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Knock, Knock: 1939
... Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. One Step Convenience If one takes a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/11/2018 - 7:06pm -

January 1939. "Businesses in Mound Bayou, Mississippi." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. One Step ConvenienceIf one takes a final step off the unprotected balcony at right, one doesn't have far to go for their final journey. Always an adventureI looked at this photo and wondered if Mound Bayou still existed (it does). I also discovered it has a history: http://julieguardado.com/blog/2016/10/10/america-part-2-mound-bayou-miss... It is always an adventure with the folks at Shorpy. Thanks. Who's There? Cluck.Cluck Who? Cluck-A-Doodle-Doo Dare I say it?Business seems a bit dead for the business next door. I have to askUpholding the tradition about the big old hotels on Shorpy; When did this place burn down? Now we knowSo that's why the chicken crossed the road: to get a Coke at Smith & Smith's. Always entertainingI love the creative abbreviations you find in this era on signs and in newspaper headlines. They had it down to a science. Make Me a SaladChickens should avoid any building with an axe display in the window. Benevolent Aid and Burial SocietyAn ad from the 1937 souvenir program for the 50th anniversary of Mound Bayou's founding. No explanation for the name change. [This is a different burial association in another town -- Glendora is two counties west of Mound Bayou. - Dave] (The Gallery, Russell Lee, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Shop at Rosenbaums: 1941
... format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. ... to put up a parking garage ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/02/2019 - 5:34pm -

August 1941. "Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. ... to put up a parking garageThe site formerly occupied by Rosenbaum's department store (along 6th between Penn Avenue and Liberty) is occupied by a mildly interesting seven-story parking garage. It is very convenient for patrons of Heinz Hall, the performance venue one block north. All that remains... of the massive railroad bridge and adjoining station is the two huge brick pillars, one on each side of the river. Amazingly, the Kelly and Jones Pipefittings building and the Neffco Coffee building next to it (now Fort Pitt Coffee) are still standing. Unusual stationTo the left of that long steel cantilever is an interesting little architectural oddity- the Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal Railway station. The long, barn-like trainshed covers the tracks, which entered the city at second story level from the bridge. At the rear of the train shed, you can see the “flatiron style” headhouse for the station, both of which opened with the railroad in 1904. To the left of the headhouse, you can see the railroad’s elevated tracks for its small freight terminal- a pretty unusual structure necessitated by the decision to bridge the Monongahela on a high level. It was all gone by 1946. Big Fly Swatting Contest Begins Monday, June 30thChildren, get ready to swat the fly! Flies will be measured by gills, pints, quarts, etc. could have been that year, but actually happened in 1913. The Smoky CityNothing like a deep fresh breath of CO₂, hydrogen fluoride and sulfur dioxide to get the blood flowing on an early fall morning. What's left standingThe three tallest buildings in this picture (back to front): The Gulf Tower, the Koppers Tower, and the Henry W. Oliver Building. Wabash Bridgewas removed in 1948. It was not destroyed, it was dismantled, and much of the steel was used in a bridge down the river, commonly called the Dravosburg Bridge, actually named the W.D. Mansfield Memorial Bridge. The bridge connects McKeesport and Dravosburg across the Mon. The Gulf Building, now called the Gulf Tower, used to have lights on the pyramid structure at the top to give the weather forecast. Blue and orange lights let people know if it was going to be warm/cold, and if the lights were flashing that meant precipitation was forecast. These forecasts stopped sometime in the late 1980s. KDKA brought the lights back about 10 years ago, though they are now LED lights and use several colors to give the forecast. This was the tallest building in Pittsburgh until 1970. Interestingly, the Koppers Building has a copper roof. Koppers is a chemical company, and their global headquarters are still in that building. Keenan BuildingI had trouble getting my bearings until I found the Keenan Building, the domed building near the center. The top (18th) floor is rumored to have been Thomas Keenan’s bachelor pad, whence emerged many a sadder-but-wiser girl. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, M.P. Wolcott, Pittsburgh, Railroads, Stores & Markets)
El Indio: 1939
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Now Improved! More ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/17/2022 - 11:44am -

March 1939. "Approach to El Indio, Texas." Welcome, but NO SWIMMING. Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Now Improved!More vegetation, and the bridge has been replaced with a culvert over Cuevas Creek so you don't get your ankles wet. Water tower in now a ground-mount vertical tank, but the long-low white building is still there which you can see if you Street View up the hill to it just past the water tank. (The Gallery, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
News of the Day: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Enjoying some fresh air ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/02/2020 - 4:25pm -

August 1941. "Front porch. Elgin, Illinois." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Enjoying some fresh airWhistler's daughter? A Long RoadThis lady, surely reading news portending the U.S. entry into WWII, was no doubt born before the Civil War. She must have taken considerable pride in the fact that she and America had grown up together. New LensA few years ago, I wouldn't have why she needed that magnifying glass to read a newspaper. Now I know. New Lens, part 2A few years ago, I wouldn’t have known why some older folks take off their glasses and put the book or newspaper right up close to their eyes to read. Now I know. Would love to see the whole houseThe craftsmanship of the windows, the perfectly spaced balusters, the well made and attractive handrail, the tongue and grove wood for the porch floor and the column built with individual curved pieces of wood to form the perfect taper. And then at the bottom edge of the photo we see the perfectly spaced trim to cover the crawl space under the porch. "Craftsmen" of today have difficult time in drilling well spaced holes to make a crude baluster row and would never even think that the handrail needs to be smooth and have some architectural beauty to it. Reducing Her Screen TimeIt's August in Elgin, and I see clips but no screens on those windows. Kudos to the ownerThat is a very well-maintained home. Good NewsThis appears to be the same porch and not much has changed! (The Gallery, John Vachon, Small Towns)
Ouray Cafe: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. East Si-eed, representin' ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/18/2020 - 10:41am -

September 1940. "Small business establishments. Ouray, Colorado." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. East Si-eed, representin'Apparently he also became the postmaster there. Tipped?One of the buildings on the right is slightly out of plumb. My money is on the barber shop. [The Mowatt establishment definitely leans to the left. - Dave] Leans to the leftIs that because of the 1936 election poster for FDR’s second term? Another Taylortot Another SHORPY sighting of a Taylortot Stroller Learned a New WordNobby adjective, nob·bi·er, nob·bi·est. British Slang. fashionable or elegant; stylish; chic. excellent; first-rate. Iron ManThomas Mowatt has left a surprisingly large online footprint. (The Gallery, Kids, Russell Lee, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Wabbit Season: 1941
... Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Winchester Looks like a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/22/2018 - 8:00pm -

December 1941. "Hunters. Dailey, West Virginia." Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. WinchesterLooks like a Model 12. Those are nice shotguns. What the Fudd?I could have sworn the sign said Duck Season. Supper's on the tableSmall game season in Pennsylvania was a big deal when I grew up. Put a lot of meat on the table when the coal mines were slow. Never had a Model 12. Mossberg 20 gauge bolt. It was like carrying around a 6x6 beam. Heavy. Winchester's FinestI still own my father's Mode 12. 20 Gauge Full Bore. Dad took very good care of it and I do as well. Hunting in the '30s and '40s was easy. There was an abundance of land where you could hunt and game as well. I am 90 years old now. Too old for hunting. Eating LeadHunting wabbits with a shotgun? Would not want to eat that rabbit, you would be picking shot out of it all through the meal. Like old timesI used to be able to hunt after school where I grew up. Now if someone were to see you walking the treeline with a gun and a dog they'd call the cops. Prosperity!Both boys are wearing boots in good condition, their clothes are relatively new and with no patches visible, and there is paint on the house in the background. Things are turning around at this point. Re: Eating LeadThis would not be much different than eating quail or other small game birds taken with a shotgun. Just chew carefully! MmmmmI smell Hasenpfeffer, Elmer's favorite dish. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Dogs, Rural America)
Dessert Oasis: 1940
... Mississippi. Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. 6-volt wind turbine These ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/06/2020 - 6:20pm -

June 1940. "Cafe. Pie Town, New Mexico." Sporting the biggest accent west of the Mississippi. Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. 6-volt wind turbineThese were marketed by radio manufacturers for the sole purpose of selling farm-type radios, with the heater circuit powered by the wind turbine, and a dry cell for the B battery. They could also handle one or two light bulbs if the wind was blowing hard enough. They were typically mounted on rooftops, because the line losses were too high if mounted on a tower. Many users later upgraded to 32-volt machines. The Zenith turbines were made by Winco, and I'm not sure who made the RCA turbines. Edit: In response to bobstothfang's comment, all of the early wind turbines had some mechanical means of pulling the axis of the turbine out of parallel with the wind. You would want to do this during storms, or when you needed to shut down the system for maintenance. The early turbines also had centrifugally-activated mechanical governors, to prevent the turbine from exceeding its design speed during periods of high winds or low electrical demand. Modern turbines have dispensed with this, using electronic governors to divert excess power to a "dump load", which is an electric heater. SpotlessThe biggest accent, and the cleanest windows, too. Just closingI saw a comment on one of the RV blogs that this family-run pie shop is just about to close forever. 6 ounce CokeI remember the 5 cent ice-cold 6 oz. glass-bottled Cokes. Made with cane sugar. I can still get them at my local market (made in Mexico) but they're no longer 6 ounces, or 5 cents. DessertedThe Pie Town Cafe closed December of last year. The Pie-O-Neer closed June 15, but it's for sale if you want to own a pie shop in the middle of nowhere. This is Why They Have to Clean the WindowsI discovered Shorpy in 2009 so this older Pie Town post (https://www.shorpy.com/node/89) was a couple of years before that. I ran across the photo somewhere else and looked back to see if it had been on Shorpy -- and there it was. Things just look so different in Kodachrome color! The Wind Turbine is Not WorkingThe rope wrapped around the propeller and the weather vane arm will prevent the turbine from spinning. I'll take that pie to go, pleasePuddy1's comment about businesses shutting down caused me to search for a news story I thought I remembered about a series of unsolved murders in Pie Town, but those were in nearby Quemado. However, I also found a very good interview with the owner of the now for sale Pie-O-Neer, just three months before it closed. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Pie Town, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
No Refills: 1939
... Ballad of the sad pharmacy. Photo by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Wow A hand-split shingle ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/05/2013 - 3:36am -

January 1939. "Vacant drugstore. Mound Bayou, Mississippi." Ballad of the sad pharmacy. Photo by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size. WowA hand-split shingle roof, don't see too many of them these days. Why Was It So Unusual?Selling Hollingsworth's Candies. Maybe this is why Green & Thomas went out of business. Sign Painter, Drugs and GasolineIt says "Wallis 11-26-29" under the drugstore sign. Wallis was probably the sign painter and he did his artwork in November 1929, 10 years earlier. Also the three columns might have supported a portico. Was the building a gasoline station before it was a drug store? Ten years afterThe sign painter's tag shows 1929, and the photo 1939. Between the brick posts appear to be gas pump mounts. Apparently the addition of fuel sales couldn't help this establishment. Probably should have called out the sign painter to update up that sign. Unusual Candies!I've never heard of Hollingsworth Candies, but here's the back of one of their candy boxes (found via Google) describing what's inside. Evidently they were located in Augusta, Georgia. The grand-daughter of the founder posted on the site where I found the box image, and another relative of a long-time employee there stated she had the company recipe book. Pretty nifty in case you crave a Crispette! That is such an interesting photo; the front door appears to be open, and I can't imagine what the purpose of those three bricked columns was. Could gas pumps have been between them? Looks like something was. Out on Old Hwy 61Mound Bayou is oldest all-black town in U.S., founded in 1887 by ex-slaves from a local plantation. More info here. Sole OwnerAs such, alas, B.A. Green cannot blame an unimaginative board of directors or a peculating CFO for the demise of his business. (The Gallery, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
Gulf Service: 1939
... Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Star bright When they fire ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/25/2019 - 6:45pm -

April 1939. "Miami Beach, Florida. Even the gas stations are on an elaborate scale, often modern in design, resembling hotels." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Star brightWhen they fire up all that neon, I bet they could guide ships in off the ocean. Minivan precursorThat's a 1938 American Bantam Boulevard Delivery on the right parked by the rearmost pumps. Cantilever canopyShows very little fear of heavy snows in Miami. Love to see how it is engineered. Wheelan's Fish Grill is GoneThat entire block is now vacant. In 1935 Wheelan's was located at 518 Alton Road and advertised "Out of the Ocean, into the pan" seafood dining in the "Marine Room". Can't quite place the Gulf Station with the address 1315 something street. SnowbirdNotice the OHIO plate on the car to the left. The little Bantamappears to have white sidewalls on both sides of the tires. Gas InflationI remember my father complaining to the gas attendant when it hit 23.9 cents a gallon -- all in fun because he went there all the time. (The Gallery, Florida, Gas Stations, M.P. Wolcott, Miami)
Rural Pacification: 1941
May 1941. "Farm worker with his wife and their twin babies at the FSA migratory labor ... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Semi digital Boy they look young, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/04/2018 - 12:28am -

May 1941. "Farm worker with his wife and their twin babies at the FSA migratory labor camp mobile unit. Wilder, Idaho." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Semi digitalBoy they look young, with a very nice hand-me-down pram. Looks like our young mother is missing a digit. Farming accident? [You are mistaken (see below). Fingers bend! - Dave] Gave me a chuckleSeeing Dave's comment "pacification" I couldn't see the connection of parents and a baby carriage to pacification, then I saw the pacifiers. Ha! Next thought, does Dave lay awake at night thinking up these witty wisdoms or do they just come naturally? In either case, thanks for the extra enjoyment. [Rural Pacification comes from the Vietnam War. - Dave] The happy familyDad seems a little overwhelmed, or maybe unsure about being photographed, but Momma's expression of pride and love is unmistakable. I hope they prospered. Maybe later, Dad will get to enjoy a Grain Belt beer. That SmirkThe smirk on Mom's face and her hand nudging the squinting twin into facing the camera make me laugh. Parents never change and neither do babies! Side BuckleThe way the fella is wearing his belt is interesting. You'd see more of that style of wearing the belt with the greasers/rockabilly guys in a few years from when this photo taken. [Actually the side buckle was a staple of 1930s men's fashion. - Dave] The wearing of the buckleI wore my belt buckle off to one side in the '60s. I didn't want to scratch the paint on the fender of my car when working on it, which was a constant thing. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Kids, Russell Lee)
Bee Movie: 1939
... City, North Carolina." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Domes v flats There are ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/22/2014 - 10:36pm -

July 1939. "The main street, Chatham Avenue, of Siler City, North Carolina." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Domes v flatsThere are five domed covers over what appear to be utility hand holes (they're too small to be man holes)in the street. Today such covers are flat. Were domed covers common in 1939? [In the days before lane striping was common, such metal domes were used to direct traffic at intersections. In my home town of Larkspur, California, two were still in place through the 1950s, until they were eventually paved over. -tterrace] Belk'sIn the South, we have Belk Department Stores. I think I see one in this photo down on the left. Back when I was a kid, they were known colloquially as Belk's. The company also signed and marketed them that way. My family didn't shop there; too rich for our blood. The Happy CarIn the center of the street is a 1939 Chrysler which, because of the dip in the center of the front bumper, looks like something that was meant to be in the movie "Cars." The model name on the leading edge of the hood is too out of focus to read, but the car is likely to be a Royal or Royal Windsor which combined totaled 45,955 out of Chrysler's 67,749 cars produced that year. There were no Chrysler convertibles in 1939, but you could order a Saratoga or New Yorker with a sun roof. Only 239 cars were ordered with the option. Human beings!Several old photos from Siler City show lots of folks walking or standing on the sidewalks, just passing the time of day with their neighbors. In photos of the same places today, few if any people are visible on the sidewalks. Thus, the contemporary scenes seem sterile and uninviting. The difference is not unique to Siler City, of course. Chatham Ave. at E. RaleighGoogle Maps doesn't have a very clear view replicating this old photograph (that I can find), but it appears that the old photograph is a view looking North-north-west up Chatham Avenue across East Raleigh Street in Siler. The Chatham Bank on the corner is now gone, but the distinctive old building remaining is up Chatham Avenue on the right, a finial-topped little 'gothic' building surviving as the "Hotel Hadley" Bank ShotThis is Chatham Avenue at Raleigh Street looking north. The Chatham Bank building is gone, but the buildings on the west side of the street have survived. View Larger Map (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dorothea Lange, Small Towns)
Naughty & Nice: 1941
... care of. Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A Very Cunning Hat That'a a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/22/2018 - 11:04am -

January 1941. "Children in Midland, Pennsylvania." And now if you'll excuse us, there's the little matter of a triple-dog-dare to take care of. Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A Very Cunning HatThat'a a very cunning crenellated sailor hat. It takes a very brave kid to wear a hat like that. The Art of the DareMy pals and I were liberal users of the "double dog dare" but rarely made use of the "triple," figuring that if your friend wasn't sufficiently humiliated by the "double," one more dog wouldn't matter that much. Pardon me ...... while I go attend to Schwartz. He's got his tongue stuck to the flagpole. Nice hat (oblig.)What, when you buy a hat like this I bet you get a free bowl of soup, huh? Oh, it looks good on you though. Jean ShepherdA lot of people only know Jean Shepherd from his writing and narrating "A Christmas Story." For many years he had a nightly radio show in NYC. On Saturday nights it was live from the Limelight nightclub in Greenwich Village in front of an audience. I spent the better part of my teens listening to Shep with an earplug and my trusty 6 transistor radio. Now in the 21st century thankfully there is a website http://insomniatheater.com/ where I can still listen all night with ear buds and my iPhone. Jughead 1.0The lad is sporting a fine whoopee cap, previously seen here: https://www.shorpy.com/node/21401 Flick Livesarchive.org also has a library of Jean Shepherd radio show recordings. https://archive.org/search.php?query=jean+shepherd&page= As a teenager, I would also go to sleep listening to his show on my Heathkit multiband radio tuned to WOR on the AM band. Back then FM was for elevator music. Is that an actual whoopee cap?I don't know that I've ever seen a photo of anybody wearing one in the real world. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Kids)
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner: 1939
... 1939. "Noontime chores: feeding chickens on Negro tenant farm. Granville County, North Carolina." View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Dominickers? Those black and white birds are ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 12:20pm -

July 1939. "Noontime chores: feeding chickens on Negro tenant farm. Granville County, North Carolina." View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Dominickers?Those black and white birds are Dominiques ("Dominickers"), I believe. We fed ours in the morning, turned them out and they got fed again in the evening in the coop. (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Rural America)
Fat Stock Parade: 1940
... Angelo, Texas." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Well Dressed Parade Hey, I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/16/2021 - 7:37pm -

March 1940. "Part of the parade which opened the Fat Stock Show. San Angelo, Texas." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Well Dressed ParadeHey, I think I see a guy with no hat on -- The parade has been reroutedThe website for Meyers Drug states it was located at 26 South Chadbourne Street, between the Central National Bank and Sears, Roebuck buildings from 1934 to 1958. That would place it where the parking lot is now. The entrance to the bank has been reworked, removing the front steps. The building across the street has been replaced with something probably built in the 1960s or 70s. If you look at the tile and awning on Meyers Drug and compare it to Shorpy's previous picture, 'A Bumper Crop: 1940' -- I believe it is the same building, on the right. Swing this embedded street scene around and you'll see both of those buildings are also gone. Love Me Some Shorpy!Seeing this photo reminds me that I never realized that cars did not get all-steel roofs until the mid-thirties before I read about it on Shorpy! Those were the daysWith that little ding on the fender, I hope that old LaSalle still ran great. Eyes right as parade approachesExcept the man in lower right, hands on hips, hat set back slightly, leaning forward, staring across the street to the left like he is a G-man in search of a fugitive. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Stude Hill: 1941
... Pennsylvania." Spitz Auto Parts, east of Pittsburgh. Farm Security Administration photo. View full size. Future Liberty ships? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2018 - 6:50pm -

Circa 1941. "Wrecking yard at Irwin, Pennsylvania." Spitz Auto Parts, east of Pittsburgh. Farm Security Administration photo. View full size. Future Liberty ships?I wonder how many of these vintage car lover's dreams ended up in scrap drives. Shorpy Vehicle Identification ImperativeExperiencing Temporary Overload ... check back in 1946. Wish I Could Go Back!Many's the time I wandered a place just like this until I found what I was looking for; took it off the wreck and lugged it up front to pay, much like the guy in the coveralls in the center of the pic! One time, with help, I rolled a sedan over to pull the rear axle and left it looking much like car front left! Good times! Since 1939Still salvaging autos. DeSoto I think1934 Airflow? Junk after only 7 years. Been there, done thatLike friend Dennis, I too have spent time in a wrecking yard. One time broke my heart - a new Mustang with about 80 miles on the clock, and a telephone pole size dent in the side that would have killed anyone who was sitting in the right seat. I wonder how many million dollars the parts in this picture would be worth today. Junkyard gentlemenMy wife has a Chevy pickup, and one day, when she forgot to lock it when parked in our driveway, someone stole the ashtray (it was full of coins). The new replacement was expensive, so she went to a parts lot. Two guys who were customers there - working on getting their own parts - treated her like she was royalty, finding the same year-model-color pickup, and even pulling the tray from the truck dashboard for her! It matched the dashboard color in her truck! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Pittsburgh)
Street Life: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Is that old car so old? I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/07/2020 - 4:05pm -

June 1941. "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Is that old car so old?I just realized that, if the two newer cars in this picture were from roughly 1941, and the old car was from the mid-1920s, the old car is as "old" as my own car is to 2020 cars. But, compare 'em. The old and new cars in the picture are dramatically different. My car? You need to know cars to know it's "old". Sad ViewWhat a misrable vista. That would be a poor area for a kid to grow up on. Can't see all of it but it looks like there is no room even for a street stickball game. Dealer, I've Got 3 of a Kind-- along with a 9 and a Joker! That old carThe old car to the right is a 1930 Model A Ford Coupe. But your point is well-taken. An 11 year-old car today is hardly noticeable, due to the bland styling of modern automakers. But much of that seeming lack of imagination is the result of complying with much stricter rules about safety and fuel efficiency. Not that oldModel A Ford, the radiator shell type and the silver Ford emblem would make it a 1931 model. So it's only a 10-year-old car. Not SadI grew up in several Pittsburgh neighborhoods similar to this one. They were communities, where neighbors talked to and depended on each other and we kids played with the other kids. We were poor together. We went to school together. We walked and talked together. There were vacant lots for make up baseball games. We didn't need the streets for stickball. They were for sledding in the winter. I was happier in these neighborhoods than when my mother moved us to the suburbs, where none of those activities existed, or exist to this day. Please don't be tempted to impose modern values on the past. There aren't that many of us left to defend it. Safety firstThe fatality rate in 1931 when the "old" car was built was 14.79 per billion miles traveled. In 1941, when the picture was taken, it had fallen to 11.43 -- a 23 percent decline in just one decade. In 2018 it had fallen by more than another factor of ten, to 1.13. (Mileage and performance have likewise drastically improved.) You might say that cars today are boring in a good way. Tough Life. When this photograph was taken, the Great Depression had dragged on for a decade. That Model A was very reliable and cheap and it got a lot of people through the Depression. (What make is the other car?) I wonder how that young lad felt. He would only have known the Depression all his life. He lived in a cramped neighbourhood. In a few months the U.S. would be at war and his father or uncle or older brother might be serving. My generation had grandparents who went through all of that and they talked about it to us. Life was tough and I see that in photos like this. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Kids, Pittsburgh)
You Better Watch Out: 1941
... 1942, photographer unknown. 35mm Kodachrome transparency, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Doubl-glo icicles Those ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 9:43pm -

A Christmas window display in 1941 or 1942, photographer unknown. 35mm Kodachrome transparency, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Doubl-glo iciclesThose Doubl-Glo Icicles cost 38 bucks a box nowadays! [Amazing. I've always been partial to the old-style Christmas decorations myself. Vintage Christmas cards too. eBay is a great help. - Dave] Good Old Lead PoisoningI remember the "icicles" back then being made of lead or something, unlike the wimpy mylar of today. If you put too many on a weak branch, it might break. When we took the tree down on New Year's Day, they'd be stuck in the carpet. My brothers and I used to race to collect the strands. We'd squeeze them into a tight, and surprisingly heavy lead ball, which we would then toss at each other while my dad yelled at us to stop. Ah, the memories... IciclesI think they were thin strips of tin, or possibly aluminium, both of which can be a nice shiny white, whereas lead is pretty dull and gray. I remember them, too. Red RyderI think he might be wondering where his Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time is. Great photo, brings back many memories! PriciclesBack in the late 1950's in the Germantown area of Philadelphia there was a price war on icicles just before Christmas. The two businesses involved were Comer Paper (6241 Germantown Ave) and Doc's drugstore half a block south. Doc's is long gone but Comer is still in business. I think they usually had a price war on icicles (which I believe was motivated by just wanting to have a little fun) but sometime around 1959 they got carried away. Doc's advertised icicles at 15 cents. Comers countered with 12 cents, Doc's dropped to 9 cents, etc. over 2 or 3 days. Final prices were in the 1 cent range. Re: LeadLead can be pretty shiny too, and I also remember balling up those icicles and firing them at my siblings. Tin or aluminum ain't that heavy or soft. (The Gallery, Christmas, Kids, Stores & Markets)
Peoples Liquor: 1938
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. Dixie Dew $1.29 for Dixie Dew? Soft drink ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2017 - 9:25am -

November 1938. Liquor store in Omaha, Nebraska. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. Dixie Dew$1.29 for Dixie Dew? Soft drink or...? [Dixie Dew was a "popular price" whiskey. 90 proof, aged six months. - Dave] 10 Cents for 24 ounces?WOW ... I'll be right over! Every time a bell ringsWhat a raw scene; it's a cold, dreary day in the latter part of the (first?) Depression. Is this Pottersville from "It's a Wonderful Life"? Ernie, is that you? (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Omaha, Stores & Markets)
"Wrecking": 1939
... Medium format negative by "Arthur Rothstein" for the "Farm Security Administration." View full size. The vanishing blacksmith ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/09/2017 - 10:20am -

June 1939. "Blacksmith shop now used for auto repair. Glendive, Montana." A strong horseshoe motif here, architecturally speaking, in addition to the giant pile of actual horseshoes. Roofline of alphabetical anvils by Wile E. Coyote. "Wrecking" by "Joe Balison," who seems to be a fan of quote marks. Medium format negative by "Arthur Rothstein" for the "Farm Security Administration." View full size. The vanishing blacksmithMy father-in-law was born and grew up in Glendive. His father ran a cartage business with mules and he would accompany him for deliveries in neighboring towns. He told me that he would arrive in a new place, and would stop and listen. The banging and clanging of the blacksmith could be heard anywhere and indicated the center of activity in town. He always headed for the noise. He joined the army in 1938, and when he returned after the war, all the blacksmith shops were gone or repurposed. This photo is an example of the change. Anvils $Today just one of those anvils would be worth close to $1000. [Those are plaster anvils. -Dave] "Before" the "philistine" "Joe Balison"From a happier time, the C.S. Johnston Blacksmith shop, without any quotation marks and with all anvils still on parapet. CrisafulliCrisafulli Inc., a metal fabricator and pump manufacturer, is in business in Glendive. With that name and location there has to be a connection! GlendiveThe town has the distinction of being the smallest of the 210 television markets in the United States, according to Nielsen. It has 4,370 TV homes, well behind #209, which is North Platte, Nebraska, at 14,370. truck ID1928-1929 Ford. The front doors are Ford car; the rest of the illfitting body aftermarket or salvaged from another make. Any takers?I would bet big money the letters on those anvils were once horseshoes. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Horses)
Up for the Fourth: 1941
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. Carnival Canes Here's what an Antiques Roadshow ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 11:25am -

July 1941. Girls at the Fourth of July carnival in Vale, Oregon. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. Carnival CanesHere's what an Antiques Roadshow appraiser says about them: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/200502A30.html Carnival Cane?It looks like the dark-haired woman is holding some wooden carnival canes. I have one with a ceramic dog head at the top that looks similar to the one she's holding, but it's hard to see the details. They just don't make carnival prizes like they used to! Carnival Cane!I have not seen one of those carnival-prize canes in over forty years. Oh, how we wanted to win them; oh, how useless they were. [I wondered what that was! Below, a closeup of the prizes. - Dave] That's IT!That's my bulldog carnival cane, right there. It looks like a cat from the back but it's a dog. Now I know how old mine is! Carnie CanesWhat was their point? To grab the brass ring? Kewpie DollIn her other hand she appears to be holding a kewpie doll sort of like this 1930'2 carnival prize on http://tinyurl.com/2y2284 (The Gallery, July 4, Russell Lee, Small Towns, Sports)
Swing Your Partner: 1942
February 1942. "Farm Security Administration Mercer G. Evans camp in Weslaco, Texas. Drake family playing for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/06/2017 - 11:01am -

February 1942. "Farm Security Administration Mercer G. Evans camp in Weslaco, Texas. Drake family playing for a Saturday night dance." Medium format negative by the under-appreciated Arthur Rothstein. View full size. This buildinglooks like it was also used as the local theater. Probably used folding chairs which are now stacked in a corner somewhere. Girls dancing with Girls... and young boys too nervous, or shy. [Or maybe the story this photo tells is of girls who'd rather wait for their turn with the man in the middle and waltz with each other, than dance with a bunch of grubby 12-year-olds. - Dave] The saddest dance everMost of these people look like they were forced to show up for picture day. Girls dancing with girlsNot surprising given the date. Enlistments were huge in early 1942. Maybe I'll look older if I smokeThe young boy on the left appears to be getting ready to light up a cigarette. He may not impress the girls, but if his mother is there, he may get some unwanted attention. First lessons?I'm no great dancer, but it's worth noting that nobody but the middle couple is positioned right; the man's right hand needs to gently pull at the lady's waist, and the woman's left hand needs to gently push him away on the shoulder. So I'd guess these folks are a bit new to dancing. Hope they had fun anyways, and as a former nerdy, snot-nosed 12 year old (36 years ago), I hope some of those boys were in fact dragged out of their chairs in the same way I was back when. Flash BulbInstead of lighting a smoke, I think the kid on the left is examining a flash bulb, probably a used one. What a great picture. [I think you're right. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Drake Family, Music)
Big Variety: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Location This is actually ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/08/2021 - 5:08pm -

July 1941. "Main street of Vale, Oregon, on the Fourth of July. Vale is one of the shopping centers for farmers who live and work on the Vale-Owyhee irrigation project." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. LocationThis is actually one block west of Main Street, at the intersection of Court Street and A Street looking east down A Street toward the mountain slope. [The principal thoroughfare of a town is the main street. Which may or may not be called Main Street. The main street of Vale is A Street. Don't even ask who's on First. - Dave] However if Main Street is capitalized one can assume that that is the name of the street rather than just the "main street of the town". [In our photo caption, it's not capitalized. - Dave] Rough day at the Tavern?What happened to the awning in front of the Coca Cola soda fountain? Maybe the guy walking right in front of the car tried to swing from it after getting kicked out of the Town Tavern? Mr. Whitehat seems to be playing it safe by looking before crossing. July 2015But probably not the Fourth of July, based upon the comparatively placid scene: Color me!Boy howdy, this would be a great image to colorize! Somebody with more time and skills should take it on, even without any pretty girls in it! De-EvolvementI look at street-scapes of the past and compared to most exact scenes of today all I can think of how devolved we have become. The Main Streets used to look so vibrant with activity, signs, flags, stores, and well....life. Today most places look like ghost towns with a lot of parked cars. Honeymoon HotelMy folks spent their extended Honeymoon in the Vale Hotel just a couple of years before this photo was taken. They were married on New Years Day 1939 in Boise, and stayed in that hotel for two weeks or so while they waited for their permanent house to be available. They lived in Vale for 15 years. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, July 4, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Overpass Moderne: 1941
... format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Merritt Memories My GPS ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/03/2019 - 2:57pm -

July 1941. "Merritt Parkway to New Haven, Connecticut." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Merritt MemoriesMy GPS took me down the Merritt early one morning on the way to pick up the ferry at Bridgeport. It was an unexpectedly enjoyable drive, and I could tell that the road had been carefully designed. Thanks for the background on the bridges. IIRC, there's also a short tunnel. LocationLooks like the Morehouse Drive bridge just east of Exit 44, looking east. 1940 ChevroletFour-door sedan in the lead. Cool driverShoulder to the door and two hands at noon and noon. Bet they all had "duckbutt" hairdos, if guys ever called it a "hairdo". BridgeworkThere were, originally, 69 bridges on the Merritt Parkway, each of them distinctly different and commonly fascinating to see. They were all designed by one George L. Dunkelberger, an astonishing accomplishment. Amazingly, also, 66 of them yet survive! Driving the Merritt is a unique experience, not to be missed, when you are in the area! Dongeeguy is right. Time in New EnglandThanks to the comment by dongeeguy, which I read last night when I looked at the picture, I recognized this beautiful bridge when we passed under it this evening on our way from Boston to Philadelphia. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, M.P. Wolcott)
Under the Wire: 1940
... Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A great photo of a great ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/25/2018 - 8:54pm -

January 1940. "Marion Post Wolcott with Ikoflex and Speed Graphic in hand in Montgomery County, Maryland." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A great photo of a great photographer!"No barbed wire is going to get in the way of my shot!" All time favAlthough I've seen a small version of this photo before somewhere, I think it just now suddenly became my favorite Shorpy photo ever, because it has captured a beautiful moment (and a beautiful smile) in a way that very few of these FSA/OWA photos ever do. Even if it is somewhat posed, I imagine that the two of them were out on assignment together, and that she had been crossing under the barbed wire seeking a better vantage point for a photo (I've convinced myself that I can see her footprint trail behind her in the field), and that he saw an opportunity for a great photo of his own. The result is perfect. Now maybe some day I'll see the photo that she got while she was over there in the field. [The other photos (hundreds of them) are here (Wolcott) and here (Rothstein). - Dave] Snow on the ground now, tooThere's snow on the ground in Montgomery County, Maryland today too. But it isn't quite as deep as in the photo. It is too bad they didn't identify the specific name or location of the farm. It may well have been replaced by a housing development by now. BovineI guess cows don't know how to lie on their sides, scrunch up their knees, and roll under the lowest wire. But wily humans will always find a way! 3x4 speedHer speed graphic looks like a 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 sized one. Equipped with a Kalart range finder, it is likely an anniversary or pre-anniversary model. She has it equipped with a bag mag, which allowed fairly rapid changing of up to 12 sheets of film. [The LOC notes on her sheet film photos there verify that size. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, M.P. Wolcott)
Save Room for Dessert: 1942
Spring 1942. "Little girl on a farm in Maryland, learning to eat vitamins. 'Balanced meal' on the table of a Farm Security Administration client in Calvert County." Photo by John Collier for the Office ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/22/2013 - 1:16pm -

Spring 1942. "Little girl on a farm in Maryland, learning to eat vitamins. 'Balanced meal' on the table of a Farm Security Administration client in Calvert County." Photo by John Collier for the Office of War Information. View full size. Period table settingWe collected Depression Glass over the years, and there is quite a bit of it here - grill plates (divided), serving platters (divided as well), footed sherbet or dessert bowls. These came in numerous colors and patterns, often as premiums for buying laundry soap. There is also a service of yellow-Bakelite handled flatware. Dishware is all gone now, but we are still using the flatware. IncentiveWith that many desserts in close proximity, I'd have eaten my vitamins too. BeansThe look on the little girls face almost seems to say that even dessert is not worth eating all the yucky beans. PoutyThat expression tells me she does not like her veggies! Looks like me when I was that age (the pout and dislike of veggies that is). No thrillThe girl doesn't look too thrilled about the greens, though. (The Gallery, John Collier, Kids)
Wheat Toast: 1941
... Farmers drinking beer." Photo by Arthur Siegel for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Lubricated No way to top ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/14/2014 - 6:23pm -

        To agriculsha! Fall 1941. "Jackson, Michigan. Threshing wheat. Farmers drinking beer." Photo by Arthur Siegel for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. LubricatedNo way to top Bill Cary's pastiche, but I hope they're enjoying a Weizen, at least! Old MilwaukeeNot just any beer it's Old Milwaukee! Well lubricatedUnbeknownst to Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, farm hands Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke relieved their boredom by beer. Together they drank a whiz of a fizz of suds at once, if ever, oh ever a beer there was. Oh, do be careful with the fluids and don't drop that oil can Hunk, you might rust in place for ages or at least until a little girl happens by. "Oil" canIt's a little-known Midwest trick -- a good squeeze of vodka into each bottle of beer prior to consumption. It kinda makes the harvest go more pleasantly, ya know? And a chaser of 10w30Helps keep them boys regular (The Gallery, Agriculture, Arthur Siegel)
Enzer's: 1938
... York City." 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Scuderia Cool! I always ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/30/2012 - 10:33am -

January 1938. "Front of livery stable, East Side, New York City." 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. ScuderiaCool! I always wanted to see the Ferrari stable. Oh, wait - it says EnzER. Oh well. Before Taxis and TaxiI believe this where Louie De Palma got his first job. Indeed if you carefully zoom in on the opened door you may see him lurking. Pint-sized passagewayIs that short door where the Shetland ponies go in and out? One of the last?I'm surprised there were livery stables in NYC as late as 1938. Then - livery stable, now - livery stableOn the east side of Manhattan today, you will find a number of livery stables still in operation. They house the horses that give carriage rides around the city. Does anyone know the srteet this 1938 photo was taken on? Low BridgeInteresting door on the right. High enough to let people or hay in, but low enough to keep horses from straying. location of stableI think it was 611 East 11th Street. The next picture taken by Lee shows another stable with a gas tank in view. Those tanks were on East 12th and Avenue D. NYC stablesMy family has been in the NYC horse drawn carriage business since 1981. To the comment below about today's carriage stables: actually, there are four carriage stables in Manhattan in 2012, and they are all on the west side -- 37th, 38th, 48th, and 52nd Streets, all west of 10th Ave. The stable on 38th Street still has the old doors with the smaller door for people to go in and out without opening the double doors. As for hay, in the old days it was winched up to the top floor or hay loft with a pulley system from the sidewalk; it is still done this way at the 38th & 48th Street stables; the others use elevators. To Banderboy - there has never not been livery stables in Manhattan; the carriages that continue to ply their trade at Central Park and around town have been continuously in business since the Park was opened in the 1850s, and of course, there were always liveries before that time. Additionally, the 'fruit man' and other horse and wagon businesses were common enough in NYC right into the 1950s. (The Gallery, Horses, NYC, Russell Lee)
The Belles of Ambridge: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Ohio Valley Lumber remains ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/13/2019 - 11:10am -

January 1941. "Street scene in Ambridge, Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Ohio Valley Lumber remainsOtherwise, not much. I believe this may be the scene today: More than the American Bridge CompanyAmbridge is known for more than the company for which it is named. Ambridge was the site of Old Economy Village, one of the homes of the Harmony Society, among the most successful religious communal groups of the nineteenth century. There, the Harmony Society awaited the second coming of the Messiah. The Society dissolved in 1905, but the Village has been preserved and is worth a visit. Called BackA timely reference to my favorite poet, Emily Dickinson, in her birthday week. I was privileged to pay my respects at the grave of the Belle of Amherst in early November. I hope that at least one or two of these lovely girls from Ambridge, Pennsylvania, read and appreciated the incredible Emily. Forecast: Sunshine!Most of these Vachon street scenes in steel towns literally leave me cold. Brrrrrrr! Thanks for a change of mood, Dave. This group could melt the snow just by giggling at it! Protect Those Shoes!A version of the shoe covers in use by the young lady on the right is still available today. I remember my mom having a pair like those in the picture. The CarAppears to be a 1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe Coupe 40 years laterWhen we moved from Alabama to Ambridge in 1981 our first Yankee winter looked just like this. It was COLD! BTW, it is interesting how many photos of Ambridge are in the Shorpy vault. (The Gallery, Ambridge, John Vachon)
Gonzales: 1939
... Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Teutonic Gonzales A quick ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2021 - 3:18pm -

November 1939. "Scene in the business section of Gonzales, Texas." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Teutonic GonzalesA quick pan across the surnames on the storefronts reminds us about the role of German immigrants in settling Texas ... ach du lieber! (Interesting irony: today, more conservative northern Germans refer to the flamboyant southern state of Bavaria as "the Texas of Germany" -- everything is bigger, bolder, louder, etc.) St George St.Much of my wife's family came to Houston from Gonzalez. We've visited many times. Interstate 10 split the difference between Hwy 90 (the old main drive westward) and Alt 90 where Gonzalez is located. It's located far enough away from I-10 that it misses nearly all the "Let's get off and get something to eat" traffic that Luling to the north gets. This part of town hasn't changed much. These buildings are still there. Look AwayThe buildings all seem to be there and intact. None of the businesses are the same, although the barber shop today is only two doors down from the 1939 shop. If you turned to your right, you would see what was named Confederate Square. As of 2021, it is now named Independence Square. The 40 foot statue of a rebel soldier remains, however. inflation Today that sign would read "DUKE & AYRES 98¢ to $19.55 STORE" (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Rush Hour: 1941
... taken in 1941 or 1942 for the Office of War Information / Farm Security Administration. Here's another photo from the same roll. I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2018 - 3:33pm -

Gas pump with clothesline, barn and horse-drawn wagon in background. View full size. Photographer and location unknown. FSA, 1941 or 1942. not a great photoordinarily, but fascinating to me, an australian, showing all these ordinary aspects of american life. The simplicity......of this photo is what draws me in. I mean, there is the contrast of the orange Gulf gas pump against the greens and blues. But, can't you just feel that gentle breeze that's brushin' against the wash on the line moving through your hair and whispering past your ears. A few birds sounding off sporadically in the surrounding brush line. Maybe the limb above the pump scratches lightly against the crown of the Gulf logo. Sigh. Guys, these pictures are...damn... This picture is not that oldThis photo took me so, that I put it up as wall paper on my desk top. It is a beautiful photgraph, but it is not that old. Look at the power pole in the back ground on the left. The bottom wire is a telephone line, not used in the 40s [well, actually ... see comment above]. The telephone wires used then were open wires on a cross arm with glass insulators. This appears to be a farmstead. The roads are not built up and are with out ditches. I believe that the real road is behind the brush by the power poles. All in all, I like the picture and it looks nice on my computer. Telephone wiresSingle-strand wires were indeed common in rural areas, but multiplex cabling began to replace them in the 1930s. Similar "three cable" line from LOC archives, photo taken Aug. 20, 1946 by Theodor Horydczak. The gas pump picture is from a roll taken in 1941 or 1942 for the Office of War Information / Farm Security Administration. Here's another photo from the same roll. I had a doll just like thather name was betty lou and I left her outside in a field and the next morning I was devastated to see that all her paint had peeled off her face with the night dew.These photographs bring back so many memories! Ditto lisavc. Another AussieDitto lisavc. Another Aussie who loves Americana. Abandoned gas pump?I suppose that gas pump was no longer in use? There is no indication of a business enterprise around it. [It would have been used mostly for agricultural equipment. I've seen similar pumps on farms out west.- Dave] (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Landscapes, Rural America)
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