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Chicago Noir: 1942
... yard." View full size. Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. C&NW Yard This a hump ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/06/2011 - 1:38pm -

December 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. Work goes on twenty-four hours a day at this Chicago and North Western Railroad yard." View full size. Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. C&NW YardThis a hump yard, where a locomotive pushes cars up a small hill (behind the camera) and the cars are uncoupled individually or in groups to roll down the other side of the hump to their respective tracks. The thing on the ground around the rails is a pneumatic retarder that slows the cars to a safe coupling speed by gripping the wheels. The switches are controlled by the towers in the photo. It's an interesting operation to watch. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads, WW2)
Caboose Track: 1943
... Yard." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. No Graffiti! In all of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 4:34pm -

Chicago, April 1943. "Caboose on the caboose track at the Chicago & North Western RR Proviso Yard." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. No Graffiti! In all of the railroad pictures I have seen taken before 1990, I am pleased that graffiti does not seem to be present. I remain unimpressed with the "art work" I see on passing trains today. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Window Seat: 1943
... the giant freight locomotives." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. C&NW ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/31/2016 - 12:44am -

May 1943. "Clinton, Iowa. Women wipers of the Chicago & North Western cleaning one of the giant freight locomotives." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. C&NW engineThis was a so-called "Northern" steam engine, with a 4-8-4 wheel arrangement. Another photo: http://abpr.railfan.net/july98/07-06-98/cxnw001.jpg A Twofer!A locomotive and a caboose, in the same picture. Her official RR job title - WIPERReally, look it up. Railroader's know. [Do they know when to use an apostrophe? - Dave] Comment envyLove the caboose comment! It only took me a second to get it (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Upper M.C.: 1940
... Chunk, Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A Boy and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/08/2020 - 7:42pm -

August 1940. "Street in Upper Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A Boy and His DogThe dog looks to be a perfect companion for the young lad on the sidewalk. The car driving toward us is a 1940 Ford Deluxe 4 door Sedan. I guess it was true back thenI walked to school uphill both ways. Often wondered about this. What is that word?Can someone please tell me how to say that name!! It has been bugging me for a long time and you just keep posting these picture, lol! I cant find any kind of pronunciation after a long and boring, nay, fruitless search on the google. [Go to Google. Type this in the search box: Pronunciation of Mauch Chunk. - Dave] Today -- (The Gallery, Dogs, Jack Delano, Kids, Small Towns)
Conductor Cunningham: 1943
... the delivery is to be made." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Poster in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2016 - 10:36am -

January 1943. "Freight operations on the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad between Chicago and Hammond, Indiana. Getting his waybills, Conductor Cunningham telephones his yardmaster with the number of cars he has to handle and where the delivery is to be made." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Poster in the upper rightBuy Bonds! Win the War! oh REAL-ly@Kcamp I know Adolph Treidler worked out of New York, but when he made that poster he must have been using a reference photo from the Norfolk & Western, because that's one of the better portraits of a Y6 Class I've seen, in the foreground. Paper rolled into cylindersI wonder what the function was for the paper rolled into cylinders in front? [I'd say print-outs of previous schedules, bundled for convenient storage. -tterrace] Also, you never see anything with scissor extensions anymore, they're the most steampunk thing ever. American ingenuity at workCoffee can used as a lampshade. Gotta love that. Poster in Upper LeftAdolph Treidler poster from the early 1940s. I like my coffee lightA pot light made from a coffee can (from 1943) will look great hanging over any kitchen island. Going to add it to my list of options. Blue IslandChances are good the location is the Blue Island yard office. The rolled paper looks like stored train lists that came over teletype machines. Notice the two tubes (left side of image) that carried waybills, train lists and such over the pneumatic tube system to various offices within the yard. Gibson in Hammond Indianamight also be where this pic was taken. The IHB had their main offices located there, along with a big hump (Classification) yard. The Indiana Harbor Belt at Gibson is where the billing offices processed and mailed out their accounts payable. Tube jobLove pics having anything to do with the 40's and trains. The pneumatic tubes remind me of a summer job I had once at a large wholesaler. I worked the central tube room and distributed the tubes to stations all over the building. Fun job and the learning curve was a straight line. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
While the City Sleeps: 1940
... Foggy night." Another noirish image from the prolific Jack Delano. Medium format nitrate negative. View full size. A dark and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/23/2013 - 9:38am -

Fall 1940. "New Bedford, Massachusetts. Foggy night." Another noirish image from the prolific Jack Delano. Medium format nitrate negative. View full size. A dark and stormy nightOne expects to see Joe Friday step out of the shadows. Ward 3I wonder how Morrow did in the election. A Plot Behind the Noir?The fate of New Bedford Common Council candidate John Morrow is unclear, but it's likely that he ran as a reform candidate. As the fall 1940 elections approached, the City's mayor (Leo E.J. Carney) was being prosecuted on corruption charges. He had been indicted for the second time in two years (first on bribery charges, and then on charges involving the award of a WPA transit contract). Seventeen New Bedford Council members were also indicted on conspiracy charges in the bribery case - none of them named Morrow. Mayor Carney beat both raps, after a mistrial in the bribery case and an acquittal in the transit contract case. The voters in 1940 were less forgiving of Mayor Carney than than the jurors had been; he lost his bid for re-election. (The Gallery, Jack Delano)
Tune-Up: 1942
... what that little step is for. Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Before Fuel ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/14/2014 - 2:56pm -

December 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. Locomotive under repair at the Chicago & North Western shops." So that's what that little step is for. Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Before Fuel InjectionNew points and plugs. The Berkshire from DunkirkOl' 2808 was a 2-8-4 "Berkshire" class freight locomotive, built by the Alco/Brooks works in Dunkirk NY in 1927. The 2800 class (numbered 2801-2812) had long careers hauling mostly coal trains, and were all scrapped in the early 1950's. JauntyThe headlight visor and the prominent bell - jaunty. The LocomotiveOne of twelve C&NW J-4 class 2-8-4 Berkshire types. Numbered 2801-2812, they were built by Brooks Locomotive Works in Dunkirk NY, a subsidiary of ALCO, in 1927. They were comparable in dimension and capability to the Lima Locomotive "Super Power" Berks being built in that era, and were the first 2-8-4's to come from a one of Lima's rival builders. Like all the early Berkshires these became obsolete within a few years as the builders' art advanced, producing ever larger locomotives with higher drivers to boost mainline train speeds. The J-4's were long-lived nonetheless, and spent most of their operational lives in the hills of southern Illinois. They went to scrap in the mid 1950's. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Tracks in the Snow: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. C&NW RR Would anyone know from just the picture which ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/30/2012 - 10:04pm -

December 1942. Three West Coast streamliners in the Chicago & North Western yards at Chicago. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. C&NW RRWould anyone know from just the picture which streamliners are in the photo? I believe the one on the left with the front grill work might be the City of Portland, the other 2 would be going to Calif by way of the UP. Also there's a E6 A or B unit? facing towards the streamliner on the right. [See comments in the detail view of this photo for a discussion of the streamliners. The one on the left is the City of Denver. - Dave] Transition from SteamDave, I don't know what surprises me most; Tom Kelley (who claims to be an old railroad man) believing that Diesel Locomotives didn't arrive until 1958, or you for stating that "Diesel-electric locomotives had largely replaced steam power by the end of the 1940s." [See clipping above for numbers. I think "largely replaced" is a fair characterization of the situation. - Dave] For the record the first diesels appeared the early 1930s and the first streamlined non-steam trainsets (a matched locomotive and cars) was probably the UP's City of Salinas with the famous M-10000 locomotive, which if I'm not mistaken (and I probably am) was first exhibited at the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago (love to see some photos of that btw). Dieselization proceeded at different rates depending on location. Western roads such as the UP, the Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe were quick to acquire diesels because of the dry conditions of the southwest in particular. Railroads with a lot of coal available made the transition more slowly - they had a cheap and ready source of fuel from the mines they serviced. Conversion did take place first on passenger trains and then on freight trains but of course there were exceptions to the "rule" as well. Suffice it to say that while they were being phased out, there were still plenty of steam engines running for much of the 1950s. The last steam locomotive to operate on a regular basis on a class 1 US railway was on the Norfolk and Western (a big coal hauler), which was about the time that the last steam engines on the Canadian National made their final runs. Rail Dieselization Nears Completion (1953)New York Times, August 9, 1953. Streamlimers in 1942 ???? Don't think so!!!Sorry to be a skeptic, but being an old railroad worker, i have to question this one since the 'Streamliners' pictured here appear to be diesels which didn't come about until 1958. [The streamliner on the left with the grille is the City of Denver, built in 1936. Wikipedia article. The heyday of the streamliner was in the 1940s and early 1950s. Diesel-electric locomotives had largely replaced steam power by the end of the 1940s. - Dave] 1942 ?????Are these units not diesels, which didn't arrive until 1958? [Where did you get the idea the first diesels came out in 1958 ????? - Dave] 1942 C&NWFrom left to right the first set of passenger cars is for the C&NW Twin City 400 service. These cars arrived between 1939 and 1941. The second train is the City of Denver, the noise heard is for C&NW & Union Pacific railroads and the headlight does not have a hood over it, which means the train did not go to the west coast. The hood had to be used by any train or locomotives which came within 200 miles of the coast as to help it not be spotted by enemy boomers. Next is a single EMD E3/E6 (1939-1941). And on the last track is a C&NW E3/E6 with a City of San Francisco EMD E2 (1939). snow clearanceInteresting to see that in the right foreground, snow has been cleared from around the switchpoints to prevent it from impeding their movement. 1953 statsDave, thanks for posting that. David P. Morgan wrote in TRAINS magazine that diesels were responsible for 90% of traffic in 1954, which comports well with the clipping. DieselsThe Gulf Mobile and Ohio was the first Class 1 railroad in the country to completely dieselize. One of the major weekly magazines (Look, Life or something similar) did a photo essay showing the last steam run on the GM&O and one sad photo I remember was of a diesel switcher pulling down a water tank within sight of our house. GM&O used ALCO equipment almost exclusively on the Southern Division while they used EMDs above Bloomington Illinois. We did have a Baldwyn cab unit or two and a real abortion (we called it "The Catfish") that was a road switcher made by the Ingalls Ship Building company right after WWII. I think it was the only one they built and since the GM&O did a lot of traffic with Ingalls, they bought the funny looking critter as a good will gesture. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Round Trip: 1943
... Engines at the roundhouse." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. In Altoona ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/08/2013 - 11:16am -

March 1943. "San Bernardino, Calif. Engines at the roundhouse." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. In AltoonaWhen being pursued in Altoona, which had two of these, we'd always say, "Head for the roundhouse. They can't corner you there." Current location?This railyard now houses a museum but the roundhouse appears to be long gone. Does anyone know where it use to be located? I'd love to know what is on that spot today. Past and PresentApparently, they started dismantling the roundhouse sometime in the 1960s. By the 1980s, the remaining structure (less than a semicircle) was being used as a battery shop. As best I can tell, the last vestiges were removed by 1995. Re: Current LocationMore or less where the smokestack is, near the intersection of N Mount Vernon Ave & 5th St: http://goo.gl/maps/SHUHh Intermodal FacilityIt appears that the portion that was the roundhouse area is now an intermodal facility. Disappeared between 94&95Using Google Earth's archival photography tool, you can see the remaining semicircle of the roundhouse was demolished between 94&95. In the 95 imagery, the rectangular buildings are in the process of being demolished. The old station in the background exists as a railroad museum. This tool in Google Earth is really useful. Just click on the clock icon on the toolbar to bring up a slider to index through different dates. It's obvioulsy weighted towards more recent imagery, but some areas go back quite far. My home town of Houston has imagery from 44. It's great for this kind of thing. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Jones & Laughlin: 1941
... of the afternoon shift." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Ravaged Given the vicissitudes of working in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/24/2019 - 3:23pm -

January 1941. "Steelworkers of the Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, waiting for a bus to go home at the end of the afternoon shift." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano. View full size. RavagedGiven the vicissitudes of working in a steel plant back in the day, these guys are probably in their early 40s at most. Next-door to AmbridgeMany photos of Ambridge (named for the American Bridge Company) have appeared on Shorpy. J&L closed in the mid-‘80s, and the city has lost about two-thirds of its population. My connection: I used to ride the 16A Ambridge bus to my job in Pittsburgh. Steel and FootballAliquippa's main industry today is football. "Playing Through the Whistle: Steel, Football, and an American Town" is the engaging story of how steel built the town and how football has sustained it since the 1980s. Good dressersThe crazy thing here is that coming away from a job like that, they're dressed as well or better than most people going to church these days. Gridiron greatsI never hear Aliquippa without thinking of Tony Dorsett and Mike Ditka. (The Gallery, Factories, Jack Delano)
Five Card Studs: 1943
... Stag counterpoint to the girls back home . Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Ahead of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/15/2013 - 9:58am -

July 1943. Greenville, South Carolina. "Air Service Command. Men of the Quartermaster Truck Company of the 25th Service Group having a card game in one of the barracks." Stag counterpoint to the girls back home. Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Ahead of the gameThe "girls" needed several photos to get to the point of partial disrobing. His ring-The handsome young gent in the tank top is wearing a ring very similar to my late father's square cut black onyx, and I thought of it and of him when I saw this photo. Though strangers, these men seem vaguely familiar, I suppose a residual long-ago memory of the military men who passed through our San Diego home during WW2 and Korea. Great LightingThe photographer obviously didn't need to turn on the light over the table. [The illumination is coming from a flood lamp out of frame at the upper right; among other things, note that the overhead bulb could not be shining on the top of its own shade. -tterrace] High StakesI don't see any money on the table. I guess these Non-Coms are playing for cigarettes and apples. Floodlight hazeThe light *is* just barely out of frame, as shown by the well-illuminated cigarette haze! The Army Game.When I played a lot of poker in the 1950s, five card stud was always called the Army game. Bilko's platoonI can't be he only one who remembers the shenanigans of Sgt. Ernie Bilko as he schemed to bilk his platoon of their meager payday earnings. This barracks scene looks like the model for the Bilko TV studio set. Even when I was in he Army in the early 1970s the poor infantry was still relegated to these wooden structures. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, WW2)
Naughty & Nice: 1941
... triple-dog-dare to take care of. Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A Very ... 
 
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)
Winter Sports: 1940
... First stop: the frozen flagpole. 35mm nitrate negative by Jack Delano. View full size. At first glance The house and the scene ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/27/2012 - 7:50pm -

November 1940. "Children sledding, Jewett City, Connecticut." First stop: the frozen flagpole. 35mm nitrate negative by Jack Delano. View full size. At first glanceThe house and the scene looks like it could be straight out of the movie "A Christmas Story." The only things missing are the driveway and the 1937 Oldsmobile (and the Leg Lamp!). Get off my lawnThat's what's wrong with kids these days. No plaid. SledsMy sled when I was a kid in the late 40s through the 50s was very similar to the one on the far left. I don't think it was new when I got it, so it was probably of the same vintage as these. The longer sled on the far right looks like it might be a Flexible-Flyer. I always wanted one of those, but it never materialized. I got one for my son in the 70s though. Insulation?Looking at the iced-over sash windows I wonder what the temperatures inside must have been. Or the fuel consumption. I don't suppose that those windows had more than one layer of glazing, either. @Iscovescu Ah, storm sash windows, I see. Had to google it. Somewhat like the winter add-ons that used to be all the rage with central / northern European casement windows before the invention of integrated double glazing. These winter casements are simpler to open for ventilation, though. Blast from the past!Jewett City, CT? This is the small town next to the small town I grew up in! How fascinating. Never expected Shorpy to post something so close to my (obscure) hometown. Thanks! Love this site! Storm WindowsThe room above the parlor may have them but it's obvious the side windows don't. We had a cellar-full of broken wooden sash storms in every old home we rented. The downspout entering the cellar, presumably to enter the sanitary system, is something I've never seen before. Still there!The house (actually a duplex) is still there and the neighbor's garage behind it too! This Is Us!Anyone who was a sentient being in America between 1935 and 1955 would recognize the children, the outfits, the houses, this street. This was small-town USA for many years, in a time when to have even one toy that required a battery placed the owner in the technological stratosphere. These kids' feet and fingers are numb, their ears and noses ache with the cold ... and they could care less! Winter Sports: 1940According to the 1940 census, the family living at this house, 33 Mathewson St, was Andrew and Mary Burda, born in Poland, and five of their children, born in the US, ranging in age from 32 to 14. Andrew and the four oldest children worked in a cotton mill. DownspoutThe downspout may have lead to a cistern, which would provide non-potable water for washing, etc. Growing up in an older rental, we had a well for drinking water, and a cistern for everything else. The downspouts weren't very reliable, so we would have a truckload of water dumped into the cistern every month. I think the kid on the leftis George Bailey, the one on the right is probably his brother Harry. Winter Sports: 1940I talked to a granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Burda, the occupants of the house at that time. She had never seen the photo. She told me that the white building to the left was a garage to a house that was on Tracy Avenue. The long building in the back of the house was the town movie theater. It was refurbished and reopened in 2005, but has since closed. The house is a duplex (33 and 35 Mathewson St). The house was in the Burda family until 2007. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Kids)
Extra Starch: 1940
... the potatoes to be graded and weighed." 35mm Kodachrome by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Starch ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2016 - 12:48pm -

October 1940. "Trucks outside of a starch factory, Caribou, Aroostook County, Maine. There were almost 50 trucks in the line. Some had been waiting for 24 hours for the potatoes to be graded and weighed." 35mm Kodachrome by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Starch factory or train depot?Despite what the caption says for this photo, the structure with the word "CARIBOU" on the side sure looks to me like an old train depot. The tracks aren't showing, of course, so hard to tell. Maybe it is a former train depot that has been converted into a starch factory. Anyone else agree? Cold potatoesJust yesterday, May 16, I saw on the TV news that Caribou, Maine, had freezing temps and up to 6 inches of snow. I know it is not unusual for them to have snow in October either. Maine is a beautiful state and I love potatoes, but I'm too old to deal with seven months of snow. Starch to the left The starch factory is the grey buildings behind the trucks to the left. and like most cool Shorpy Buildings, it burned down. Bangor News, Feb. 24, 1983. Train StationThe building is the Canadian Pacific RR station in Caribou. I found one photo of it. I'm not sure exactly where it was, except across the river from Caribou's railway yard. The CP tracks (long gone) ran along the east side of the Aroostook river; the buildings in the background are on the west side, which is where most of Caribou is. The still-extant tracks on the west side (if you're looking at a map) belong to the Bangor and Aroostook RR. Shoulda stayedMy ancestors were big wheels in Caribou--got a street or two named after them, donated a church window. Probably shouldn't have left (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Jack Delano)
An Uphill Climb: 1941
... Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A Bit of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/05/2019 - 2:39pm -

January 1941. "Street in the mill district in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. A Bit of ClassIn what looks like an otherwise dreary, polluted, hardscrable existence. Kudos to the hard-working people who lived and toiled in Company and Factory Towns. Forget Buying that Workout Machine!Could you imagine walking up that hill every day? I'll bet she's got calves you could bust concrete on! And she probably has asthma to boot, because of all that smog! Handrail?I don't see a handrail. Wood wouldn't last three winters and a metal one would be rendered useless in the freezing cold. Tough place to eke out life. [Au contraire. - Dave] About a century before this pictureCharles Dickens recorded his impression of Pittsburgh in his "American Notes" as "Hell with the lid off". In an industrial city, smoke was a sign of prosperity and therefore good; but even in olden times, smoke could be too much of a good thing. Important safety tip. Do NOT miss that sharp, sudden right hand turn at the bottom. Today, we would spin that as an "infinity street". Old placesIt is interesting that in photos like these and in so many others from even earlier times, things look old and worn - the buildings, the walls. It's almost like they were built old, that they were never new or nice. "Hell with the lid off"That quote is often attributed to Charles Dickens (he visited Pittsburg, no "h" yet, in 1842), but it actually came from Boston area biographer James Parton in 1868. "Hell with the Lid Off" is also the title of a book about the intense rivalry between the Steelers and the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s. Hell!In my copy of Dickens's "American Notes" the section on Pittsburgh is titled "Hell with the Lid off." I suppose an editor must have liked Mr. Parton's phrase enough to borrow it. This would account for a false attribution. I'll need to consult my edition but IIRC, the editor also added the "h" to Pittsburgh. (The Gallery, Dogs, Factories, Jack Delano, Pittsburgh)
Dear Betty Lou: 1943
... Air Service Command. Writing a letter home." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Police that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/04/2013 - 1:33pm -

July 1943. "Greenville, South Carolina. Air Service Command. Writing a letter home." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Police that cigarette butt, Soldier !No ashtrays in the barracks then or now. Dear JohnLater he would receive a letter from his best girl with the above salutation. He was totally devastated until a buddy told him "please don't carry on this way, your name isn't John". Stylish fountain penHe looks like a young Gomer Pyle and I would bet that he is writing in cursive, a skill that seems to be disappearing. New ArrivalLooks to me like this young man hasn't been there all that long. His sleeves are slick and he hasn't got sense enough not to grind out a cigarette on his barracks floor. Uh-OhHe looks like that young private in every war movie who shows everybody a picture of his sweetheart back home and explains how they're getting married just as quick as they can. Even as the hearts of experienced moviegoers sink: No way you're making it home, kid. I hope this young man came through the war safe and well; he has a strikingly sweet and open face. ASC This was in a wooded area adjacent to the Greenville Municipal Airport. The Air Service Command area was set up to give different aviation support units training on living and working in rough forward, remote and unimproved areas overseas. It was administered to and supported by the 35th Sub-Depot Squadron at the nearby Greenville Army Air Base. Boots not shined,cigarette butt on the deck. Drop and give me 25 soldier. Re: Stylish fountain penis an Eversharp Skyline manufactured by Wahl-Eversharp. A great example of Mid-Century modernism/streamlining. I have quite a collection, and they are great writers as they utilize the Wahl nib design that had been around for quite some time. My Uncle Buck's outfitIn 1943 when I was four years old I went with my parents to Greenville, SC to see Uncle Buck before he shipped out to the Pacific. My mother told me much later that they knew several boys who had been killed and buried out there and were concerned they'd never see him again. He was stationed on Guam in support of the B-29s. Given One's DruthersStill a whole lot better than moving through Sicily at the time. That gal back homeLittle does the young man realize, but his best gal back home whom he's been going steady with since ninth grade has already fallen into the arms of his best friend, Jody. Due to the wartime slowness of the postal system, he won't get the "Dear John" letter for at least another week. Eversharp SkylineThat pen is an Eversharp Skyline, one of the most popular fountain pen models of the 1940's. It was designed by Henry Dreyfuss, the same guy who designed various classic American products like the 500 desk phone and the Trimline phone, the Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera, the 1939 Westclox Big Ben alarm clock, and other iconic stuff. The pen has a pretty distinctive tapered dome shape to the cap that you can spot a mile away. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, WW2)
Rhapsody in Brick: 1940
... in Massachusetts." 35mm Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. View full size. Beautiful brickwork. You're right,it is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/06/2009 - 11:38pm -

December 1940 or January 1941. "Detail of industrial building in Massachusetts." 35mm Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. View full size. Beautiful brickwork.You're right,it is pleasing to the eye. But look at that newer brickwork on the right; at first sight it looks like a cavity wall outer skin with all the stretchers showing, but in fact every seventh course is stretcher, header, stretcher, header, which makes it more likely to be a solid nine inch wall. Is this a well-known American bond? I don't remember ever seeing it before. The warmth of brickHow much more pleasing to the eye is the brick structure than one made of grey concrete? This is from the days when artisans, not labourers, turned an architect's design into reality. Anyone can mix concrete but it takes talent to lay a course of bricks correctly. The Height of Humankind's CreativityI'm sure that the architect who designed the industrial building with smokestack often said, "This was my greatest achievement, thank goodness they used brick. I weep for the future." PowerhouseThis looks like the powerhouse for a factory, as evidenced by the whistle and steam exhaust stacks. I wonder if the engine(s) pulled a lineshaft or generators. Blue SkiesThe blue of that sky brings tears to my eyes. Hooray for Kodachrome. (The Gallery, Factories, Jack Delano)
Way Station: 1943
... trains in the concourse of the Union Station." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. Which one is it? Pt ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/13/2015 - 10:16am -

January 1943. "Chicago, Illinois. Waiting for trains in the concourse of the Union Station." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. Which one is it? Pt 2You are close davidk but off the mark a little: The guy leaning against the radiator is a jazz musician, he plays the sax. You are right about the guy with the open paper buts he's an FBI agent keeping tabs on the older gentleman leaning against the pole with the poster. He's Paddy O'Brian of the Irish Mafia and he runs a speak easy on Dearborn Ave. The girl in the center looking at the camera is Roxy (aka Sally from Kansas) the next big star to hit town. PS My first ever post..I love Shorpy If I was there then...I'd wonder, "How would people like to buy suitcases with wheels on them?" The Architect of this Station... must have played with Erector sets when he was a kid. Which one is it?The Nazi spy is definitely the man on the left in the fedora and overcoat, leaning on the radiator, affecting the nonchalant pose. The person on his tail is the similarly dressed man, central, in the background, with the open newspaper. Defintely a time gone byI can almost smell the cigar smoke. Much Ado About Nothing but funActually davidk, the newspaper reader and the man leaning on the radiator are both FBI. They are watching the group in the middle, who are waiting for their contact with the stolen diamonds to smuggle out of the country. On the right is Mugs Malone, former "almost" heavyweight champ and now muscle for the mob. Center is Donna Reed in her cute little boots and brains of the outfit. Behind her is Humphrey Bogart, an insurance investigator pretending to be a tough gang member. If you look quickly between the paper reader and the man with the satchel (containing the diamonds), a disguised Charley Chan is following the real Nazi spy. Parmelee Transfer Worked Like MagicYou may have only had an hour for a train connection in Chicago between different station, but Parmelee Transfer would get you and your luggage to your connection on time. Long goneI used Chicago Union Station for many years, 1965 - 1997, commuting to and from my work. I vaguely remember the old, spacious concourse. Most of my memories are of the 'new' concourse, as Milamber2431 says, under a skyscraper. The term I have heard for the new concourse was "Chicago Union Basement" - which unfortunately fits. The ceiling is very low, and the space is broken up. No comparisonto either of the NYC stations. This looks like something thrown together over a feverish weekend, just to keep the passengers free from rain. The two NYC stations look like something grand, this shabby and morose. Going back 50+ years, I remember taking the train to Milwaukee, and likely walked somewhere near. The floor was paved with 'get-er-done-quick' asphalt. The Two FedsJumped right out at me in the unenlarged photo, they are too conspicuously casual. Tall man is packing a shoulder holster, evidenced by the bulge in his overcoat. His target has not yet arrived. Marcy, in her pretty white boots, is the decoy. Alfred Hitchcock, to the right of the poster, is awaiting his cameo. Neon SignThe neon sign pointing to the "Street Cars" is a mate to one we have that says "To Trains" with a similar arrow. Ours also came out of Union Station and hangs in our hallway pointing the way to the nearby Metra station. Tracks are still there, concourse is goneThis photo shows the south side of the concourse. The doors on the left lead to the south-bound train platforms (note signs for track numbers 8 and 12). If you walked through those doors in January 1943 you would be here. The east side of the concourse was seen here. The west side of the concourse was seen here. Union Station actually has more traffic today than in the 40s, though it's mostly commuters. Trains board at the same spot pictured above, but the expansive concourse is gone. It's all underneath a 1970s skyscraper. Composition, Noir. . . cries out for half-silly scenarios, and, bless 'em, the Shorpites have provided them. Even so, it's a strikingly beautiful compo. No ComparisonTo: tomincantonga. The concourse was the equivalent to the train shed of other stations. Penn Station's concourse had a similar beams, girders and rivets appearance. If you want to see grandeur comparable to the New York stations, find photos of Union Station Headhouse's Great Hall--which fortunately still exists. The Concourse, which is not shown to best advantage in this shot, was actually pretty grand itself. It was in a separate building from the Headhouse. The Headhouse contained the vast Great Hall, ticket offices, restaurants, barber shops, bars, lounges, jail, etc. The Concourse and Headhouse were connected via a passageway under Canal Street. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Teddy the Wrestling Bear: 1941
... 1941. View full size. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. "Teddy The Wrestling Bear" photo The caption should ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 5:58pm -

Barker at Vermont State Fair, Rutland. September 1941. View full size. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. "Teddy The Wrestling Bear" photoThe caption should read: "Talker at Vermont State Fair, Rutland. September 1941." The term "barker" was the invention of a novelist. Needless to say, a great photo and the price of admission wasn't too bad either....Earl,{a former "carny" with the Skerbeck Shows which is still in biz for 150 years} PelicanThat appears to be a real pelican perched on top of that sign. I wonder if it was trained to stay there by throwing it a fish every now and then. (The Gallery, Jack Delano)
Go Ahead: 1943
... full size. Caption and 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 3:29pm -

January 1943. Calumet City, Illinois. Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad switchman demonstrating signal with a fusee, used at twilight and dawn, when visibility is poor. This signal means "go ahead." View full size. Caption and 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Near Mist: 1942
... An unusually heavy fog in the early afternoon." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Da Boyz Is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/13/2018 - 11:40am -

December 1942. "Chicago, Illinois. An unusually heavy fog in the early afternoon." Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Da Boyz Is MeetinI see Big Nose Harry, Lefty Fingers Malloy, Joe "The Brain" Smithee. Not to mention "Big Hat" Harry Petruso and Righty Fingers Malloy. Hanging back is a Stool Pigeon Dave's Trading Post1025 West Sunnyside, at the corner of Broadway and Sunnyside. We saw another view of this corner store in this earlier Shorpy photo. The image above looks east on Sunnyside. The previous picture looks south on Broadway. Dave's Trading Post?Judging by the width of "Dave's Tr," and how much sign must be left. One year after Pearl HarborThis very cold picture would make an interesting opening scene about international spies in World War II. The advertising signage would just add to the authenticity. Car NoirThough I suppose you could now take the same kind of picture digitally, this shows the beauty of old time chemically developed black and white photography: the lighting, mood, and grit. Plus you have the added bonus of toys promoted with cigars and cigarettes. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Stores & Markets)
Proviso Yard: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. Proviso Yard Managing a yard like this would take quite a lot of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 4:55pm -

December 1942. General view of the C&NW R.R. Proviso classification yard at Chicago. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. Proviso YardManaging a yard like this would take quite a lot of talent. Love this series of pictures TrainsWas sent from railroad-line.com to view these photos, they are beautiful. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Slow Train Coming: 1943
... Belen and Gallup, New Mexico." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Timz got it ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/02/2015 - 11:15am -

March 1943. "Gallup, New Mexico. A train on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe between Belen and Gallup, New Mexico." Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Timz got itSpot on, found it on google maps, 72 years later, excellent job. McCune?First guess: the white pole is Milepost 149 and the switch in the foreground is the one at 35.52764N 108.591W. RegardlessAnother great 'wallpaper' shot; terrific sky. Wonderful shotI just wanted to add, that's a great picture as well as an excellent lesson in perspective and vanishing points. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Soapbox Derby: 1940
... in Salisbury, Maryland." 35mm nitrate negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Dad was such a Hipster Dig those shades, ... from Liberace. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Jack Delano, July 4, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 6:19pm -

1940. "Start of soapbox auto race at Fourth of July celebration in Salisbury, Maryland." 35mm nitrate negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Dad was such a HipsterDig those shades, man. Cool, Daddy, cool! Our GangLooks like a scene out of The Little Rascals. Here's Froggy ready to start the race! All Star PusherThe young man was lucky to get a starting shove from Liberace. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Jack Delano, July 4, Kids)
Light Cleaning: 1943
... in accordance with the blackout regulations." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. Afterthoughts ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/18/2012 - 3:12pm -

March 1943. "Needles, Calif. Electrician B. Fitzgerald cleaning the headlight of a locomotive at the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe yard. All engines operating west of Needles are equipped with hooded headlights in accordance with the blackout regulations." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. AfterthoughtsUsed primarily on West Coast locomotives, it was used to prevent a wayward Japanese eye from seeing it at night! Also, this guy was an "electrician" on a steam engine, besides the headlight, and markers (if equipped) and the steam-driven generator, what else did he fix? ? Love the photos of old timers and trains, together in a photo. It's a bit different today oddly enough...when the hair turns white, you retire (e.g., not many OLD TIMERS in any profession for that matter, but especially in RR'ing). Other Electrical?Lights in the cab, gauge lights, and possibly Cab Signals or Automatic Train Stop also need electricity on a steam locomotive. He'll get busierWhen the war is over, railroads will continue their mad dash to replace the steam locomotive with diesels and diesels need electricans, which will make them busier than ever and other trades, such as boilermakers, no longer needed. 3891 in 1933Original pic available here. A "Santa Fe" locomotiveThis 3891 locomotive is classed as a SANTA FE 2-10-2 type first used by AT&SF in 1903, it had 85,486 lbs of tractive effort, you convert it to horsepower. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
The Big O: 1943
... means 'back up.' Calumet City, Illinois." Kodachrome by Jack Delano. View full size. Putting the O in OS If you are running MS ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 11:59am -

January 1943. "Indiana Harbor Belt R.R. switchman demonstrating signal with a 'fusee,' used at twilight and dawn when visibility is poor. This signal means 'back up.' Calumet City, Illinois." Kodachrome by Jack Delano. View full size. Putting the O in OSIf you are running MS Vista this should look very familiar ... (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Weather Center: 1941
... other information is constantly being received." Photo by Jack Delano. View full size. Huh? Having worked in a TTY room, today ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/26/2019 - 11:32am -

July 1941. "Municipal airport, Washington, D.C. -- In the teletype room, where weather data and other information is constantly being received." Photo by Jack Delano. View full size. Huh?Having worked in a TTY room, today you'd be required to wear hearing protection. That may be why, at 72, I say "Huh?" a lot. The guy needs earplugsThat battery of TTYs can make quite a racket, as I know from having worked in a room full of them. Just don't let them run out of paper. Pristine installationLined up in phalanx formation, these teletypes look solid, their wiring concealed. Too bad about the electric clock, its power cord snaking across the wall and plugged into the nearest outlet. Oops. You'd have thought it could have been fed by internal wiring in the column given the care shown eveywhere else. Weather Center: 2019"Condo in Old Beach, Virginia Beach - In my pocket, where Weather data and lots of Other information is constantly being received. I bet that room full of equipment cost quite a bit and told very little information. And, As the previous Shorpyites have stated it was very loud. So is my personal Weather device, but it plays whatever song I want to hear. Technology today is not All bad, and I still say "Huh?" a lot as well. There's An App For ThatAnd, not as noisy having worked in a TTY for Chiquita years ago Re: The guy needs earplugsNo need for any earplugs! Just check out that state-of-the-art acoustic tile (probably full of asbestos) all over the walls. (Technology, The Gallery, Aviation, D.C., Jack Delano)
Partners: 1941
... Vermont." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. Delano-cam If this photo ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/03/2008 - 1:35am -

September 1941. "Mr. and Mrs. William Gaynor, Farm Security Administration dairy farmers, near Fairfield, Vermont." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. Delano-camIf this photo was taken today, you'd think they were posing in front of a webcam. [In a way, it is. - Dave] PartnersI feel like they're trying to brainwash me, or coax me into something by the way they look." Don't worry, we're not going to hurt you." When really, they need important information from so they can dominate mankind!!! Two and TwoWhat I like is how they are echoed by the calendar duo behind them. And now that shorpy_is_cool pointed it out, they do seem a little intense...but there's something about their faces that make me think I would like them! DialupI suppose you could look at it as a webcam with 66.5 years of latency. And to think I complain about my connection speed... My-In-LawsThese are my husband's parents. His mother died when my husband was around 9, First actual good picture I've ever seen of her. (Actually my husband's never seen such a good picture of her, either.) One of my nieces looks exactly like this photo of the grandmother she never met. Unreal how much alike they look. Back in those days no one liked having their picture taken -- or how to pose for it. Actually my father-in-law has a little smirk on his face, which is far more than I ever saw when I knew him. My husband was the youngest of eight children. Great Grandma and Great GrandpaThese are my great grandparents! I was searching for William Gaynor with my grandmother, his daughter, and found this picture and many others on the Library of Congress. I never got to meet them unfortunately, but it's so cool to see them and their farm and my grandma light up looking at the photos. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Portraits)
Meet Me at the Fair: 1941
... 1941. View full size. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. nice If these ladies are from the circus, is the one on the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 5:57pm -

"Backstage" at the girlie show at the Vermont state fair, Rutland. September 1941. View full size. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. niceIf these ladies are from the circus, is the one on the right called, "The amazing bearded legged woman?" PaulaIs that Paula Poundstone on the right? (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Rural America)
Country Barber: 1941
... shop in Centralhatchee, Heard County, Georgia." Photo by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Maybe ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/28/2021 - 4:35pm -

April 1941. "Mr. J. H. Parham, barber and notary public, in his shop in Centralhatchee, Heard County, Georgia." Photo by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Maybe there's one just out of sight --My grandfather was a country barber for most of his adult life. I remember his shop very well. What's missing in this shop is a spittoon. JepJeptha Howard Parham was born in Georgia on June 23, 1886, to Charles (1864-1948) and Mollie Virginia Bell (1867-1907). He married Cora Lee Adams in 1905; they had one son, Austin Hershal (1908-1970), a WW2 vet. Jep was a four-time mayor of Centralhatchee, serving in 1925, 1930, 1931 and 1935. According to his WW1 draft registration he was of medium build and height, had light brown hair and blue eyes. Cora died in 1972, Jep in 1974. Just what this country really needsAre more barber shops. Instead of calling for an appointment how does six weeks from today sound? I liked walking into a shop and hearing two ahead of you. Look down before looking up A string of posted licenses and certificates; enough reserve Colgate stock to last a year; and the prestige of a notary public commission -- all the trappings of a high-status pillar of the community... ... but the farmer's got WAY better shoes than the barber. Old-school barberI’m old enough to have gone to classic barbers like this, and the photo evokes so many positive memories. I love the stuff on his shelves. And those bottles of dark liquid immediately trigger a cavalcade of smells, not to mention the sound of the barber slapping it in his hands and applying it to my freshly-shaven neck. I’m just putting two and two together and wondering if the not-unpleasant smell I associate with older guys from the olden days was partly due to the smell of these magical potions and fluids. (Thank you, Shorpy, once again, for awakening and clarifying features of my life from long ago.) I miss barbershopsNot stylists, not chain haircut franchises, not "men's salons"... just plain old barbershops. A snarky barber, three or four of the gentry sitting and discussing the state of the union, 14 year old magazines on the table. You just don't find them anymore. Pop. 200The population of Centralhatchee in 1940 was approximately 200, so I would presume that Jep Parham was the only barber in town. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Rural America, Small Towns)
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