MAY CONTAIN NUTS
HOME
Home

Search Shorpy

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

Search results -- 30 results per page

Etna: 1941
... Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. No Known Limit to John ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/06/2020 - 2:23pm -

June 1941. "Railroad yards. Carnegie-Illinois steel plant. Etna, Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. No Known Limit to John Vachon's ...... talent. His compositions are really amazing. I just want to say thanks for the continued additions to his work presented here on Shorpy. As in previous photos of Pennsylvania- - I would not be surprised if this was a colour photograph. Looks like Hephaestus must have relocatedto Pennsylvania, but when? Lotta tracks at EtnaI keep looking at that switch stand near the center of the photo and thinking how close it is to the adjoining rail. Awfully close! Steel mill memoriesI spent twenty years working in a steel mill. This picture brings back lots of memories, some of them not good. Spang, Chalfant, &Co.John Weakley Chalfant in 1855 purchased an interest in the firm of Spang & Company, iron manufacturers, an iron and steel manufacturer that was instrumental in the settlement of Etna. In 1858 the firm name was changed to Spang, Chalfant & Company. (The Gallery, Factories, John Vachon, Pittsburgh, Railroads)
Rooms for Rent: 1936
... California." 4x5 negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Nostalgia All was not ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/29/2017 - 6:55pm -

February 1936. "Mission District. Slums of San Francisco, California." 4x5 negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. NostalgiaAll was not beautiful in days of yore. Unpainted buildings, dirt, and litter was not a stranger back in the day, but clean laundry was still important! WonderWonder how they managed to get the washing on the high lines. Step ladder. Trapeze artist. Magic! [Or just by standing on the balcony. The lines are on pulleys. -tterrace] Fancy BollardThat bollard-like post seems out of place with the studs, wonder how & who did it? And in 2017$3000 per month. $3000 per month is a conservative numberAverage rent for a 1BR in the Mission District as of 5/17 is a hair-raising $3,935.00. Whoa. Edit: "Solved!" <Trash can or horse post?>I (was) waiting for Shorpyites to identify the two-foot round thing in the lower-right of this picture. It looks like it has rivets on it. Is that another one, farther afield, without rivets? Edit: Further research indicates that the objects are *re-purposed* water heater expansion tanks, usually filled with concrete, and used to protect private property from stray vehicles. Yes, bollards! I'm always learnin' something on Shorpy! (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, San Francisco)
A Bumper Crop: 1940
... Fat Stock Show." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Dapper dad The suit jacket ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/15/2021 - 2:18pm -

March 1940. San Angelo, Texas. "Watching the parade which opened the Fat Stock Show." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Dapper dadThe suit jacket fits perfectly around the man's neck. No gaps. The shirt collar is a perfect fit too. Mom doesn't seem impressed. Body shamingI trust that the festival is now called the Ample Bovine Exhibition. And go get a steak at Lowake Steak HouseSan Angelo is a little off the beaten path, but it has some interesting history worth seeing. * Fort Concho National historic landmark. * One of the original Hilton Hotels, which still dominates the San Angelo skyline. * A second floor bordello that was raided in the early 1950s, boarded up, became a time capsule, and is now a museum. The tour of Miss Hattie's includes the stories of some of the women who worked there. * The Twin Buttes Reservoir, which was riddled with construction problems and began leaking upon completion in 1964. In 1969 the lake it created received the Rowan and Martin's Laugh-in Flying Fickle Finger of Fate award because it caught on fire. What parade? Those kids look like they would rather be somewhere else. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Kids, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Big Bruvver: 1941
... 1941. "Children outside tent home at the FSA migratory farm labor camp mobile unit. Athena, Oregon." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Simple pleasures -- few ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/20/2019 - 8:09pm -

July 1941. "Children outside tent home at the FSA migratory farm labor camp mobile unit. Athena, Oregon." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Simple pleasures -- few comfortsNo hot and cold running water; no indoor plumbing; difficult to prepare warm meals; no privacy. Toys were a luxury ... [The camp had stoves, running water, a laundry, hot showers, a swimming pool and at least one bicycle. Also a boxing ring. - Dave] Grapes of Wrath sceneWith all the aforementioned amenities, all that's is lacking is a lawnmower or a few goats for mowing duties. CringeThis brings back vivid memories of the times I rode barefoot and ended up with bloody toes. Be it ever so humble ...That bicycle is virtually new, so someone was thinking of the children and perhaps some double-duty fun. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Kids, Russell Lee)
Washings & Iornings: 1939
... in washing and ironing." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Clean and Pressed What ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/22/2018 - 6:40pm -

August 1939. "Home and family of oil field roustabout in Oklahoma City. During periods of unemployment the woman takes in washing and ironing." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Clean and PressedWhat better advertisement for laundry service than two women and children neat and clean as can be, the girls wearing nicely made dresses probably made from feed sacks, one with even a bit of lace trim. Those women had courage. My grandmother used to scrub the blue ink out of sugar sacks for pillowcases, embroidered and trimmed with fine crochet. Making do never looked so good. I tried asking my Motherwhat it was like during the depression and she would never answer, and until she died she still collected buttons off old clothes, and saved every scrap of food. A Glimmer of HopeOut of all of this series of photos taken around this place and time, this one is by far the least depressing. I would like to think these ladies (and kids) went on to have decent lives. Better off than someThe sign on the wall requests 25 lbs of ice. One luxuryThey at least have an icebox! There is an ice “order” at the top right by the door for 25 lbs next delivery. The driver could see from the truck if you wanted ice and how much by the way your sign was hung. This saved a lot of time (and ice) for the delivery guys, especially in hot, dry weather. Summer iceEven though I’m only 60, I remember from when I was a little kid in the early sixties that we still had an icebox to refrigerate the food at our summer cottage. My dad would drive to a shack marked ICE on the highway where an old guy (probably way younger than I am now) would bring out a big block of ice with massive tongs and put it in a metal tray in the trunk of the car. It always amazed me, and still does, that the ice block had been cut out of the frozen lake months before. Some funI was born in 1932 and I remember the ice man coming around with a horse drawn wagon full of ice, and we kids would grab a broken off shard of ice while the iceman was making his delivery. A small treat, but appreciated on a hot day. (The Gallery, Kids, OKC, Russell Lee)
Greetings From Camden: 1938
... New Jersey." 35mm negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Who knew? Looks like Camden ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/27/2008 - 5:03pm -

October 1938. "Homes near the gas works. Camden, New Jersey." 35mm negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Who knew?Looks like Camden has been the worst place in the world for a good while now. Oh, Anonymous.You made me laugh out loud. (Unlike this picture, which is SO depressing...) The Gashouse GangNo, I'm not referring to the St. Louis Cardinals of 1934, although I understand they got their nickname due to the fact that these large storage tanks were a fixture in many Eastern cities up to the 1950s. When I was a child, our neighborhood had one that was at least five times the size of this one. I recall it must have been the height of a 30 story building. To call it gigantic might have been an understatement. Its size always intimidated me; it was an imposing landmark that could be seen for miles around. Up close it made the wooden utility poles beside it look like little toothpicks. The superstructure had pulleys that would allow the tank to expand upward or contract down as the volume of gas increased or decreased. With the advent of natural gas coming east, these structures became redundant and largely disappeared from the urban landscape. I've been looking for photos of these tanks; thanks for posting this one. [Very interesting. So where was it? More pix here and here and here. - Dave] P.U.There was one in Columbia, SC, when I was a kid. It smelled like a skunk. Was that there before we went to bed?And who's this Orson Welles fella with all that crazy talk on the radio last night about Martians? (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein)
Don't Stop Believing: 1936
... Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Gramma! That look reminds me of my own octagenarian ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/14/2008 - 12:48am -

November 1936. Eighty-year-old woman living in squatters' camp on the outskirts of Bakersfield, California. "If you lose your pluck you lose the most there is in you -- all you've got to live with." View full size. Medium-format nitrate negative by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. Gramma!That look reminds me of my own octagenarian grandmother. The frown, the piercing gaze. Gramma would've been about 9 when this picture was taken. She's a sweetheart, mind. But with plenty of pluck. PerspectiveVery optimistic outlook considering what she must have seen in her lifetime: Civil War, Reconstruction, WWI, and the Depression, just to name a few things. She's a strong woman. Don't Stop Believing"If you lose your pluck you lose the most there is in you -- all you've got to live with." Simple wisdom like this just leaves me shaking my head in awe, oh what we could learn today. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Dorothea Lange)
Pie Town Community Sing: 1940
... full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. All-Day Sing Everybody looks pretty bored. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/16/2008 - 6:27pm -

June 1940. An all-day community sing in Pie Town, New Mexico. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. All-Day SingEverybody looks pretty bored. [But later ... delicious pie! - Dave] All Day Sing?All day? For real? They sang ALL DAY? Zoinks! They really had to work for that pie!! Singing StyleDo you think they are singing shaped note or "fa so la"? I think it's also called Sacred Harp singing. Used to be (still is?) very popular in rural churches: All Day Singing and Dinner on the Ground likely not shape-notelikely not shape-note or they'd be sitting around the room facing each other (hopefully close to a square). Bored or hot?I'm not sure they're bored. I think they are about to pass out from the heat. See how wide open those doors are? If you've ever been to New Mexico on a summer day, and had to stand around, without AC, you'd look that way too. [Pie Town is way up there. Elevation 6,700 feet. - Dave] (Music, Pie Town, Rural America, Russell Lee)
No Future Here: 1939
... comes along for 25 cents an hour. I was raised on a cotton farm my father owned, a little place back there, and I'm plumb willing to leave ... chance to farm. " Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Home Having been born and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/23/2018 - 7:16pm -

February 1939. "Madera County, California. Family from near Dallas, Texas. Rent is $5 a month. There's no future here. I've been following the work (migratory labor) but there's no chance for a fellow to get aholt hisself in this country. The last job I had is tractor driving for 35 cents an hour. Had that job for five months until a Filipino comes along for 25 cents an hour. I was raised on a cotton farm my father owned, a little place back there, and I'm plumb willing to leave this country for good before I get too old, If I could get the chance to farm." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. HomeHaving been born and raised right outside of Madera, CA. I know this area well. He most likely drove a Ford Tractor. My father was the general sales manager for Ford Tractor in Madera shortly after this photo was taken. At that time, cotton and grapes were our primary crops in this area. Shout out from my fourth grade class who view your photos almost daily and are familiar with Dorthea Lange's wonderful work. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Kids)
Slice of Life: 1935
... ten people." 35mm nitrate negative by Carl Mydans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Oh how Capitol Hill has ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/18/2011 - 2:46pm -

September 1935. Washington, D.C. "Front of Negro home near Capitol. Interiors of these homes vary little. A chair or two and a table, a bed and perhaps an extra mattress on the floor cares for six to ten people." 35mm nitrate negative by Carl Mydans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Oh how Capitol Hill has changed!Now a two-bedroom row house goes for at least $500,000. And usually cares for two to three people. Helianthus!The sunflowers are growing tall. It looks like they'll be giant and beautiful in another month! Plusa couch, and possibly a bookcase (not to mention a wooden crate). It's still sad to realize how little some of our relatives had back then. Unfortunately, there is still too much poverty in the world to this day. Washngton ConfidentialAs late as 1951, when Jack Lait and Lee Mortimer published their book "Washington Confidential," they obviously expected readers to react with shock and outrage to the "confidential" information that there were actual *Negroes* in Washington, living right there in the city! They also reported, with some annoyance, that one major Washington paper in its coverage of crime had the effrontery to refuse to identify "Negro" suspects by race: the paper would report, for instance, that in connection with a particular case the police had arrested "John Smith", but would not specify "John Smith, a Negro". Lait and Mortimer complained, in all seriousness, that it was easy to identify suspects by their ethnicity when the paper reported the arrest of Juan Rodriguez, or of John Schmidt, or of Giovanni Napolitano; but not identifying John Smith specifically as "a Negro" was *a slur against white people* because readers might assume John Smith was white. (The Gallery, Carl Mydans, D.C.)
Night Moves: 1941
... Chicago." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Plymouths and Dodges We see ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/04/2018 - 5:19pm -

April 1941. "Auto convoy trucks at service station near Chicago." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Plymouths and DodgesWe see here an assortment of 1941 Plymouths and Dodges. The two cars on the back end of the truck on the left are Plymouths, and the two sedans in the back, on the backs of trucks (one is a light-colored sedan, covered with a tarp) are Dodges. While trucks got larger, so did rail cars for auto transport. First, open cars that could carry as many as 15 cars, and later, the enclosed cars we see today, that deter vandalism and theft of parts during transport. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autorack Fin-ish ahead of their timeCars that can been seen well enough despite all the canvas look to be 1941 Dodge Custom Town Sedans. If you look closely at the rear of the first light-colored car from the left, you'll see a harbinger of Chrysler Corp. things to come: fins! '41 PlymouthsLooks like a load of '41 Plymouths. Whoever bought them would be probably holding onto them for a few years due to war production starting in '42. My wife's great uncle had a '42 Plymouth with no chrome trim. He still had it in his barn when he died about 5 years ago. Still had the last inspection tag on it from 1969. They Drive by Night ...1940 movie with Humphrey Bogart, George Raft, Ida Lupino and Ann Sheridan. The railroads got smarterIt's true, the boxcars equipped for hauling autos were limited capacity, and it was easy to damage the merchandise. Things were so bad that by the end of the 1950s, the railroads had largely lost the new car trade. However, by the mid 1960's the railroads were getting that work back. Today, a single, long multi level auto carrier with vandal resistant covering can carry 12 to 20 new cars. The highway auto carrier you see is delivering new cars to the dealers or wholesale/distributors from a railroad facility. (That is, unless you live close to an assembly plant.) A solid train of auto racks can carry 800 or more new vehicles; that's a lot of trucks off the road. Look Out, Railroads!Looks fly-by-night, but it was the future. The railroads held most of this traffic at the time, but it was in specially-equipped boxcars that tended to hold just four autos. The truckers had the same capacity, but a faster transit time and the ability to deliver to the customer no matter where they were located. Eventually the trucks got bigger. New AutomobilesThese were probably some of the last civilian autos produced in 1941. Car plants were converting to wartime production of everything but cars: jeeps, trucks, tanks, and even heavy bombers. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Chicago, Gas Stations, Russell Lee)
Wreck on the Highway: 1939
... format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. It's for sale This ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/11/2019 - 10:16am -

        The Solomon Siler House in Pike County, Alabama. May 1939. "Old home in Alabama built about 1850 called 'Silver Place,' owned by Mr. Frazier, now rented by two families." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. It's for saleThis 4023 sq. ft. house at 5843 County Road 7714 in Troy, AL, is priced at $175,000. It sits on 4.2 acres and has 5 bedrooms and 2 baths. A 4-inch paintbrushAnd a quick trip or two or three or four to Sherwin-Williams would spruce the place right up. I think. I went to the scene of destruction.Admittedly looking pretty sketchy in these photos, this is really a well proportioned, handsome house. Beautiful staircase and hallway inside as well. And thank you, Dave: now I will have Roy Acuff singing in my head the rest of the day. "When whiskey and blood run together, Did you hear anyone pray?" More than a 4-inch paintbrushHappily, there was more in the resto budget than paint! They even got the county road moved away from the front porch. Additional Views HereSome additional exterior and interior views here: https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.al0705.photos/?sp=1 Almost like a real estate listing, but not. A fast photographerI'm impressed that the photographer was able to move all the equipment across the road and set up for another shot before the dog could leave the porch. (The Gallery, Dogs, Kids, M.P. Wolcott)
Free Air, Cash Meat: 1939
... New Mexico." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Signage I shutter to think ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/15/2018 - 9:01pm -

September 1939. "Market and grocery in Questa, New Mexico." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. SignageI shutter to think what a picker wold pay for all those signs. [It's "shudder." - Dave] Equal relief for men & ladiesIf the meat or vegetables are not all that fresh and end up causing digestive problems, thankfully there are two outhouses to run to at the back of the grocery shop. Fully equippedFully equipped with all the modern conveniences... including facilities for Men and Ladies out back. I wonder why they were called 'Cash Markets'?In the town where I grew up there was a small store a couple of blocks from us, called "Scotties' Cash Market". It was was pretty small, but it had a lot of stuff packed in that space. Did a good business in the 1960s, but died a slow death in the 1970s when two things happened: (a) the town turned the street it was on (the Main Street) from two lanes with parking into four lanes and banned parking, and (b) a 7-11 clone opened down the street with off-street parking. [It means you can't buy on credit or run up a tab. - Dave] AvalonYou’d never guess they cost you less. Everything a road traveler could need or wantOne very well stocked roadside market, cigarettes, tobacco, rolling papers, bags of flour, Coca Cola, free air and comfortable rest rooms. Those OuthousesI hope the meat coolers were on the other side of the store. Shorpy Parade of Pickups PastAbout a 1935 Dodle. If you go much earlier in the 30s, the Dodles I can find pictures of had rear-hinged "suicide" doors, at least on the driver's side. Of course, it's possible that Fiat Mercedes-Benz Chrysler Dodge Brothers built a pickup with a suicide driver's door and a regular passenger door, to clear the spare tire -- that would be a very Chrysler thing to do. (The Gallery, Russell Lee, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Guitar Hero: 1939
... Medium format safety negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. Air Guitar Must be for playing "air guitar" ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/02/2008 - 4:43pm -

July 1939. "Migrant boy removing guitar before family leaves for California. At old homestead near Muskogee, Oklahoma." View full size. Medium format safety negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. Air GuitarMust be for playing "air guitar" with no strings on it... Am I right in guessing that is recycled cardboard as wall covering? Okie from MuskogeeI'm proud to be an Okie from Muskogee, A place where even squares can have a ball -- Merle Haggard, "Okie from Muskogee" Maybe they weren't having such a ball in 1939, but they were making music and this young man intends to continue that pleasure. No Strings AttachedMaybe he can get some strings for that guitar in California. InsulationIt's corrugated cardboard on the walls... ans it makes sense, I'm sure the trapped air inside the corrugations would give them a little insulation. I've seen it, along with shredded newspaper, inside the walls of a few 100 year old houses at fire calls when we open the walls. Missing BitsNot only are there no strings on this guitar, there's no saddle and no bridge to attach strings to. On the other hand, they'd probably cost less to put on than it would cost to buy a whole new guitar. (The Gallery, Kids, Music, Russell Lee)
The Singing Cowboys: 1939
... Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Somebody tell me that's not ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/09/2018 - 11:24am -

June 1939. Big Horn County, Montana. "Cowhands singing after day's work. Quarter Circle U Ranch roundup." Medium format acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Somebody tell methat's not Gary Cooper in the center. Well thenThat means that Harry Carey is sitting just to his left. Maybe it's a Ford Production. [Harry Carey Jr., maybe. -tterrace] Indeed, my error! Clever flash placementIt even appears to be further concealed with propped-up firewood. And I bet everyone but the harmonica player was vision impaired for the rest of the evening! And on guitarWalter Cronkite. [I see Preston Foster. -tterrace] Preston on tenorThat's an interesting guitar that Preston Cronkite is playing. It's a 12-fretter (the body join is at that fret rather than the 14th fret that is more often seen nowadays) tenor guitar. Doesn't look like a Martin to me, as the soundhole rosette is fancier than the top binding would dictate. Maybe a Harmony. No pickguard. I've owned a couple of old tenor guitars and never could decide how to tune the darned things. His is likely tuned as a regular guitar (EADG strings only), as he seems to be fingering a G chord. Most players tuned them like a tenor banjo (CGDA), I believe. The fellow on the left may be playing harp, so let's call him Harpo. SuddenlyI want a Marlboro. Quarter Circle UNice article with more photos and history of this and other Montana ranches. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Camping, Frontier Life)
Local Characters: 1938
... Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. What is, what was Looks as ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/27/2017 - 11:43am -

July 1938. "Neighborhood boys. Housing conditions in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. Home of the American Bridge Company." Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. What is, what wasLooks as though the bakery (at 265) is long gone, but there's now a fish market at 263. As for the faded wall signage on the grocery store, it's been there so long that nobody needs reminding as to the nature of the enterprise. Nice selection of non-edible smalls in the display window under the awning! Where the boys areGood grief. This neighborhood seriously needs some girls. Marketing 101Love the tag line on the Jeri's hair tonic ad... 'There is romance in the hair'! Curious wiresOnly coming out of one window, shortwave radio antenna? Radio antennaTo anwser dat hippie's question- even domestic radios of the 1920s-30s needed external antennas to hear anything beyond a few local stations. I notice many of them in Shorpy photos of that era. As a boy in the 1950s I saw some on older houses before they were removed and replaced with antennas for that new thing called television. R-J: with real Root JuicesSome of the signs around 1938, seen here, seem to have been rather rare. The "Drink Coca-Cola Ice Cold" I could finally find with the more or less "right" bottle, the barber shop signs like this one are also rare. The "Chew Mail Pouch" I only found with the addition of "Tobacco", without that you were also recommended to smoke. I was happy to find the Coca-Cola thermometer, as well as the Royal Crown billboard. The Jerris ad I found is from the fifties, when the man found himself more closely attracted to the woman. I failed to find the right "Drysmoke" tobacco pipe stand, the same for the "Sun Glasses" stand with the "hanging" sun glasses. (The Gallery, Ambridge, Arthur Rothstein, Kids, Stores & Markets)
This Won't Hurt a Bit: 1943
... size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. She's being so BRAVE! Her red hair and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 4:15pm -

April 1943. Dr. Schreiber gives a typhoid inoculation at a rural school in San Augustine County, Texas. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. She's being so BRAVE!Her red hair and tanned arms are so cute, and she's being so brave. When I roll my sleeve up (when I'm lucky and it's not the other end they want!), I go completely pale and can't look. (One time they made me spit out my gum while donating blood in our school's annual blood drive because they thought I was about to faint...how embarrassing...) ColorI don't know anything about cameras but the colors are so real, these two look like they are going to move. What a pretty little girl and this man was born to be a doctor. What a great shot. What he has seenit's 1943 and he has obviously seen a lot in a rural Texas county....he looks so very serene and calm.... Would love to have someone like that for my Dr.....oops...primary care physician. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, John Vachon, Kids, Medicine)
Badland: 1939
... Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Duplicate? This seems to be ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/05/2019 - 12:05pm -

September 1939. "Ducktown, Tennessee. Train bringing copper ore out of mine. Fumes from smelting copper for sulfuric acid have destroyed all vegetation and eroded the land." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Duplicate?This seems to be the same MPW photo posted under the caption, “The Wasteland” a couple days ago. Maybe this is a different image, as I have not compared them side by side. [That would be less trouble than leaving a comment, wouldn't it? - Dave] FumesThey didn’t do wonders for the Ducktown inhabitants either; a Navy shipmate was from Ducktown, and he had major COPD at age 35, followed by a fatal heart attack a year later. Not a resortIt looks like the land is still scarred. Here's an overhead view of the area northeast of Ducktown, near the Burra Burra mine. While the area has some vegetation, it still looks pretty bare. I wouldn't go near the lake to the west. Now?I've seen a lot of things on Shorpy but the devastation seen here is astonishing. It looks to be many many square miles no doubt in all directions from the mine. I'm wondering what it might look like now, was there recovery? To State the ObviousThis photo has a happy choo-choo that seems not to know the sorrows of air laden with sulfuric acid. The other doesn't. 51 Years LaterI drove through Ducktown in 1990. It didn't look anything like this. Road sign said, "Ducktown, A quacking nice town." Lasting scarsAbout 1978 I drove a cousin from Knoxville to an interview for a teaching position in nearby Copper Hill. The school sat all alone on a hilltop, with a 360-degree view very much reminiscent of this image. The superintendent who conducted her interview asked her if she "really wanted to commit to a place that looks like this?" She is eternally grateful to him for that question, because the answer was a resounding "No." (The Gallery, Landscapes, M.P. Wolcott, Mining, Railroads)
Terry's Coffee Shop: 1941
... format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Great name for a coffee shop ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/20/2021 - 9:53pm -

September 1941. "Transport truck in service station. Scottsbluff, Nebraska." Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Great name for a coffee shopSeriously, who wouldn't get a fresh hot cup of coffee at Terry's? There's no way I could not stop there. I bet they serve pie. Make it blackberry, please. And the coffee? Freshly roasted and nicely balanced, no need for cream or sugar. The aroma from its piping hot vapors accompanies your every sip. Its effect is both becalming and uplifting, and the road ahead just seems easier after. Ah, yes, coffee at Terry's. And, yes, the tuna melt comes on sliced sourdough. We call it the Terry Special. Black coffee, blackberry pie, and a tuna melt on sourdough. Your favorites? What a coincidence! $0.189 in 1941 is worth $3.47 todayWhile 18.9 cents looks like a bargain for gas, it was a lot of coin in 1941. Look Ma!There's one of those "New 10 Wheelers" So Twin PeaksI bet Terry's was a lot like the Double R Diner. Any minute now, a Norma-esque (RIP Peggy Lipton) character is going to sashay into view, wearing an acetate apron and an enigmatic smile, brandishing a brimming pot of the scrumptious piping hot joe that had Agent Cooper captivated from the first sip. Make his pie (and mine) cherry. The owls are not what they seem! And here comes the log lady. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, M.P. Wolcott)
Telluride: 1940
... Colorado." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. This Property is Condemned. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/30/2018 - 7:49am -

September 1940. "Dilapidated buildings at Telluride, Colorado." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. This Property is Condemned. Part OneJust needs a leading man in the scene. Replayed everywhere in the USA. It's all in how you say itA certain conductor, as his Rio Grande Southern train approached the town, would go through the coach and announce the next stop as, "To Hell You Ride". Our young damsel in the photo looks like she'd rather be somewhere else. Hope she's in a better place now. 705 is really 205The address sign that looks to me like "705" is probably really "205." As in 205 E. Colorado Avenue. The vacant building with the suspicious young lady sitting in front is now gone, and they seem to have raised the street level, but the shop to the left is still there. In the 2014 Google view it's the "Telluride Music Co." but appears to be a cafe now. You might still be able to get a Big Smile there, but these days that might mean putting something... different in your pipe. Phoenix BeanThis building looks to me like the current Phoenix Bean coffee shop (image below). It was originally a hardware store. [This is the building to the left, with the SHERIDAN BEER sign in the window. - Dave] Google and Bing say "no"I thought it would be interesting to see if these buildings survived the "gentrification" of Telluride after it became a ski resort, however, neither Bing nor Google maps have street view in Telluride. Hard to believe, but true. Except for one small strip of Colorado Avenue (about a block) Google does not show any streetviews for Telluride in my Google in Indiana. Yet I see one below. WTF Google in Indiana? Been to Telluride It's come up in the world. NestsOn the more ornate building there a few nests above the girl. I will guess they are from wasps but the opening looks different than what I usually see. [Those are swallow nests. Made by birds, not bees. - Dave] (The Gallery, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
Chicago Commuters: 1941
... trains." 35mm acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. One hard brim boater Among ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/23/2020 - 1:06pm -

July 1941. "Chicago, Illinois. Commuters waiting for southbound trains." 35mm acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. One hard brim boaterAmong all those soft brim fedoras -- he must remember the 1920s! So many hats!It's so strange to think that everyone used to wear a hat. I can just barely remember when every man wore a hat; women had already stopped wearing them except for special occasions. Reading the newspaper while waiting for the train is the predecessor of reading your phone. Enchanting and enchantedThe only thing more fascinating than the array of millinery on display is the look of love on the face of the young lady beaming at one of the few hatless gents. Uh-Oh! That hat with the crossed ribbonsIn the front and center looks almost like a swastika!!! Bet she didn't wear that again in Summer of '42! (At least she would hopefully have changed the ribbon design?) Sydney GreenstreetA business opportunity in Morocco has caught his eye - something about a "Blue Parrot". Panama OptimoThe gent standing between the cars is wearing a Optimo style Panama hat. The classic with the domed crown with a ridge front back. It could be folded in half and rolled up for packing. It was claimed that a really fine Panama could be rolled tight enough to pass through a wedding ring. (The Gallery, Chicago, John Vachon, Railroads)
Inflationary Pressure: 1936
... Louisiana." 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Look at the bright side ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:39pm -

September 1938. "Inflating bicycle tire in Abbeville, Louisiana." 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Look at the bright sideIt's only flat on the bottom. (As my buddy would always say) First some airAnd then a clothespin and a playing card. For real power, go with two clothespins and cards. Humm...He's trying to inflate using a gas station air pump -- usually a bad idea because the pump's pressure is not what the tube is expecting. Done all the time, but not the best choice. And one has to wonder why he appears to inflating a tire without repairing the puncture: that tire didn't get that flat just from neglect. Oh well...we don't know the background, but one wonders how it worked out for this kid. This bicycle was used to carry heavy loads.Note the reinforcing bar on the handlebars. Used to see the same thing on freight-carrying bicycles in Korea many years ago. HorsefeathersI had a bike like this in the 40s and I was a lot scrawnier than this kid. I have lived in the far east and have seen bikes like this carry 3-4 people and very, very other heavy cumbersome loads that you would not believe, but are posted on YouTube, and elsewhere on the internet. OuchMy first thought .... riding the bike barefoot seems like it would've really been painful on his tootsies. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Kids, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Club Med: 1937
... Medium format nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Liv-o-Med Looks like it ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/18/2018 - 12:05am -

February 1937. "Abandoned house on the Withlacoochee Land Use Project, Florida." Medium format nitrate negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Liv-o-MedLooks like it took care of just about everything--even biliousness! Any "colorizers" out there looking for a little something to do? Three Sixes for malaria?Is that "Malaria" on the partially-obscured 666 (called "Three Sixes" in their radio ads) sign? I've always seen the "COLDS FEVER" signs, but I never heard them make a claim for curing malaria. Also, I would be particularly interested in the dirt track racing at the Florida State Fair, but sadly, that was last year's (the 1936) fair. Black-DraughtToo graphic for my sensibilities! Royal American ShowsOnce the largest Midway provider in North America with a 60 car train to transport the rides and various games and booths. Out of business by the 70's but my childhood remembers them well. The sign they needed most?Post no bills. [Or: BOAST NO PILLS. - Dave] Stop or I'll Dazzle!Is that a row of bottle caps nailed to the board bottom left of the house--a makeshift guardrail or just for show? Now that's forward thinking!On the left side of the house below the 666 for colds and fever sign is a lonely poster advertising the 1938 Fair Feb 4 to 15. Only a year in advance. Now that's planning! [It's actually an old sign for the 1936 fair. -tterrace] (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Florida)
Make It Stop: 1939
... Pacific Challenger ." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Challengers The Challenger ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/25/2018 - 8:13am -

June 1939. West Carlin, Nevada. "Brakeman on the Union Pacific Challenger." Photo by Dorothea Lange for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. ChallengersThe Challenger passenger trains were really jointly operated by three railroads. The Chicago & North Western, the Union Pacific, and the Southern Pacific. The route through Carlin was off UP track, and onto the SP's. I spent some time in Carlin, not long after this shot was made, and I can tell you that the trains passing through town were almost certain to be the daily highlight to a young boy. Glad I like trains, I was. [Our brakeman is wearing a UP uniform. - Dave] What you write eventually was true. But, in the time of the photo, and during my youth, the shared track was owned by the Western Pacific, and only came under the UP's ownership when they absorbed the D&RGW, which had earlier gobbled up the WP. Of course, it all belongs to the UP now. I don't know the operating arrangement, but it could well be that the UP supplied through crews for the train. [Before Union Pacific acquired Southern Pacific in 1997, the two railroads operated separate tracks across northern Nevada. Between Weso, just east of Winnemucca, and Alazon, to the east of Elko, UP and SP operated dual trackage, with westbound traffic moving on one line and eastbound on the other. More on the Union Pacific Challenger. - Dave] The man takes pride in his work. Vest watch, creased trousers, shined shoes, with a shave. What is he holding in his left hand? First Transcontinental RailroadThis man is standing on the roadbed the Central Pacific built for the transcontinental railroad, which met the Union Pacific north of Salt Lake City. Southern Pacific acquired the Central Pacific through land leasing in 1885. Union Pacific purchased Southern in 1998. The thing in his left handThat container could be holding flares or railroad torpedoes. Flagging KitHe's holding a standard flagging kit, the larger diameter tube in the foreground holds fusees (flares to some), the smaller diameter tube on the far side holds the flag when not in use. Like many trainmen, he has wrapped a number of track torpedoes (explosive devices that make a very loud sound when a train rides over them, but don't damage the track or wheel) on the smaller tube to make them easy to get to. Challengers of Two TypesThe Union Pacific had both passenger trains and locomotives called Challengers. As far as I know, the two were not necessarily associated with each other. A Challenger (locomotive) might pull a Challenger (passenger train) over part of the trip. Length of serviceWould the three bars on his sleeve indicate the length of service on the UP? (The Gallery, Dorothea Lange, Railroads)
Scenic Route: 1941
... street." Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. "Credit" cards I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/02/2019 - 4:40pm -

September 1941. "Tunbridge, Vermont -- the main street." Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. "Credit" cardsI grew up in the late '40s and early '50s in Anaheim. I always remember that my parents always and only purchased Mobilgas. They used an "IBM" punch card with their name and account data. You'd give the attendant the book of IBM cards, they'd enter the amount and $, Mom or Dad would sign the card, tear it off the stub and give it to the dealer. As I recall this was Mobil Oil's credit system all the way into the 1960s, maybe slightly longer. A statement would come in the mail and payment was made by check in a return envelope. Streetview vs DelanoThe Delano picture is classic Norman Rockwell, while Google Streetview is depressing rural America that could easily be West Virginia or Pennsylvania. The interesting thing is that, unlike a lot of Shorpy, most of the buildings in the Delano shot are in the Streetview shot (the dilapidated building on the left is gone). But Delano is using a lens that puts the buildings closer together than what we see in Streetview, and the gas station signs -- which would have been considered defacement of proud colonial buildings in 1940 -- look quaint to our eyes. Also, we sense an active community life in the Delano pictures. Tunbridge 2012 just looks dead (and defaced by some unfortunate post-1940 modifications). Photography is art -- not just representation. Here lives an example of that. The competitionI wonder if the Hutchinses of the grocery store and the Pattersons of the general store were friendly-like to each other. Tunbridge Today Real Ice CreamI'm glad to see Patterson's general store is serving real ice cream and not that fake stuff. Credit Cards, in 1941?The biggest surprise for me is that Mobilgas accepts credit cards! I did not realize there were credit cards in 1941. I was born in 46, and don't remember my parents having a credit card before the late '50s early '60s! [Retail merchant credit cards (as opposed to general purpose bank cards) got their start in the 1920s. - Dave] VT 110Apparently the Vermont Route 110, scenic for the many covered bridges I suppose. The Howe, Cilley, Mill, Larkin and Flint Covered Bridges in the Tunbridge Village Historic District. And did you know that Tunbridge has its own World's Fair? (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Jack Delano, Small Towns)
The Lonesome Road: 1941
... Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Still a lonely place So ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/06/2019 - 7:01pm -

August 1941. "Road with Homestead, Montana, and grain elevators on the horizon." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Still a lonely placeSo isolated that even Google has not visited. The grain silos appear to be present (there is no "street view"). The road is "Homestead Rd"/County Route 350 you are looking eastward towards Homestead. I don't know where these folks shop for groceries -- the nearest town of any size, with stores, is Williston, North Dakota. Very isolated. [They shop here. -Dave] I can hear it nowAre we there yet? Where's the curve?The photo had to be taken looking east from Route 350 west of Homestead, but there's no curve in the road now. Two of the grain elevators are still there. Lonely RoadIndeed - hasn’t changed. Try the Great Basin - More nothing. Pole Pecker Trouble A woodpecker, on the pole nearest. Its mere presence disturbs the peace. What's That in the Road? A Head?Whatever it is must be about 12 miles away (The Gallery, Landscapes, M.P. Wolcott, Railroads)
Bring the Kids: 1938
... View full size. Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. Fab Fedora Love the hat. The Clothes Make ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/03/2008 - 11:13am -

November 1938. "Watching the state fair parade. Donaldsonville, Louisiana." View full size. Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. Fab FedoraLove the hat. The Clothes Make the ManI said it before and I'll say it again...old men don't dress like old men. They dress like they did when they were kids. Fabulous pic! The StingLooks like a young Robert Redford and Paul Newman plotting the next big score. ClothesI have mental picture of old men 50 years from now walking around with baggy pants around their hips and their "Depends" sticking out around the waist. Maybe an elderly Michael Jordan will do the commercials. Fair BoysI love that this is an FSA photograph. It provides a fascinating contrast to the usual series of poverty and toil. I'm sitting at my desk at a government job right now and I'm still not as dressed up as the child on the right. Kids at the fairIt's entirely possible that the kid with the hat has an animal up for judging later in the day. The 4H kids at the county fair still wear ties for that. (The Gallery, Kids, Russell Lee)
Corn-Fed: 1941
... Vermont." Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Pursed lips I like the way ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2019 - 8:34pm -

August 1941. "Having dinner at the home of Ray Lyman, FSA client near Castleton, Vermont." Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Pursed lipsI like the way the brother and sister who have drunk most of their milk have the same mouths. Similar fingers, too. They also both have milk moustaches. Future ethanol farmerWhen my lovely bride was about the same age at the girl in this photo, she put down seven ears of corn in one sitting. In the 40 years I have known her, she has never duplicated that feat. Perhaps three in one sitting but mostly just one ear will be gnawed to the cob. Yes, my wife does have that corn-fed appearance. Burning questionsOK so what are the darker things swimming around on the plates -- beans? What is Dad about to sink that spoon into? Why is little sister looking daggers at her brother? Who's going to eat all of that corn on the cob? Is that Mom whose back is reflected in the mirror? I assume that's her glass of milk and plate to Dad's right. But who's the fellow in the hat? Did he eat already? Maybe he's the one waiting to get his hands on all of that sweet corn. Saving the best for last?Or maybe not. Corn back then wasn't very sweet and it had a short shelf-life. Looks like they have plenty of butter and salt at the ready. i can't help itBut it looks like immediately after an argument and Daddy laying down the law of the land. Anchor Hocking Fire King jadeite Salt & Pepper shakers! Worth a fair chunk of change these days. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Jack Delano, Kids, Kitchens etc., Rural America)
H.V. Bretney: 1938
... Ohio." 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Fresh Air Have you ever ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/26/2014 - 3:08pm -

Summer 1938. "Old tannery in Springfield, Ohio." 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Fresh AirHave you ever smelled a tannery? I suspect the steer in the photo is hanging his head outside to get some fresh air. Goober Pea This is actually in town?This is actually in town? Most tanneries were a little out in the boondocks because the stench was so horrible. Car and BldgThe car we can see in its entirety is a 1931 Chevrolet. I wonder if this building still exists? Anyone from Springfield know? The other carThe nose of the car on the left is from a 1938 Ford. Springfield TanneryAccording to "A Standard History of Springfield and Clark County, Ohio" the tannery was originally built outside of the village of Springfield limits. Google Maps shows that the address mentioned in the above reference of 222 East Main Street is definitely in the middle of Springfield now, although it also shows no building at the address any longer. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Small Towns)
YouTubers: 1940
October 1940. "Boy picking potatoes on a large farm near Caribou, Maine. Schools do not open until the potatoes are ... Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Taters The caption under this photo ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/15/2019 - 2:01am -

October 1940. "Boy picking potatoes on a large farm near Caribou, Maine. Schools do not open until the potatoes are harvested." Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. TatersThe caption under this photo reminds me of what my granddad used to say in connection with his extremely scanty education: "I went to school until they tried to tell me that 'taters' starts with a P." The Work is Hard and the Crop UnpredictablePotatoes are subject to a variety of problems. I'm amazed they are as plentiful and inexpensive as they are. If you're considering dropping carbs from your diet anyway, Google "potato disease defects". Look at the images and read the accompanying descriptions. I learned this many years ago while touring a potato farm just south of Caribou. Obviously, I have not forgotten. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Jack Delano, Kids, Rural America)
« first‹ prev…29 [30]31…next ›last »
Syndicate content  Shorpy.com is a vintage photography site featuring thousands of high-definition images. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Accessibility Statement | Site © 2024 Shorpy Inc.