replaced regularly, but nowhere near the daily schedule required of oil or gas lamps. Two methods were common for the way to lower the lamps. Often, the metal arm which reached out over the center of the street or intersection would be pivoted to the pole, and the winch would lower the whole arm through an arc to a level where the worker could perform his duties. In this picture, lowering the metal cantilever could interfere with the trolley wires, so the arm was mounted rigidly and the lamp was lowered straight down to service it. The metal poles in the background were for the trolley line. Wooden poles were used in the early days, round metal pipe poles with a bell shaped cap were very common, and metal lattice as seen in this picture were used to a lesser extent. Those poles and the pulleyThe metal poles are for the trolley car company's wires. More prosperous lines used metal because it lasted almost forever. Philadelphia still uses some that were erected at the start of electric service in the mid 1890s, although they have received new paint, and some have rusted to death from the inside. The light on a rope might be an arc light, whose carbons need periodic adjustment. The trolley workers can climb on top of one of their cars to get to their wires in the middle of the street, while the electric company's men climb poles, in this case to disconnect wires so the light can be brought within reach of an adjuster on the ground. That locationThat location would be Woodward Avenue and Farnsworth Street. [Incorrect. - Dave] (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Great-Grandpa was a PA coal miner
... in the mines until he was in his early 30's, then moved to Detroit, where he worked for Packard Motor Cars. My mother has this photo too. ... Also Mikula. GF left mines to work in auto plant in Detroit. Greenwood Colliery & drifts behind Birney Plaza, Pa. ... 
 
Posted by gmr2048 - 02/01/2008 - 1:18pm -

Miners from near Hazleton, PA. Exact year unknown (probably early 1900s). My great-grandfather is the bottom-left miner. View full size. Great photo! Where isGreat photo! Where is Hazleton?? My Gr. Granpa and Granpa were from "Six Mile Run". Also miners. don't think they are in your photo, but really looked. Gayle [The caption says Hazleton is in Pennsylvania (as opposed to Hazelton, in West Virginia). Google Maps shows it near Scranton. - Dave] PA CoalminersMy great-grandfather (a Lithuanian immigrant) was also a coal miner in the Hazleton area right around dthis same time frame. I'd love to know more about the people in the picture, or at least your great-grandfather. PA CoalminersI just happened to stumble onto this site and boy, the memories are flooding! My grandfather and greatgrandfather were both minors from Hazleton. Both are long gone but I still travel from Connecticut to Hazleton on a regular basis to visit family there. We have 5 generations going there. PA CoalminersI too had a grandfather and greatgrandfather from Hazleton who were coalminers. They came from Czechoslovakia around 1910. I still make trips from CT to PA to visit family there. PA Coal MinersMy grandfather came from Poland and also worked in the mines in Hazleton, PA. I seem to remember the family saying it was the highest point in Pennsylvania. I had relatives who lived both in Freeland and Highland not far from Hazleton. - Chris PA coal minersHazleton, PA is in the "hard coal" or anthracite region of PA mining country. I grew up in Windber, in southwestern PA, in the "soft coal", or bituminous region. My uncle worked in the mine. I remember the "strike breakers" going to work, and more than that, I remember the BIG men with BIG guns who prevented anyone from interfering. I was about 5 or 6 yrs old. I still have a dear friend who lives there. (We are octogenarians). Has anyone else noticed the 3 or 4 very young men, boys really, in the picture? My great grandfathers tooMy great-grandfathers both worked as coal miners in northeast PA, not sure if it was Hazleton or another town though. One was from Poland and the other was from Romania. Pa. CoalminersMy great grandfather. grandfather, and great uncles were all coalminers in western Pa. One great uncle was killed in a cave in in 1927. Back then mining was done with picks and shovels and work was sporadic at best. Mines in BelgiumI had too a grandfather and others in my great grandfamily who were miners here in Frameries - Borinage - Belgium. Some of them and many other coworkers and friends died in the many coal mines installed in Borinage in the 19th and half part of the 20th century. They worked hard and live wasn't very pleasant everyday. A link to the last mine in Borinage closed in 1961, now a museum. http://www.pass.be/index.jsp Other links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frameries http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borinage http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borinage http://www.google.be/search?hl=fr&q=borinage+mines&btnG=Rechercher&meta= PA CoalminersMy grandfather and great grandfather were coal miners in NE Pa (Plymouth, near Wilkes-Barre, which is of course near Hazleton). They were of Irish descent, and lived very hard lives. My great-grandfather lived in a home owned by the coal company, as did most of his time, and died in a mine collapse in 1895. His son lived into his late forties, and succumbed to 'black lung'. Fortunately, the family line continued and are all living much healthier and longer lives, some of them still in the NE Pa region. coal dust in our veinsAlthough no one in my family was a miner, I am from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvcania and grew up with the consciousness of coal. I recall vivdly being a very small girl in the early 50s and hearing every morning on the radio the announcements of which mines wouild be working, and which, idle. Presumably, if the mine didn't work, you didn't get paid. Mining was the only economy of the area, and when the mines finally closed, the Wyoming Valley -- probably never ever a real boomtown, certainly never for the miners--sank into depression from which it has never recovered. Our house was heated with coal; the truck would come periodically and empty its load into the chute. I would take the dark, hard crystals that had spilled in the driveway and try to draw on the sidewalk with them. As the 60s and 70s wore on, obituaries in the paper were filled with notices of old, and not so old, men who had succombed to anthracosis--black lung--the miner's scourge. The men in the mines were taken ruthless adventage of by mine owners, who exploited them and offered them shacks to live in which, even into the 60s, had no indoor plumbing. I would like to recognize all of the souls who worked so hard for so little, many of whom met their deaths deep underground. Benetah those smudged faces were proud and hardy men. Plymouth PA CoalminersMy Mother was born and raised in Plymouth, moving away in 1936-37. Her Father, and other relatives were miners. I'd like to hear from others with similiar backgrounds from the area. I still drive thru Plymouth a couple times a year. bb1300@aol.com coal miner's granddaughterGreetings from another NE PA native. My great-grandfather, great-uncles and grandfather all worked in the coal mines of northern Schuylkill County. Other relatives worked in the factories, foundries and mills in the area. This part of the country was also the birthplace of the American labor movement and I am proud to say I'm a union member. Does Anyone Have?My mother told me that we had an ancestor who was killed at one of the Southwestern PA coal mines in the early 20th century. Where might I find a list of those who lost their lives in the PA coal mines long ago? Please contact me at pje6431@hotmail.com. Thanks. PA CoalminersMy step-grandfather was also a miner in Western PA in the period 1910-1920?? I don't know if it was Hazelton. His name was Dominick Demark or Demarco. He and my grandmother and my father came from Canada, but my father and grandmother were originally from Chaleroi, Belgium. Hazleton, PA CoalminersMy great-grandfather and great-uncle worked as coal miners in Hazleton, PA. Both were born in Kohanovce, Slovakia. Great-grandfather, George Remeta, immigrated around 1892. How would I find which mine he might have worked in? I keep thinking I might be looking at a picture of him and never know it! Also, does anyone know if payroll records or employee records exist? Mine near HazeltonThe Eckley Mining Village is located near Hazelton and Freeland PA. It is an interesting village and informative as well. Some of the homes are still lived in but when the occupants die the homes belong to the village. Well worth a visit. There are some names available and the museum and churches are very good. Dot Great-grandpa was a PA coal minerGreat photo...my grandfather was too a Lithuanian immigrant and worked in the mines in Scranton Pa. I cherish the stories my mom told me of her father during that time. I once took a tour of the Lackawanna Mines..it was an experience I will never forget. My hats off to our forefathers! grandpa worked in the mines.My grandfather worked in the mines in the Hazleton area also, he kept journals, the year 1946 he speaks about working in tunnel 26 and such....hard life. HazletonHazleton is in east central PA, near Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, Wilkes Barre and Scranton. Upstate, as my grandparents called it. They were from Welsh coal miner stock and were born near/in Hazleton. These are hard, anthracite coal mines that had been worked heavily since the first railroads went through in the 1840s. mining accidentMy great grandfather was killed in a mining accident at Highland #2 colliery in Luzerne Co. PA on 2/13/1888. Would anyone know how I could get a newspaper article/obit/any info available on this accident???? Anthracite mining recordsI don't think they are available online, but the Pennsylvania Archives has microfilm of old PA mine accident records http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/Coal%20Resources.htm I'm pretty sure the coal region county historical society libraries have them too. Re: Mining accidentTry newspaperarchive.com. What was your great-grandfather's name? anthracite mining recordsFound some online. They even have 1888. Try here: http://www.rootsweb.com/~paluzern/mines.htm Throop Coal Mine Disaster of 1911I see you are from Scranton. I am from Pittston. I put together a booklet on the Throop (Pancoast) mine disaster. I included a few Scranton Mine accidents. If interested the booklet sells for $12. I will pay postage. Jim Bussacco 1124 Main St. Pittston Pa email bing1124.1@netzero.com Anthracite coal miningI always like logging onto your site. My father and three brothers were coal miners in the Pittston region. I worked as an outside laborer in the tipple of a mine. In 1943, I left the mine to go into the US Navy. When I returned after the war. I worked in strippings. Pittston was the greatest town in anthracite mining and had plenty of accidents. The last being the Knox mine disaster in 1959. I wrote a book about coal mining in Pittston, including most of the major disasters. I also have a great collection of coal mine pictures, including the Knox Mine Disaster. I hope more people with coal mine connections log in your site, Thank you Jim Bussacco bing1124.1@netzero.com PrepselsLooking for info on Prepsels, late 1800s early 1900's. My grandfather Raymond Prepsel (spelled Prepsal on some papers) came from Austria/Hungary to work the mines in the Hazelton area. On his certificate of competency issued by the Miners' Examining Board of the Fifth District of Luz. Co., Pa. dated July 16, 1898, his name is spelled Bribsel. He resided in Deringer in Luzerine [Luzerne?] County. My great-grandfather Paul was also living in the area and in Lost Creek, Pennsylvania. I'm doing my family tree and hope someone who reads this can help me. I only know that Elizabeth Prepsel (Raymond's sister ) married a Leo Witkowski and lived in Lost Creek. I'll keep checking back on this site. This is the names of the people who signed his competency certificate are Anthony Reilly, Isaac Williams and William Dinko. My Great Grandfather is in the photo too!John Yuhasz, the tall gent in the back row, fifth from the right (including the boy) is my great grandfather. He migrated from Hungary to work in the mines. He built a home on Goodman Street in Throop by the ball field just before he was killed in the accident. His wife never remarried, but his son, my grandfather Louis, worked in the mines until he was in his early 30's, then moved to Detroit, where he worked for Packard Motor Cars. My mother has this photo too. Louis passed away in 1994 at the age of 87, but he still had his carbide lamp. My Great-Grandfather was a Coal Miner too!He lived near the Hazleton area and actually died in a mine collapse in 1928. I have tried to find records of this mine explosion, but all I can find is a list of mine explosions, and there was one where 10 men died in Parsons, Pa. There was no article attached. I'm thinking that might have been the one where he died. According to family stories, he died during a rescue attempt. Anyway, on the upper right hand corner of this picture is a young man standing in the background who has a strong resemblance to some of the pictures I have of my Great-Grandfather. I would love to be able to find out if that was him. Looking for CoalAnyone know where I can order/buy a sample of anthracite? Mine AccidentGo to www.nytimes.com, and do an archive search for the 1851 to 1980 archives. Put WILKES BARRE MINE in the search box, and confine your search to May 25, 1928 to May 31, 1928. You will come up with three articles about the Parsons mine disaster. However, you will only be able to see the headlines. If you can find a public or college library that has ProQuest, which gives you free online access to the NY Times, you can read and print these articles. Good luck! Joe Manning, Lewis Hine Project. Johnny DeVeraMy dear father passed away one week ago. he and my mother are both from Pittston. PA. while going through his things, we came upon a story about a coal miner who never wanted his 11 year old son to follow in his footsteps, but rather wanted him to find a new life. Unfortunately, as the story goes, he found a new life, only to return to the old and meet his death. it is a two page story. beautifully written. my grandfather was a great writer. the story has no author. we are trying to locate the author. could be my father too. we wonder if this is a true story, regarding the outlaw, Johnny DeVera, the son of a coal miner in PA Hazleton, PennsylvaniaHazleton is near where the Luzerne, Carbon, and Schuylkill County lines meet. It is about 28 miles South or Southeast of Wilkes-Barre. PA Lithuanian Coal MinersMy grandfather was a Lithuanian miner sometime before 1960. He lived in Pittston. I'd like to find out more about the Lithuanian miners and their families. Pancoast mine disasterMy grandfather (Joseph Urbanowich) and perhaps his father worked the Pancoast mine .. I was wondering if your information includes the names of the 72 people who perished in the disaster. My grandfather was only 12 at the time, and I cannot find any information about his father. My grandfather was Lithuanian, lived on Bellman Street in Throop (Dickson City) in 1917 .. and then a couple of other places in Dickson City. I vaguely remember him saying something about being born around Wyoming Pa as well .. In any case, I'm interested in your booklet .. do you take paypal ?? Belgian minersDoes anyone have information on Max Romaine or Alex Small from Primrose Pa.? Alex was my grandfather and Max my great uncle. We are trying to build a family tree and don't have much information on the Romaine part of the family. I know for sure Alex worked in the mine for 50 years and helped get benefits for black lung. I believe Max was also a miner. Throop PAI was just reading your reply regarding your greatgrandfather being in the photo. i was born and raised in Throop and both of my grandfathers worked at the pancoast mine and also my wifes grandfather. Do you have any other names of people in the photo? I hae a lot of info regading Throop and can be contacted at sandsroad1@hotmail.com. thanks Anthracite coalYou're asking about a chunk of anthracite coal. I can sell you a 5 or 6 pound piece for $5 plus postage. I live in Pittston. Jim Bussacco bing1124.1@netzero.com River ferries & PA coal minesMy grandfather ran a river ferry at Frank, Pennsylvania, also called Scott Haven (name of the post office). The name of the coal mine was different and I have forgotten what it is. I would like to know if anyone knows where this place is today. I have pictures of the ferry and the school. Granddad moved the family in about 1920 to Crooksville, Ohio to a dairy farm. The mine either closed or was a strike and he had a family to keep. Any help is appreciated. Judy Langsford PAI am also interested in confirming a Lithuanian miner of No. 9 mine in Langsford, PA. Any help would be appreciated. Michael Lucas or Lukas or Lukasewicz. Thanks! Lance Lucas Amherst, MA Scott HavenScott Haven is on the Youghigheny River south of McKeesport.Coal mines in this area were Shaner,Guffy and Banning.Many other small independent mines.There is not much left in Scott Haven now.I'm not sure there is even a post office left. Knox mine disasterMy grandfather was the last one pulled out. Next Jan 22 is there any talk of a get together? Hazleton MinesMy great grandparents Stephen and Mary Dusick came to this country in 1888 from Spisska Nova Ves in Slovakia. They knew the place as Iglo Spisska Austria. They had a one year old son also named Stephen. My great grandfather and my grandfather worked in the mines. On the 1900 census I learned that my father, a 13 year old boy, was working as a slate picker. Perhaps George Remeta or his children knew my family. :)My grandfathers 1917 draft registration gives the name of the mine but I find it hard to read. Looks like Pzeda Bros. & Co Lattisonee Mines PA. I know I'm not close but maybe someone will recognize a few letters. correction: Lattimer Mines is place where my grandfather workedAfter doing more research I now know the place was Lattimer Mines but I still cannot read _____ Bros. & Co ____ Lattimer Mines and Mine RecordsPardee Brothers and Co. Ario (Ariovistus) Pardee was patriach of one of the three prominent families (Markle and Coxe Families are the others)who first developed the mines in the Hazleton Area also known as The Eastern Middle Anthracite Field. Pardee operated the Lattimer Mines where my great grandfather worked and where my grandmother was born. For those looking for mining records, look for the Annual Report of the Inspector of Mines. These reports cover PA's anthracite and bituminous mining districts from 1870 to present. The reports from 1870 to 1920 or so are particularly detailed. If you had an ancestor who was killed or injured in an accident, his name, age, and a description of the incident will be included. You can find some years for some districts online at rootsweb. Otherwise if you know the area where they worked, the local library may have copies. If not the State Library and PA Geologic Survey Library in Harrisburg have the complete set. Lansford PAIt's Lansford, not Langsford. The No. 9 mine is now a tourist attraction. It also has a museum which has lots of history and photos. WOW!Wow! I haven't been back to Shorpy for a while now, and it's cool to see that this photo has sparked such a discussion! I'll take a look at my original scan when I get home tonight and see if there is any other info on the back of the image. I scanned both front and back. (The original photois in the possession of my Uncle). As I remember it, tho, the only person identified is my great-great grandfather. I'll post back if I find anything else interesting. Your grandfather John YuhaszDo you know the names of the other miners in the photo? I'm still looking for information on my great grandfather, George Remetta and his son, also George, who were coal miners in Hazleton or Freeland during that time. Also, what was the name of the mine? Stephen and Mary DusickIf you could let us know the exact name of the mine it would help! Not sure if my great grandfather, George Remetta, knew your relatives. If there were Slovak Lutherans, there is a great chance they knew each other. My great grandparents attended Sts. Peter and Paul Slovak Lutheran church in Freeland. Church records are available through LDS Family centers and are complete although they are written in Slovak! Let me know...I'll be checking back with this site from time to time! Deb Remetta DusickThe 1900 census just says that my great grandfather worked in a local mine. Doesn't help. They were Roman Catholic as far as I know. My grandfather's 1917 draft registration form gives more clues. He worked in the Lattimer mines and lived on 992 Peace Street Hazleton. When my great grandfather was 60 in the 1920 census he said he worked with a timber gang. Does anyone know what that was? My grandfather worked as a slate picker when he was 13. Those poor young boys. John McGarveyMy grandfather died in a cave-in in 1887, before my father was born in late November 1887. Name John McGarvey. wmcgarvey@tampabay.rr.com Great-GranddadMy great-grandfather John Davies was a coal miner from Milnesville. I believe he's in this photo, bottom right hand corner, second from the right. He came to the U.S. from Wales between 1880 & 1895. Hello from WindberHello from Windber, Pa. I am writing stories at the present for our new quarterly historical newsletter for the Windber Area Musuem, it is being mailed out to museum members as a thank you for their support, membership is only $5 per yr, if interested in receiving it. Your story of remembering the guns, etc. is one of the few I have heard from someone who actually still remembers that period of time in Windber's coal strikes., etc. If you have any photos, or a story of interest, small or big, memories, etc. that I could put in our newsletter I would be happy to receive it. Also if you happen to have served in the military service we are planning to honor the men and woman from this area by having their photos and service records displayed during the month of July in the museum. thank you for your interest in our endeavor. Patricia M. Shaffer, dstubbles5@aol.com No. 9 MineMike Lukas was my grandfather from Lansford, Pa., and worked in the No. 9 mine until it closed in 1972. - Mike Futchko badkarmahunter@yahoo.com No 6 mine LansfordI am looking for any info on # 6 mine in Lansford. My grandfather was a miner there and suffered a massive stroke in the mine. PLEASE if you have any info or pictures of this mine, PLEASE contact me papasgirl@verizon.net. Thank you very much. Lithuanian Miner George NeceskasMy grandfather George Neceskas was a miner in Scranton PA at the Marvin Mine. (His Army discharge papers list his name as George Netetsky). Some of his relatives still live in Scranton, although I am not personally acquainted with any of them. None of us ever went down in the mines after he did. He had 4 children. 3 of those 4 had a total of 6 children (including my brother and I) and those 6 children had a total of 8 children. 2 of those 8 children have 2 children each. None of those 4 bear his last name anymore, although there are still some Neceskases living in New England now. Only his children spoke Lithuanian. None of his other descendants were taught the language. Pa. MinersHi! My family (from Plymouth) were all coal miners. They were McCues, Burnses and Keefes, from Carver Street and Vine Street and Shawnee Avenue. My Uncle Fritz (Francis Keefe) was blown up in a mining accident in the 1950's, and nearly killed, but left with a green freckled face on the left side. The early relatives were Hugh McCue and Peter Burns from Ireland. County Cork and County Downs. Do you know anything of that? My mother's father, Patrick McCue, born in the 1870's, worked as a breaker boy starting when he was 9. He was orphaned that year. Please respond to Turkeyfether@aol.com Thanks, Kathy My great great grandfather My great great grandfather worked in the PA coal mines. He died in 1906 in Scranton when he failed to heed his helper's warnings to not go back and relight the fuse. He was 46. I have his obituary and death certificate. He suffered a crushed hand, fractured skull and a fractured radius and died from shock. There were reports that his eyeball fell out but I'm not sure. His wife had a ride to the hospital but did not have a ride back so she had to walk 15 miles back home to tell my great grandfather and his siblings that their dad had died. So, my great grandfather and his younger brother started working in the mines when they were 11 and 10, respectively. He was born in Switzerland and only spoke German at home. He's buried in Forest Home Cemetery in Taylor. I think my great grandfather started working Pyne Breaker in Taylor and my aunts at the Economy Silk mill in Taylor. Coal miners in the 1920 CensusI'm researching family in VA and WV. I found in a 1920 census in column 13 (normally for year of immigration) the letters BWF and sometimes MH and these men were coal miners. Can anyone tell me what the initials stand for? I'm aware of the UMWA, a union. Could they be the initials of the company name of the mine? Also the birth state has USW above the state name. Am I on the right track? Thanks for any help. Carol Caf1b2h@cox.net [Googling those initials gives this answer: The census abbreviation BwF means boy living with father; MH means a miner is the head of the household. - Dave] Two Lithuanian GGF's were Coal MinersOne was naturalized in 1892. He lived in Scranton, Nanticoke or Sheatown at various times. I suspect he was brought over as "Contract Labor". That was the story from Grandfather, supposedly it was a German firm. Anyone know the names of the companies that did this sort of thing, in those days? Does anyone understand what the immigration process was at that time? I'm trying to work backwards from the Naturalization to establish the year he came over. His last name was Lastauskas (which morphed into Lastowski). Underwood CollieryI am looking for pictures, information, families that have relatives that lived in Underwood Village near Scranton that are interested in sharing photos, etc. My grandfather was a mine superintendent there until they tore the village down. Thanks. [How are people supposed to get in touch with you? - Dave] Underwood Connection?I recently found a photo of breaker boys on a site called "100 Photographs that Changed the World" by LIFE. My grandfather and G. Grandfather worked in the mines in PA and W.V. The 4th boy from the left, in the front row I believe is my grandfather. If you took my nephew, put him in those clothes, and smeared coal dust on his face, you would not be able to tell them apart. Even the way he stands to the look on his face (we call that the Underwood scowl, my dad had it, my son has it, and my granddaughter has it. In researching the picture, it was breaker boys from South Pittson, PA. If any one has any information on Clyde or Fred Underwood, I would be excited to hear from you at: kenginlaz@comcast.net. Thanks! Mining disaster 1911I live in the uk and have two family members with a date of death/ burial 13/5/1911. Can you tell me where I could find a list of miners killed in Throop disaster in 1911. My email is caroleh1@hotmail.com Mining disaster infoI would recommend contacting the following for starters: http://www.pioneertunnel.com/home.shtml After that, try the Pennsylvania Archives at: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=2887&&leve... One other area is the Luzerne County website. http://www.luzernecounty.org/living/history_of_luzerne_county These people are an excellent resource at the Osterhout Library: http://www.osterhout.lib.pa.us/ Last but not least. Go here first: http://www.luzernecounty.com/links2.htm I do not think you will be too successful in your quest. I hope I have been somewhat helpful to you and not caused too much confusion. Good luck. Williams Coal MinerMy great-grandfather and great-uncle both died in a coal mining explosion near Scranton. I am not sure where though. My dad says it was before he was born, prior to 1928. He thinks it was in Taylor, PA. Anyone have any info on Williams? rcanfield4@yahoo.com Davis miners of Schuylkill Co. PAMy David ancestors were all coal miners from Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the late 1800s and early 1900s. John Davis, my great-great-great grandfather, came from Wales as a small child. He married Ann Hanna and died in 1902. One of their sons, David David Davis [??] (my great-great grandfather), and Charles Garfield Davis (great grandfather) were miners. I don't know if at any point they spelled or changed their name from Davies to Davis. But there were so many Davis and Davies miners during that time. This was such a huge family with so many children from each generation and I know there were other John Davis'/Davies in the family. Do you have any further info about the family I could research and maybe help? Please email me, froggy3538@msn.com Lithuanians in the PA minesMy great grandfather and great-grandmother worked in the Scranton mines during the early 1990s [1890s? - Dave]. My grandmother was born in Scranton in 1915.I am interested in finding more info especially documentation of their existence. Their names were August and Anna Palukis. Have you found any similar info? My email address in barthra@utrc.utc.com Thanks Bob Barth from CT. Taylor Borough Mine Disaster 1907I now have more information regarding when and where my Great GF and Great Uncle were killed. It was the Holden Mine in Taylor Borough, PA. Any information would be great! rcanfield4@yahoo.com dot2lee@yahoo.com Hazelton MinesMy mother's father, Conrad Sandrock, worked the mines around Hazelton most of his life. They lived in a small town just out side of Hazelton called Hollywood. There were strip mines across the road when I was young (1950s and '60s). I always love looking at the pictures on this site and wondering if my grandfather worked with any of these men. I know I have never worked a day in my life that would compare to one day in these mines. I take my hat off to all the men who fed their families do this kind of work. Would love to see the average kid nowadays try that. G-Grandfather Lithuanian coal miner in Hazleton.Apparently my Lithuanian G-Grandfather was a coal miner in Hazleton, PA around 1900-1915. Haven't been able to find out much more information than that. Anyone know where I can find census records, by chance? Information pleaseMy great-grandfather immigrated from Hungary to work the coal mines at Derringer and Tomhicken circa 1887. I welcome any information you may have about how they were recruited, how they were transported from the port of entry to Tomhicken. The Pennsylvania Historical society record of Lucerne County said miners paid for a plot of land to bury their loved ones. My great-grandparents lost three of their children and I would like to locate where they are buried. Also I am interested in knowing if their deaths were recorded by the State of Pennsylvania or some other agency (Town, County) that existed at the time. Finally, I want to know of any stories that were written about the life that they and their families endured during this time. Please contact me at mtkotsay@gmail.com Thank you very much. [Your great-grandparents -- what were their names? - Dave] Taylor, PA, Coal Miner RelativesMy mother's family is from Taylor where her father, George Zigmont was a coal miner. They lived in a neighborhood called "The Patch." The houses were built on top of the mineshafts while they were digging the coal out underneath. Years later the abandoned shafts started caving in and the houses became unstable. The entire community was condemned and the homeowners forced to move. My grandfather, his daughter, my great-aunt (who owned Rudy's Bar at the top of 4th Street) and her daughter were among those who had to give up their homes and got virtually nothing for their property or houses. I believe this was in the 1960s or possibly early '70s. George's father, Anthony Zigmont, immigrated from Austria/Poland in 1893 and settled in Taylor. How did these immigrants wind up in Taylor from Ellis Island? Did someone direct them there? Did they already have relatives in the area? Was there a group who immigrated from the motherland and settled together in Taylor? If so, does anyone know where in Austria/Poland they came from? Slovakia, miners fromOne looks like my grandfather. Second row down on left in white shirt and tie. Mikula is last name. He came to PA mines after death of his father in mine accident. Also Mikula. GF left mines to work in auto plant in Detroit. Greenwood Colliery & drifts behind Birney Plaza, Pa.Information received. Immigrant coal minersMy grandfather immigrated from Slovakia and worked the coal mines in Coaldale, Pennsylvania. Does anyone know what year this might have been? My great-grandfatherMy great-grandfather was also a coal miner for Moffat Mines. His place of employment was near Taylor in Lackawanna County. I recently retraced his steps and wrote about it here. What a challenging life they led. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, Mining)
The Heart of Detroit: 1907
Detroit circa 1907. "The Campus Martius." Landmarks include the Detroit Opera House, Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Cadillac Square, Wayne ... source. [A Shorpy favorite, seen in many of our Detroit photos, for example, here , here and here .] re: Seedy ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/29/2012 - 10:13am -

Detroit circa 1907. "The Campus Martius." Landmarks include the Detroit Opera House, Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Cadillac Square, Wayne County Building, Hotel Pontchartrain. Panorama of three 8x10 glass negatives. View full size. A calamity?Something big must be going on behind the Pontchartrain! A fire engine speeding left to right and dozens of men appear to be running toward the same destination. Or is it happy hour at the establishment proclaiming Kentucky Whiskey available here? Even the group of folks standing at the corner of the Hotel have their attention turned in that direction! So much going on here! High speed photographyNo Shorpy spirits, except the sprinters already mentioned. Concerning those lights, how much illumination did they actually cast? Is a radio towerin the center of the picture? It appears to be a large tower. [It's a street light. -Dave] Horse SenseThe Motor City with more horses than motors! In back, the classic sign of economic progress -- smokin' chimneys. Rajah CoffeeCan Starbucks be far behind? SeedyJust sayin' Moonlight TowerI believe that the structure in the center foreground of the photo is a moonlight tower. It was an early form of street lighting where there would be one tall tower with bright, probably carbon-arc, lights instead of multiple smaller lights closer to the ground. Austin, Texas is the only city that still has these in operation, although they have been updated to use a modern light source. [A Shorpy favorite, seen in many of our Detroit photos, for example, here, here and here.] re: SeedyThe Ferry Seed Warehouse seen in the background is at the western end of what is now Greektown. It's now an office building. Women downtownI have noticed over and over on Shorpy that almost every city street scene in the northern states features women bustling about, presumably doing their shopping, having lunch with their friends, walking with their daughters, etc. In the photos of southern cities, you almost never see women on the streets. Nearly every southern city street scene comprises pretty much entirely men. Why is this? Heat? No place for "a lady" to be seen? Has anyone else noticed this? "Man of the Hour," againAlso playing on Shorpy at https://www.shorpy.com/node/11486 The NYT called it a "Virile Melodrama," and said: "A youthful Mayor who cannot be bribed or intimidated, a financier who wants to get control of a street railway franchise in perpetuity, and a pair of political bosses, who are at odds with each other and who are fighting to gain supremacy in their organization -- these are the chief characters in George Broadhurst's play "The Man of the Hour."" D.M. Ferry and U of Michigan sportsDexter M. Ferry, the man behind the seed company in this picture, donated the land in south Ann Arbor on which today's U of M athletic venues stand. One of which, the outdoor track and field venue, is named Ferry Field. Before today's Michigan Stadium, Ferry Field was the home of the football Wolverines, and the iron gate with the "FERRY FIELD" name remains in place on south State Street. True CrimeAnother fantastic pic of the Campus Martius area, giving the rare view up Monroe Street where Gies's European Hotel operated (the attached building to the left of the Hotel Fowler, center of pic). In 1894, the infamous H. H. Holmes lodged Mrs. Pitezel there for a few days, the poor woman never knowing her daughters Alice and Nellie were but five blocks away. (Panoramas, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Detroit Creamery: 1915
Detroit circa 1915. "Detroit Creamery Co." At right, the Hotel Tuller; at left, a dealer in Studebaker wagons. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. I see ... what looks to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/30/2022 - 1:38am -

Detroit circa 1915. "Detroit Creamery Co." At right, the Hotel Tuller; at left, a dealer in Studebaker wagons. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. I see... what looks to me like a little person peeking out of the window above and between the words DETROIT and CREAMERY to the right of the main doors. Then there is the pair discussing something -- or at least, a young man is gazing out of the window while someone (I can't tell if it is another gent or a lady but I suspect it is the former) is speaking earnestly to him. The horse second from right is either sneezing or neighing, or both ... and the black wagon to the far right is decorated with swastikas, which, according to Wikipedia, were a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck in the West prior to 1930. Thanks, Dave. I was going to say, either a little person peeking out, or a flower pot. "Circa" covers a lot of territoryRumour has it this photo is somewhat older: 1908 ... which seems more consistent w/ the lack of motor vehicles (OTOH in 1915 they proudly announced the opening of their new garage and stables for "253 horses...and 132 milk wagons", so who knows?) And don't even think about checking: nothing remains at Cass and Grand River but the sky (Tho an utterly charming Romanesque building remains from to the left of where the camera was). [The photo shows the Hotel Tuller annex addition completed in 1910. Horse-drawn ice and milk wagons were used well into the 1950s. - Dave] The Tuller could settle it, but, unfortunately the side we're seeing - in this print anyway - is the Adams Street side, which was built c. 1906. (I'll concede however it must be after the 1910 addition of 5 floors to the top). [The "New and Greater" Detroit Creamery and Ice Plant shown here had its grand opening in February 1911. This is not a print -- it's an inverted scan of the camera negative. - Dave] Good Luck and ProsperityThat's what the swastika on the back of the wagon, far right, symbolizes in Asian cultures. It became infamous about twenty years after this photo, when adopted as the symbol of the Aryan "race" by the Nazis. One wonders what the lettering on the wagon says. [STANDARD LAUNDRY. Which advertised in the city's German newspapers. - Dave] Don't Cry over Spilled MilkIt appears that the Creamery was located at the three-way intersection of Cass Avenue (to the left), Middle Street (to the right), and Grand River Avenue in the foreground. Middle ends at Clifford Street, the dark building beyond the laundry wagon. An aerial photo from 1949 shows the building to the left still there, but this corner was already a parking lot. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Horses)
« first‹ prev1 [2]3…next ›last »
Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.