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Migrant Jalopy: 1939
... Valley over this ridge. View full size. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. (The billboard up ahead: "76 miles to GRAPEVINE air cooled cafe.") ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 10:53am -

U.S. 99 in Kern County on the Tehachapi Ridge. February 1939. Migrant workers travel seasonally back and forth between the Imperial Valley and San Joaquin Valley over this ridge. View full size. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. (The billboard up ahead: "76 miles to GRAPEVINE air cooled cafe.") TodayIf you took the cars away, it could just as well be today. The RoadI'm not sure I think this was during that time frame. The road looks too good, and well paved, and a lot of them were not in those days. The road paving could'veThe road paving could've been a federal make-work job (WPA / PWA). Many roads got paved during the Depression. My Dad remembers his Dad working on the crew that paved the street where they lived. The guardrails certainlyThe guardrails certainly aren't modern. i got a camera, you go find some old cars and a time machine...i also noticed that the cars are not modern, neither is the picture, being that its a clearly documented photo from 1939...(when was the last time you saw a highway with 1 billboard on it?) Route 99Route 99 goes way back, as well as from Mexico to Washington. wonderful collectionI love that you are collecting and preserving these old photos. I feel like much of our history is diappearing in hot attics and damp basements. Thanks, Dan http://www.reflectionimageworkshop.com/ Route 99Note that it's a three-lane highway. The center was a first-come/first-serve passing lane for each direction. At least if things went according to plan. The last one I personally remember was more or less in the vicinity of Monterey or Salinas, Calif. in the early to mid-1950s. A precursor of the much safer 4-lane "super-highway." Also, the roadway itself is concrete, with old-style ka-thunk ka-thunk ka-thunk expansion joints. Shoulder is asphalt, as was typical. Can't be 76 milesThat's definitely US 99, all right. Also known as the Ridge Route Alternate, it had this three-lane configuration from its construction in 1933 until it was widened to four lanes in 1948-'51. This photo must have been taken somewhere between Castaic and the present-day Interstate pit-stop of Grapevine. No point along this route is more than 40 miles from the town's 1939 location (which, thankfully, is roughly where Google pinpoints it). As for the whitewashed redwood guardrails, I recall many older California highways still having them in the '80s. Update: Google has since moved the pushpin to the current (post-1960) location of Grapevine, the D-shaped off-ramp turnaround at the valley floor. Grapevine Cafe ThoughtsIt sure looks like a location just a few miles uphill (Los Angeles side) from where Frazier Mountain Parkway goes off to the west. Where the truck stop is. Maybe 4-8 miles from Gorman. I'm wondering if the Grapevine Cafe is a cafe of that name located somewhere further along 99. So I just checked the mileages on Google maps and guess what using the current improved and straightened freeway, Delano is 75.3 miles from Gorman. The Delano area is and was a major producer of table, raisin and less expensive wine grapes. In fact for those of us old enough to remember, the Cesar Chavez led UFW strike against the table grape industry erupted in Delano. Sounds like it would be a reasonable place to locate a Grapevine Cafe. More trivia - this is the area where Christo implanted his umbrellas. Plus these hills in a good year can be covered with large swathes of yellow flowers and orange California Poppies. A last little stub of Highway 99 now ends at the border crossing between Calexico and Mexicali at the south end of the Imperial Valley. Most of the original 99 has been supplanted between the Imperial Valley and the pictured location by CA 86, then I-10 and I-5. I-5 splits off at the base of the "Grapevine" Tejon Pass, and 99 follows it's original routing north through the major population centers of the Central Valley to where it is absorbed again by I-5 As far as the road being in that condition, this being the major of the two routes from Southern California into Central and Northern California, it would have received a lot of attention and improvements during the WPA era. The other route being 1/101 along the coast +74The pavement is three years old in Lange's photo. The buildings on the opposite wall of the canyon are the remnants of the original 1915 Grapevine, which served the old Ridge Route, a road which better meets popular expectations of an "old" highway, although it was completely paved as early as 1919. The last two remaining tourist cottages were demolished in 1999. The Grapevine Grade, seen here, was upgraded to four lanes with a center guardrail in in 1943, as the highway's strategic importance and high accident rate made this a priority even in wartime. The present eight-lane configuration, with the northbound traffic on the east wall of the canyon, dates to 1960. In 1986, I could barely maintain 30 mph up the Grapevine Grade in my '79 Dodge Colt. I can only imagine the troubles of the migrant jalopy. View Larger Map (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dorothea Lange, On the Road)
Trunk Show: 1936
... in California." Dust Bowl migrants photographed by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Brave ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/14/2013 - 6:17pm -

Feb. 1936. "Drought refugees in California." Dust Bowl migrants photographed by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Brave peopleYeah, they look down, but they don't look out. Dorothea Lange had a genius for finding the heart and soul of Depression America. Depressing DepressionFrom what I can tell, the baby is clinging to her mother who appears to have another one on the way. The Grandmother and the younger sister don't seem to be enjoying themselves either. If they stayed in California, their lives probably improved. Master of CompositionWhenever I look at the examples of the FSA photographers that appear here on Shorpy, I am always struck by Dorothea Lange's mastery of composition. Her photographs draw the eye in immediately, and deliver an emotional response in the viewer that all of today's digital magic cannot reproduce. I certainly don't mean to be dismissive of the other 10 FSA photographers. I find Jack Delano's railroad photos to be awe inspiring at times. And Russel Lee and John Vachon have created memorable images as well. But when it came to photographing people, Lange seemed to have an eye for composition and exposure that was above the others. Depression yearsI've been in my own depression years both emotionally and financially so I know the look on those faces. My heart goes out to them and I hope they found a way out eventually as I did. Times like that are hard on a man but more so on a women who has the natural desire to have a home and keep it warm and cozy for her family. Living in dirt is hard and uncomfortable in a lot of ways. Constantly traveling to find work is discouraging and maybe a place to put down roots again would be a deep longing for them. On the other side of the story, my mother lived through the great depression but it didn't leave much of an impression on her. Not everyone was affected with dirt and poverty even though she lived through some serious dust storms. My dad's experience was a bit different. He was a farm boy and told me they lived off the land, my grandfather lucky to have two nickles to rub together for 9 children and a wife. My grandmother had small pox over her entire body while she was delivering her 10th child. I can't even begin to imagine what life was like back then nor do I try to. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dorothea Lange, Dust Bowl)
A New Beginning: 1939
... View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. If I Had a Pony Lyle ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 7:05pm -

October 1939. "Ex-Nebraska farmer now developing farm out of the stumps. Bonner County, Idaho." View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. If I Had a PonyLyle Lovett's grandpa, possibly? A perfect character study...Sheer timeless quality. Mr. FarmerThat's what you call your iconic American face. In a word...Rockwellian. [Or Grant Woodian. - Dave] Urban Cowboys take noteThis is why NONE of you should wear your "cowboy" hats or anything else that takes your fancy from J Peterman's. Do you see how this man looks, how right that hat fits him in every way? On you it has the exact opposite effect. I'm begging you, put the hat down and just walk away. The hatMy grandfather wore a similar style hat all the time. He was an Alabama cotton farmer (Jefferson County) who would still use mules to plow the fields. Hats served as a shade from the hot summer sun, a temporary water holder for giving the mules a drink, and when thoroughly soaked in water, the hat would keep your head cool as the water evaporated. Usually farm folks had two or three different hats...a work hat, a meeting hat when you went to town, and a dress hat for church. Same story with shoes too as I remember it. If hats were still popularWouldn't it be great if hats were worn for more than just style today? I'd wear a hat like this. With all the talk of skin cancer, I'd like to see them become more than a fashion statement. Of, course, I don't think I could ever look as great as this gentleman. I'd bet he was a pleasure to talk to. Many HatsMy grandfather wore a similar style hat all the time. He was an Alabama cotton farmer (Jefferson County) who would still use mules to plow the fields. Hats served as a shade from the hot summer sun, a temporary water holder for giving the mules a drink, and when thoroughly soaked in water, the hat would keep your head cool as the water evaporated. Usually farm folks had two or three different hats -- a work hat, a "meeting hat" for when you went to town, and a dress hat for church. Same story with shoes too as I remember it. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Portraits, Rural America)
Home Is Where the Tent Is: 1939
... Willow Creek area, Malheur County, Oregon. Photograph by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Horse ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 5:17pm -

October 1939. "The Fairbanks family has moved to three different places on the project in one year." Willow Creek area, Malheur County, Oregon. Photograph by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. HorseWhat's going on with the horse's head? It looks like it has a crater by its ear. Yikes! Re: Horse>> What's going on with the horse's head? It looks like it has a crater by its ear. Yikes! It's called the temporal fossa. Fossa being Latin for "cavity" or "pit." A hollow that goes up and down when the horse is chewing. Hat.Looks like the top of Mr. Fairbanks' hat has a fossa of its own... Oregon, finally!I've been looking for pictures from Oregon. Thank you, Dorothy Lange, and thank you Shorpy. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Horses, Rural America)
Young Family, Penniless: 1936
... where they were working as field laborers." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Ties That ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/20/2013 - 8:56am -

November 1936. "Young family, penniless, hitchhiking on U.S. Highway 99 in California. The father, 24, and the mother, 17, came from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Early in 1935 their baby was born in the Imperial Valley, California, where they were working as field laborers." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Ties That BindThe one main thread that I see in all these Depression Era photographs is: no matter how poor the family, no matter how dire the circumstances - there is a bond, a closeness, a sense of loving togetherness that overwhelms me. All these folks know a heart-wrenching poverty that I can only imagine; yet.. there is always a sense of family, of staying together no matter what life brings. How strong these people were! I admire them far more than my poor words can convey. I hope this family somehow, someway found a better life - they deserved it! I guessthings aren't too bad with me. We need some Joe Manning magic.Oh, how I would love to learn about this baby's life. Such a powerfully stark and simple photo. Futile, and Yet --Photos like this make me want to entertain sappy thoughts about time travel, retroactive charity, and other impossibilities. An obviously cherished baby, parents -- turned out as presentably as they could be under the circumstances -- vainly seeking a chance at subsistence along the relentless desolation of old Route 99 .... If this scene doesn't personify the concept of the "deserving poor," then the viewer has neither heart nor mind. One of ManyCannot help but wonder what happened to this couple and child. Probably many more out there in the same boat during the great depression. We will never know but lets hope they did OK. One wonders what happened to themI find this a very touching photo, a vignette of the seemingly hopeless situation of many people during those years. The nation survived, but did they? How did they fare, I wonder? And where are their descendants today? Do they even know what it took to bring them to this point in time, with all our relative prosperity and advances? We're the peopleMa Joad summed it up best in The Grapes of Wrath: "Rich fellas come up an' they die, an' their kids ain't no good an' they die out. But we keep a'comin'. We're the people that live. They can't wipe us out; they can't lick us. We'll go on forever, Pa, 'cause we're the people." Still DignifiedDespite all their trials and tribulations, this couple still maintain their dignity and dress themselves, and their small child, in a fine manner. This shows their unshakeable optimism and their strength as a family. Better times are ahead! We might have been related...but I don't know of any relatives in Winston-Salem. (The "y" in "michaeljy" stands for Young.) My family was pretty lucky in that most had stable jobs during the Depression in the Carolinas. Grandfather with the Post Office, great-grandfather with Coca-Cola. My father turned 17 just in time for World War II. My maternal grandfather, a farmer, did work temporarily with the WPA as a road paving crew foreman, after the price of cotton collapsed. He told the story of a cousin who was sitting next to a railroad track watching a freight train pull slowly by, and, despondent over not being able to support his family, decided to commit suicide by placing his head over the rail, allowing a wheel to decapitate him. Another cousin was conductor of the train. It was a small town. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Kids)
Dead Ox Kids: 1939
... Malheur County, Oregon." Medium format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 2:45pm -

October 1939. "The Free children in doorway of their dugout home in Sunday clothes. Dead Ox Flat, Malheur County, Oregon." Medium format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Saggjn' but not braggin'That young man second from left would certainly be "fashion forward" with the 5 inches too big in the waist pants but for A) I'm sure he's not wearing them that baggy on purpose and B) he'll make do because it's likely these or nothing he's got the sense to keep 'em up with a pair of suspenders. Lest we think their home is oddHere's a blog (with a tip o' the hat to Shorpy) about Dead Ox Flat, and as you'll see even the town church was built Dug Out Style. Makes sense because the area seems to be on the plains, and in Oregon that means major snow and bitter cold. http://www.hamell.net/2010/07/dead-ox-flat-oregon/ The flats.Definitely the "dry " side of Oregon ! I live in the state as well in a area known as Rabbit Flat, down in Klamath County. There were a few dugouts built way back when but they are long gone now. Oregon FarmerWe are farmers! Okay, not that Farmers. The company insuring this home started out in the publishing business and branched out from there. Today, affilliates are all over the west, mostly offering Health and Life Insurance- Farmer-Stockman. Farm Progress (an ABC/Disney Company) now owns the original magazine publishing empire and still prints today. Hand Me DownsI'm thinking, BamBam, that's he's stuck with Pa's hand me downs while his brothers get his old clothes. It's funny, today people just wear suspenders to simply wear suspenders, when this kid is wearing them because he has no choice. Down in the dirtBut not down in the mouth. These kids are happy and they and their clothes are clean, even if a touch the worse for wear. No small accomplishments in the 1930s. And cute little curtains hang in the windows, to boot. I bet this family is resourceful! My GrandpaThis photo is of my Grandpa and 3 of his siblings. He's the one on the far left in the back. [Great! Can you put names to them all? Had you see this photo before? - tterrace] (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Rural America)
The Whitfields: 1939
... Carolina." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Daddy's little girl I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 11:48am -

July 1939. "Tobacco sharecropper's house. White family. Rural rehabilitation clients. Whitfield family. Near Gordonton, North Carolina." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Daddy's little girlI bet he didn't spoil her (much). CropsSomeone was asking about the crops grown here. Gordonton is in Person Co., not too far from Granville Co. Rural RehabilitationInteresting caption. But just what are rural rehabilitation clients? Sounds like a classification that a federal bureaucrat would come up with! [Google books link - Dave] A roving eyeShe's grown heavy from having four children and tries to keep her family and herself looking nice. He has a roving eye and considers himself quite a dandy. He holds his cigarette the way the guys in the movies do. He'll go away before long. Interesting that the brim of his hat echoes the roofline, wavy and worn. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Kids, Rural America)
On the Road: 1939
... View full size. Medium format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Travelin' Man No doubt ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 2:43pm -

February 1939. Calipatria, Imperial Valley. Car on siding across tracks from pea packing plant. Twenty-five year old itinerant, originally from Oregon. "On the road eight years, all over the country, every state in the union, back and forth, pick up a job here and there, traveling all the time." View full size. Medium format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Travelin' ManNo doubt he had many interesting stories to tell his grandchildren. Travelin' mansaddest picture I've seen in along while Riding the RailsI didn't get "sadness" from this one, unlike some of the of the other photos . . . . I see a train with no grafitti and a time when you could still ride the rails . . . . I love reading the different perceptions from people, as I said in a prior post, we see what we see. Travelin' ManI thought this picture captured the image of men in the 1930s. Thanks for posting these awesome pictures. Helped me out a ton. Illusion of civilityRiding the rails was very much illegal and dangerous in many ways. My grandfather, who was a brakeman on the Southern RR in the 1930s, had a co-worker who was killed by a desperate rider who thought he was going to be kicked off the train. After that, Granddad carried a revolver in his overalls (against all company rules, of course) until times got safer after World War II. Fruit trampsMy dad who died last year at 99 traveled this way from time to time chasing the fruit harvest. They called themselves "fruit tramps" and worked all over the West. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Railroads)
Zollie Lyons: 1939
... View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange. They all look so tired.... Life must not have been too easy back ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/10/2009 - 12:23pm -

July 1939. "Zollie Lyons, Negro sharecropper, home from the field for dinner at noontime, with his wife and part of his family. Note dog run. Wake County, North Carolina." View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange. They all look so tired....Life must not have been too easy back then. Dog run?What dog run? [Reference to a southern style of architecture. - Dave] Re: Dog RunOne purpose of the dog run was to serve as a sort of firebreak. The kitchen was on one side. If a fire broke out there, perhaps the rest of the structure could be saved. The Lyonses It would be interesting to know what the war did to this family; the years of Southern sharecropping were drawing to a close, and the war could have provided work in factories in the Northern cities. Additional reading If one wanted to get a real sense of how life was for sharecroppers in the South during the Depression, I can suggest a novel called "Hold Autumn in Your Hand" by George Sessions Perry. I don't know if the book is in print, but used copies are probably at Amazon. I stayed up all night to finish this one. A good non-fiction work about sharecropping in the South is called "The White Scourge: Mexicans, Blacks, and Poor Whites in Texas Cotton Culture" by Neil Foley. A tough read, but mixed amongst the first-person narratives is a good explanation of the financial aspects of sharecropping, for both the sharecroppers and the owners. [Thanks for the suggestions. I'd like to throw in a mention for the short stories of Flannery O'Connor. - Dave] Dog TrotThese cabins, called "dog trots," were found throughout the cotton South, having originated in Appalachia. They featured a center hallway between two "pens" or buildings, where much of the domestic work of the house such as cooking, washing, and food preparation could be done in the shade or out of the rain. Also, ventilation was provided by the center opening. Here is an extensive photo documentation of one of the houses - much like the one pictured here: http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Dogtrot_House.html Dog run = dog trotThe "dog run" or "dog trot" is the center opening. A lot of Southern homes had a kitchen separate from the main living area, to keep the living area cool. Sometimes homes had a completely separate building known as a "summer kitchen" where cooking, canning, clothes washing etc could be carried on without heating up the house, & also to prevent any fires from burning the main house down. My dad (age 87) says southern men also used to keep a mirror, pitcher & basin, soap, razor, etc on the back porch, so they could wash up & shave out there. We are the desendantsCommenting on one of the articles The Lyonses- wondering what happened to the family after the war. It was amazing to see our great- grandfather Zollie Lyons on these pictures! How can we get more information? I didn't know that these pictures existed. The family still resides in North Carolina. Please advise of who we can contact for more information. [This and other photos from this set at the Library of Congress can be found here. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Rural America)
The Tree of Libity: 1937
... June 1937. "Mississippi grocery store." Another of Dorothea Lange's quirky-sign photos. Resettlement Administration nitrate negative. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/22/2014 - 9:16pm -

June 1937. "Mississippi grocery store." Another of Dorothea Lange's quirky-sign photos. Resettlement Administration nitrate negative. View full size. YARD. BIRDS.YARD. BIRDS. BY. THE STEPS. PresumablyM. ARK was the gifted painter of this sign? Belly LaughJust a quick thank you for the picture and the hilarious comments. Haven't had a good laugh in a long time. What a bunch on this one! That signwould sell handsomely today at auction, listed as a "Period Piece". [LOL. -Dave] Perhaps M.ARKis "The Man Who Shot Libity Valance"? Not Built To LastI do a lot of work researching historic sites, and photos like this make me understand how entire communities of wooden structures can disappear seemingly without a trace. Check out the store's "foundation," which appears to consist of floor joists set on top of rough hewn sections of tree trunks. A few decades of dry rot or termites, followed by a quick shove by a tractor, and a structure like this would be a memory. Only archeologists would be able to find evidence of its existence. Give me libitybut don't give me debt. And Justis For AllIs it possible that the grocer's name was Libity? Easy access to the wine cellar. The artist known as M. ARK?Possibly taking a break (face down) in the doorway? (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Stores & Markets)
Route 99: 1939
... travel back and forth." 4x5 inch nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Long way to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/12/2021 - 12:34pm -

April 1939. "U.S. 99 on ridge over Tehachapi Mountains. Heavy truck route between Los Angeles and San Joaquin Valley over which migrants travel back and forth." 4x5 inch nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Long way to AnywhereIn the '30s, Dad drove a tractor near Fresno. Mom had to move back to Burbank to run her beauty shop -- too poor to stay together. Two hundred miles in a Model T coupe or in Grandpa's old Buick were the only means of travel between. I have the love letters they wrote. Years later and on trips much faster, we called 99 "the looooonnnngggg stretch." PotentialWhat that stretch needs is a WaWa, McDonalds, Starbucks, and maybe a Taco Bell to make it more civilized and up to date. Hairy RoadWe lived in Tehachapi for three years, 1984 to 1986, and that road is positively exciting at times when you go down to Bakersfield. I was pregnant in 1986 and had to go to the hospital in Bakersfield to deliver. The small local hospital in town didn't do deliveries unless you were having the baby on their doorstep, and the fire station halfway down was very practiced at deliveries! The other direction into Mojave was a much easier slope at least. The worst problem was staying out of the way of big trucks going down to Bakersfield, their brakes often overheated and they had to pull off to let them cool down. I learned very quickly to not get in their blind spots. Foggy conditions, or snow the occasional ice/snow could make it extra exciting. Pre I-5Before there were interstate highways, this was transportation a la mode. Twice I traveled cross country (SF to Mississippi) before the Interstates. It was part of the vacation, spending four or six days hopping from motel to motel, packing and unpacking the Buick, meeting exotic girls from St Louis or Cleveland in the motel; pools,. and loading up the swamp cooler with ice twice a day... and yes, we did go this route! Then it all changed. I always wished we'd taken the train! I-40 and I-10 were simply different. Looks Like the 5 I’m pretty sure this is the 5 now, atop the grapevine between Bakersfield and Los Angeles. Nope, not that oneIt's a great photograph. I can appreciate in that location Dorthea Dorothea Lange heard only the sounds she made and possibly the sound of the car. I wonder how many vehicles had passed and how long she had to wait before she got the photograph she wanted? [Six. - Dave] Woody's WordsThis photo by the incredible Dorothea Lange makes me think of Woody Guthrie's song lyrics to his fellow Okies who were trying to find a better life in California: Lots of folks back East, they say, is leavin' home every day Beatin' the hot old dusty way to the California line 'Cross the desert sands they roll, gettin' out of that old dust bowl They think they're goin' to a sugar bowl but here's what they find Now the police at the port of entry say "You're number fourteen thousand for today" Oh, if you ain't got the do re mi folks, if you ain't got the do re mi Why you better go back to beautiful Texas Oklahoma, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see But believe it or not you won't find it so hot If you ain't got the do re mi Lonely RoadI hope that driver doesn't need to stop for directions. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dorothea Lange, Landscapes)
Dead Ox Flat: 1939
... Malheur County, Oregon." View full size. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. Good Methodist And I'm willing to bet she sat at that piano every ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 5:17pm -

October 1939. "Mrs. Hull, in one-room basement dugout home. Dead Ox Flat, Malheur County, Oregon." View full size. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. Good MethodistAnd I'm willing to bet she sat at that piano every Saturday night, turned that hymnal to p. 239 and played "Nearer My God To Thee" thrice, singing all three verses as she played. Love that smile! Denny Gill Chugiak, Alaska "Call for Philip Morr.....is"Handsome looking woman, did she smoke Philip Morris cigarettes? A couple of observations: If she is "Mrs" Hull, where is her wedding ring? And I found the lace pattern on her shoes to be quite interesting ... I don't believe I've ever seen shoes that lace like that. [Mrs. Hull, a Quaker, had a husband and a daughter. Wedding bands generally are not part of the Quaker wedding ceremony. - Dave] Re: Call for Philip MorrisThat's not the Philip Morris boy. It's a McCall's magazine cover. Handsome, indeedAnd since she's a Quaker and I belong to the Church of Christ, we're practically cousins! We could belt out every verse of "Nearer My God To Thee" and all the old hymns I used to sing with my grandparents as she played the trusty old piano behind her... And afterward I'll bet she'd serve coffee and the best pie in three counties. "Old" photosJust an aside ... This photo from 1939 is not really all that old; Mrs. Hull could still be very much alive and certainly if she had children they also might be alive. Now none of the comments below are what I'd call critical or rude, but they are, shall we say, poking more than a bit of fun at this subject. This raises for me some interesting questions about *old* photos and how we react to them and comment on them. This issue has occurred to me before when reading local news stories about people and events that on first glance feel so long ago, but really are not and concern people still very much alive and kickin' (who themselves read news stories and look at blogs). I love history, esp 'social history' and local history, and find it pertinent now and then to remind myself that what can feel like ancient history to some is just a handful of years ago to others... [You might want to check your math. She looks to be around 50 years old. Even if you say she's 40 in this 1939 photo, that would mean she'd be 108 now. - Dave] Those shoesThey're called "gillies" and are styled to look like they're missing the tongue. The first time I came across the term was in Harriett the Spy - Ole Golly's mother wore them. I like to watch the History Channel, but lately, it's all reruns. [And what about these shoes. - Dave] Dead Ox FlatMy grandmother was the schoolmarm at Dead Ox Flat at about that time. Most likely taught Mrs. Hull's children in a one-room schoolhouse. My lands!Quite handsome, and must have been quite a looker in her younger days. I love this site, thanks so much for devouring most of my recent spare time since I found it! (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression)
Aldridge Plantation: 1937
... Mississippi." Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size. The Passion of Our Daughters The material ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/12/2017 - 1:46pm -

June 1937. "Wife and child of tractor driver. Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi." Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size. The Passion of Our DaughtersThe material world is fast encroaching upon my eight-year-old daughter's values and expectations. She and I will sit down for a discussion or two about the subjects in Dorothea Lange's photos. It is through these photos that I hope to explain the role of human character. Perverse thoughtI expect that among Shorpy's many viewers are people in the fashion design business. I can imagine seeing that simple, practical outfit in a catalog one or two years from now, albeit with (in Morty Seinfeld's words) cheap fabric and low lighting. Changiness.I haven't been in the Mississippi Delta for a while, but as recently as 10 years ago around Leland (site of the Aldridge Plantation) up through Clarksdale, there were still some of these old shacks scattered around. While it's hard to believe, some of them were still lived in. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression)
Rex Theatre: 1937
... Mississippi. June 1937. View full size. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. Tarzan It's interesting that the main feature is a Tarzan movie - ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 2:40pm -

Leland, Mississippi. June 1937. View full size. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. TarzanIt's interesting that the main feature is a Tarzan movie - these were pretty racist, showing the "superior" white man among the "primitive" natives. This story is set in Guatemala, not Africa, so Lord Greystoke gets to show his stuff on a different continent. TarzanI wonder what color they were? Powerful photo indeed.Powerful photo indeed. Wrong Year?The movies on the playbills would mark the year as 1935, not 1937. [That's because the movies are two years old. Not exactly a first-run house. - Dave] The mouths of babes.. My grand-daughter saw one of these photos and asked me, 'Gran-pa, did people used to come in different colors?', I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Movies)
Hill House: 1936
... together." View full size. 4x5 nitrate negative by by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Candy box? Look at the "Oh ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2018 - 11:55am -

July 1936. Hillhouse, Mississippi. "Sharecroppers' families gathering needs for their Fourth of July celebration, whites and blacks together." View full size. 4x5 nitrate negative by by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Candy box?Look at the "Oh Henry" box being held by the girl on the left. Candy? OuchWell, the "Oh Henry" box probably holds some homemade concoction, not candy bars from the company store or anything. But check out the scabs and scars on those kids' legs. Theirs were not easy lives, for sure. Hill HouseIn case anyone was wondering, the community is in the Northern Delta on MS Highway 1 near the Mississippi River. Delta Cooperative FarmThe Delta Cooperative Farm located near Hillhouse, Mississippi was an experiment in "Christian Socialism", governed on the Rochdale Principles of cooperation. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochdale_Principles). In 1935 over a hundred striking sharecropper families allied with the Southern Tenants Farmers Union were evicted from the Arkansas plantation of C.H. Dibble. Aside from the violence met by the sharecroppers, they were also unable to find other work in the fields. A number of the Union members, both black and white, gathered at the site in Mississippi to create an experimental cooperative society. They were led by members of the Socialist Party along with Reinhold Niebuhr, one of America's leading theologians, and Sherwood Eddy, an ordained minister and missionary. The experiment lasted three years when the farm and some of the families resettled nearby at Providence Farms near Lexington, Mississippi. http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/index.php?id=219 KneesI always had scabs (and sometimes Band-Aids) on my knees when I was a kid too. It wasn't because I had a hard life, but because I PLAYED HARD, out in the dirt. I'm sure these kids did have a hard life, but I don't think the scabs have anything to do with it. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Kids, Small Towns)
Truck Farm: 1938
... No more horseshoes!" Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2009 - 2:47am -

November 1938. "Farm woman beside her barn door. Tulare County, California. No more horseshoes!" Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Gold-platedThat barn door would be worth some money today. I have seen old license plates on eBay as high as $200. Side of a barnLooks like she started by patching a hole and continued from there. My grandfather's old barn always had a few nailed down over holes. Well turned outHow many women today are as nicely dressed , as this farm wife is, posing by her barn? She's even wearing nice stockings! Quite the collectionThis is a fascinating photo for a license plate collector such as me. Notably, among the collection are early plates made of porcelain enamel. The white pair (#531623) with the star over CAL was issued in 1916 and used for 4 years. The stars are metal tabs that validated the plates for their final year of use in 1919. Two plates below the pair is a porcelain 1914 plate, which was white on bright red, and was California's first year of issue. The porcelain is broken where the 4 of 1914 should be. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dorothea Lange)
Tater Tot: 1939
... September 1939. View full size. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. Migrant/transient workers A glance at these faces serves to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/05/2009 - 2:44am -

Family of migrant potato pickers in Tulelake, Siskiyou County, California. September 1939. View full size. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. Migrant/transient workersA glance at these faces serves to remind that the agricultural miracle that brings potatoes to our tables needs workers to harvest them and they must raise their children next to these potatoes. Shouldn't Congress be looking at these photos so they can know what this country is really about? [Potato harvesting has been automated for many years. - Dave] faceIf you look only at mom's face, this could have been taken yesterday She's beautiful.She's beautiful. I'm incredibly awed by theI'm incredibly awed by the beauty, peace, hope and joy in this mother and child's faces--in stark contrast to their surroundings and situation [and fellow workers]. This was one of the most moving photos in the series for me. ....If we could only grasp a portion of their serenity, elegance and strength..................... Tater TotI can't help being moved by this photo. The sheer innocence of the baby. He is ambivalent to the plight around him. Reminds me of my son today. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Kids)
Tough Enough: 1936
... anyway you take it.'" Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/05/2012 - 6:22am -

August 1936. "Family between Dallas and Austin. The people have left their home and connections in South Texas, and hope to reach the Arkansas Delta for work in the cotton fields. Penniless people. No food and three gallons of gas in the tank. The father is trying to repair a tire. Three children. Father says, 'It's tough but life's tough anyway you take it.'" Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. DeterminationMy heart breaks to see such young people in trouble. The mother looks like a child herself. Her husband sounds like a strong man, not giving up but looking for work. I truly hope they found their way and lived a happy life. 'It's tough but life's tough anyway you take itTough folks doing the things they have to do without complaint. These are our collective forefathers and they mirror those from previous times. They make me proud to be an American. Artistic sensibilityThe juxtaposition of this photograph with "Pineapples on Parade" (https://www.shorpy.com/node/13835) is brilliant. face to faceLook close and you'll see that the oldest daughter is mirroring her mother's stern expression, giving it back in double measure. The mother's stockings are torn, but she's determined to get a little more use out of them? Who knows when or how she'll ever get another pair? (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Kids)
Child of the Depression: 1935
... on the Bosque Farms project in New Mexico. Photograph by Dorothea Lange, 1935. View full size. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 09/08/2011 - 10:01pm -

A farm child whose family resettled on the Bosque Farms project in New Mexico. Photograph by Dorothea Lange, 1935. View full size. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Kids, Rural America)
Four of a Kind: 1939
... is this lady with the camera? Medium format negative by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. I suppose ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/28/2014 - 7:50pm -

October 1939. "Boys from Dead Ox Flat waiting for the school bus in the morning. Malheur County, Oregon." So who is this lady with the camera? Medium format negative by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. I suppose they're brothersSame jackets, same pants, same shoes, same bag lunch, same haircut, same ears, same gaze. Manly faceson these boys, probably brothers. I'd guess the oldest to be about fourteen. Well-dressed for school, and all with lunches. I imagine they had already performed chores at home before leaving for school, and had other responsibilities awaiting them on their return. No slackers in the crowd. Found the MailboxThanks to the wonders of a wildcard search over at Ancestry, I was able to peg down whose mailbox they were in front of, at least. That mailbox almost certainly belonged to a Herbert and Jessie Hudgins. Herbert and Jessie did have two children as per the 1940 Census - a daughter, Arlene, age 11, and a son named Jerry, age 6. They had moved within the past five years from Idaho (and would later move on to California). Herbert had the unusual job title of "Ditch Rider," which is now going to bug me until I figure out just what the heck that job is or was. Scanning up and down the census pages surrounding the Hudginses, I'm not seeing any families that would have had four boys that age (assuming they're all brothers by the matching clothing, haircuts, and cleft chins). Two of a kind or a full house?Their identical jackets and similar features suggest familial relationships - two pairs of brothers or four brothers? Malheur County is in the southeastern part of Oregon. It's very desolate and has very few people even today. Ditch RidersThese are people who operate irrigation systems. They are responsible for, among other things, inspecting the waterways (ditches) that convey the water throughout the system. Generally done by riding along them, hence the name. Ditch RidingMeant riding along a ditch to ensure that the farmers were taking only the amount that they were entitled to. A crappy job inasmuch as the ditch rider normally had to get out of his vehicle at each field, open the gate, drive the vehicle through, get out again to close the gate, over and over. If the ditch he rode was many miles long he might have to do this 20-30 times a day. 3.2 People per Sq Mile!And that's today in Malheur County. What must it have been like in '39? Some of the public schools in those remote parts operate on a weekly residence basis because it's too far to commute each day. Bus the kids in on Sunday evening and return them home on Thursday. For all we knowThere may have been another 'set' of four (or more or less) at home that were pre-schoolers since the youngest boy looks to be about 6 or 7. In any case, they look like good, reliable kids who towed the line and perhaps they are even still with us. Personally, I like the uniforms and hope they've all had a good life. BadlandsI guess when novelists describe a "featureless landscape", this is where they have in mind. Not without a stark sort of beauty, but pretty sparse, especially to an East Coast born and bred guy. What's in a name?Dead Ox Flat? Malheur County? I have the distinct impression that their grand- and great-grandparents didn't have too much of an auspicious start when they first broke turf around there. [These kids and their families were all Dust Bowl refugees who had only recently settled in Oregon. -Dave] Dead Ox FlatIn prowling for the location and possible IDs for the boys, I discovered that the 'proper' names for the area are either Fair, or (more commonly) Ontario. Dead Ox Flat is most likely the name of the geography in the area, as the nearby Snake River kind of bows out, leaving a somewhat 'flat' area. Someone's ox probably died there, and you wind up with an odd name. One reason I think the census was giving me no luck finding the boys 'nearby' is that as mentioned, there were a LOT of itinerants. If you start looking around, you'll find a lot of photos of people living in tents, out of their trucks, or even in holes dug into the ground in the region back then. Those four boys could well have only owned one or two pairs of clothing, so what we see is what they had, period. I also wouldn't be surprised if this was the first day (or close to it) of school for them for the season - in the old days school tended to revolve around the planting season for rural areas, and October would have been just about when the harvest was done, so the educating could begin. Recycled lunch bags?Noting that the families of the boys were frugal...these lunch bags look new in that maybe it was the first day of school for the week..."now you boys remember, after lunch, to fold your lunch bag neatly and put it in your pocket"... Bad LuckI lived in Malheur County as a kid and went to school in Vale, OR. "featureless landscape" is about right. Malheur translates from French as misfortune or bad luck which I have always thought suited the place. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Kids)
House of Vines: 1938
... Negro quarter in Memphis, Tennessee." Nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the FSA. View full size. Meanwhile, back in Tupelo ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 2:03pm -

June 1938. "Butter bean vines across the porch. Negro quarter in Memphis, Tennessee." Nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the FSA. View full size. Meanwhile, back in TupeloGraceland's most famous owner and occupant was just three years old and living in a very similar two-room shack with no idea he would one day be the king of Memphis. As a side note, we did the same "vine" thing on our front porch with blue morning glories for several years (when I could still bend and kneel) and it was a daily joy to go out the door every morning with a waterfall of summer flowers to greet us. I believe butterbeans also have blossoms which would have created a similar effect of a veil of flowers. Full front porches with rocking chairs, slamming screen doors, enamel basins, brings back lots of summer memories. Almost missed herShy? Jealous of the attention? Instructed to stand in the door? Between that and the slightly apparent discomfort of the main subject, this photo is pretty cool. Yum!I'll take a slice of cornbread and a bottle of tabasco with those beans. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Memphis)
Are We There Yet?
... roadside camp near Calipatria, California." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Quite a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/19/2013 - 12:04pm -

March 1937. "Four families, three of them related with 15 children, from the Dust Bowl in Texas in an overnight roadside camp near Calipatria, California." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Quite a crowdThe face of the little girl being held by her mother (sitting on the milkcan) is heartbreaking. It also looks like child #16 might be here soon. Everything is RelativeAlthough most families displaced by the dustbowl and hard economic times had it rough, some apparently faired better than others. As opposed to other Shorpy submissions from the era, at least these boys are wearing shirts with their bib overalls and everyone has shoes! A new meaning to the term "Depression"At an elevation of 184 feet (56 m) below sea level, Calipatria, California is the lowest elevation city in the western hemisphere. Hopefully the didn't stick aroundCalipatria in Summer is unbearably hot. Heartbroken? Nah, nap-broken.The little girl on mommy's lap looks more grumpy than heartbroken. For that matter, all the kids look like they need some quality time on that cot. Hope Ms. Lange didn't wake them up. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Dust Bowl, Kids, On the Road)
Stump Ranchers: 1939
... land in three years. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the FSA. View full size. Mennonite? There are more than ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 12:31pm -

October 1939. The Unruf family. Mennonite wheat farmers from Kansas, now developing a stump ranch in Boundary County, Idaho. The mother, father and hardworking 15-year-old son with other children in yard before the barn. Father and son have cleared 30 acres of raw stump land in three years. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the FSA. View full size. Mennonite?There are more than one flavor of Mennonite. Church and community "rules" can vary from place to place. One of the reasons the Mennonites and Amish went their separate ways long, long ago was over the issue of modernization, the Amish preferring an even more conservative approach than the Mennonites. German Mennonite farmers in Russia in the 19th century (my family) readily adopted modern farming techniques and steam powered farm equipment. By 1939 my family was well established in the US and Canada and using tractors, cars, motorbikes, etc. They were also upstanding members of their congregations and in some cases were pastors in addition to being farmers. For a look at how much things can vary even amongst the modern day Amish (some coverage of the Old Order Mennonites also) visit the very excellent blog: http://amishamerica.typepad.com/amish_america/ Doug Mennonite? Maybe.Certainly not old order/traditional--they have zippers instead of buttons, the females' heads are uncovered and they have a truck instead of a horse and buggy. You could not tell these people are Mennonite by any characteristic. Having been around them all my life, this is odd. UnruhI have to agree that Unruh seems to be more likely - my grandmother was an Unruh and I grew up Mennonite, we weren't old order Mennonites. One interesting thing I found in researching my Mennonite roots is the fact that Mennonites in Russia were well known distillers of brandy while here in America they became teetotalers. Spelling?My family background is Mennonite and we have some Unruh people in one branch of the family. Yes, that's an h on the end, not an f. I've not heard of the Unruf name variation before so perhaps there's a typo somewhere between 1939 and now? No matter, wonderful photo as are most all of them on Shorpy. Doug [I agree, Unruh seems more likely to be correct. Although the family's name is spelled Unruf in the four LOC caption records. - Dave] (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange, Kids, Rural America)
Lucky Pups: 1938
... camp instead of along the highway or in a ditch." Photo by Dorothea Lange, Resettlement Administration. View full size. Carefree time for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/27/2013 - 12:28pm -

November 1938. "Shafter Camp for migrants, California. Cotton picker's children who live in a tent in the government camp instead of along the highway or in a ditch." Photo by Dorothea Lange, Resettlement Administration. View full size. Carefree time for little onesThese look like happy children! If their parents shielded them from the fact that they were very poor, they probably thought living in a tent was great fun, as long as they had something to eat! My mother's family never had to live in a tent, but they had to live with Grandpa's parents during the Depression. Since they were farmers, they never went hungry, but they had very little in the way of material possessions. Mom, who was born in 1929, says she only remembers it being a very happy time. AffectionUnconditional love from puppies kissing your face, snuggling close to your heart and seeking your acceptance can melt away adversity, at least for a while. LickeePreviously seen here. It's the . . .oxytocin. And it works both ways, on the humans and the dogs - sometimes described as "The hormone of love and cuddle". Too cute.Anyone with the audacity to devalue the relationship between humans and dogs ought to be made to study this photograph very carefully. Cute, and likely smart, tooThey look like border collies, or at least partly so. Wonderful dogs, if you can keep their minds occupied. Spit BathI wonder what the boys ate that remains on their faces? Berries? Whatever it was, the puppy doesn't seem to mind clean up duty. Cannot look awayThose faces are so sweet, with no trace of self-pity for their poverty. Just innocent boys loving some puppies. They are so darn cute!! I hope their lives were good to them. (The Gallery, Dogs, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Kids)
In From the Fields: 1936
... Near Robstown, Texas." Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size. In From the Fields Another great photo Dave. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/14/2008 - 8:44am -

August 1936. "Migrant cotton pickers at lunchtime. Near Robstown, Texas." Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size. In From the FieldsAnother great photo Dave. Could be from my family album... Oh, the storiesyou can see in those faces. From the oldest to the youngest. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange)
Hoe Culture: 1936
... in the South. Poor white, North Carolina." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. He's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/23/2012 - 10:08am -

July 1936. "Hoe culture in the South. Poor white, North Carolina." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. He's waitingFor Dorothy, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion to show up. Even the patcheshave patches. Patching the patchesSome of the most expensive jeans on the market today are worn, torn and faded, often seen being worn by millionaire celebs on TV appearances. I wonder how much this boy's overalls would bring in todays shabby chic market. And secondly, behold the few visible corn plants managing to hang on in this parched, lumpy, clay dust passing for soil. Speaking of Hoes and CultureThe caption reminds me of a Dorothy Parker quote. When asked to use the word "horticulture" in a sentence, she allegedly replied, "You can lead a whore to culture, but you can't make her think." He has a futureHe has a better future if he can survive the horrific trials of the next ten years. When you think about itThe fact that there seem to be NO machinery involved in this type of farming, that it was pretty much done all through physical labor shows how far removed we are from whats really involved in putting food on the table. "hoe boy"It has been speculated the the term 'Hobo' came from a phrase used by farm bosses looking for day laborers along rail centers. These areas were of course, gathering places for the itinerant travelers who were largely male and out of work poor during the Depresion. These farm bosses would shout out, " Hoe Boys ! Hoe Boys wanted..." Hence the the slang term (eventually) to Hobo. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange)
Pineapples on Parade: 1936
... -- Washington, D.C." Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Turkeys in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/04/2012 - 7:53pm -

June 1936. "Center Market -- Washington, D.C." Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Turkeys in seasonI have never heard of "Turkeys in Season." What did that pertain to? darnitToo bad there are no price signs visible; would be very interested in what pineapples brought in 1936 on the east coast, being as they are so perishable and were shipped such a long distance. Wabbit seasonExactly when is Turkey season? SeasonsTurkey Season generally starts about the same time as Pumpkin Season and runs through Egg Nog Season. Bon appétit! Season-ingA large local furniture business starts aggressively promoting formal dining sets for "dining room season" just about this time every year and it runs through January, so I'm thinkin' it must co-incide with the "big eating season" which would include turkey and the several feasting celebrations beginning around November. Turkey SeasonIt wasn't all that long ago that turkey was only for Thanksgiving... was it? SuckersWhen seersucker ruled. East Coast PineapplesMy guess would be they were grown in Florida or the Caribbean. I would think shipping them from the Pacific would be cost- and time-prohibitive. (The Gallery, D.C., Dorothea Lange, Stores & Markets)
Veteran Hobo: 1938
... of the World in California before the war." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. What's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/16/2013 - 10:46pm -

December 1938. "Napa Valley, California. More than 25 years a bindlestiff. Walks from the mines to the lumber camps to the farms. The type that formed the backbone of the Industrial Workers of the World in California before the war." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. What's in a NameI was born in 1939 and had always heard the terms tramp and hobo. I asked my Mom, once, what the difference was. She said that a hobo was someone out of work and would do chores or other work for either food or money. She said a tramp only looked for handouts and was not willing to do anything for it. TrampsWe lived in a suburb of St. Louis and I remember mom giving sandwiches to men who would knock at the door right after the war. I guess now they would have EIB cards. Apple pickers headed for WenatcheeA friend and I shared a boxcar with two older hobos headed east out of Seattle for the beginning of the apple harvest in Central Washington in 1972. We were both very impressed when they would crack raw eggs over their mouths and consume the contents in one gulp. Old heads indeed. Industrial Workers of the WorldMy mother (b. 1902) translated "IWW" as "I Won't Work." Apparently a contentious organization. Also known as "Wobblies." What a faceHe looks like Paul Newman playing the part of a bindlestiff or what Butch Cassidy did in his later years (if there were later years). If this picture was color, I'll bet he has piercing blue eyes On the Road AgainIn the summer of 1951 I worked as busboy in the Dining Room of an upstate New York resort in the Catskill Mountains, the so-called "Borsht Belt." In the kitchen were a couple of hobos working as dishwashers. They were paid on Saturday nights and most didn't come back the next day. I remember one Saturday evening myself and another college kid were finishing our shift and cleaning up in the kitchen when we started to sing "You Are My Sunshine," we were joined by these two down and outers and the group sounded pretty good. They had their gear and were ready to leave when my friend and I had to return to the dining room to set up for the next meal. When we returned the two itinerents were gone along with our clothes and shoes. HobosMy mom used to tell me about hobos who would pass her parents' farm on the highway south of Walla Walla, Washington. They would often knock on the door and ask if they could get something to eat and if there was any kind of job they could do. Grandma would always find something for them to eat and sometimes Grandpa would find some work they could do. Grandma got a bit frightened, however, the time a hobo came to the door, pointed to a bull in the field across from their house, and said "See that bull over there? I'm gonna go grab him by the tail and throw him out!" She sent mom out the back door to find Grandpa! (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression)
Unemployment Lineup: 1939
... watch, and then pass on." Large format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size. In a couple more years They'll have all the ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 05/18/2015 - 9:47am -

April 1939. "Salvation Army, San Francisco, California. Unemployed young men pause a moment to loiter and watch, and then pass on." Large format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size. In a couple more yearsThey'll have all the work they can handle! Much has changed...... but the corner building is still there. Bell-bottoms?I'm sure someone with fashion knowledge of the era can explain why the two guys on the right seem to be wearing denims that are flared at the bottom. I know that was the style in San Francisco in 1967 but am surprised to see it in 1939. Were they Navy veterans possibly? Familiar faceI noticed the fellow on the left looks like a young Bill Murray. The three distinct styles of dress and manner are interesting. Fashion repeats itself. Again.The exaggeratedly wide bottom pant recurs several times in recent fashion history. In the 60's we called them bell-bottoms. In the 20's they were called Oxford Bags. I don't actually know what they called them in the 30's, but they were indeed worn. It seems to be a young person's style in every decade though... they're sold in one 1935 catalog titled as a "Campus Hit"! Bell-bottomsIn the "old navy" bell bottoms were worn to be easily rolled up while holystoning the teak decks of ships. Ships no longer have teak decks but they were carried on as tradition for the lower enlisted ratings to this day. From Right to LeftJerry Lee Lewis, William Shatner, Norm McDonald. What did they call bellbottoms?Probably they called them bellbottoms. One day, I’m pretty sure it was in 1966 or maybe ‘67, I was sitting at the dining room table gazing out at the street as a girl I recognized from my high school was walking past wearing some very widely flared pants, which I remember thinking looked pretty cool. They were just coming into style at the time, and my mom walks in the room, sees her out the window and exclaims, “oh my goodness, bellbottoms! I wonder if they’re coming back in?” I don’t think I’d ever even heard the term up to that point, but she should have known as she was a teenager herself about the time of this photo. (Dorothea Lange, San Francisco)
Approaching Fresno: 1939
... approaching Fresno." Large-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size. The Water Tower Endures Producers Cotton Oil ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/11/2012 - 12:28pm -

May 1939. "Between Tulare and Fresno. From the overpass approaching Fresno." Large-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange. View full size. The Water Tower EnduresProducers Cotton Oil Company seems to still be in existence in California, but not at this location (near Calwa). All of the old buildings seem to be gone, but the water tower still stands. (EDIT: I stand corrected. It appears that one or more of the old buildings are also still in place. The buildings central to the photograph are gone, though.) View Larger Map Here's another picture of the site, from September 15, 1931 (from http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/c8w094sz/): Warehouse still standing, too!@Splunge: The warehouse with the round roof on the right still exists as well. If you "drive" up to the water tower in Google Streetview you can see it's still standing. The Hot Rod is bornSo many things here for the Shorpy masses. Railroads, trucks, cars, water towers, mid 20th century agriculture. But above all we have the birth of the Hot Rod on the left. A truly historic occasion, right there on a random sunny day, between Tulare and Fresno. Wherever that may be. The OverpassIt seems to still be there, too! Could it be the same one from 1939? Looks sorta modern. [It is the same one. Now South Golden State Blvd., it was US 99 when Lange took shots showing the roadway in which you can see the side railings match. Also, note these Art Deco embellishments. - tterrace] And from the airNot as peaceful now. From Google Maps. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Railroads)
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