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Mexican Migrants: 1939
... cotton in Mississippi." Photograph by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Mexican laborers Cotton ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 12:10pm -

October 1939. Neches, Texas. "Mexican migrants drinking cold drinks and buying candy at filling station where the truck taking them to their homes in the Rio Grande Valley has stopped. They had been picking cotton in Mississippi." Photograph by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Mexican laborersCotton farmers in the Mississippi Delta increasingly turned to contract labor as the old system of sharecropping was being dismantled. Starting after WWl, African Americans emigrated to jobs in the northern and western cities in an effort to make a better life for themselves and their families. By the 1930s mechanization was becoming an important force on the farms, with early cotton picking machines being tested and deployed to the fields. The machines triumphed over hand labor in the 40s and early 50s. This photo was taken at the end of the cotton picking season in October of 1939. There are a number of FSA photos taken by Marion Post Wolcott at Hopson Plantation in Clarksdale, Mississippi that have Mexican labor. Also FSA photos at Perthshire, Mississippi, show Mexicans in the general store and around the plantation. NechesI am continually dismayed (a polite term) by the doubters and naysayers which persistently plague the good folks at Shorpy. Don't these chuckleheads realize that Dave, Ken & company know what they're about? Be that as it may, when I saw this post, I thought "they must mean Port Neches," but a look here (3rd photo down) convinced me that I had it right the first time. Don't these chuckleheads (me included) know .... Coke and peanutsThis was typical, as I recall as a child, when ever the truck load of workers stopped for gas, men, women and children stopped to freshen up and by cokes. The last time I picked cotton was in Ok. in 1957. A favorit treat was to stop get a coke and peanuts, place the penuts inside the coke bottle and drink it. What really bothers me is that hisstory tells of cotton picking, but only the blacks. Nothing against them it's just that that is incomplete history. When will history be corrected to include the Mexicans? Mr. Flores (The Gallery, Agriculture, Gas Stations, On the Road, Russell Lee)
The Pantitorium: 1938
... Urbana, Ohio." 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Cornered Mr. Shahn was not ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/16/2010 - 12:34am -

August 1938. "A cleaning and pressing shop in Urbana, Ohio." 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. CorneredMr. Shahn was not averse to using Leitz's "Wintu" right angle viewfinder on his camera's accessory shoe for those sneaky shots. When After a Job"When After a Job -- You Can't Afford to Look Untidy. The Man With a Good Job Doesn't Want To -- The Pantitorium" Sneaky BenMy guess he's the head in profile facing right. He was deliberately facing away from his subjects, pointing his small 35mm camera toward them unobtrusively (perhaps even partially hidden in his coat) in order to capture them candidly. [Sneaky Ben used a 35mm Leica with a special right-angle viewfinder. You can see his profile reflected in many of the storefront shots. - Dave] How did he do that?Ben Shahn's reflection is noticeably absent in the photo. Darkroom technique, or vampirism? [He is indeed reflected in the glass. Who can figure it out? (Hint: We've been through this before.) - Dave] You're Next!A Pantitorium was a shop where you could get your pants pressed while you waited, in addition to the regular cleaning services. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Gamecocks: 1937
... arena in Puerto Rico. Photograph by Edwin Rosskam, Farm Security Administration. View full size. What a coincidence... NPR ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/05/2019 - 3:17pm -

December 1937. Gamecocks in the training arena in Puerto Rico. Photograph by Edwin Rosskam, Farm Security Administration. View full size. What a coincidence...NPR reported this morning that the governor of the last state in the Union to allow cockfighting has JUST signed a bill to end cockfighting in a year. (Why give them one more year, Louisiana? It's illegal in every other state.) *** BATON ROUGE, Louisiana: The only U.S. state where breeders can still legally pit fighting roosters against each other in bloody battles to the death has officially banned cockfighting starting next summer. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco signed the ban Thursday, ending years of dispute among legislators, the cockfighting industry and the animal rights groups that consider the fights barbaric. The new law, effective in August 2008, makes it a crime to organize or enter birds in a cockfight. It also closes a loophole in Louisiana's animal cruelty laws. Gambling on the fights was banned in the state this summer. Cockfighting is a rural tradition in which specially bred roosters, often with blades or metal spurs attached to their legs, fight to the death or serious injury while spectators wager on the outcome.... *** More at: http://tinyurl.com/yrw8f7 c'mon its just a chickenReally now it's just a chicken their brain is about the size of a pea.I grew up on a farm with thousands of chickens,and have you people seen where you KFC comes from or how thay kill them at a processing plant.I guess if you did you would never eat chicken again. If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. Mark Twain What Mark Twain had to say about cockfighting...From Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi: When the cocks had been fighting some little time, I was expecting them momently to drop dead, for both were blind, red with blood, and so exhausted that they frequently fell down. Yet they would not give up, neither would they die...the dying creatures would totter gropingly about, with dragging wings, find each other, strike a guesswork blow or two, and fall exhausted once more. I did not see the end of the battle. I forced myself to endure it as long as I could, but it was too pitiful a sight; so I made frank confession to that effect, and we retired. We heard afterward that the black cock died in the ring, and fighting to the last. Evidently there is abundant fascination about this 'sport' for such as have had a degree of familiarity with it. I never saw people enjoy anything more than this gathering enjoyed this fight. The case was the same with old gray-heads and with boys of ten. They lost themselves in frenzies of delight. The 'cocking-main' is an inhuman sort of entertainment, there is no question about that... --Life on the Mississippi, Chapter 45 http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/245 My DadWhen I reflect on the expanse of his career, my dad has built a Baptist church, a TVA bridge, and twelve cages for fighting cocks. I could understand working for TVA, and building a church is sorta obvious too, but the cockfighting thing has bothered me for several years. Anyway the point is don't believe this is a forgotten part of our culture ... drive down Hwy 412 between Jackson and Perryville, Tennessee, there's a sign on the right side of the road advertising fighting cocks. (The Gallery, Curiosities, Edwin Rosskam, Puerto Rico)
Mother Caroline: 1939
... Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Well? Is she standing by a well? [Well, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/19/2008 - 12:47am -

July 1939. Orange County, North Carolina. "Caroline Atwater, wife of Negro landholder, in the yard of her double one-and-a-half-story log house, telling where she was born and how she came to this place." View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Well?Is she standing by a well? [Well, yes. - Dave] You have gotten my curiosityAnd where might we find her story? [See above. - Dave] Mother Caroline: 1939This is Joe Manning. According to census records, and to North Carolina records, Caroline Atwater was born about 1865, and died in 1949. She was married to Ennis Atwater. She apparently lived her whole life in North Carolina. She had at least two children, both boys: Jesse, who was born about 1894, and died in 1948; and Philip, who was born about 1907, and died in 1930. [Thanks, Joe. I have one or two more photos of her to post. - Dave] TeaHer face bears the lines of a harrowing journey. I'd love to just sit and have tea and listen to her talk all day. CarolineShe seems to have lived a long life, but to have outlived her two boys....hope she had grandchildren or some other family. She seems so lonely. Caroline AtwaterSamuel Snipes and Tempy Atwater (see the 1880 Chatham census) were from that same area, Lambsville near Chapel Hill. I am also related to the white James Dowdy family from Gulf, N.C., and black Lamberts, Snipes, Rives/Reaves Dowdy families. If you have any info please contact me at 314/249-8972 or at MDGrant@Webtv.net. Thank you. Madeleine Snipes Grant (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Rural America)
Bye, Y'all: 1939
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. Glasses We had some of those drinking glasses ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/17/2008 - 5:37pm -

May 1939. "Booth in hamburger stand. Alpine, Texas." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. GlassesWe had some of those drinking glasses when I was a kid in the 70s, and called them our "Waltons" glasses, because we saw them on the TV show of that name. I have never been able to figure out the manufacturer, but their prevalence suggests they may have been made by more than one, and for many decades. Swing a dead catThis place was tiny! Three stools and this booth - Russell Lee must have squeezed in there to snap the previous photos posted here on Shorpy since you can make out the rounded corner of the booth in those photos as well. So much to comment on in this picture ... the fan, the art, the wires (strung in a building that predated integrated electrical wiring maybe?) ... Snuff GlassesMy grandmother used to dip Honest Snuff. It came in a really nice glass which was all she used for the kitchen. Anybody else remember Honest Snuff glasses? Altered Pic?This pic looks like it has been altered...the back of the fan is dead white like it was masked out. The fan itself looks like a cut & paste from another image. The reflection on the ceiling is not a good match for the fan. Look at the specular reflection on the rim of the fan...it is at 1 & 2 o'clock, and the glints on the Coke bottles are at 11 o'clock. What looks to be a car outside the window at the left looks way too modern. [Um, no. - Dave] The FanSince the fan has a silvered backing (reflecting a window across the room) I'd guess it has an infrared heating element. Or maybe it's a reflector for a lamp. Obviously it was in that hole in the ceiling. Looks like they remounted it to aim across the room. The Mysterious FanThe fan is fitted into a hole in the wall, if you look closely you can see a dark line that is the edge of an adjoining building's roof. The hole above is a vent. [The fan is not in the wall. Other shots from this series show it hanging from the ceiling. If the fan was in the wall, that would be the vent -- you wouldn't need a hole above it. The line is a reflection of the window across the room. See the comment below. - Dave] (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Russell Lee)
Every Dog Has His Doubts: 1940
... Douglas County, Nevada." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A tidy campsite But, then, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/27/2019 - 1:26pm -

March 1940. "Basque sheepherder camped on the range. Dangberg Ranch, Douglas County, Nevada." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A tidy campsiteBut, then, he probably spends months there. A lonely life, being an open range shepherd, but one the Basques seem to have embraced wholeheartedly. I'll bet that pup gets spoken to a lot. Minder of Hooved LocustsThe history of sheep herding is colorful, but livestock destroyed the alpine meadows and forests in the high Sierras. One of the major reasons that John Muir formed the Sierra Club in 1892 was to seek protection from sheep and cattle grazing. Even today, 100 years after most grazing stopped in the high Sierras, the alpine meadows that I have visited have large areas of barren, eroded mineral soil and little grass. It's hard to imagine that they were once grassy meadows. From https://vault.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/life/muir_biography.aspx Through a series of articles appearing in Century magazine, Muir drew attention to the devastation of mountain meadows and forests by sheep and cattle. With the help of Century's associate editor, Robert Underwood Johnson, Muir worked to remedy this destruction. In 1890, due in large part to the efforts of Muir and Johnson, an act of Congress created Yosemite National Park. Muir was also personally involved in the creation of Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Petrified Forest and Grand Canyon national parks. Muir deservedly is often called the "Father of Our National Park System ". All dogs go to Heaven And people only if their dogs vouch for them at the gate. Head to the Hollywood hillsIf a casting director or movie producer had also been camping in the same area this very handsome sheepherder may have ended up with many fans to herd instead of sheep. Stink Eye!Never gets old! Especially from this man's best friend Thoughts of a Basque dog“On the whole, I’d rather be in Bilbao!" Watch out!Unlike his master, the dog is keeping a wary eye on the photographer. Side-EyeCanine thought-bubble: "If the human eats one more can of beans, I'm sleeping outside tonight." Basque shepherds also summered in the mountain meadows north of Flagstaff, AZ, and their graffiti carved in white aspen bark can still be found on the San Francisco peaks. My son and I spent many weekends hiking that country and we would often find what we called "cowboy camps" -- most likely Basque shepherd camps like this one. Among the fire rings and middens we found countless tin cans. The majority were indistinguishable, their labels having been burned or rotted off, but we could easily identify Prince Albert tobacco tins, condensed milk cans, sardine tins, medicine and spice jars or bottles, and occasional pot lids, lantern parts, and utensils. We enjoyed reconstructing their daily lives and habits from our forensic kitchen diggings. In Flagstaff, my home for 20+ years, we knew several descendants of Basque herders. Most lived in the little neighborhood just south of the Santa Fe railroad tracks. To this day, the ruins of a Basque handball court stands behind the Tourist Home Hotel -- formerly a rooming house catering to Basques. The mountain west is a richer place for their lives and work. Fascinating people. The University of Nevada-Reno curates the history of these immigrant people at https://basquebooks.blogs.unr.edu/category/basques-in-arizona/ (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Camping, Dogs, Frontier Life)
Bumper to Bumper: 1941
... a tight spot! 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Why no older models? There ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/20/2020 - 1:03pm -

July 1941. "Parking lot. Chicago, Illinois." This is what you call being in a tight spot! 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Why no older models?There are usually some from the early '30s in the mix, but the oldest cars here seem to be from 1936 or so. Someone who knows more about antique autos than I do will be along shortly to educate me, and that's OK, too. [After around 1935, when cars began to be made with steel roofs and all-steel bodies, the number of older vehicles in these photos drops off sharply. - Dave] Do believe it is a normal parking lotThese cars seem to have come from some transport or are waiting to go on one, a ship or maybe a train since they look like they are all the same manufacturer. You can see photos like it of arriving Japanese verhicles that came off a ship. ["The same manufacturer"? I see a Pontiac, a Plymouth, an Oldsmobile ... - Dave] The one in the middle!"Yeah, here's my tag - it's the two tone coupe, the one in the middle. And make it snappy, fella, I got a hot date!" I'd actually assume this is a dealer or distributor lot. Can't be a downtown parking lot! [It is downtown, one of several such scenes photographed by John Vachon. Note that the cars have license plates, a smattering of windshield stickers, and various parcels visible through their windows, some of which are open. I would imagine this is the kind of lot where you have to wait till the end of the day to get your car. - Dave] Been there, waited for thatAs late as the early-70s (and maybe beyond) there were large parking lots at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore that packed cars in just like that. You had better have been prepared to stay for the whole game because unless you were lucky there was no way out 'till it was over. Fake ViewsDear Dave, Something's wrong with this picture. All these cars are like, really old. Not even that black Dodgein dead center trapped between a Chevrolet and Pontiac could ram its way out of that crowded lot! The old saying when backing up"Keep going till you hear the crash" must have been employed here. As for older vehicles, I'm fairly sure that of the 40 or so in the parking lot at work, my 2008 Ford pickup is the oldest. The root of the term "bumper"It seems to me from images such as these, and old movies, that bumpers were once meant to be literally bumped. What happened? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, John Vachon)
Go Right: 1940
... Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Has enjoyed a facelift ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/11/2019 - 4:34pm -

November 1940. "The main square in Colchester, Connecticut." Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Has enjoyed a facelift Brisk!Though I have no idea what "SALADA" tea is, it must have been popular in the Northeast, as it was also advertised in a previous Shorpy shot of a grocery store in Vermont. Also, I always believed that 'Package store' was a term only used in the South (where it can still be heard occasionally), but I was apparently wrong. SaladaAs a kid, I used to collect the large plastic coins that came in each Salada tea box my mom bought, with pictures of sports figures and planes and cars. We even had circular plastic storage devices (which might have come from Jello) that could hold eight stacks of the coins. This system competed with the insect, mammal, bird, and dinosaur cards I collected from the Red Rose tea my mom also bought. The Salada Tea Building (built in 1917, bought by Salada founder Peter C. Larkin in 1921) still stands in Montreal. The company was created by Larkin in 1892, and he discovered the name in a directory of tea gardens and chose it because he liked the pleasing sound and its similarity to the word Canada. Only a Doctor and FuelAlmost everything you need is in this little strip. Food, clothes, booze, a dentist, drug store and a lawyer. The pharmacy probably was like a general store. The whole toothI wonder if the dentist was amused by placing his signs in the windows directly above the Drink Coca Cola signs. Goodbye thirst, hello tooth decay. NRS tagThe Buick(?) rear facing us in the center of this photo has license NRS, that being the initials of the owner. Connecticut was the first state in the nation to offer "initial" vanity license plates starting in 1937. No other state would do this until the late 50's, now they are everywhere. In Connecticut, however, there was a catch: you had to have a perfect driving record to get them for your car. But there was no extra fee. Salada TeaSalada has a long history dating back to the early 1890s. Initially distributed in the northeast US and eastern Canada, it now has a much wider distribution. Currently, it is my wife's choice for organic green tea and is available in the Publix grocery stores here in Key West. Wikipedia has a short article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salada_tea About that lawyerMorris H. Broder grew up in Colchester, as the son of Leon Broder (ne Brodsky) a local businessman and leader of the local Jewish community (which was a primary subject of many of Jack Delano's Nov. 1940 pictures of Colchester). After graduating from the local high school (Bacon Academy), Wesleyan University in 1929 and Harvard Law School in 1932, Morris was elected to the state's House of Representatives in 1932. After working for a firm in Norwich for a year, Morris had returned to his hometown and put up his shingle in the window of this second-floor office on Main Street above the pharmacy. His son was born shortly before this photo was taken, and has followed in his footsteps. Thats a lotta teais the intent of the naming. Been around midwest since forever. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
The Scenic Route: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. From the Bloomfield Bridge ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2020 - 11:41am -

June 1941. "Railroad. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. From the Bloomfield BridgeThis picture was taken from the Bloomfield Bridge looking west to Pittsburgh and Penn station. The tall smokestack in the upper center exists today and was the boiler house for Pittsburgh Brewing Company (Iron City Beer). The church on the ridge to the upper right is now the Church Brew Works Brewery. Only three of the tracks remain. The East Busway now occupies the area where the tracks are to the left. The passenger cars in the picture are being stored and staged for trains at Penn Station. Where are the locomotives?I have scoured this photo looking for a locomotive but I do not see one. Hope there are no passengers in those railcars! Looks RealThis actual photo looks like it could be a diorama for a model train layout. If that was the case they did a really great job of "simulating" the smoke and haze in the distance. Choo-choocough, cough! Except for the smoke----it looks like a REALLY model train set Scenic!What a great scene! Coal pollution aside, this really makes me want to lay some track ... Train SetWith all the coal smoke, a black and grey model train set would look really neat. Not Exactly a View of ParadiseIt looks to me like those trains are heading out to collect more of the damned! (The Gallery, Factories, John Vachon, Pittsburgh, Railroads)
Circleville: 1938
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. Leica pointed sideways? Can you explain ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 12:22pm -

Summer 1938. "Street Scene in Circleville, Ohio. Because of its non-industrial surroundings, retains much of old-time flavor." Reflected in the glass we can see Ben Shahn snapping this picture with his Leica pointed sideways. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. Leica pointed sideways?Can you explain something about his technique? The Leica seems to me to be a normal one, or does it "snap around the corner"? And if so, does that mean Ben Shahn photographed people in a sneaky way, without them knowing he was photographing them? [It was a regular 35mm Leica camera but with a special right-angle viewfinder, so he could look straight ahead and see his subjects to the left. - Dave] SneakyTwin lens reflex cameras were also useful for unobserved photos. Tucked under an arm they could view people behind the photographer. Digital cameras with hinged displays also serve the purpose. SneakySome photo supply stores used to sell an attachment that looked like a lens shade for an SLR, that had a 45 degree mirror built in. You could aim the camera at right angles to your subject and shoot through a hole in the side of the "shade." I never used one and always wondered how you'd disguise the fact that your lens shade had a big hole in it! ViewfinderLeitz built the Wintu right-angle viewfinders for the Leica cameras. If you look closely you can see it sitting on top of the camera. Sideways?How do you think he's making the picture? Shahn's left hand is covering the camera, which is pointing somewhere else. [That's the camera case behind his hand. The lens is just ahead of his thumb, pointed straight at you. - Dave] The LeicaSo the camera was configured to shoot sideways? Does that mean the photographer was pretending to shoot the street so he could get a candid shot of these guys? Sneaky! [It was a regular 35mm Leica with a right-angle viewfinder. He would just hold it sideways. As for sneaky, maybe, but his subjects don't seem fooled. - Dave] Street PhotographyIf you've ever tried to do street photography you know how difficult it can be. It's nice to know even Ben Shahn used some of the same tricks I do, although his results are much much better. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Small Towns)
Muskogee Yards: 1939
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. On the tracks to the left -- ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/17/2021 - 11:18am -

July 1939. "Railroad yards. Muskogee, Oklahoma." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. On the tracks to the left --I see him. The Okie from Muskogee. They like holding hands and pitchin’ wooIt’s a place where even squares can have a ball. There's a great future in plastics.Not a plastic bag or single piece of litter in sight. He was proud to be.Even if Merle was only 2 at the time. The KatyHere we see a baggage car from the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad, nicknamed "The Katy" for its initials, MKT. Known to legions of Blues Brothers fans from the opening credits with "She caught the Katy, and left me a mule to ride." Could this be …… the cleanest, best-groomed railroad yard ever to grace the pages of Shorpy? (The Gallery, Railroads, Russell Lee)
Mendon L.D.S. Church: 1940
... County, Utah." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Brickolage (part 2) Love ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/19/2020 - 10:04am -

August 1940. "Congregation leaving the Latter Days Saints Church at Mendon, Cache County, Utah." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Brickolage (part 2)Love the two-tone brickwork. So simple yet so effective. Sunday BestIt is clear in this Rockwellian scene that the flat-capped boy at the foot of the steps is reconnoitering as to which of those unsuspecting girls will be the one down whose back he will deposit the frog in his pocket. Sunshine on their shouldersI almost want to squint looking at the image. Sunny day! Two thingsThing One: The spectacularly symmetrical (and extremely satisfying) composition of this photo is miraculous. The matchless Mr. Lee must have had his tripod set up and everything copacetic before the folks began piling out from services, to get it so perfect. I wonder if he wished he could have gone inside and leveled all of the window shades? I think not. The half-open door with the blackness beyond gives a momentarily unsettling frisson. Even so the picture calms the mind, which, if a photo does not excite the heart, should be the result of gazing at it. The restrained animation of the people adds the metaphor of unpredictability against the backdrop of the subliminally eternal. Thing Two: The parked perambulator is very Rosemary's Baby. Why something that is not at all anachronistic should seem so creepy is interesting. A bonus for Mr. Lee, after the fact. Bravo. Having lived nearly twenty years after the release of the film, I wonder if he realized it later. At that time it would not have seemed remarkable, but in terms of post-war cinematic iconography, the buggy is a real spanner in the works. Another one bites the dustSadly, the building lasted just 50 years. I just don't get why nice little historic buildings like this are considered disposable. I'd like to think that the preservation movement of the last couple of decades might have worked to save it from the wrecking ball. http://www.mendonutah.net/history/buildings/1914_church.htm Rosemary's BabyGreat comment by JennyPennifer. This is what makes reading the comments as good as looking at the pictures. As for the baby carriage, it made me think immediately of the stairway shootout scene from The Untouchables (1987). [A scene that was lifted from Eisenstein's "Potemkin." - Dave] That baby carriage ...I suppose Rosemary's Baby might come to mind. But in 1940, especially next to those steps, it might recall the great Russian film Battleship Potemkin, with the famous sequence of a baby carriage painfully making its way down the steps in Odessa. Or it might make you wonder if someone has abandoned a foundling there during the service, knowing some saintly soul would adopt it. In any case, a brilliantly attractive picture there in the Utah sun. (The Gallery, Kids, Russell Lee)
Night and Fog: 1941
... during a fog." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Have a nice trip? Those ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/11/2018 - 10:46am -

January 1941. "New Bedford, Massachusetts. Street at night during a fog." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Have a nice trip?Those sidewalks must've been tough to navigate. The street seems safer. See ya next fall. Time MachineIt's probably a good thing that time travel doesn't exist. I'd surely go broke paying to take a walk up and down streets like this and others found on Shorpy. That SidewalkIs an insurance claim waiting to happen. Tricky TitleAside from Wagner, Nacht und Nebel (Night and Fog) was a directive issued by Adolf Hitler on 7 December 1941 targeting political activists and resistance "helpers" in World War II to be imprisoned or killed, while the family and the population remained uncertain as to the fate or whereabouts of the Nazi state's alleged offender. Victims who disappeared in these "Night and Fog" actions were never heard from again. [Best known as the title of Alan Resnais's immortal 1956 documentary. - Dave] Nights like theseAre the kind that make you glad you're home by the fire. Delano, on his game. Leaves you with the impression that the world existed in black and white. Remarkable photographNew Bedford was where my grandfather ended up after arriving here from the Azores as a stowaway circa 1912. It's where my father was born. I've never visited and my father's family had moved to Brooklyn by 1941 but I'd like to think he might have known scenes like this as a kid. Hotel NoirWe'll leave a light on for you! Almost nothing remainsI located the Diana Lodge (198 Middle St.) on the left and the Clarendon House (197 Middle St.) in the 1939 city directory for New Bedford. It appears that the only remaining structure in the photo is the house that was once the Clarendon. https://goo.gl/maps/GnacaQQD6Mr (The Gallery, Jack Delano)
Speed Demon: 1938
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. Beelzebubmobile Mississippi's taste for after ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/28/2008 - 1:08pm -

November 1938. "Radiator cap. Laurel, Mississippi." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. BeelzebubmobileMississippi's taste for after market auto enhancements goes back many years.... SpeedyMan alive, that has got to be the coolest radiator cap I've ever seen. Interesting coincidenceMy wife and I were at an antique motorcycle show two weeks ago in Phoenix. One of the bikes on display was an old Indian that was well decorated over the years by its rider and of the same period as the Russell Lee photo. The bike also had many travel decals on the windscreen, most from the South. What gave us a laugh was the fender ornament, the same fellow as above, but with strategic fingers broken off (click for the entire image): (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee)
Ten Families: 1938
... (vicinity), Tulare County, California. Miners' cooperative farm. Ten families have been established on the old ranch of 500 acres, which ... for cash crops." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Dead Ringer In the front ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/12/2014 - 10:22am -

November 1938. "Visalia (vicinity), Tulare County, California. Miners' cooperative farm. Ten families have been established on the old ranch of 500 acres, which they operate as a farm unit, raising cotton, alfalfa and dairy products for cash crops." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Dead RingerIn the front row, if that's not Jackie Cooper, it has to be his lost twin. Sunday BestThey all seem to be in their Sunday best and are generally happy to be there. Some exceedingly so. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange, Kids)
Frosty Mugs: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.       ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/16/2019 - 1:54pm -

November 1940. "Pierre, South Dakota, on a cold night." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.         About these images: The exposures by John Vachon, Marion Post Wolcott and other FSA photographers that we've been posting over the past few months may be around 80 years old, but have only recently been scanned in high resolution and made available for download by the Library of Congress. So in that sense they're "new" -- the photo above, for example, is from a batch of around 300 negatives scanned in October 2019 and published to the LOC website on December 12. These high-quality scans are gradually replacing the low-resolution images that have populated the LOC's online archive since 2011. The Sun Has SetAlas, the frosty mugs of suds may be gone, but other commerce lives on in this edifice -- the circa 1884 Karcher Building on Pierre Street -- and adjacent, with minor modifications. Value to Joy RatioThe work at the LOC is easily one of the more useful government institutions. And, it's so wonderful that you take the time to scurry through their archives to bring us these gems each and every day. I'm grateful to you both. Viewing these images brings joy to each day. Welcomed joy. FSA PhotosThanks, Shorpy, for the beautiful and haunting FSA photos, especially those made by John Vachon. As the scene appears today. Next Stop PottersvilleThat is some glorious curlicue neon in the Sun-Set bar's windows. I can picture George Bailey running past the bar and wondering what happened to Bedford Falls. It isn't your fault, DaveBut your wonderful site keeps reminding of things I did when making a living in the zany world of photography. The Library of Congress, which by itself is worth a visit to DC, is far more than one building and the (if I remember right) Jefferson LOC building, across the street from the old LOC, has THOUSANDS or MILLIONS of photos and a lot of other wonderful stuff. Once, for a low-budget FEMA brochure in the 1990s, I went there to snag some public-domain photos of hurricanes. I recall walking through a room full of gorgeous globes five feet or so in diameter, into a big room with tons of filing cabinets. The LOC person said, "Here you go; start with the hurricane photos in these three filing cabinets." Overwhelming! And amazing. Back in the late 1980s, when I was a White House consultant, I visited the Pentagon photo lab, which was then on Bolling Air Force Base. May still be there. There were four or five Navy techs in civilian clothes digitizing military photos. Using flatbed scanners, they were running through Gardner and Brady Civil War glass plates. It was a painstaking process and I asked the guy who ran the place how many photos they had to do. He said their library had something like five million photos and guessed that, even considering things would go faster when they got to the film era and scanning technology would be improved, it would be two or three hundred years of work. One of the photo labs there had processed the autopsy photos of JFK. I was lucky to have been able to see such stuff and I thank Dave and his staff for all the hard work they do for our benefit. They make it look easy, but I know it ain't, and they deserve any and all support we can provide. Thanks, SHORPY.COM!!! You have enriched us all. Great news!Dave, thanks for the note about the high resolution scans at the LOC. I started visiting the American Memory site soon after it came online in the mid 1990s, spending many hours perusing the collections, especially the FSA/OWI, Gottscho-Schleisner and Horydczak collections, and downloading the TIFF versions of photos (the highest resolution then available). I'm glad to hear that higher resolution scans are becoming available - I know it will take them some time to go back through collections already scanned. I'll be watching as they make progress through my favorites, to see what wallpaper and screen saver collections I can put together. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon)
Winter Haven: 1937
... size. 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. Baby With Scissors! Not exactly the most ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 11:38am -

January 1937. Family of a migratory fruit worker from Tennessee, camped in a field near a citrus packer at Winter Haven, Florida. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. Baby With Scissors!Not exactly the most kid-friendly toy! I love the look of the little girl on the right. The rest seem so intense. Two Families?This looks like two related families--the women in the dark dress looks as old as the one in the light dress and the kids sort of divide up by hair color. Maybe a sister-in-law? Migratory CampersThe family looks to be neat, the clothes (what we can see of them) don't seem to be shabby and even the car (again, what we can see of it) almost shines. They don't appear to be the usual down and out migrant workers. The scissors wielder may be the family barber. Is there more to this story? [More of them here. And here. - Dave] My thoughts exactlyTheir expressions are so intense, as though they are seeing another human for the first time ever. Inquisitive and guarded. More LikelyI think it's more likely that the "woman" in the dark dress (holding her hand to her face) is probably the eldest daughter of the family. I'd guess that like the other kids she's standing on the running board of the car. There's no real indication that she's even advanced into puberty (or if she had, is very far down that road). Remember in the days of teenage marriage, when "effective" birth control, particularly for the rural poor, consisted primarily of the rhythm method, coitus interruptus, and prayer, they had them early and often. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Kids)
Texas Tykes: 1936
... Texas, one of the subsistence colonies sponsored by the Farm Security Administration." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the FSA. View full ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/25/2013 - 10:25am -

Summer 1936. "Children of homesteaders in Wichita Gardens, Texas, one of the subsistence colonies sponsored by the Farm Security Administration." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the FSA. View full size. Wow.What a great picture. Pictures like this are what makes this gallery great. SmilesI hope their lives were always as happy as they appeared this day!! Great photo. Dalworthington GardensWe live next door to Dalworthington Gardens, now surrounded by the city of Arlington. There are still some remnants of the subsistence homesteading scheme there; it's fun to drive around there and look for them--like the lots that are huge for a city residential lot but just right for a truck farm. Swiss armyIt was kind of Rothstein to go for the three-quarter portrait--that kid's ears could multitask as shade, windbreak and sundial. Say cheese!These kids had a great smile! And you know they had zero, and were dirt poor. Clean clothes, clean hair, ...and something to smile about. All too rare in so many similar pictures from those tough times. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Kids)
Wheat Whacker: 1941
... format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Water Jug? We had jugs like ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2021 - 3:19pm -

August 1941. Froid, Montana. "Scandinavian tractor combine driver drinking water out of a jug in the field where they were harvesting wheat on the Schnitzler Corporation ranch. This boy came to the Schnitzler ranch from South Dakota, where he lives and first harvested their earlier wheat crop before coming up here for the Montana harvest season." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Water Jug?We had jugs like that but we didn’t carry water. He likely continued whacking wheatMen who worked on their family farms and ranches during WWII were given deferment from military draft. Agriculture production was considered too valuable to the war effort to draft this labor force and was one area where women were not recruited as substitutes. It was for this reason that my father and both his brothers served in the armed forces during WWII while both of my mother's brothers did not. After the war, my father was not impressed to hear my mother's family complain about how hard the war had been on them, with all that rationing. A fair day's work.He looks pleased with the way his day is going. I wonder if he survived the horrors of war. GogglesDriving the tractor in style. Love them! Cool WaterSoak the burlap when you fill the jug. As the water in the burlap evaporates, it cools the container and the water inside. (The Gallery, Agriculture, M.P. Wolcott, Rural America)
Night Service: 1939
... service station at night." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A little worse for wear 202 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/25/2018 - 1:24pm -

April 1939. San Augustine, Texas. "Oil and gasoline service station at night." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A little worse for wear202 E. Columbia Street. Superb LightingMakes the Sinclair station look like an addition to a Lionel train setup. Fill NoirWhat do I see all along the utility line above? Perhaps some gizmos to keep squirrels off? [Those are cable hangers. - Dave] Where’s the dinosaur?Although, I don’t see the green dinosaur, I loved these filling stations because of them as a kid! The same for Mobil’s flying horse. Sadly, dad was an Esso man. "Mellowed 100 Million Years"        Sinclair's advertising writers first had the idea to use dinosaurs in Sinclair marketing back in 1930. They were promoting lubricants refined from crude oil believed to have formed when dinosaurs roamed the earth. -- Sinclairoil.com It's a long walk from Pennsylvania. I guess Dino hadn't gotten this far south yet. 1936 FordAiring up the spare on a Tudor Touring Sedan. Wire wheels on that FordIndicate that it's a 1935 model. That was the last year that Ford used wire wheels. The 1936 Fords used the steel wheels with the very large bolt pattern, which were used up to, and including, 1939. Nevertheless, it's a beautiful car. (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Russell Lee)
Band of Brothers: 1940
... his brother making music." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Background Photos It would ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/24/2012 - 7:01pm -

June 1940. Pie Town, New Mexico. "Farmer and his brother making music." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Background PhotosIt would be nice to have a close up of those family photos in the background. Also of the ring on the younger brother's hand, which is unusual. [Done! A quarter in the tip cup would be nice. - Dave] GuitarWow, I have a guitar that looks almost exactly like that one. It's a 1940s Swedish-made Levin bought by my father, and I learned to play with it. Levin GuitarStarting (I think) in the late 1950's, Levins were sold in USA under the name Goya. Guitar PlayerHe must be pretty good playing up at the 7th fret like that. Also, look at the tanned arms of the fiddler player. (The Gallery, Music, Pie Town, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Stumpy Valley: 1939
... Medium format acetate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Hard to tell if those ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/22/2018 - 8:56pm -

October 1939. "A stumpy valley where new farms are being established. Photos show character of land which settlers are buying -- stump land farmers making a new start in the Priest River Valley, Idaho." Medium format acetate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Hard to tellif those stumps were previously logged before or after the fire, good luck with the new farmers pulling all those stumps. [The farmers blasted them with dynamite. - Dave] TranslationI guess Stumpy Valley means clear cut forest. Before the FarmsWhenever I see farmlands, and hear about people "protesting" (complaining) that they are putting subdivisions over the open farmland, I wish I could see the land before it was developed into that "undeveloped" farmland. As though the farmland is the natural state! This is a great photograph of this pre-pre-development in a way we'd probably never imagine it. Even though most of it is essentially gone by the time the photograph was made. [Most of these unirrigated "stump ranches" failed due to desertification and soil depletion of the deforested land, with most of the acreage eventually given over to grazing. - Dave] Energetic Stump removal methodsWhen I was a kid, oh so many years ago, it was still possible to go down to the farm supply and get a few sticks of dynamite and caps, so you could "blow some stumps". I can also report that they weren't terribly picky about whether you actually had a farm or not, or whether or not you had any particularly pesky stumps, nor if you were an adult. Sometimes you actually did need something pretty powerful, it's easy to cut/dig out most of the visible roots and get the stump loose -- but that tap root can be pretty hard to get to and very hard to break by prying on it. My dad once tried pulling one with a steel cable attached to the bumper of our Corvair -- with predictable results. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange, Landscapes)
Company Store: 1940
... the hospital and the hotel." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The winner is ... ? I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2018 - 12:23pm -

Spring 1940. "Store in Bisbee, Arizona. Phelps-Dodge practically owns this town: the copper mines, the principal mercantile company, the hospital and the hotel." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The winner is ... ?I remember visiting this town in the mid-'70s and thinking how picturesque it looked. Within the space of a few years, however, things grew ugly. As copper prices dropped, Phelps Dodge began cutting its work force, resulting in a harsh, violence-filled strike. The town was literally torn apart by the situation, and many lives affected. At the end, the Company declared it was getting out of the copper business in Arizona, and closed the mine, leaving the town with no viable employment. I remember seeing the news stories at the time - a picture of a now-unemployed miner holding a sign -- "WE WON!" I'm glad the town has had a resurgence of tourism and artist colony. [The Bisbee mines closed in 1974. The strike you're thinking of was in 1983, 170 miles away at the Phelps-Dodge open pit in Morenci, which is still in operation. Also, probably not "literally" torn apart, unless there was an earthquake or tornado! - Dave] Bisbee Big BoxThe Streamline Moderne store (designed by Del Webb in 1939) still stands as a sort of shopping and dining arcade, but the giant building behind it is gone. What was it? Big Box StoryThe big box building was a warehouse for the Phelps Dodge Mercantile. It was built prior to 1917, as it can be seen in photographs from the 1917 I.W.W. strike and subsequent Bisbee Deportation. It survived the 1938 fire that destroyed the previous Phelps Dodge Mercantile, which led to the construction of this new Streamline Moderne building. It was razed sometime between 1951 and 1960 and became a parking lot. Many more photos and information of Bisbee can be found at the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum website. Yesterday's tomorrows todayThe current street view seen in the earlier comment shows why surviving Streamline Moderne buildings need to be painted white as designed. The earth tone craze doesn't suit them at all. Subway Street?Think they ever had a subway there? [The Subway is the drainage channel that goes under the street. Once you get to the store, Subway turns into Tombstone Canyon Road. - Dave] Still ThereThis page has a recent shot of the Mercantile building. It looks less grand than the 1940 view, but it's still recognizable. Public transportation warThe building at the end of the street has a "Greyhound" sign on its frontispiece. On the same building there is a board saying: "Next time, try the train and BE SAFE". A message signed by Southern Pacific. Part of Phelps DodgeThe building behind the store in question was also part of Phelps Dodge at least according to the picture posted from the back, you can see the name on the building behind the Kodak lettering. Offices maybe? [Um, that's not "the building behind the store." That IS the store. Both views are from the front. That's the same sign in both photos. - Dave] (The Gallery, Mining, Russell Lee, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Houses on the Hill: 1935
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. Outhouse These were most likely Company owned ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 12:22pm -

October 1935. Coal miners' houses in Omar, West Virginia. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. Outhouse These were most likely Company owned houses and everything was built with ease of maintenance in mind. You'll notice a large trap door at the base of the rear of the outhouses in the picture. These doors allowed access for the "honey dippers" to clean the outhouses and keep down odors and avoid the need to relocate the outhouse every few years. The building that was mentioned as a chicken coop could also be a wood or coal shed, wash house and possibly even a chicken coop. These were also most likely foreman homes since they seem to be much larger. SmokehouseInteresting--large houses, every one has its own outhouse and there's even a smokehouse and what appears to be a chicken coop at the one on the left. Very interesting house designs, would look good today. OuthousesThere was a James Garner TV-movie (he worked for a railroad) where each time he went across his back yard headed for the outhouse, the annoying little neighbor girl would say, "I know where YOU'RE going!" OmarGreat image. These duplexes near the tracks look nicer than the ones on the hill. I wonder what you say to your neighbor as you walk past on your way to the outhouse. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Mining, Small Towns)
Our House: 1940
... Dubuque, Iowa." Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Third pair of eyes My ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/17/2020 - 7:26pm -

April 1940. "Children living in shacktown along Mississippi River bottom. Dubuque, Iowa." Acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Third pair of eyesMy mother said: modest clothes, but clean clothes. Love the little fella peeking around her dressI wonder why he's hiding? How strangeTwo girls and six legs. If you look closely you can see little brother peeking out under Sister's arm. Don't look behind you!If you look at the feet there appears to be three people standing in the doorway. The third is wearing shoes and pants. But only two girls appear above the knee. I See You! You won't be able to hide behind your sister forever, buddy! Uncle Sam's going to need you soon--probably in Korea. You look a little too young to go to Germany or Japan just yet! DetailsI love the little cactus patch on her apron. Sure hope these kids found their way to a better life before long. Photographic evidenceFinally! Photographic evidence of a family with the statistical 2.5 kids. I've got my eye on youI know he's only shy of Mr. Vachon, but in my mind, the boy is hiding from a female who has come right up into the yard to pursue him -- for whatever reason. The big sisters have arranged themselves into a formidable barrier, but the hunted male cannot help taking a furtive peek from behind their skirts at his would-be nemesis. If the uninvited had any sense, after seeing the looks on the faces of her prey's womenfolk, she'd be two counties away by the time the girls -- especially that little one -- stepped down out of the doorway to take care of business. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Kids)
Ghost Factory: 1941
... Pennsylvania." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. (The Gallery, Factories, Jack ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2022 - 4:35pm -

January 1941. "Interior of abandoned Howard Stove Works in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. (The Gallery, Factories, Jack Delano)
Dubya: 1939
... center." View full size. 35mm negative by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. Watermelon? Thanks for the laugh, I needed ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/15/2008 - 11:21am -

May 1939. "Statue to the watermelon. Weatherford, Texas, watermelon center." View full size. 35mm negative by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. Watermelon?Thanks for the laugh, I needed that. Watermelon? This is the worst "statue" I've ever seen, and I teach kindergarten! The shape is more of a cucumber, or maybe Jolly Green Giant dropping. And it appears to be falling apart. This one has been fun. DubyaDubya is for watermelon, or Weatherford, or maybe "fiasco" (I think we might have been better off with this thing in the Oval Office the last few years). I usually prefer black and white photography, but this is one shot I'd like to see in color, for the huge green tin melon. Looks like this wasn't its first year in service. And I love the Victorian Frontier architecture of the commercial block in the background. Weatherford SquareGratuitous and ill-informed swipes at contemporary politicians aside, Weatherford has been and continues to be a somewhat surprising center of power-politics in Texas. Among other notables, Weatherford has been home to the last southern Civil War veteran elected Governor and to Jim Wright. The building in the background is still there, and if you search Shorpy for more photos of Weatherford, you are likely to find a shot of the county courthouse that this shot was taken from in front of or perhaps from on its steps. Parker County is now known more for its peaches, and the new (last few years) boom coming from the Barnett Shale natural gas field. WeatherfordI don't know how to submit photos to Shorpy or I would because there is a photo of the courthouse from the same source as the rest of the photos of Weatherford. One of many beautiful old time Texas courthouses. Mary and LarryWeatherford is the birthplace of Broadway legend Mary Martin and her son, actor Larry Hagman. Ain't there no moreGreat shot! Too bad they took it down. I've done a little bit of moseying around Weatherford and found this spot; its in the dead-center of town, on College Avenue. What a wonderful invention Google Maps is; I can travel to places I'll never actually go to and poke around at my leisure. Weatherford has a lot of charm and they'd be wise to add a little bit of chuckle-fun by putting that watermelon back where it belongs. View Larger Map (The Gallery, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Lowest Price in Town Sale: 1938
... size. Photograph (35mm nitrate negative) by Ben Shahn, Farm Security Administration. Newark, Ohio It's amazing that I've been ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/10/2007 - 1:21am -

Summer 1938. Drugstore window in Newark, Ohio. View full size. Photograph (35mm nitrate negative) by Ben Shahn, Farm Security Administration. Newark, OhioIt's amazing that I've been lurking this site for about a week now, and lo and behold a photograph from my hometown. [Eerie, isn't it? Shorpy has a sixth sense about these things. Welcome to the family. - Dave] Hepatica AND petrolatum on sale?Not to mention "effervescent carbonates" and halibut liver oil? Grab your wallet, honey...we're runnin' to Newark! Also, it must be said that these gals have lovely figures and outfits! Makes me want to dress up for work today... Oh, and welcome, Steve. Hope your hometown streets are still dotted with beautiful women and lined with helpful drugstores! Ben Shahn? 1938 prices?The only thing missing is that sweet talker out in front parleying with the ladies. But then again, there's no sacks for him to lounge on. I like how everything has a price except the KotexIt wasn't too embarrassing to advertise, but it appears to be too embarrassing to price. Speaking Of KotexWhen my mother or older sister were in need of it I was handed a written note and told not to look at it but to give it to the wife of the kindly gentleman who ran the neighborhood corner store in the late 40's & early 50's. She would disappear into the back store room and come back with a package wrapped in brown paper with taped ends. Of course I looked at the note the first time but the words Kotex meant nothing to an eight year old boy who paid it no mind since it had nothing to do with his world of baseball, marbles and car models. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Stores & Markets)
Parked Girl: 1941
... Vermont. 35mm nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Brooks Pharmacy Still open! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/08/2008 - 12:32am -

August 1941. Cars in the business district of Brattleboro, Vermont. 35mm nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Brooks PharmacyStill open! RexallA Rexall! Like from the Phil Harris-Alice Faye show! RexallRexall still exists although in two far different forms than the store in the picture. In the USA the Rexall name was acquired by Sundown and the company became Rexall-Sundown, and is a manufacturer of nutritional supplements. In Canada the name is owned by the Katz Group which operated 1100 pharmacies across Canada including many operating as Rexall Pharmacies. The Katz Group bought the naming rights to the Edmonton Colliseum which is now known as Rexall Place. Parked GirlThats a fine looking automobile, and a nice day for the top to be down. RxRexall is still a huge name in pharmacies in Canada, but of course most are far larger than this little place. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Jack Delano, Small Towns)
The Yellow Bullet: 1940
... Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Local Car The 6 on the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/12/2019 - 9:20pm -

June 1940. "Some of the younger Osceola migratory camp members who have come to the post office in Belle Glade, Florida, for their mail." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Local CarThe 6 on the license plate indicates the car comes from Palm Beach County, which just so happens to be where Belle Glade is located. No letter after the county number indicates it's a passenger car weighing 2500-3499 pounds. Obviously by Marion Post WolcottThanks to Shorpy, I've gotten pretty good at recognizing the work of Marion Post Wolcott. While I'm sharp enough to recognize a distinctive quality in her photos, I'm not sharp enough to explain what sets them apart. Perhaps someone else can explain. Another viewThere's a Shorpy watermark, but, I couldn't find it's its original posting. I'm guessing the kids drove out from Palm Beach to see how the other half lives. [Don't guess -- read the caption! They are migrant laborers picking up their mail. - Dave] Humm --The look of disapproval (?) from one the ladies passing by says it all. What a coincidenceI walked past an antique shop this afternoon and saw this in the window! You Can't Text in 1939If you look in the background of the photo in gcreedon's post you'll see the Golden Eagle Bar, photographed by Marion Post Wolcott a year and a half earlier in January 1939 and posted on Shorpy May 1, 2019. So the post office was across the street from the bar. There was some discussion in May as to why a group of white men are sitting in front of a blacks only bar. dddlensman commented they were simply sitting in the shade on a sunny Florida day. Now I think they were also simply waiting for the mail to be distributed in the post office boxes. I once lived in a very small town and before diversions like the Internet, we did things like that. Re: ObviouslyI don’t claim to be sharp enough to know what sets MPW’s photos apart, but I’d like to suggest a few things. She’s not lazy, so she always stands far enough away to get a full view, or climbs high enough up to get the best view. She seems to have had the ability to put people at ease in their homes or at their work so they could go about their business naturally as though she wasn’t there. She flat out composes photographs well, in terms of diagonals vs. horizontals and verticals, or a pleasing balance of objects. Sometimes she just stares at signs or street corners. She’s curious, so she’s always finding quirky and interesting things. She respects her subjects and acknowledges their dignity. She likes people in all their forms, frequently taking delight in them. And she’s not showoffy. It’s never all about her. So she’s massively talented but always modest. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Florida, M.P. Wolcott)
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