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White Wash: 1951
... Which extended, evidently, even to pillowcases. Photo by John Vachon for the Look magazine article "How Far From Slavery?" Who'll be the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2013 - 8:40am -

The location: Fourth Avenue North in Birmingham, Alabama. 1951. "Segregation in the South." Which extended, evidently, even to pillowcases. Photo by John Vachon for the Look magazine article "How Far From Slavery?" Who'll be the first person to tell us where this might be? View full size. ParkedParked up high at right for your viewing pleasure is a 1940 Studebaker, most likely a President Coupe, but possibly a Commander Coupe. Studebaker was 8th in U.S. auto sales with 117,091 cars sold during the 1940 calendar year. A 1940 Studebaker Champion was the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car, and a 1940 Studebaker Champion was Judy Garland's first car. The radio antenna appears to be an aftermarket accessory as the standard Studebaker antenna had a cowl-mounted antenna. Birmingham, AlabamaThe Granada Hotel was a long-time fixture in Birmingham. The neighborhood around it became notorious for drugs and prostitution. The hotel burned some years ago, but its shell has been reclaimed and is now in use as a center for homeless women and children. At least that's my guess. Two ThingsI don't know where this was and I wasn't born as of 1951 but I will say that in the Northeast growing up we did see this kind of activity. I remember a small variety store in our neighborhood that would only let the white kids in on the way to school to buy snacks or whatever. It bothered me even as a youngster. Sometimes I'd buy items for others and give them to them outside the store. On another note, here in the Northeast, Fluff refers to the marshmallow we'd put in our peanut butter sandwich, not TP. 4th Avenue NorthHotel Granada: 2230 Fourth Avenue N., Birmingham, Alabama. I typed in the offending slogan and found another photo of it in Google Books. Obligatory Shorpy Street ViewThe location of the laundry is now a vacant lot, but the building behind with "AMERICAN LIFE" emblazoned across the top still stands. View Larger Map Progress against the oddsInteresting to note that even in Birmingham, even in 1951, there might be black folk with sufficient resources that, as some whites feared, they might send their laundry out to be washed commercially. How uppity! +70Below is the same view from February of 2021. (The Gallery, Birmingham, John Vachon)
Baked a Cake: 1940
... Greene County, Iowa." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Drip, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/12/2020 - 10:21am -

April 1940. "Wife of Iowa farmer starting to make a cake. Greene County, Iowa." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Drip, drip, dripMy mom's old aluminum coffeepot still gets regular usage in my kitchen. And I want a sliceWhile it's piping hot because I know it will be delicious! Spotless kitchen and she's still wearing her shingle bob from 1928. Something I've never seen beforeIs that drinking glass holder above the sink. Imagine that well water was nice and cold year round. Drink the glass of waterPlease encounter the interesting stand for the glass by the kitchen sink. The glass is in readiness to be used by the thirsty water household. Cabinet hardwareI grew up with pulls, hinges and latches like those. (I won't say I was a better man for it, but it didn't hurt.) Wow----Norman Rockwell couldn't have done it better How'dya do?I guess she knows we're coming. Pie Crust? CRISCO is good but Lard is better. Her thoughtsI wish somebody invents kitchen island one day. Evening baking?This looks just like my own grandmother's kitchen in 1940s Iowa: the starched curtains, the eggbeater within a bowl—pretty high-tech at the time—the apron, the wallpaper, the plants on the windowsill, and Grandma stirring up a cake. (Seems a bit late in the day for baking, though.) The fat of the landWhen every household had a big ol' tub of Crisco. Mrs. CleanI am entranced by this domestic and culinary tableau. The spotlessness! Divine. And like other commenters, I am wild about the little drinking glass holder. I want one. Re: Cabinet hardwareThe kitchen cabinetry in our 120-year-old house also has the exact same hinges and latches. The latches in particular make a distinctive click when they’re closed, and I’m sure tterrace would recognize the sound immediately even after many decades. As for the pulls, we would need drawers to have such fancy items. (Okay, we installed some new-fangled drawers 20 years ago, but the original kitchen had no such luxuries.) (The Gallery, John Vachon, Kitchens etc.)
Pull In for Pepsi: 1941
... Norfolk, Virginia." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Breakfast, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/24/2020 - 12:18pm -

March 1941. "Four o'clock traffic. Norfolk, Virginia." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Breakfast,Dinner, Supper, that's what we called them, now everyone calls "supper" dinner. [And "dinner" is lunch. - Dave] Old Tiny LibraryThere are other words -- in cursive -- on the sign, but I can't make them out, so I'll just say I want to visit the Old Tiny Library and buy a few gifts, then go to the cafe for dinner (lunch) of a sandwich, with what my stepdad used to call a "Coke-Cola." Granby StreetAfter reviewing this photo for a while, and taking into account this is afternoon traffic, I have to think that this is a photo of Granby Street just south of where it crosses the Lafayette River. The cars are probably returning from shifts at the Norfolk Naval Yard I am wagering. Almost too Tiny to tell, butDoes the sign maybe say "Old Timy" library? More commonly spelled "timey" these days? [Yes! - Dave] Spell bindingThanks to Kines and Dave on the spelling of Old Timy -- as opposed to Tiny. To be honest I thought I saw an M as opposed to an N but the word "Timy" would not register. Guess I'm a traditionalist. You CAN have it both waysOne establishment serving both Coke and Pepsi? This is truly a bygone era. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon)
Kewpee Hamburgs: 1940
... last glimpsed here ). Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Nice House I realize the focus is on the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/04/2019 - 3:14pm -

July 1940. "Brick house on main street of Benton Harbor, Michigan." Our focus here is next door, on the Kewpee Hotel restaurant, purveyor of "Kewpee Hamburgs" (a regional chain last glimpsed here). Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Nice House I realize the focus is on the Kewpee Hamburg building, but the substantial and seemingly well-maintained home that was the photographer's intended focus looks out of place in this industrial neighborhood. Kewpee Lives on!A Kewpee burger can still be had in the porcelain flagship in Lima, Ohio. The downtown location had a car turntable to help you exit the parking lot. The square patties and chocolate "thicks" are delicious and said to be Dave Thomas' inspiration for Wendy's burgers and Frosties. https://kewpeehamburgers.com/ Kewpee Was Here... at 261 East Main Street. No House, No HamburgsIt seems our house and hamburgers are both gone. After finding the location of White's Auto Body (248 Territorial Road) in an old directory, I think I have the house's location. (260 E Main Street.) The windows on the building across the alley appear to match. Lost in transitionA nice home getting surrounded by businesses in a transitional neighborhood is as old as the hills, it seems. Put it all togetherCan you see the Heathkit factory from here? Kewpee & White's DecoratorsIt seems Kewpee and White had the same decorator! Possibly Merritt Riley Worix, a decorator painter who lived nearby in St Joseph MI. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon)
F.W. Woolworth: 1940
... Company, Indianapolis, Indiana." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. I grew up ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/18/2012 - 3:00pm -

May 1940. "Woolworth Company, Indianapolis, Indiana." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. I grew up on the far I grew up on the far eastside of Indpls and remember the day the Grant building was on fire. I came home from school and it was all over the news, I was young and got the impression the whole downtown was on fire. CrispThe Woolworth facade is like the crisp dollar bill you find in the middle of the worn and well circulated dollar bills in your wallet. ConflagrationThe left-most structure was the Thomas Building. It and the Grant building adjacent to it were consumed by a massive fire in November 1973. In all, 15 buildings were either destroyed or damaged. http://digitallibrary.imcpl.org/ffm/ffmGrant.php By this time the Woolworth building had become the Kirk Furniture building. Today it houses a Buffalo Wild Wings. The brick building to its right was then called the MNB building and still stands. This photo shows the backside of the Grant buiding as the fire raged: Calling Dr. FreudNow there is a building with an inferiority complex! A Rose Between Two ThornsI don't know what style of architecture that is, but I sure do like it! Those sleek lines and shiny facade just make you want to go in and shop for some moth balls and shaving cream, then wind up at the lunch counter for a burger! [This is Art Deco style. - tterrace] Thanks! I thought it was. It looks like what the future should have been! Still there today!This beautiful Art Deco building is still standing, as is the one to the right of it. I was admiring the Shorpy version of the building and, when I saw on Street View it is now Buffalo Wild Wings, realized I've been inside it! (The Gallery, Indianapolis, John Vachon, Stores & Markets)
Lincoln: 1942
... 1942. View full size. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information. Turn around ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/17/2011 - 9:44am -

Lincoln, Nebraska. 1942. View full size. 35mm Kodachrome transparency by John Vachon. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information. Turn aroundThis shot makes you wonder what the girl looked like Where Did Everybody Go?Except for the one young lady, the streets are deserted! It's interesting that the cars are all shades of blue, black, white or gray, which isn't all that much different from what the color of cars have been for the last twenty years as well. I miss the way they looked in the early 70s, which was the only era in which autos came in all sorts of loud primary and secondary colors. Lincoln : 1942The streets are lonely ; but the number of cars are no way, less ! Are they Austin cars ? (Austin of England) Or might be Morris. [These are all American cars. - Dave] Re: VehiclesI think the second car from the right is a 1940 Chevrolet, not 1941. More than the girlYou can see 2 guys to the right of the girl, toward the 1st corner a guy with a blue shirt and hat is walking toward the parked cars, if you go to the right of him another guy looking down with a brown hat. Also at the next intersection it looks like a group of people are getting ready to cross the street VehiclesIt appears to me to be, from the left, a light-colored '41 Ford, then '41 Chrysler, '41 Chevrolet, '38 Buick, '41 Chevrolet, '39 Ford. For Idleracer, yo're right; cars have become more bland. The high spot was the mid '50s, when they even had tri-tone. (I had a '55 Roadmaster with orange-red top, light gray midsection and orange-red under the sweepspear . . ) VehiclesI think you're right, Dave. The photo was dark enough I didn't notice the separate parking lights, and did not recall the chrome stripe atop the headlight housing on my late uncle's '40 model . . . View is 13th South of N St. looking NorthI'll have to send you a picture of this scene today...probably one of the few places in Downtown Lincoln that look exactly the same. I couldn't figure out the location of the other picture posted of Lincoln..I think all the buildings in it have been razed. Cars are from all overThe first plate in the front is a beautiful 42 Kansas Sunflower plate from Brown County. The next behind is from Lincoln, Nebraska. I can only see a corner of the next one, but it looks like Hastings, Nebraska (14). The next plate up the street is Sedgwick County, Kansas. The last car up the street looks surprisingly like a 41 California plate, but I can't make it out well enough. Considering an A ration in 1942 was 3 gallons a week, they must have saved up their gas to all get into Lincoln? [There was no rationing yet in the Midwest. (Which why none of the cars have ration stickers on the windshields.) On May 15, 1942, gasoline rationing began in 17 Eastern states. The allotment was three gallons a week. It wasn't until December 2, 1942, that gasoline rationing was required in all states. - Dave] Gas RationingThanks. I'd forgotten that rationing didn't cover the non-Eastern states until almost 1943. My granedfather didn't have an A ration. He had a nearly unlimited ration. He was a vital war worker, working in the Southern Illinois oil fields. And a horse ate his soybean 1943 license plate. He backed the car up to the fence by the horse field and the horse ambled over and took a big bite out of it. He had to get a replacement. ChryslerThat's a '42 Chrysler. The '41 had a taller grille. +68As noted previously, this is 13th Street looking north from N Street. The girl and flags are gone and the curbs have been modified, but otherwise, the scene is virtually the same. I've attached a shot of the same perspective taken on March 22, 2010. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Patriotic)
Best Domestic Coal: 1938
... Omaha, Nebraska." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Staying ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2020 - 8:41pm -

November 1938. "Apartment houses with no rear windows. Omaha, Nebraska." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Staying with the hod theme:My guess would be that those packages are bundles of coal briquets. Much easier and faster to stack into a hod than loose briquets. Easier to account for in the whole logistics chain (who would count up to 120 briquets rather than to 12 packs of 10). And cleaner to store than loose ones. Great example of consumer value meets process improvement. One lump or two?How much for all three? Remember Tim Finnegan?Because to rise in the world he carried a hod. That's how the domestic coal typically found its way into the domestic basements. Electric or central heating, anybody? The apartments survived, Best Coal did not. Wrapped packagesThis photo is such a goldmine of intriguing detail, but my attention is drawn repeatedly to those two elevated stacks of wrapped packages at curbside. They look like double reams of photocopier or printer paper, which would amount to 1,000 sheets per package. But can we ever know? The business is a hauling service, so they could be anything. The coalyardBagged up and packaged neatly. Selling some kindling there -- the bucket a day will be heating up nicely in no time. No coke machineCoal and Cola is a missed opportunity. A practical recommendationIf you can't afford the expensive imported stuff, buy the Best Domestic Coal. Coal & IceCoal & Ice companies, like Electric Railway & Light companies, were a way to make money all year long, or around the clock. Size MattersIt appears that the one tiny window in those blank apartment back walls would indicate a kitchen or bathroom. Two rooms that frequently do not have windows. Looking at the front of these apartments (The Madison and Monroe Apartments at 2218 Jones Street) It appears that they have been remodeled and are low-income housing. Interesting that in the remodel, there are still no additional windows on the back on the building. I don't know how to add a google picture to my post but used the address above to see the front of the apartments if you are interested. Fresh wrapped coal?It that coal in the wrapped packages looking like laundry? Strange. The buildings look more like a factory or warehouse than apartments! The narrow doorway on the left may be where the mechanic lives? And the shop appears to have seen better days. ICEAnyone know why the 3D image of what appears to be a woman is on the ICE logo pedestal? And buying ice from a coal vendor who also scraps cars? seems kinda iffy to me, but it is 1938 and seems to be a lot of apartments directly behind. Busy A very interesting photograph and there’s a lot going on here: a half-hidden woman on the back stairs, figureheads under the “ice” signs, the front half of a car frame in the shop, reams of paper on the milk crates (possibly electioneering posters like the two in the shop windows?), bundles of firewood, a bag of coal, and a portable “no parking” sign. What else did miss at first glance (and WHAT might 50 cent-and-up pick-up be)? Truck ID1933 Chevrolet (the front of which is a copy of the 1932 car) Coal & IceWhen I was an urchin all coal companies sold ice and all ice companies sold coal. One product for the summer and the other for the winter. View from the other sideA Google Street view shows the front side of the apartments. Based on the front entrance view I think that each floor has a central hallway running from the front to the back. The main entrance to the building is on the front and probably a stairway to the upper floors. The Shorpy image shows the back of the building with the central hallway ending in a door to the fire escape stairs. Each building probably has four apartments per floor. The "Madison" building in the Google image also appears to have a side entrance but looking at the others that entrance seems to be missing, The one small window on the back of only one building on one floor is a mystery. JAckson-2159If you wondered what the exchange name was for Tom Bessey's telephone number, I found it through NebraskAccess. A Collection of Fascinating StuffThanks again to John Vachon for another amazing photograph of Americana, and thanks to Dave for bringing it to us. My appreciation to the fans for the remarks about coal and ice synergy and for showing the present day view. I wonder about the tiny white storefront shack to the left, and what could have been going on in there. It reminds me of a very small barber shop that is in an old suburb of my city, but there is nothing on the front of this little place in Omaha to indicate what kind of business it is. Black Ice anyone?Using the same trucks to deliver coal and ice might have coined the term 'black ice'? The apartment buildings invoke curiosity. It appears the fire escapes had screen doors. Back in the day they had the good sense to orient buildings to take advantage of prevailing winds. I notice in current photo the doors are fortified as necessary in our changing world. The doorways and windows have arched tops, as I have noticed in 1800's construction, which gave way to square tops after turn of century. The mystery window, square top, shows signs of brickwork indicating it was later added. also filled in the mystery 'black square' below it. Have no idea what the mystery squares are, would be about waist high, so not structural tie-bolts, anyone have ideas? Not likely clothes dryer vents! haha! Just to the right of the uppermost fire escape landing is a beam jutting out. Perhaps a davit to attach block and tackle for moving stuff? Watch out for those power lines! But folks of the day had enough common sense to know that. "Central" HeatI find it interesting that in Kozel's back view of the apartment buildings only one building had a chimney, perhaps the middle building in a group of five buildings? That one building would have had a boiler that provided steam, or hot water, to all five buildings for heat in the winter. Coal for that boiler would have been delivered by truck into a chute that led into the basement. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Omaha, Stores & Markets)
Earth Colony: 1942
... Borger, Texas. Storage tanks." Medium-format negative by John Vachon, Office of War Information. View full size. White Heat "Here ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 1:35pm -

November 1942. "Phillips gasoline plant. Borger, Texas. Storage tanks." Medium-format negative by John Vachon, Office of War Information. View full size. White Heat"Here I am, Ma! Top of the world!" Untarnished BeautiesPhillips still operates in Borger, "The home of the world's largest inland petrochemical complexes." These tanks (or others exactly like them) are still there. They were probably not left unpainted for very long. The population of Borger peaked during the war, almost tripling between 1930 and 1950, from 6,532 to 18,059. Long walkYou'd think an a simple open elevator would be far cheaper than all those steel stairs and railings. (The Gallery, Industry & Public Works, John Vachon)
A Bumper Crop: 1938
... and family. Guilford County." Medium format negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Fashion ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/24/2017 - 1:53pm -

April 1938. "North Carolina farmer and family. Guilford County." Medium format negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Fashion ForwardDad's outfit is very edgy: White shirt and tie under overalls topped with a suit jacket. The rake and hat are great accessories. Spiffy PictureThe lone geranium sure brightens up the scene. Home Sweet HomageWas this a tip of the hat to Grant Wood? 25%That is the estimated number of kids in a picture that will have their finger in their nose when the picture is snapped. Grant Wood?Yes, but my second impression was Eddie Albert! (The Gallery, Agriculture, John Vachon, Kids)
Window-Dressing: 1941
... the interpretation up to you. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Outrage! Surely (stop calling me Shirley!) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/18/2013 - 1:45pm -

July 1941. "Store window display. Chicago, Illinois." High concept retailing -- one's eye is drawn immediately to the fancy footwear on display. Or maybe summers in Chicago are just especially hot? We'll leave the interpretation up to you. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Outrage!Surely (stop calling me Shirley!) in 1941 that didn't last long before the bluenose brigade showed up? Or did I fall for the bait and that's just a work-in-progress, waiting for the window-dresser to finish the job? Oh, Pardon me!I'm thinking that was caught right in the middle of a window change, and one not done to company policy. Right up through the 70's mannequins were hidden or covered during clothes changes. The fact that this window has neither paper or a Bon Ami whitewash tells me something is up, and it's not a nudity grab at product awareness. My mother would have refused to shop here. I'd know it any 'wear'My wife had a suit like that! One scorching July day in 1941 Chicago-And obviously pre-air conditioning... with nothing left to sacrifice for looming WW2 clothing shortages. Oh well, must keep up the morale of the armed forces! Could it bethat they sell mannequins? (The Gallery, Chicago, John Vachon, Stores & Markets)
Uprooted: 1940
... the lady seen here last week. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Imagine Just think of the uproar if we tried ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/24/2011 - 4:50pm -

July 1940. Berrien County, Michigan. "Migrant mother of family from Arkansas in roadside camp of cherry pickers." Our second look at the lady seen here last week. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon. View full size. ImagineJust think of the uproar if we tried this with the unemployed youth of today, the very idea of work would scare them shitless and the ACLU would have their underwear in knots screaming "abuse." These boys liked a hard day's work and they looked it, bet they walked standing tall not slouched and shuffling, true young men, boys are like horses if not worked hard when they are young they are never much use when mature, need to be pushed all the time. [Back during the Depression, my granddad had to wear the same dress two whole years. - Dave] Hard timesNot an iPhone or iPod in sight, folks think they have it hard today. WowLindsy Lohan has really hit the skids! Truer Image (IMO)This picture emphasizes the nomadic lifestyle, lack of creature comforts and the stress of being a migrant worker then. In the previous picture she appeared almost as a harried soccer Mom. Here fatigue is evident in her face. Note the broken mirror propped in front of the washing basin in front of the rear fender. And someone should tell her that her slip is beginning to show. Indescribably sadThis picture makes my heart ache just looking at it. Even the majority of 'poor' people in this country (the US) have it good in this day and age compared to poor people then. Today (and hopefully beyond) I'll make a conscious effort to appreciate the most simple things we take for granted. A shower, a refrigerator, air conditioning, a comfortable bed, the list is endless. The face of sheer hopelessnessI was thinking along precisely the lines of SlamDance when I saw this picture. It isn't only this one; there are numerous others on this site which depict people in similar situations. Most of these people don't just look tired; I imagine they had always been used to simple hardship, and hard work; here, one can see the utter dejection, the misery, and the hopelessness in their faces. It is awful to imagine just how hopeless they must have felt. I imagine that a reasonable number of them had been, some time previously, whilst not in any way wealthy, at least able to have shelter and to be able to get their daily bread. That woman's privations are now almost certainly over. Maybe her children, if she had some, still remember her tears when she could maybe not provide food some days. Of course, there are teeming millions around the world in just such a situation today. My apologies for being mawkish; but, gosh, what images these pictures conjure up .... David Leicestershire, England Luck?As I sit here eating my morning oatmeal and seeing this photo, I'm thinking....How lucky I am!! Picture does me goodI needed to see it this morning. Sometimes you forget all you have to be happy about. Poor lady, I hope she had some happy times. Modern migrantsI think that some of the people who make comments about how people today don't know how to work should go visit a migrant workers' camp today. Sure they have more than they did in this picture, but their living conditions are not significantly better. Our country is lucky that we don't have a large portion of a population that lives so poorly, but it doesn't mean that this still doesn't occur; only the demographic of the migrant has changed. Cute edit DaveMy comment was meant for the post "Boys to Men," smartypants. I suggest you tell those boys that they were skirts. [Were? Wear? - Dave] Previous commentsThe two odd comments above are obviously referring to the "Boys to Men" image right behind this one. Odd glitch in posting, I guess. Mommaappears to be pregnant. No wonder she's exhausted. Why I like it hereThis is a great group here, with a rare talent; the ability to look at a black-and-white image from long ago, and care about the people in it. And yet --She has an automobile, a rather considerable capital asset that lets her and her family go in search of work. The muscles on her bare arms and legs are well-fleshed, and she doesn't show the signs of chronic malnutrition. I can see a number of cooking and serving vessels, large and small, and a couple of pieces of simple furniture. She's poor, yes, but by the standards of an African villager or a Brazilian favelista, who would regard the chipped enamel cooking pot as wealth to be proud of, she's incredibly well off. Mawkishness isn't to be avoided. We should always have sympathy for those less fortunate, but we should also be alert to attempts to manipulate that sympathy. What this woman and her family need is a busy productive economy, which they can contribute to and earn their share. All too often we've allowed the cynical to use "abject poverty" as an excuse for redistributionism, which feathers their nests rather comfortably from the reasonable expenses they take out in the process but makes the problem worse by crippling the overall economy. Picture brings back memoriesThat woman closely resembles my mother in 1940. When I was 5 years old, my mother, my sister, and I were living in a converted chicken coop on my uncle's farm in Oklahoma, while my father was looking for work in Kansas. Many a day our only food was beans and bread. I appreciate the compassion shown by many posters on this site for the plight of common folk at this time in American history. Gotta say, WWII saved the economy of this country. (The Gallery, Great Depression, John Vachon)
Rear Entrance: 1937
... for this curious scene. Medium-format negative by John Vachon. View full size. You Are Here This might be about where ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/14/2013 - 12:06pm -

September 1937. "House in Negro quarter of Rosslyn, Virginia." Washington, D.C., and the Key Bridge form the background for this curious scene. Medium-format negative by John Vachon. View full size. You Are HereThis might be about where present-day N. Fort Myer or N. Lynn Street are now. Interesting to see roads are dirt. The Key Bridge Marriott was built where Arlington Brewing Co. was. Its building was erected around the turn of the century and brewery closed in 1916. Ultimately it became Cherry Smash Bottling plant. The Rosslyn area had been location of saloons and brothels until closed in early 1900s. When I was a child in early '50s it was terminus of RF&P railroad and Capital Transit streetcars and also the location of car lots and pawn shops. QuestionIs that marijuana growing by the side of the house? I'd saythis is a second story job. Current viewThe attached photo was taken in the same general location as this LOC photo. The green space in the foreground of the current photo is the George Washington Memorial Parkway National Park. This portion of the parkway was built between the 1940s and 1950s, and the neighborhood in this photo may very well have been torn down to accommodate it. AnswerAllie: I don't think so. To the extent one can tell at this resolution it looks more like Jatropha multifida. Possible some type of cleome (from the flower stalks), but I don't think any cleome has leaves that are heavily serrated like these. OkraI think that's okra--all overgrown after a long summer. Marijuana?It looks more like castor bean plants to me. They're quite easy to grow pretty much anywhere. The beans are highly toxic though, and are actually used to make the poison ricin. Castor beans most likelyLooking carefully at that whole stand you can see at least 5 clumps of what appear to be what Nicodeme says--castor bean plants. My mother used to grow them and they make beautiful red accents in a garden, often quite tall, too. I think this is a flower border, despite the ramshackle house. Although not particularly well-tended, there does seem to be a rough logic with lower, flowering plants along the front and the taller at the back. Castor plants are often very red. Ought to have been quite a colorful border. More on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_bean_plant Mom locked us out!I wonder if that was the story behind the three boys on the roof, trying to get in through the window; that Mom was out working and didn't get home as early as she expected (or the boys' job doing yard work was finished before expected). Is that a church at one o'clock?(I think those buttresses would have caught my eye if that building still stood.) And for more on the Georgetown Tower of Flour see https://www.shorpy.com/node/5510 Not Mary JaneIf it was they could afford to move to a nicer place. Ancient AutoAnyone know what make and model car that is? It clearly has not moved in years. RepurposingIn the lower right, you can see that the rear doors from the abandoned truck have been used to patch the roof on the structure next to it Where is this?It would appear that the location of this photo is now about where the Key Bridge Marriott is located. Re: Mom locked us out!Not really, that downstairs backdoor is open and ajar. Looks more like these boys are just fooling around, maybe watching the photographer at work. Old W&OD TerminalIf you look off to the left, in the foreground, below the Key bridge you can see the W&OD terminal which was torn down in 1939 to make way for the GW parkway. Address of this houseBased on an aerial photo of Rosslyn at this time and the 1943 Arlington street/lot map (see both attached), the address of this house was 1934 North Fort Myer Drive, on the southwest corner at the intersection of North 20th Street. The present-day intersection is N. Ft. Myer Dr. and eastbound Lee Hwy. Credit to Jeff Clark, John Dowling, and Steve Palmeter on the "Northern Virginia History" Facebook group for help in zeroing in on the exact location. (The Gallery, D.C., John Vachon)
Municipal Elevator: 1940
... section of bluffs." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Carbon-Arc Lamp By 1940, this was an ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/10/2019 - 1:29pm -

April 1940. Dubuque, Iowa. "Elevator which ascends from downtown district to residential section of bluffs." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Carbon-Arc LampBy 1940, this was an antique. Still there!Still in operation. The operating hours have changed a tad, and the lamp has been upgraded. This particular funicularI visited Dubuque but missed this. I did however, ride Pittsburgh's Duquesne Incline on a March day so cold, tourists from Canada were complaining. I didn't enjoy the experience much (fear of heights) but got spectacular pictures of the Steel City's yellow bridges, PNC park, Fort Duquesne, and everything else picturesque about the confluence of the Ohio, the Allegheny, and the Monongahela. The View From Fenelon PlaceThe business has had it's its ups and downs, and be sure to bring cash only since no plastic accepted. The View SwitchThey use both sides of the middle rail and so don't need an actual switch. Street View Carbon arc lamp in 1940By 1940 most of them had been upgraded to tungsten, so by 1940 standards, this was an outdated utilitarian antiquity. I was at an insulator show last month, and got to see a carbon arc street light in all its original glory on display. All the hardware, and an original glass globe. Quite the setup! Fine ViewIt's not terrible, but then again it's not superb. The view is fine, if you like that sort of thing. (Technology, The Gallery, John Vachon, Streetcars)
Tire, Iron: 1942
... that include the car?) Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/21/2022 - 1:54pm -

May 1942. "Kearney, Buffalo County, Nebraska. Farm boy with flat tire, which happened while he was bringing a load of scrap iron to town." (Does that include the car?) Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. 1942's scrap.would be 2022's collectibles. Time honored tradeWe have a scrappy young friend (in his early 20s now) who for years -- ever since he could drive -- has had a local scrap metal recycling business. He operates out of a beat-up truck and faithfully collects and hauls the scrap to wherever it is that they buy it from him. He's no farmer's son, though; his daddy is a lawyer. Always parked indoors... in the barn under where the pigeons roost. RecycledThe wagon itself looks like a box riding on the running gear of a Model T. That car ain't scrap!It's my workin' hoss! And you can pass me when I get this gol durn tire fixed. 1928 ChevroletAssuming that's just spattered mud on his car, a wash job would help it's its looks considerably. And how fortunate he is to have a running car (or access to one) at his tender age. I had a car at sixteen and it broadened my horizons considerably. First LessonsThe first lesson my two younger sisters learned when they arrived in this country in the early '70s was how to change a tire. They didn't even know how to drive, but they knew how to change a tire. Lucky for them, it was a much more modern car. I can see clearly now ...Stalwart Chevy has been wisely modified/updated in its night-time illumination abilities. Installing a pair of recently introduced "sealed-beam" headlight bulbs would have vastly improved the driver's vision. The other noticeable modifications are the larger, replacement cowl lamps, possibly from a later model Chevy. The original, smaller cowl-lamp units have been relocated to function as fender-top clearance lights. I have a feeling the car was the young man's very precious friend, an emotion I can genuinely identify with! A Lost ArtA year or two back, a younger (under 40) friend posted an ordinary stuck-in-traffic photo to Facebook, vaguely hinting that there was something unusual about it. Someone asked what the big deal was, and they had been surprised by the novelty of someone making a wrecked pickup into a cargo trailer. I replied that maybe I'm showing my age by saying that that used to be the most common thing in the world. It wasn't merely a relic of the Depression, either. People were still doing those conversions well into the 1980s, and now almost no one does it, they just buy manufactured trailers on credit. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon, Rural America, WW2)
Truck Stop: 1943
... in New York, the venue of the previous post, also shot by John Vachon for the OWI. View full size. Still standing The Hecht Company ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/27/2013 - 1:18pm -

March 1943. "Transport refueling at Hecht Co. warehouse on New York Avenue in Washington, D.C." As opposed to Washington Street in New York, the venue of the previous post, also shot by John Vachon for the OWI. View full size. Still standingThe Hecht Company Warehouse is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. View Larger Map My My still the sameMy sister worked here for awhile. I worked around the corner for awhile. Fascinated by the IBM building shot. Always wondered what it used to be. Weigh-inLooks like the truck is also sitting on a scale. And across the streetmore or less: a building where IBM manufactured almost all of its punch cards. (If you don't know what a punch card is, sigh ) Art Deco Masterpiece!Although the Hecht Company was taken over by Macy's, the warehouse is still there, at 1401 New York Avenue, N.E. in Washington. It isn't used by Macy's but it is on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural merit as a art deco masterpiece. Big Truck, Little MirrorDang that is a beat to heck truck getting weighed. It is missing grille bars and those fenders look like they have been pounded out more than once. But what is most amazing is I only see two mirrors. The passenger side one appears to be for him to see the top of his trailer. It is impossible that it sees anyone driving along its passenger side [The mirrors appear to be a matched set, hinged and telescoping, with the one on the passenger side raised for the truck to pull up to the pumps. - tterrace] Mack MB at the scale houseYes that is a scale I drove across a lot of them over the years. That is a Mack MB tractor from around the mid 30's it has the two piece windshield. Planeless but not TrainlessThose look like boxcars off on the right. Railyard? Truckis a '36 GMC. A local landmarkfor local traffic reporters ("New York Avenue backed up to the Hecht Warehouse", Lisa was heard to say). Trains@perpster - You are correct. Not precisely a yard, but a set of multiple tracks with sidings leading up to the yards near New York and Florida Avenues, a bit west of the warehouse. Mirror on MackThe mirror pointing up is to see the roof of the box so when you go under an overpass you can see if you're going to scrape it. Back in those days bridges and tunnels were not always marked, and if they were when the road was paved the clearance was not always changed. New parts were hard to get in 1943. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Gas Stations, John Vachon)
Cheersh: 1941
... Crossing, Michigan." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Bottle Can Glass To me it always seemed that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/29/2020 - 5:46pm -

August 1941. "Farm boys in beer parlor on Sunday afternoon. Finnish community of Bruce Crossing, Michigan." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Bottle Can GlassTo me it always seemed that pouring from a bottle or can into a glass allowed the brew to breathe a little, thus taming the carbonation and improving taste. After the third one though, who cares. Royal Bohemian BeerLooks like they are enjoying Royal Bohemian from the Duluth Brewing & Malting Company. Sisu, eh?All communities thereabouts are Finnish communities. Pritnear every Yooper is at least part Finn. GlassesFind out that they use glasses to drink beer. I'm not American and I find that in every American film people drink beer directly from bottles. Is it now normal as it was normal to use glasses in forties? [In my experience, most bottle beer in restaurants and bars here in America is poured into glasses or mugs. - Dave] Natty BohThe boys are enjoying some National Bohemian Pilsner. A bit surprising, since Bruce Crossing is in the UP, and Natty Boh was brewed in Baltimore. I would have thought Milwaukee or Detroit suds would have been the beer of choice. [The beer is Minnesotan -- Royal Bohemian from Duluth. - Dave] (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon)
A Chat With Marilyn: 1953
... while in Canada to film River of No Return . Photo by John Vachon for Look magazine. View full size. Candid She never took a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/18/2013 - 7:22pm -

Marilyn Monroe in 1953 at the Banff Springs Hotel while in Canada to film River of No Return. Photo by John Vachon for Look magazine. View full size. CandidShe never took a bad photo. And in 50 years, she will still be admired for her beauty. The girl you wished lived next door. BeforeI love the photos of her before she got to be really famous. She looks so much more beautiful in this photo!!!! More natural. The 55 Year ItchWhen I was but five years old, I tore a full page photo of this enchantress from "Life" magazine and, after folding it reverently, secured it in my plastic Roy Rogers billfold and carried it everywhere I chanced. I find myself still enthralled to her at age 60 with no hope of manumission. Her song ended long ago, but O! How her melody lingers on. Old Marilyn PhotosMany years ago, when I was doing free-lance work for Globe Rangefinder in NYC, I spent an hour or two looking through their files of Marilyn Monroe contact sheets with a linen tester magnifier. These photos were taken in the early 1950s, and even when Miss Monroe sneezed, was caught offguard or made a goofy face at the camera, she looked amazing. An earlier comment by switzarch is so true: she seemingly just couldn't take a bad photo. Even girls have a crush on Marilyn, she was so lovely. I enjoy seeing these photos of her so young and eager for her promising future. Simply . . . . . . . radiant. (The Gallery, John Vachon, LOOK, Marilyn Monroe, Pretty Girls)
Dubuque: 1940
... seen in background." View full size. 35mm negative by John Vachon. Dubuque is a Mississippi River Town. Dubuque was one of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/27/2008 - 12:00am -

April 1940. "Business section of Dubuque, Iowa. The rich live in houses on the cliffs seen in background." View full size. 35mm negative by John Vachon. Dubuque is a Mississippi River Town.Dubuque was one of the first settlements in Iowa. This picture is looking west. Downtown is along the river bank. Most of the town today is: "Up on the hill". Great river town. http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?54933 Looking east....today. For Just A Minute There......you really had me puzzled. I was going to call a technical foul thinking this couldn't really be photo of a mid-20th century midwest American business district. There didn't seem to be a Coca-Cola sign anywhere in sight! But if you go to the full size view and look carefully it is in fact there. I won't spoil it for you; you'll have to find it yourself. Think of it as a soft drink version of "Where's Waldo?". Found It!I felt like doing a little investigative work tonight. I was born in Dubuque and raised not far from there in Wisconsin. Not that anybody probably cares, but this is looking west-southwest down Seventh Street, probably from Main. Nothing in the foreground seems to still exist, but the house at the end of the street, as well as the house on the bluff, still remain. Take a look at current-day Dubuque on Google Maps. This is one block closer to the houses at the end of the street. View Larger Map (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Vachon)
Northern Swing: 1938
... for Negro families. Omaha, Nebraska." Acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Focus on shoes The still center of all the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2020 - 7:04pm -

November 1938. "Public Works Administration housing project (Logan Fontenelle Homes) for Negro families. Omaha, Nebraska." Acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size. Focus on shoesThe still center of all the blurry action is, for me, the pair of feet in the shoes with two buckles, situated underneath the swing with two boys on it. I love all the smiling faces, but the two shiny shoes, side by side, anchor it all. Does Vachon know what he’s doing while he’s doing it, or does he sometimes look at his photos afterwards and go, “Well, I’ll be”? Repeated historyThe Logan Fontenelle Housing Project has an illuminating Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_Fontenelle_Housing_Project This part jumped out at me: "In 1969 riots erupted after an Omaha police officer fatally shot teenager Vivian Strong near the Logan Fontenelle Project. Riots began after Walter Cropper, the judge at the preliminary hearing, found the shooter, Officer James Loder, not to be criminally liable for the shooting." The site was demolished in the early 1990s, and replaced with "lower density housing," which at the time was apparently considered more humane and less prone to contribute to crime. The concept of higher density housing is now getting popular again, though. Public Housing MuseumA building from a similar housing project in Chicago, Jane Addams Homes, also built in 1938, is being turned into the National Public Housing Museum. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-03/plans-evolve-for-a-na... Bob GibsonBaseball Hall-of-Famer Bob Gibson was born in Omaha in November 1935, and lived in the Logan Fontenelle housing project. He was the youngest of seven children, so there may be one or more Gibson children in this picture. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Kids, Omaha)
Maryland Crab House: 1938
... and clams to go, please. Medium-format nitrate negative by John Vachon. View full size. "Negro section" According to the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/21/2013 - 11:43am -

July 1938. "House in Negro section of Baltimore, Maryland." Crabs and clams to go, please. Medium-format nitrate negative by John Vachon. View full size. "Negro section"According to the 2010 census, Baltimore ranks 5th, at 64%, among U.S. cities with the highest African-American populations. There is a long and rich culinary tradition here, with crabcakes being perhaps the most famous. Old Bumper Sticker"Virginia Is For Lovers" "Maryland Is For Crabs" Don't ForgetOysters from the Cheasapeake Bay, they are slowly coming back. Good eating. Save The Bay! (The Gallery, Baltimore, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon)
Gasolene Gospel: 1937
... as well as two verses from the New Testament. Photo by John Vachon. View full size. Intersection today The warehouse across the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/13/2013 - 3:54pm -

August 1937. "Gas station and gospel mission in Cleveland, Ohio." In addition to Koolmotor "Gasolene," a long-defunct Cities Service brand, we also seem to have at least a couple of the major food groups represented here, as well as two verses from the New Testament. Photo by John Vachon. View full size. Intersection todayThe warehouse across the street is still standing, though the facade has been updated. Otherwise the intersection is quite different. View Larger Map Missing Billboard"Pray And Get Gas" English Teacher's NightmareGasolene. Kool. Thru. Towards. No wonder the kids today can't spell. Hotel Auditorium Wonderful photograph! From the web site, Cleveland Memory, regarding the Hotel Auditorium: The Hotel Auditorium is Cleveland's newest hotel in the downtown section, and is directly across from the famous Cleveland Public Auditorium. It was located at East 6th Street and St. Clair Avenue and apparently opened in 1930. Wonder what the difference was between a two dollar and a two dollar and a half room. [If the Hotel Auditorium had an auditorium, things could get super confusing. - Dave] Way Kool!!!This photo is just begging for colorizing! What a scene! And I want that panel truck! But does that second Bible verse read oddly to anyone else? I was expecting it to be "those" instead of "them." I suppose that's the King James Version of the text, which usually sounds so wonderful to my ear. Amazing Photo!Again, Shorpy whisks us away to another time and place. In a flash, it's 1937. Thanks Shorpy! All Closed CarsWhat I love about these pics are the old cars in their natural surroundings. Gather a group of cars of this era today and there will be a preponderance of open cars. Twenty-one cars in this pic and not a one of them an open car! Three times three slices of bread.Why not an even number, so you don't wind up stuck with half a sandwich. My CliffordvilleYes, I think I have found it. But with a happier ending, please. Terminal TowerPeeking over the building in the upper left corner. Bible verseIn response to Jim Page's comment, the verse sounds odd now, but remember that several of today's most popular Bible translations hadn't even been written in 1937. On a different note, I can't be the only one here who wouldn't mind paying a visit to the ice cream truck on the bottom left. Well Ethylis standing right next to the Koolmotor gas pump. Looks like their glass globes are canted toward each other and they're carrying on a conversation. Koolmotor is asking, "Is your name really Ethyl?" I love old gas stations. Looks like all the "night parking" is filled up and it's only 5 minutes to 3. Wheels "O" RollinYou've got to love those old trucks. The AuditoriumI presume the Auditorium Hotel received that name because it was located across the street from the Public Auditorium, which is part of downtown Cleveland's Group Plan designed by Daniel Burnham. The Auditorium Hotel is gone, but the site had another hotel, which is now getting a major re-work in anticipation of the reopening later this year of the downtown convention center after its own major overhaul. A corner of Public Auditorium can be seen in the upper right corner, showing the word "CONCEIVED" as part of the sentence inscribed on the building. [“A Monument Conceived as a Tribute to the Ideals of Cleveland, Builded by Her Citizens and Dedicated to Social Progress, Industrial Achievement and Civic Interests” - tterrace] The March of Time Will Now Take a Short BreakLiving for a while some 164 blocks East of this scene and nine years later, I found similar cars to be common sights during my daily wanderings. The three-year hiatus in passenger car production during WWII, coupled with delays in getting Detroit reconfigured after war production, meant that many cars of the '30s soldiered on for some time after peace broke out. I recall finding cars with "lights that stick out" preferable to more modern ones ... and I suspect that I still do. Pack 'em inI like the painted lines on the walls for spacing the night parking. Shorpy TruckShorpy truck on the left. Filled with large format glass negatives, waiting for the internet. That lounge chairThat lounge chair intrigues me. What an odd position to put a chair like that. I realise the angle and camera standing adds to the visual illusion, but to me, it remains strange placement. St. Clair and E. 9th Street in 1963Here is a photo from the Cleveland Public Library Digital Gallery. It shows a view of this block from the St. Claire Avenue side. The City Mission is still there, and the Koolmotor station is a Sohio in 1963, but a lot of the rest of the view ended up as parking lots for a while. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Cleveland, Gas Stations, John Vachon)
Live Better Electrically: 1938
... near the Nebraska Power Company plant, Omaha." Photo by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Where has ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2017 - 9:21am -

November 1938. "Houses near the Nebraska Power Company plant, Omaha." Photo by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Where has the mortar goneOn the chimneys of the house on the right? [Victim of acid rain. -tterrace] CapitalsGood bet that they're wood. The first house I owned was built in 1894 and had columns just like those. The gingerbread was ALL wood. From Powerhouse to PunNebraska Power Co. was the last privately-owned utility in the state, and was acquired by the Omaha Public Power District in 1945, seven years after this photo was taken. Located near the Missouri River and at the corner of Fourth and Leavenworth in Omaha, the power plant has been converted to a residential complex know as The Breakers, as in circuit breakers. Little HouseLove the little birdhouse. So much to see here! Wood or cast iron?Those column capitals really beat me. What I can't make out, are they wood, or cast iron? Cast iron gothic (or classicism) was quite popular for a while, probably along with carpenter gothic (or classicism). Photographer EntourageA watchdog has eyes on them. Before "clean" coal??Too bad these residents lived so close to that coal fire power plant that spewed out plumes of pollution. Today they would be promised "clean" coal and enjoy much healthier lives. (If clean coal exists). Also shown hereHouses also shown in this photo. (The Gallery, Industry & Public Works, John Vachon, Omaha)
Gobblers: 1940
... Happy Thanksgiving from Shorpy! 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the FSA. View full size. Gotta go tell the king Turkey ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/24/2011 - 3:24pm -

October 1940, somewhere in North Dakota. Happy Thanksgiving from Shorpy! 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the FSA. View full size. Gotta go tell the kingTurkey Lurkey and cronies on a mission to alert His Majesty that the sky is falling. So, So SadHow ironic it is to think about the hopes and dreams of these fowl and to realize that they are all dead now. And they're all dead now.Have to be, it's 71 years ago. Looking at this picture It just crossed my mind that the turkeys that get a presidential pardon tend to be, well, kind of white. Sorry for the sarcasm. Failure is an option.The "Super Committee" after failing to cut spending on the Federal Budget. The left hates the right, the right hates the left. We all pay. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Thanksgiving)
Keep a Light On: 1940
... Pierre, South Dakota." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Truck ID ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/03/2020 - 7:54pm -

November 1940. "Porch light to welcome expected visitors. Pierre, South Dakota." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Truck ID1937 Ford (I bet Tom Bodett would love this pic) "Photographer of Light"What Thomas Kinkade could never achieve. Major AwardJust needs a leg lamp in the window. A lump in my throatNearly 60 years ago I spent two sleepless days and nights and almost another hitchhiking from my base in North Carolina to home in northwest Pennsylvania. I saw lots of scenes like this one along the way. Every one of them choked me up. I don't remember praying but the guy who picked me up somewhere near Mars told me I was the first hitchhiker he'd picked up since the last one beat him up and left him for dead in 1949. He took me almost all the way to my home from the middle of nowhere. It's a Wonderful LightI can see George Bailey running past, shouting "Merry Christmas, folks who left the porch light on!" (The Gallery, John Vachon, Small Towns)
The Omaha Kid: 1938
... Street, Omaha, Nebraska." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Wondering. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2017 - 9:23am -

November 1938. "Lower Douglas Street, Omaha, Nebraska." 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Wondering."Hey! Either of you two know a kid named Warren Buffett?" Good one!Good one! Love!The boy in the back looks like such an old man. Boy No. 2The one in back is the winner of the Best Dressed Future Farmers of America Competition! Check it out, overalls -- and a tie. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Kids, Omaha)
Max: 1940
... Dakota. Population 500." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Max, North ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/31/2019 - 1:47pm -

October 1940. "Max, North Dakota. Population 500." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Max, North Dakota 1940I found a 1962 photo of the New Max Hotel and the eatery next door. Under the photo is some interesting historical information. https://steinhausphotos.weebly.com/max-north-dakota-photos.html You have to scroll down a ways to get to it. Poor protoypeBoth my wife (the Geezerina) and I love railroading stuff. When we see an especially beat-up gondola car, one of us will say "Nice prototype!", referring to the gondola as great example for model railroading. The ideal model hobbyist will make the model look like the real thing. The real thing is the prototype for the model. Max, North Dakota, is clean as a whistle, even in the embiggened view! Beautiful! As a model layout element, it would be too neat, too clean! Current Viewhttps://goo.gl/maps/um9tmWxhUZopTVKa8 Today's view of concrete silos. Love the resolution!I’ll have a beer with my Ice Cream! (The Gallery, Agriculture, John Vachon, Railroads, Small Towns)
Shooting the Breeze: 1938
... Georgia. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. We met two of these characters in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/24/2008 - 7:00am -

May 1938. Bench warmers at the cooperative store in Irwinville Farms, Georgia. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. We met two of these characters in earlier posts. Country folks-gotta love 'emGood salt of the earth honest people trying to prosper in difficult times....I remember when you felt especially important to be able to sit with the "grown-ups" and listen in, but you had to keep your trap shut and your ears open in order to do so. DungareesWhy don't people wear Dungarees anymore? Times Never Change !Good stuff Dave. Are you British?"Dungaree" can just mean jeans in the US; these guys are wearing a version of overalls. I understand in the UK overalls=dungarees. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Overture to Death: 1943
... "Photo Lab Index." [Here she is in a 1944 photo by John Vachon. -tterrace] Ah, the irony It might not have been a bad idea for ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/13/2013 - 2:35pm -

October 1943. Washington, D.C. "Servicemen and girl at a party." Our title comes from the bookshelf, although it could be from the girl. Strategically, her companion has the right idea: Get your lady comfortable with food and drink, and maybe a pillow. Add conversation and stir. Operationally, though, we'd say the execution needs work. Photo by Esther Bubley, Office of War Information. View full size. Alternate TitleGoodbye, Mr. Chips. I wonder if Dr. Seussever regretted doing the illustrations for 'The Pocket Book of Boners'? No Fun Here!There is no ashtray for the long-ashed cigarette; the glasses appear empty (at least to me); the girl appears bored; the guy appears desperate. Doesn't look like anyone is having a good time, except his buddy, who seems to be laughing at the whole thing. Anotherpotential title: Farewell, My Lovely. He looks like he's about to slide down and disappear. And his buddy looks ready to be more then happy to take his place. Alternate Alternate TitleThe Pocket Book of ... no, that's too easy. Another possible title"Pocket Book of Boners" might have been more appropriate. Too Gauche?"The Pocket Book of Boners." Doubt you'll post this but --I'd have gone with "The Pocket Book of Boners." I SpyMy copy of 'Victory Through Air Power'. Interesting book. I've always wondered where it had come from. Headhunting In The Solomon IslandsCaroline Mytinger and her pal Margaret Warner on their own in the prewar Solomons looking for heads they could paint! I have that book and those two ladies were simply amazing. A very nice bookshelf IMO. Old HatOn top of the bookcase are 2 U.S. Army WW2 enlisted men's Class A Uniform Visor Caps. The badges are upside down and too blurry for me to make out. Attached is the American Eagle emblem usually worn on this headgear. The Officer's cap had a larger image not encircled. Pall MallLong time since I have seen a pack of Pall Mall. About 1946 [ my Aunt]. Successful jump from shelf to screenThe best book on that shelf is "A Coffin for Dimitrios" by Eric Ambler. It's about a reporter traveling Europe between the world wars who crosses the path of an international master criminal. Picked up at a yard sale in the early 1970s, it is one of the best books I've ever read for mystery, espionage and treachery. I pictured Peter Lorre and Sidney Greenstreet as characters. Low and behold in the 1980's, while walking by a little theater of Drexel University in Phila, the next movie to be watched and discussed was "The Mask of Dimitrios" Yes it was, and starring the actors I had imagined. The movie was oh so good! Disney's "Victory Through Air Power"Disney used the shown book "Victory Through Air Power" as a basis for a highly successful 1943 propaganda film of the same name. The Pocket Book of BonersWhen I was eleven years old, looking for entertainment at a cabin on an island in the north woods, I discovered that book. It kept me laughing for days. In those old days, the word "boner" was slang for a mistake. Here's one that was hysterically funny for me at age eleven: From a classroom quiz, one student's answer to the question of the conquest of Mexico was, "Mexico was conquered by Kotex." Was This Esther's Bubley's Apartment?On the bottom shelf is a copy of The Photolab Index which was a compendium of all kinds of technical photographic information. It would have been owned by a serious photographer who needed ready access to data from all the then current manufacturers, as well as articles on chemistry, optics, etc. Pall MallsMy mother used to smoke these and when I was much younger I used to swipe a few and go up in the attic to smoke! The next day he said with a wink:"Guys, I tell you, I just met her last night and in no time I had her head on a pillow, if you know what I mean!" Selfie?The woman in the photo bears a striking resemblance to . . . Esther Bubley. I note that only one of her hands is visible, and that one of the books on the lower shelf is the photo-geek bible, "Photo Lab Index." [Here she is in a 1944 photo by John Vachon. -tterrace] Ah, the ironyIt might not have been a bad idea for the serviceman to have perused Headhunting in the Solomon Islands, as it's not impossible that he ended up there. The islands were the site of some heavy fighting which continued to the very end of the war, even if the worst was over by the photo's date. While most of the titles have long since faded into obscurity, two that stand out are Cross Creek, the memoirs of Yearling author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and of course Pygmalion. Sapphira and the Slave Girl by Willa Cather is an example of a rather obscure book (her last, in fact) by a famous author. As for A Coffin for Dimitrios, I fully agree with an earlier comment that Eric Ambler was an excellent writer. Still, the most thought-provoking title by far is Siamese Twin Mystery. What happens if one of them is a murderer? You can't throw him in prison without punishing the other, innocent one, so what do you do? BookshelfWhen one looks up some of the titles on that bookshelf, some should still be readable (Eric Ambler, for instance). Although almost all seem to be out of print by now. However, some are called out with an astonishing price tag on the used book platforms. Book IdentificationThe large volume on the lower shelf is "Currier & Ives Printmakers to the American People" by Harry T. Peters. Literary tastesI respect the reader's choice of Willa Cather's "Sapphira and the Slave Girl"; probably the foremost novelist on those shelves. Two Familiar Items My mother's unfiltered Pall Malls. I might have snuck one or two. They were pretty rough but what I most remember is studying the heraldic looking thing on the front of the pack when I was mid single digits. My copy of Victory Through Air Power is not much worse for wear than the one here and dated 1942. The jacket is a dark or navy blue toward the top of the jacket fading to a lighter blue with gray clouds at the bottom. Overture to Deathis still in print, and I have a copy too. It's a pretty funny book about two spinsters vying to be the top dog in an English village. It's by Ngaio Marsh. The Man Who Murdered HimselfBy Geoffrey Homes, published by William Morrow in 1936, and by Avon as a paperback in 1942. Competition for Siamese Twin Mystery in Peter's most-thought-provoking-title category. Nero and AgathaLots of good Nero Wolfe titles on that shelf, and Agatha Christie too. Nice to see some of the classics. Above SuspicionThree books to the left of Eric Ambler's superb A Coffin For Demetrios (top row of paperbacks) is another book to check out. Above Suspicion (1941) was the first book by Helen MacInnes. It tells a terrific pursuit and escape story of a newlywed British couple who are asked by a friend in intelligence to go to Germany on their honeymoon and pass a few messages to certain people in certain cities. They were picked for the job because they'd be "above suspicion." The time, I think, is summer 1938. The tenseness of the period is very well handled, and you'll get a thoroughly convincing feel for the quiet menace behind everyday German life. Those books! Those books are collectible the ones with the keyhole on the spine are "Map Backs",mystery books with maps printed on the back of the book,to illustrate where the story takes place. Early writers on that genre got a start there. Thanks for recommendationChecked out a collection of four Eric Ambler stories contained in one book titled "Intrigue" from the local library. Just finished reading "A Coffin for Dimitrios" and found it superb. I was initially surprised that the book was still available for checkout especially since it was first placed into circulation back in 1965 according to the checkout card still located inside the back cover of the book. It also indicates that the book was checked out 36 times between November 4, 1965 through October 27,1986. It then sat for almost six years before being taken out again. The last entry appears in '94 after which the book was likely moved to electronic record keeping. It appears that the book still gets out enough in circulation to warrant keeping it around... (The Gallery, D.C., Esther Bubley, WW2)
A Solo Stroll: 1941
... in Ontonagon County." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Anytown ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/20/2020 - 5:03pm -

August 1941. "Ewen, Michigan. Former lumber town in Ontonagon County." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Anytown USASadly, a similar scene is playing out across the nation and for good reason. Keep your distance and please stay safe all. Thanks to Shorpy for reminding us and keeping us entertained in time of need. Not too much left Masonic light globeMaybe they held their meetings upstairs above the print shop. Everyman in AnytownIt's nice to see that places like this still exist. These days Anytown USA is made from a cookie cutter, with the same shops, and the same restaurants. And way fewer phone linesJudging from the telephone poles the solo stroller is just coming up on what is now Ewen Gas Mart, a British Petroleum station, where they carry only regular and diesel. He's nicely dressed. I wonder where he was going? (The Gallery, John Vachon, Small Towns)
Curb Service: 1937
... mouse sandwich, coming right up. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Curb ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/13/2012 - 2:57pm -

November 1937. "Curb service -- Newport News, Virginia." Two cheeseburgers and one mouse sandwich, coming right up. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Curb serviceI get it - these guys are sitting on the curb, waiting for service. An early example of "truth in advertising", no doubt. Could be wrongBut it looks as if Big John has served his last curb, so to speak. The joint seems to be abandoned and someone better tell the cat. The two palookas will move on soon enough. (The Gallery, Cats, Eateries & Bars, John Vachon)
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