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Chrysler Building: 1932
... the NYC views coming, They have been great. This one is my new desktop wallpaper. Thanks for your tireless efforts. [You're (pant, ... have had their day for quite some time now and New York is having its day in the sun, thanks to Dave. Can San Francisco be far ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2012 - 2:52pm -

Jan. 19, 1932. "View from Empire State Bldg. to Chrysler Building and Queensboro Bridge, low viewpoint." 5x7 negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. For a moment...I was wondering where the Empire State Building was! Then I read the caption. What an amazing photo this is. Dave, you're outdoing yourself lately. Gottscho's negatives are a true treasure. Is this backwardsHas this photo been mirrored? The empire state building is to the southwest of the Chrysler building, which is southwest of the bridge. [Whoops. It was backwards. Now fixed. Thank you! - Dave] Welfare IslandThe Queensboro Bridge that connects Manhattan to Queens is seen straddling Roosevelt Island, a residential community of some 12,000 people. There are rentals, co-ops, and condos and it is a self contained community with some of the best views of Manhattan. Its predecessor was called Welfare Island and housed the city's tuberculosis hospital, before that it was known as Blackwell's Island, which was a prison complex and insane asylum. Roosevelt Island is connected to Manhattan by a tramway (59th Street) and a newer subway station (IND on the 63rd St Line). It can be approached by car or truck from the Queens side. The founders fought hard to make it part of Manhattan and not Queens, it has a Manhattan Zip Code, 10044, and Area Code, 212. Speaking of directionsIsn't that the Sydney Harbour Bridge out in the distance in the top-left corner? Great work DavePlease keep the NYC views coming, They have been great. This one is my new desktop wallpaper. Thanks for your tireless efforts. [You're (pant, gasp) very welcome! - Dave] Negative CommentIs the negative reversed here? It seems like the East River should be on the right, not the left. [Maybe it's the West River. - Dave] [Thanks for fixing it! Can you switch faucets, too? My hot is cold and my vice is versa.- Delworthio] Same ViewpointI believe I snapped a photo from the same viewpoint at Mr. Gottscho 70 years later on the occasion of my 40th birthday - November 1, 2002. Why, why, whyWhy, why, why is this picture so much more beautiful and magical and fascinating and dreamy than your average cityscape of today on film? Is it gothic/nouveau/art deco subject matter + the technique + the hardware? I don't know, but I sure love it. Equal TimeWashingtonians have had their day for quite some time now and New York is having its day in the sun, thanks to Dave. Can San Francisco be far behind? What happen?When I look at the magnificent architecture of these old pre-1950 buildings and compare them to the unimaginative glass boxes of today- I wonder- what happen? My first visit to NYCMany years ago my father took me to NYC for the boat show and we walked for miles seeing the sights. He took us to Macy's, St. Patrick's, Radio City and the top of the Empire State Building. Somewhere I have snapshots from the observation deck, all four directions at that. I'll have to find them and see how they compare. GasometersThe gas holders by the bridge caught my eye. I didn't realize how huge they are - a lot of the nearby buildings could fit inside one. Similar tanks were pictured in this previous post. It was positiveThe canyons of mid-Manhattan were places of positive joy for a early 20-something guy attending television and radio production school at RCA Institutes in 1963. At the time I held a grand position as mail boy in the then-General Electric Building at 570 Lexington Ave. (to the left behind the Waldorf Towers in the photo), and my dad had an office in the Empire State Building at the time. Apropos of nothing, I once saw Van Johnson striding down Broadway in a trench coat walking a brace of Afghan hounds. Ah, those truly were the days, my friend! Re: Speaking of directions>> Isn't that the Sydney Harbour Bridge out in the distance in the top-left corner? Kind of, it's the Hell Gate Bridge, which turned out to be an inspiration for the SHB. Also seen here on Shorpy. Another stunner!Another stunning view. And just when I'd thought I had found my favorite Shorpy picture....These cityscapes always blow me away. KEEP "EM COMING! Amazing!This is my new wallpaper, replacing the Detroit Aquarium. The 59th St. Bridge has never looked so good. Frustratingly, my neighborhood in Queens is just to the right of the frame. I got a kick out of seeing both the 3rd and the 2nd El's in the lower right corner. These have both been torn down now. You can read about them here. Re: White CastleNew York Hospital. Now Weill Cornell Medical Center. EvocativeWhen I look at this photo (and the other Gottschos), it summons up a lifetime's worth of emotion in viewing the astonishing landscape of the Capital of the World and I am yearning again for a city that has no equal anywhere. And to echo the tenor of several of the commentators, this period in time was perhaps the New York era ne plus ultra. Thanks again, Dave. What's that cool building?What's the building about a block to the left of the Chrysler building, with gothic arches near the top and what appears to be a penthouse with skylight? Is it still standing? The current viewYou can almost duplicate this view using Google Earth's 3D buildings feature. The building in the lower left is the Mercantile building, finished in 1929. The building with the gothic arches is the Lincoln Building and still stands. Cool Lincoln BuildingThe "cool" building with the Gothic Arches is the Lincoln Building at 60 East 42nd Street. I used to work in it. And yes it is still there! Seen clearly in this viewSeen clearly in this view are the towers at 295 Madison Avenue (SE corner of 41st Street) and 230 Park Avenue (now the Helmsley Building, between 45th and 46th Streets), the latter of which is surrounded by the east and west ramps of Park Avenue, as are the Met Life (once the Pan Am) building and the Grand Central Terminal complex. I worked at 295 Madison in 1959-60, and later at 230 Park in 1977-1981. It's great to see these classical skyscraper buildings again, and to hope they are never demolished for one of those glass monstrosities so prevalent today in this part of Manhattan. Perfect TimingBy coincidence, the Knowledge Channel here in Canada has recently been re-running Ric Burns's excellent documentary "New York." Watching the series again and seeing these great images on Shorpy is perfect timing. I can almost hear the splendid narrative of the documentary in my head as I gaze upon these wonderful photographs. More please! White CastleCan anyone identify the big gleaming complex on the river, north of the bridge? I'm guessing its around the E 70s. I can't spy anything like that in Google Maps or Earth and it seems like a mighty big object to disappear. Maybe it was in Robert Moses' way when building FDR Drive? [It's still there. New York Hospital. - Dave] The City is beautiful, but..I've been waiting to make a comment on the recent string of NYC photos. I grew up on Long Island and could see lower Manhattan from my school's playground. I always wanted to know what the skyline looked like before my time. That said, the hardest thing for me to realize is that although this view is absolutely stunning, it was taken at the height of the Great Depression. I cannot reconcile the stories of suffering and privation that led to my grandfather running away from his home not too far uptown from here and only four years after this picture was taken (at age 14) with the gleaming monuments to mankind that compose this photograph. SurroundedAhh, I see it, thnx. Wow, the neighborhood really grew, it doesn't stand out as much. The cool building is... The Chanin Building. You can see it in the 2002 photo I posted below. [Actually the "cool building" referred to below is the Lincoln Building. - Dave] Old pics vs new pics>> Why is this picture so much more beautiful and magical and fascinating and dreamy than your average cityscape of today on film? Is it gothic/nouveau/art deco subject matter + the technique + the hardware? A good question, not easy to answer-- but some people still take above-average cityscapes, e.g. http://www.pbase.com/rfcd100/image/83470981/original Gigapans from this viewpoint...Hi - I just completed a series of view from the Empire State Building. Can't really embed any of the photos, as they are several hundred megabytes each (10MB images stitched together), but here is a link with a view of the Chrysler Building. If you want more, simply search the gigapan.org website for my pictures (search for "JohnF" there), there are a number of them from New York and elsewhere... http://gigapan.org/viewGigapan.php?id=30511 John Legos or a Video GameI love this photograph. At first glance it looks surreal, like it is a Lego block building set or a video game where you build a city empire. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Southdale Center: 1956
... grounds. The Terrazzo Jungle Great piece in The New Yorker a few years back about Victor Gruen and his how his vision for ... earned McDonald's paycheck at a bank somewhere near the York steakhouse, which was the big hangout at the time. We sit in a booth in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/09/2019 - 3:36pm -

1956. Edina, Minnesota. "Interior Garden Court with stairway to upper level in Southdale Regional Shopping Center, the first enclosed shopping mall." Color transparency by Grey Villet, Life magazine photo archive. View full size. RockwellianSomething about this photo is almost like a Norman Rockwell painting. The soft colors and muted details help, but what I notice are the little vignettes scattered about the mall — the dignified older man in the gray suit, the woman looking at a book with her son, the lady rummaging through her shopping buggy. The presence of a Woolworth's is just the sort of touch I would expect from Rockwell had he painted this scene. This photo is an excellent find! The disposable mallAfter having worked on several shopping malls, and knowing how much work goes into the construction of them, I am amazed how fast they are considered obsolete! This one would fail by today's standards, even though it was truly a work of art. Not Obsolete yet!This one is still open. ChangesThere's a lot less brown paneling now, and the escalators have been turned so they both face toward the camera. My highschool hangoutMostly because a friend of mine worked at the Babbages that was there for a while, and because it was a pretty short drive from home. Of course, it looked nothing like this then (highschool was late 80's to early 90's), but you can still make out the similarities. I can't quite get my bearings in this picture - where's the Apple Store? It looks like to the right might be the hallway down to where JC Penney is (is it still there? I don't frequent Southdale too much anymore). If I remember right, that would make this picture looking toward the Apple Store (which was a B. Dalton before that). At least the ceiling is the same (what parts they haven't expanded/remodeled, that is). Fading MallsFrom the 1950's through the early 2000's, didn't shopping malls have a great run? They're all subtly turning into ghost malls. There's another one near the Twin Cities called Har Mar (yes, like Har Mar Superstar) that's practically a marble desert with a dwindling Barnes & Noble being its biggest draw. There's also another popular local: The Mall of America. The Death Star. The Sprawl of America. The Mall of Gomorrah. Because what the hell else is there to do in Minnesota? Especially when it's colder than a witch's tit outside? [Some malls. Even many malls. But not all malls. - Dave] Victor Gruen and "indoor town centers"Southdale was designed by Victor Gruen, often considered the "father of the shopping mall." It's interesting that this picture depicts what Gruen wanted malls to be -- an indoor town center where people would be comfortable just hanging out as they would in a downtown park -- even if they weren't buying anything -- but nowadays I can't imagine anyone other than teenagers actually spending time just "hanging out" in a mall. James? James Lileks?Mr. Lileks, have you taken over Shorpy, you naughty blogger? First thing I thought of when I saw the (awesome) picture, and then I saw it was in Minnesota, his stomping grounds. The Terrazzo JungleGreat piece in The New Yorker a few years back about Victor Gruen and his how his vision for malls was undone by a change in tax regulations regarding depreciation of capital assets. Great, if somewhat depressing, reading. "Victor Gruen invented the shopping mall in order to make America more like Vienna. He ended up making Vienna more like America." Plus ça change...I think these slice-of-life pictures are my favorites. And, it's amazing how little malls have changed over 50 years. Such fond memories of eating at the Woolworth's lunch counter in the 1970s and '80s. Still bustlingSouthdale Center is, incredibly, still quite bustling. It's the more sane alternative to the nearby Mall of America. It has upscale shops but is still approachable, is small enough to navigate but has many of the options most people want. I hope this little gem doesn't go anywhere! P.S. - Minnesota in the cold months is ALSO bustling! Don't discount the ice skating, nearby skiing and snowboarding, local arts and theater, and the hardiness of its residents, who are always willing to put on a thick pair of mittens and go out and live life to its fullest (and coldest)! Takes me backI was born in 1964 and spent my early childhood going to this mall with my mother. She used to push me around in a stroller. The tall cage on the left was filled with canaries and parakeets. I was mesmerized by this. We would always stop at Fanny Farmer (just past Woolworth's) to get a treat of jelly fruit slices and continue around the corner on the left side to the pet store near the exit. There was a magnificent parrot that lived in a cage right out front of the store that I used to talk to. I think he might have known more words than me at the time! There was an FTD florist near the same spot, and I loved the fragrance of the fresh flowers that wafted into that part of the mall. It smelled like springtime, even in the middle of a dreary and cold Minnesota winter day. Dayton's and Donaldson's were the anchor stores; one on each end. I believe Donaldson's would have been directly behind the camera and Dayton's would have been straight ahead, on the far end (or vice versa). The shimmery gold floor-to-ceiling mobile type structures on the right, past the escalators, fascinated me too. They were so glamorous and HUGE! The lighting hadn't been changed yet, this is exactly what it looked like in the late '60's, although, later on when I returned there in my teens, there had been many changes and additions and a lot of these features had been removed. Going to this mall for a small child in Edina was possibly the equivalent of going to Disneyland for a child growing up in L.A. Thank you, Shorpy, for this special memory! Woolworth'sI bet there is a great diner inside that Woolworth's with lots of tasty things like meat loaf, stuffed bell peppers, and root beer floats. Yum. The Apple StoreThe Apple store would be behind and to the left of the camera. The upper level bridge is still there, so crossing from the left and continuing to the right would take you to Penney's. MemoriesThis really brings back memories. I was 10 years old when Southdale opened. I actually took part in some of the opening ceremonies. A friend and I hitch-hiked out to the mall and in the parking lot somehow we got picked to participate in a contest. Four of us kids were picked to catch passes from two pro quarterbacks. My friend and I caught passes from Otto Graham and the other kids caught passes from Tobin Rote. Whichever team caught the most passes would be treated to malted milks paid for by the winning quarterback. My team won but all four of us were treated to malts. Otto and Tobin us into Southdale and we all crammed into a booth and listened to them talk shop about the upcoming season. Quite a memory. I still live in the area and often thought I should contact Southdale to see if they might have any pictures of the event. Classy Early MallsIndoor malls were first developed in colder climates for obvious practical reasons. Over the years, mall design shifted from a focus on shopper experience and comfort (coat check rooms, lockers, sufficient restrooms ... even items of local historical interest) to maximizing the revenue of businesses (row after row of mini-vendor carts along what had heretofore been pedestrian walkways). On balance, I'll take the early generation mall ... or better yet, the restored downtown shopping district. [The synthesized version of "restored downtown shopping district" is the current hot concept in retailing -- the faux-urban "lifestyle center." A shopping mall turned inside out. - Dave] CorrectionThis is not the first enclosed mall. The first was (and still is) in Milwaukee. Built just after the Civil War. It is on Wisconsin Ave. I haven't more information at my fingertips. I am no historian, but was amazed to find this here. It is very attractive, too. [Covered markets and shopping arcades go back hundreds if not thousands of years. Southdale was the first enclosed, climate-controlled shopping center of the modern era. In other words, the first shopping mall. - Dave] More coverage of this pictureKottke has a piece on this, including another link to a relevant Economist article. I was struck by this picture when it came through the RSS feed the other day. Lovely to read these comments and articles on it too. Growing up in the UK in Cambridge, shopping malls were something of an oddity. I think the nearest real one was in Peterborough, at least 40 minutes race north. Cambridge now has two, I think (more's the pity because beautiful subsidised Georgian and Victorian housing was destroyed to build them, and Cambridge doesn't handle large numbers of people driving into town anyway). Both are relatively modern compared with this one so I never even considered shopping in a place like this. I wonder what the original mallrats would have looked like. I grew up with this mallI was five when Southdale opened. It didn't have a JC Penney at that time. It did have a little play area in the basement with a maze for kids. The basement also had a shoe repair place that is still there, though it is now on the second floor. Southdale also had Gager's Hobby and Handicraft store (on the opposite side of the open area from Woolworth's) where I could get chemicals for my chemistry set. I have no idea what kids do for chemistry sets these days. Do they even sell them? There was also our favorite, the Toy Fair, that sold nothing but toys. It was to the right of where the camera was. They also had a grocery store called Red Owl. It would have been off to the left of the camera and down a hall. The grocery store didn't last too long, probably because people who just wanted groceries didn't really want the hassles of a big mall. Thanks for sharing this photo. I had told my wife about the bird cage there, and now she has finally gotten to see it. Surely not!This photo doesn't look dated at ALL. You know the saying, "Everything old is new again"? Well, decorating trends are very similar to what's being shown here. Shopping MallsIt depends on how tight the specialty is to consider this the "first shopping mall" in the US. If you are looking at the subset of first enclosed, suburban, multi-level, postwar shopping mall, then yeah, it is the first. But if you want the first enclosed shopping mall then no. Northgate Mall was built quite a few years earlier as were a few others: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northgate_Mall_(Seattle) [A mall, in the original sense of the word, is something like a fairway or greenspace. The pedestrian walkway or mall running down the middle of Northgate Shopping Center between two rows of stores was mostly open to the sky, so this was not a "shopping mall" as we know it today. - Dave] Another photo of the mallhttp://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/11788654.jpg You Are HereI was 6 or so when Southdale opened. Back then the Dayton's department store had a sporting-goods department. My mom got shot in the back of the head with a BB gun by a clerk demonstrating the gun! When we would go shopping and bring my grandma along, she would sit by the birdcage and chain-smoke unfiltered Camels while we shopped. She loved to people-watch. Yup, great memories! Woolworth's was my favorite store when I was little! Two floors of "neat junk." Skipping School in the late 70'sOh yes, it looked very similar to the version in this picture in 1979-80. I was part of the "burnout" crowd in high school. I skipped class constantly in my 10th grade year and spent the rest of high school in summer school so I could graduate. We would take a bus to Southdale and I'd cash my hard earned McDonald's paycheck at a bank somewhere near the York steakhouse, which was the big hangout at the time. We sit in a booth in the back near the doors, smoking all afternoon. There was an arcade in the basement near the post office area and across from the County Seat. There was also a Musicland down there. Once and a while we'd eat at the Dayton's restaurant upstairs or the Woolworth lunch counter. I also recall from earlier trips in the 70's with Mom and my sister a restaurant/Deli called The Brothers and Red Owl as well as a Snyder's, where I went to a big going out of business sale around 1975. Another favorite (maybe this is still there?) was Spencer Gifts. The Southdale Theater (where I saw "Purple Rain") was across the street with the great bowling alley next door. Those were also major high school hangouts. Great memories. I can't go there anymore without nostalgia for the birdcages and goldfish pond, and that wonderful art deco style. Come on down!I was 13 years old when Southdale opened. I saw Bob Barker host a TV game show there. I got his autograph on the steps leading down to the basement where the zoo and shoe repair shop was. This TV show was very exciting to me -- it made an impression. I became a New York-LA TV director. My friends and I also put firecrackers in the planters hanging down from the send [?] floor. Oh My GoodnessFirst job? Busing tables at The Brothers. There was an open-air restaurant in the courtyard; Dayton's had the "fancy" restaurant. In the basement there was a shoe repair place and then a games arcade. Man, I loved growing up at Southdale. Mall ZooI heard there once was a zoo in the basement of the mall. Does anyone know about this? Milwaukee "Mall"It appears you are referring to what today is known as the Grand Avenue Mall, sadly in decline since its rebirth in the early-1980s. I shuttled various documents to and from the construction site on a regular basis at that time. But prior to its conversion, the oldest of the buildings comprising the GA Mall was known as the Plankinton Arcade. Yes, there are references that mention it being considered a "shopping center", its construction being 1915. As to it being enclosed, yes; as to it being climate-controlled, maybe if the windows were opened in the Beer City's humid summer to catch a delightful lake breeze and hope the winds didn't shift to the stockyards in the Valley. In Milwaukee the first shopping mall, albeit outdoor, was Southgate, located off the corner of South 27th Street (US Highway 41) and Morgan Avenue, and opened in 1951. At about the time in the early-1970s Northridge (now demolished) and Southridge were constructed Southgate was converted to an enclosed mall, but is now long gone, recently the site of another superlative, that of the first Super Wal-Mart in Milwaukee County. This metro area's first enclosed shopping mall as I recall was Brookfield Square in 1968, still in existence today and from all appearances doing well. Parakeets, new shoes and cheeseburgers in paradiseIn my family, Southdale circa 1960 was much more than a mall. My mother called it "The Cities," because it was as far as she was willing to drive on those "crazy" city highways. 35W was out of the question, but 494 to France Ave exit was tolerable (unless we hit RUSH HOUR). We lived on a farm, about an hour away, and before Southdale, the only outings were to school, church and occasional food shopping at the Red Owl, the Meat Market and the Variety Store with the cranky storekeeper who always thought we were stealing stuff. But Southdale, Wow! I was 5 years old, the youngest of four children, and twice a year, we would make the great journey to "Emerald City." Dayton's was Mom's favorite store, and for a farm wife, my mother had impeccable taste. Donaldson's came in second, and then Jack & Jill -- a small boutique with pricey, well-tailored children's clothing. Lunch was always at Woolworths, and our order was always the same. "HamburgerFrenchfriesMalt" (spoken so fast and with such excitement it sounded like ONE word); I remember the clattering of plates, the whir of the blender, the bar stools at the counter. Waiting for the food, we could check out the parakeets & goldfish. My oldest sister convinced my mother to purchase a parakeet, cage, & and all the accoutrements. We had that bird for years, and when he died we headed back for a second. This time, the bird died in his little paper travel carton before we even got home -- and since we only went to "The Cities" twice a year, my mother decided to freeze it along with the receipt until our next trip six months later. How strange to present a frozen parakeet back to the store for a refund. While the clerk was surprised to see the frozen parakeet, she did offer us another bird in exchange. A few years later, Southdale became a whole new adventure when my best friend's aunt drove just the two of us, and I bought my first long-playing album at Musicland, Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sounds of Silence." After that, my friend convinced me we should be drinking coffee and gossiping, or at least pretending to gossip, since none of our friends were old enough to be scandalous. Then we smoked Chesterfield Kings in random Southdale "Ladies" rooms and we both felt like we were going to throw up. Southdale! Never stopped to think about it, but Southdale was, and will always be, among my fondest childhood memories. "The Cities." Southdale MemoriesBoy this pic brings back memories. My family moved to Mpls in 1956 when I was about 3, so my earliest memories date from about 1960 or so. I later worked as a dishwasher and soda jerk at the Walgreen's on the upper level facing 66th street. They had a soda grill, as did most drug stores of that era, and the Woolworth's had a cafe as well. My first exposure to Chinese food was at the tiny little Half Moon restaurant, although I think initially I would order hamburgers, which were on the menu for fussy American kids. Behind the escalators in the picture was an "outdoor" restaurant. There was a Fanny Farmer on the second floor to the left. Southdale was THE place to hang out when you were a kid or teenager, especially the arcade in the basement. Southdale in the 1950sI grew up just a few blocks from Southdale. I was about 3 years old when it was built. My mom and I would walk there about once a week. Dayton's and Woolworth's were fabulous! The fish pond was fun, but seemed to sport dead fish frequently (wondered if they weren't poisoned from the coins being dropped in there). Christmastime was unbelievable! The tallest trees, the biggest bulbs, and Santa ... oh, Santa!! The line to see him, and the crowds were amazing! There was the Courtside Cafe, and oh so many shops! I shopped there for all my Christmas gifts, and worked there in my teen years. We didn't hang out there too much as to the crowds. We hung out more at Bridgeman's ice Cream Shop and Nelson's FireSide Pizza both in Richfield. They used to host fireworks in the parking lot for the Fourth of July. They didn't have too many, but, still it was fascinating. Many kids learned how to drive in the east parking lot. With all the curlicue and ribbon styled roadways within the parking lot, it was an exciting way to practice steering those big '56 Chevys! The parking lot markers of foxes, bears and lions were interesting, too. I would love to see a picture of Christmastime at Southdale from the 1950s. Thanks for all your posts -- they've been fun to read! Back when ...In those days people still used to dress up, at least to a reasonable degree, to go out to a public place like this. Compare to today's Walmarts, for instance. We have become a nation of slobs. Another early mallThose of us who grew up in the Boston area were told that Shopper's World in Framingham was "the first mall." It was not, however, enclosed. And I suspect that dozens of other places made the same claim. I had a very pleasant date there in the 1970s. I just discovered that it was demolished in 1994. Sic transit gloria mundi. The World of TomorrowForecast by the 1939 New York World's Fair. Attention, ShoppersThe first structure in the United States that might legitimately be called a shopping mall is probably the Westminster Arcade in Providence, RI, opened in 1828 and still extant, albeit recently converted into residential "micro-lofts." It's a marvelous building, all the more wonderful for still being around. [The shopping arcades of the 19th century, being arcades, are just what that term implies -- covered passageways, and not malls, a term that originally meant an open-air promenade. The suburban shopping plazas of the early 1950s -- rows of stores facing each other across landscaped malls -- were the immediate forebears of the enclosed, roofed shopping mall. - Dave] Southdale Shopping Center: Calling for IntervieweesMy name is Zinnia Ramirez and I am a student at the University of California, Irvine. I am a third year journalism major and as one of my big projects we are tasked with writing a narrative reconstruction (recounting the events in a narrative storytelling style to paint an image of what happened in a particular instance in history) about an event in history (big or small), I decided as I was looking through the web that I wanted to reconstruct the Southdale 1956 Richfield Edina Shopping Mall in opening day. One of the larger elements is, to have narrative voices from people who experienced the allure of Southdale, possible describe a day there, the atmosphere, stores, etc. So if anyone remembers what opening day was like, I would love to talk! Thank you for your time. Zinnia (LIFE, Stores & Markets)
Wingmen: 1919
... October 1919. "Transcontinental air race, Roosevelt Field, New York. Col. A. Miller, Lt. E.C. Kiel, Sgt. F.K. McKee." Bain News Service. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2012 - 5:34pm -

October 1919. "Transcontinental air race, Roosevelt Field, New York. Col. A. Miller, Lt. E.C. Kiel, Sgt. F.K. McKee." Bain News Service. View full size. The art of posinghas not yet been learnt by these three, though something seems to be tickling the fancy of the one in the middle. Colonel Archie Miller...1878-1921I found this New York Times obituary about the colonel. He was also awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Roosevelt FieldRoosevelt Field was indeed a historic airfield. A few years later, Charles Lindbergh would take off from there for his flight across the Atlantic. The field closed down in the 1950s, and is now home to a big retail/office complex (including the upscale Roosevelt Field Mall) that is quite dense even by Nassau County standards. Not much left of the original facility except a museum. Coincidentally, the central approach control (TRACON) for the NYC area is nearby, as is Hofstra University. After a 3 hour flightof breathing oil fumes and most of it on his face, it's time for a Lucky. Quentin Roosevelt FieldThis airstrip -- now a strip mall that's getting a new Neiman Marcus -- was named after Theodore Roosevelt's son, who the Germans shot down in World War One. The lack of that identification bothered Quentin's brother Archie in his later years, as after FDR few people remembered or cared just who the spot had been named after. WingsHaven't been able to figure out the dark halo effect around Col. Miller's head, viewed either as a positive or negative. Can't be a shadow, and an emulsion anomaly isn't likely since it doesn't affect his cap at all. Must be an early flying saucer. Re: HaloI think this might be a copy of a print that the darkroom tech of the original had to "burn" Col. Miller's head (expose longer than the rest of the print) because it was washed out compared to the oily rest of the group. This is usually done with the hands or a card with a hole cut into it and the shading is not always perfect. [That had occurred to me, but then how to explain the complete lack of burn artifacting around his face, which you'd expect to be the area needing the most burn? And that's if this is a print; if we're to believe the LOC description, it's a "digital file from original neg." - tterrace] Good points tterrace and timeandagainphoto especially the fact that the cables aren't affected. Re: Wingstterrace - nice catch. I can't figure it out either. The wires appear to be in front of whatever it is so I thought perhaps it was something in the distant background since a supporting structure could be hidden behind Col. Miller (or it could be a stray zeppelin). I checked in the LOC and found a companion shot (see below) that seems to have been taken moments before or after the shot posted. The subjects are in virtually the same positions but the curious anomaly seems to be gone (see detail also below). Perhaps it was a stray zeppelin after all. What became of McKee?It appears that Kiel was the pilot and McKee was the mechanic on that air race, although one would assume they shared the piloting duty. There's plenty on the web about Kiel's future career. Does anyone have a clue what became of McKee? Emil KielInteresting article on the Air Race can be found here. Lt Kiel had an illustrious career and went on to become a general. Re: WingsRe: Wings from tterrace: Interesting find. That halo certainly IS a mystery. My first thought was shadow from the strong front/ground flash if they were inside a tent. Outside I wondered if they pulled an early day photo trick by putting the men in front of a painted backdrop, but the shadows along the ground flowing back from the men seem to be normal. There can't be a hole in the sky. If from some other reason, then why does the halo match the exact roundness of the top of Col. Miller's cap? I've been no help at all, that much I do know. This may just end up being one of those unexplained enigmas. My vote on the haloThe "background" behind Col. Miller very far away (possibly sky) so the "halo" can't be a shadow. Also note that there is no darkening of the wire where is crosses the "halo". There is also a slight dark "shadow" to the left and top of the Col. Miller's head in the second image. My vote is that the photographer left the shutter open after the flash, or before, to gather extra light to prevent the background from being coal black. In those pre-flashbulb days (flashbulbs were invented in 1928 and weren't marketed in the US until 1930) you had to do this to an extent, though electrical triggering of the flash powder or cartridge had been around since 1899. If Col. Miller moved during that extra exposure time his dark head would have blocked some of the light from the background leaving a darkened area. This would be similar to the frequently seen odd eyes in such images when people close their eyes when the flash is set off. In the main image, Col. Miller likely turned his head quickly toward the camera and then stayed still for the remaining second or so of the exposure. [Well, you've got me convinced. - tterrace] 7 FatalitiesI was reading about this race on Monday. Tuesday I click on Shorpy and there's this photo. Weird. Here's a photo of the planes "on the line", October 8, 1919. It took the winner, Lt. Maynard, 3 days, 6 hours, 47 minutes and 11 seconds between Roosevelt Field and the Presidio in San Francisco. 25 hours, 16 minutes, 47 seconds flying time. "During the test 54 accidents wrecked or damaged planes, 7 fatalities occurred during the race, 1 in a DH-4B and the others in DH-4's (the type of aircraft pictured). When asked by press about any remarkable experience during the trip, 2d Lt. Alexander Pearson Jr. laughed and said 'Yes, I got there and back.'" (The Gallery, Aviation, G.G. Bain)
Swan Street, Buffalo: 1911
Buffalo, New York, circa 1911. "Swan Street." The motorcar gains a foothold where hooves ... cars have two license plates. Why izzat? [One for New York and one for Ontario. - Dave] Vaults I love the carriage all ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/22/2012 - 10:41am -

Buffalo, New York, circa 1911. "Swan Street." The motorcar gains a foothold where hooves once trod on Swan in Buffalo. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Elllicott Square BuildingA block up the street on the left is the Ellicott Square Building. When it was built, in 1896, it was the largest office building in the world. Nice Truss!That's an optimistic tire patch, and it doesn't look home-made. Could it be a Patented Herniated Tire Belt? Parking against the kerbI was always taught (in UK, and I don't think kids these days are taught it anyway) that if you are parking on a downwards slope against the kerb, then turn the wheels inwards so that if the handbrake gives then the vehicle would only roll towards (and be stopped by) the kerb. The car in the centre of the picture would roll out across the highway. Right Hand DriveOf the cars where the steering wheel can be seen, all three have right hand drive. Surely they weren't all imported from eg. Europe? When did LHD become standard in the US? [There was a gradual transition from a mix of left- and right-hand drive cars. - Dave] Where's Waldo[rf]?I see Statler Meep! Meep!Why am I imagining that Wile E. Coyote is somewhere under that great block of stone on the curb? Anchor? Horse-hitch? Something to do with the ghostly passers-by? TaggedThe cars have two license plates. Why izzat? [One for New York and one for Ontario. - Dave] VaultsI love the carriage all the way on the right. "Vaults for Silver storage. Cold Storage Vaults for furs." Not a fancy motorized vehicle but instead an old fashioned carriage with wooden wheels. Looking at windowsOne of the ways you can tell if a building is from the 1800s or not, is if it has arch-top windows. Obviously they knew how to make flat-top windows then. The top floors of the buildings shown here have them. The 1907 hotel Statler has them entirely. Obviously they didn't abruptly stop making them on December 31, 1899. But for the most part, you can date a surviving old brick building when it has those windows. The building in the right foreground is a classic round-top masonry example that would have been around during the Civil War. I love it, especially the windows. (Though I'd hate to try and get a 2011 glass man to replace one of those upper panes). Was it just fashion that made so many buildings have this look, or was there something structural all those keystones added to the masonry, which the flat top windows do not give the walls? The Hotel Statlerbuilt in 1907 at Swan and Washington Streets was Ellsworth Statler's first hotel. Although still owned and operated by Statler, it became the Hotel Buffalo in 1923 when the new Statler at Niagara Square opened (built where the Castle Inn had stood). Hotel Buffalo was sold in the 1930s. It was closed in 1967 and demolished in 1968. The land was vacant until what is now Coca-Cola Field was built in 1988. Tire patchWonderful tire patch. THE most important historic element in the photo. Arched WindowsArch-top windows don't need a steel lintel to hold the masonry above them. The masonry arch itself directs the downward force of the bricks or stones above out to the side. With a flat top you need to use steel or a very hefty chunk of stone over a very narrow opening to do the same thing. Glass for an arched window isn't very difficult to get, and even the window frame itself isn't particularly complicated as long as it's a wood window (metal windows or metal-clad windows are another story). Getting glass that's bowed out, like you see in the windows around some turrets, now that's difficult. I figure the turn of the century is about the time that steel became cheap enough and well understood enough structurally to be used for window and door lintels. It certainly saves on masonry work, because you don't need to build wood falsework to form the arch, nor do you have to cut the many bricks to fit around that arch. Unfortunately, these steel lintels need to be painted and maintained, because if they start to rust they break up the masonry around them and are a huge pain to replace. Multiple License PlatesCars that traveled out of state were not automatically considered registered in their non-home state. We take for granded this reciprocity today. Oftentimes you needed to acquire a temporary license plate or a permit to operate your vehicle in the state you were visiting. These license plates would differ by size, shape, and/or color to differentiate them from regularly issued plates. Probably the owners of these vehicles worked in New York City and commuted from Ontario or vice versa. The use of multiple license plates can be found in many places including photos of New York City, with New Jersey or Connecticut license plates displayed, and in the District of Columbia with Maryland or Virginia license plates displayed. +111Below is the same view from September of 2022. (The Gallery, Buffalo NY, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC)
Drink Up: 1942
June 1942. "Brooklyn, New York. Red Hook housing development. Mrs. James Caputo in the modern kitchen of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/21/2023 - 1:08pm -

June 1942. "Brooklyn, New York. Red Hook housing development. Mrs. James Caputo in the modern kitchen of her apartment, pouring milk for Annette and Jimmy. The children drink more than a quart apiece daily." Acetate negative by Arthur Rothstein. View full size. Well now --Do I spy some home made zeppoli in the offing, Mrs. Caputo? Tickety booI was like that for milk when I was a kid. I craved milk. Now I never drink it but those were the good old days ... and not for nothing but if that full sugar bowl and that plateful of sweets had been sitting in front of me, I wouldn't have been looking at Mama. That had to have been a command of the photographer. I had such a sweet tooth as a kid that I would make a sugar sandwich on white bread and eat it over the sink. Chased by a glass of ice-cold milk. Still sounds delightful but with my mature age I have become more circumspect. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Kids, Kitchens etc., NYC)
Nawlins: 1903
... is, as most guessers correctly guessed, Canal Street in New Orleans! 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. ... & Worms Notions & Gents. Furnishing Goods New York/New Orleans (Canal St.). Business form with elaborate letterhead. Acc. No. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:32pm -

Circa 1903. The caption for this glass negative has been misplaced -- who will be the first person to identify this city and its famous thoroughfare? UPDATE: And the answer is, as most guessers correctly guessed, Canal Street in New Orleans! 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Who Dat!Very apt posting a pic of old New Orleans here. If my Steelers can't win the Super Bowl this year, then Go Saints! Would it beNew Orleans? I think it is! Anytown, USAis New Orleans. Krower ClueLeonard Krower had a shop at 536-538 Canal Street in New Orleans. NewOrleans. Might it beCanal Street in New Orleans? Found this through google: http://www.neworleanspast.com/ads/id49.html Canal StreetCanal Street, in New Orleans. Personally, I've never been there, but searching for "Leonard Krower" shows he was a prominent jeweler in the city. New Orleans?http://files.usgwarchives.org/la/orleans/bios/p-000002.txt Never been there, don't know if it looks like it or not. Semi-wild guessMain Street in Charlottesville, Virginia. New OrleansS.E. Worms was a retailer and appears in a few court proceedings and in "History of the Jews of Louisiana." By the breadth of the street, I would guess it's Canal. I haven't found an address of Mr Worms' establishment. I do hope he renamed it at some point. "Hey, you like my Worm suit?" doesn't sound all that great. My GuessCanal Street, New Orleans. http://www.neworleanspast.com/ads/id49.html Yes, Canal St in N.O.http://www.hnoc.org/collections/gerpath/gersect5.html "Dalsheimer & Worms Notions & Gents. Furnishing Goods New York/New Orleans (Canal St.). Business form with elaborate letterhead. Acc. No. 1983.3.1." Looks Like...Canal Street, New Orleans Canal Street, New OrleansIt looks like thats Leonard Krower @ 536 Canal Street in New Orleans, LA (ad for them here: http://www.neworleanspast.com/ads/id49.html) Is this New Orleans?Canal Street. New Orleans?Leonard Krower Jewelers building was my clue. Anytown, USA, foundThis looks like New Orleans, LA., at least according to Google. S. E. Worms and Leonard Krower companies were both there in this time frame. New Orleans, LaWhat did I win? New OrleansCanal Street, New Orleans New Orleans!Looks like New Orleans, here's a pic http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt4b69p81d/?order=2&brand=calisphere Where is This?Canal Street, New Orleans Canal St. NOLALooks like Canal Street. A load of cotton seems to be in the middle of the pic. It could be ...Canal Street in New Orleans New OrleansNotions on 76 & 78 Canal Street. 19 streetcars!On Canal Street, New Orleans. Future Saints fansIt looked like a Southern city even before I saw the cotton bales. Most likely Canal Street in New Orleans. NOLA, maybe Krower Wholesale Jewelers (@ left) and the Bucklin Advertising Concern (obscured sign @ right) both appear to have been New Orleans firms. A few - not 100% convincing - Web sources put Krower at 111 Exchange Place (at Canal). My guess?Canal Street, New Orleans. Found this stereo photo from long ago ... http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt4b69p81d/?order=2&brand=calisphere Canal Street, New OrleansA Google search on '"S. E. Worms" notions' turned up this entry from Google Books on the undated (apparently late 1800s) book "New Orleans and the New South": http://books.google.com/books?id=xrY-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA107&lpg=PA107&dq=%22S... The building's 76-78 Canal Street address is helpfully noted right under a charming blue-ink drawing on page 107 of the same building seen here in the photo. And for extra credit, here is a Google Street View of roughly the same address today: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=78+Canal+Street,+New+orleans,+la... Worming That's Canal Street in New Orleans. In the foreground we have 76-78 Canal, the former home of S. Dalsheimer & Co., which was illustrated in "New Orleans and the New South," by Andrew Morrison. Mr. S.E. Worms was the resident partner, and it looks like he took over the business eventually. "The engraving which illustrates this matter hardly does justice to the premises they occupy - premises themselves indicating a house which is conspicuous by reason of the business done by it throughout the trade territory of New Orleans." Some Google-triangulating suggests..Canal Street, Mew Orleans. It could be ...Canal street New Orleans La Identified by the streetcars, cotton bales and Searcy & Pfaff printer business. Future home of the Saints! Who Dat? Saints Alive!We're apparently seeing a scene from Leonard Street in bustling New Orleans. http://books.google.com/books?id=4yrZAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=%22l... Anyone from Nawlins able to tell us if that street's been renamed? Enjoyable challengeAlthough I've never been to Louisiana, some brief research indicates that this photo is of St. Charles Street in New Orleans. A Google search of Searcy and Pfaff printers (displayed here across a 3rd-story window) led to an incredibly-informative biography of William Pfaff. http://files.usgwarchives.org/la/orleans/bios/p-000002.txt "On November 1, 1889, Mr. Pfaff, then only eighteen years of age, became associated with his brother-in-law, David J. Searcy, in the operation of a little job printing establishment occupying one room on the third floor of a building on St. Charles Street, near Gravier." Could it be? Will some true New Orleans people confirm? I think I knowBy looking at that white building with the rounded corner, about a block from the Orpheus Theater, I would say this was Canal Street in New Orleans. If that building is on Carondelet Street, that's got to be it! H.B Stevens et alA short session of Google-business-name-triangulating suggests it's Canal Street, Mew Orleans. [Funny, you're the second cat to guess Mew Orleans. - Dave] Lovely Canal StreetI believe we are looking at Canal and Camp streets. View Larger Map ShreveportHow about Shreveport, La.? According to Shelden's Jobbing Trade & City Offices (published in 1901), the firm operated at 43 Leonard St. http://books.google.com/books?id=4yrZAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=%22S... Holy Toledo, I count 19 cable carson Canal Street. Business is good! [The number of cable cars in this photo is zero. These are electric streetcars. - Dave] Sharp ShorpiansShorpsters were once described by our host as "a school of fact-checking piranhas." I saw this pic about an hour after it was posted and there were already 37 guesses and most were correct. Way to go Shorpsters! I'm in awe!All you knowledgeable people impress me! Is that the spire from Saint Louis Cathedral visible behind the building that says H.B. Stevens? Is that fellow posing?Or is the fellow in shirtsleeves and a bowler, standing on the roof of the building behind Dalsheimer's, just getting a breath of air while enjoying the view? I never fail to marvel at the lack of vertigo apparent among some of the folks caught in these frozen moments. The window washers and roof-ridge-walkers couldn't possibly have realized that they were being included in a camera shot at the time the photograph was taken. Were people that much less fearless then? The spireBased on the time (just after 9 a.m.) and the shadow, the camera is pointing almost due west. So that cannot be St. Louis, which is east of this vantage point. Streetcars and SaintsI spent Christmas in New Orleans with the girlfriend, and was surprised to find out that the city has the oldest functioning streetcar system in the country -- when other cities began giving them up in the 1930s, N.O. hung onto its. And ... GEAUX SAINTS! A lifelong dream has been realized. VantageI think this photo was shot from atop the Custom House. It is looking towards the lake. The big building in the middle still stands at Carondelet and Canal. Find the building with the storm shutters, directly to the right of the picture, towards the bottom. It is the oldest building still standing on Canal Street. It is at the downriver, lakebound corner of Canal Street and Decatur Street. It is now a Wendy's or an Arby's. Great Birthday CityThis is one of the world's great party cities. In fact, next Tuesday Kairha and I embark on a 10 day road adventure, ending up in N.O. And I recently found out that on my birthday (Tuesday, week) the entire city has gotten together to organize a huge celebration for me! With parades and everything! What a city! CaryatidsLeonard Krower has a fine set of them holding up the roof. H.B. StevensH.B. Stevens (Est. 1860) merged with Porter's on Baronne Street to become Porter Stevens in the 1970s. It is the oldest men's clothing store in New Orleans. The building in the picture was built in the early 1880s. Here's another view of the same building. http://www.porterstevens.com/ Photo Taken from Stauffer, Eshleman & Co. Wholesale HardwareWe featured this picture as our weekly photo quiz on www.forensicgenealogy.info. Diane Burkett and Arthur Hartwell, a couple of our top Quizmasters, pointed out that the Godchaux tower was close to the photographer, and that there is no break in the awnings to indicate the picture was taken on the river side of the corner of Canal and Dorsiere Sts. Diane found that Godchaux's was then located at 527 Canal (the street has since been renumbered), and that the most likely location for the photographer was from the upper stories or roof of Stauffer, Eshleman & Co., 519 Canal St. This is now the location of the Marriott. Diane consulted the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps to come up with this conclusion. www.forensicgenealogy.info/contest_294_results.html I am from New Orleans, and have featured several NO pictures in my weekly quizzes. A couple have come from Shorpy. To see them, scroll down the answer page (linked above), and look for the box in the right margin near the bottom. Colleen Fitzpatrick Quizmaster General Forensic Genealogy www.forensicgenealogy.info Yes, Canal St New Orleans towards the RiverAs most figured, this is definitely view down Canal Street in New Orleans towards the lake. Several of these buildings still exist. At least one business also still exists: Werlein's Music (they moved to the other side of Canal after this photo was taken (that building now houses the Palace Cafe restaurant), and in the 1980's moved the suburbs. Note that drays are traveling in both directions on the downtown side of the neutral ground, a situation that lasted into the early automobile days. (The Gallery, DPC, Horses, New Orleans, Streetcars)
Dandruff Avalanche: 1903
May 1903. New York. "Newsboys at Greeley Square." Our title is a word salad plucked fresh ... statue of him. Horace Greeley (1811-1872) founded the New York Tribune, which by 1850 was the nation’s highest-circulation ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/30/2023 - 8:52pm -

May 1903. New York. "Newsboys at Greeley Square." Our title is a word salad plucked fresh from this 8x10 inch glass negative. Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. Headline NewsAMERICANS ON MONT BLANC CAUGHT IN AVALANCHE! Greeley SquareGreeley Square is a triangular park bounded by Broadway and 6th Avenue between West 32nd and 33rd Streets, two blocks south of Herald Square. It is named for one of the most eccentric figures in American history and contains a seated statue of him. Horace Greeley (1811-1872) founded the New York Tribune, which by 1850 was the nation’s highest-circulation newspaper. One of the founders of the Republican Party, he was a continual irritant to Abraham Lincoln, not just because he thought he should dictate policy, but because he kept flailing among positions, supporting ‘peaceable secession’, then a strong war effort, immediate abolition, then a negotiated settlement with the South. Always enthusiastic, there was hardly any fad or ‘reform’ that he did not advocate at one time of another. (He was for, then against, women’s suffrage.) He supported Reconstruction but signed Jefferson Davis’s bail bond. Breaking with the Republican Party, he was nominated for president in 1872 on a fusion ticket with Democrats, lost badly to Grant, and died a month later. He is perhaps best remembered for “Go West, young man,” a phrase he denied coining. (It probably originated with John B. L. Soule, an Indiana publisher.) 6th Avenue ElOn the right side of the Shorpy photo is the 33rd Street station of the long-vanished 6th Avenue Elevated. The building is the Union Dime Savings Bank, also vanished (though it outlasted the El by 20 years). In center of the image below, you are looking straight down the sidewalk in the 1903 photo. No, thank you, I already have oneI notice our dapper pedestrian in his bowler (derby?) isn't being petitioned to purchase a newspaper from any of the several vendors around him, no doubt because he is already carrying a newspaper. Reminds me of men or women who wear wedding rings when they're not married. Old Style HumorDad (1919-1997) was a mixture of Jackie Gleason, Danny Thomas, Red Skelton, and Spike Jones. One of his many quips that he would shout out as he did household chores was: Extra! Extra! Read all about it! 20,000 soles found dead in a shoe factory! The New Coke!Prevents baldness and clear thinking. Later known as Herald SquareThat's the Sixth Avenue El in the photograph. 1903 places during the period when electrification of the line was new and the first subway was under construction. Today (from a different angle), courtesy of Wikimedia: The ShiningSmall detail; But every adult in the picture appears to have a shine on their shoes. Even the guy sitting on the right holding a stick, his shoes are a little rougher than the others, but there is still evidence of a shoeshine on the tip of the toes. Constitution wrecked?The headline about the Mount Blanc Avalanche is interesting. I wonder if they're referring to the ship Old Ironsides or some piece of legislation the paper believes wrecks our country's most precious document. I'll vote for the USS Constitution as in 1903, Charles Francis Adams III, descendant of two US Presidents and in his role as president of the Massachusetts Historical Society at the time, requested Congress rehabilitate Old Ironsides and place her in active service. That would happen 22 years later when her restoration began. [The Constitution was a racing yacht. - Dave] The Constitution was a Train WreckThe Constitution was a contender to defend the 1903 America's Cup. She lost to the 1899 winner Columbia, principally owing to the ineptitude of her crew. Columbia went on to beat Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock II in the 1903 Cup. The Frank SlideCanada's deadliest avalanche, known as the Frank Slide, occurred at the end of April, 1903. I wonder if that warranted a headline? [As noted below, the headline is about an avalanche on Mont Blanc in the Alps. - Dave] If I thought the Frank Slide was the subject of the headline pictured, I wouldn't have wondered if it warranted a headline of its own. Still loving my daily Shorpy time travel. (The Gallery, DPC, Kids, NYC, Railroads)
Can You Hear Me Now?
June 1942. "Brooklyn, New York. Red Hook housing project. Mrs. Caputo washes son Jimmy's ears. He is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/21/2023 - 9:32pm -

June 1942. "Brooklyn, New York. Red Hook housing project. Mrs. Caputo washes son Jimmy's ears. He is recovering from infantile paralysis." Photo by Arthur Rothstein. View full size. What if?Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, was diagnosed with infantile paralysis, better known as polio, in 1921, at the age of 39. At that time, polio had no known cure and often resulted in full or partial paralysis. Son,you could grow pertaters in there!! (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Kids, NYC)
Old Corner Bookstore: 1900
... derby and fedora! Fedoras are back, especially here in New York. I've been wearing them for 4 years. I have a total of three felt fedoras ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 1:13pm -

Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1900. "Old Corner Bookstore, first brick building in Boston." Detroit Publishing Company 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Dentist NeededThere must have been a corn-on-the-cob vendor nearby. Three pedestrians are picking their teeth. Ann Hutchinson lived thereMy 10th great-grandmother, Ann Hutchinson, lived at that location! Just visited it this summer, fun stuff. No OverweightsPre-automobiles and pre-fast foods.... look how trim all of the men are regardless of age. Compared to todayEveryone's so... thin. Old JokeI bought a suit with 2 pairs of pants and burned a hole in the jacket. Old Corner BookstoreA picture and more information about the Old Corner Bookstore. Covered HeadsEvery man has a hat on. Also, I wonder what the guy in the 4th floor window is doing and what's that circular object in the window? Great PicUsing Google Street View, you can see the building still stands. I'm fascinated by the people you can spy through the windows--the barber, and assorted other folks. I especially enjoy the class case suspended on the second floor full of trousers. Too coolI'm fascinated by the two young dudes leaning against the lamppost. Are they ogling or hoping to be ogled? Only the attire has changed since then. Old bookstoreI love the finger-o-doom pointing downwards on the building behind. Where are all the women? The Corner StoreI'm always wondering why I can't find a good old corner bookshop-barber-loan shark-jeweler-wood engraver-tailor place anymore. Is that...The current Boston Globe Bookstore? Circa 1900Must be the photo, not the bookstore that's circa 1900 since Boston's first brick building must have been built many years before 1900. [There are two giant signs on the store that say when it was built. - Dave] Quick, Marty! I see a time-space wormhole!Jeez, the man standing right on the corner is using a cellphone! Shorpy Zoom PleaseCan we get the Shorpy Zoom to shed some light on the three windows with people please? The barber, the wood engraver, and the kid in the attic. DiamondsThe Old Corner Book Store is now a jewelry store - the building is still there, but the books have long since departed. The cobblestones are still there, though. Time Machine is Working Just FineBeautiful and fascinating photograph! WowLoved this picture - so much to look at! Very cool. Thanks! Another Cool Boston FeatureAnybody interested can also check out this Google Earth tour of the sites in the famous children's book Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. Rens Spaans - Hair CutterThere's a Dutch name for you. It takes one to know one I guess... Mr. Spaans was apparently "badly injured" in the March 14, 1887 Bussey Bridge Disaster, the train accident following the collapse of a railroad bridge that left 38 dead and some 40 "more or less injured". More here. Sam, you made the pants too long.By the way, when do you suppose this building was built? (Just kidding). One common-tater asked what the guy on the fourth floor was doing and my guess would be that he is sewing on a sewing machine as that is exactly the posture he would be in and being that it was on the fourth floor, with no a/c, it must have been warm, dark and stuffy, hence the wide open window. The circular object MAY be a sewing machine or other tailoring tool. I wonder if your younger readers know that in the 1950's and early 60's, men's suits often featured two pairs of pants because most men would remove their jackets at work and the pants would wear out long before the jackets, making the jacket useless. It was a really good idea. I love this photo and particularly the very well-dressed people in the street. There was a time when people had to be "presentable" before they left the house. Since I saw some people last night at the local Seven Eleven in their pajamas, slippers and robes, I fear those days are gone forever. Thanks for a fascinating look back. UsuryTwo percent per month works out to "only" 26.82% when compounded annually. Unfortunately, Google Maps shows this building is gone. This may be a stupid question but...I'm assuming the 'circa 1900' refers to the photo, but now I became curious as to when the actual 'first brick building in Boston' was built. I found this site, which said it was built in 1712 and has pictures of it still standing today. [Look at the photo. There are two giant signs on the store that say when it was built. - Dave] Pants!I'm somewhat partial to the sign off to the left side for the Eclipse Pants Co., where they offer pants made "at very short notice." Was it common to suddenly need pants in 1900? Never mind any kind of sub-joke about their pants being too short or anything. Man: Excuse me, shopkeep, but I'm in dire need of pants! Shopkeep: You've come to the right place. Short notice is all we need. The Banker and the BearBook ad from June 1900. Closeup of DoorwayWould it be possible to get a closeup of the door with the "Suits ... 16.00" sign to better read the placards. By the way, other than patronizing your advertisers, is there anything we can do to support this wonderful site? [Buy a print! - Dave] Where are the women?For pete's sake, man! This district has bookstores, engravers, loan sharks, and cut-rate tailors! This is no place for any respectable woman! By the way, I think Mr. Cell Phone is actually picking his nose! Dave? Closeup? Different CornerI grew up in Lexington, MA and Boston was my playground. There are a lot of wicked pissa hidden treats all over. Brattle Book shop was established in 1825. Not as old as this building but it smells like history inside and they have an amazing collection of rare books. http://www.brattlebookshop.com/Stuff/rarebookroom.html Pockets and shoesNot the best fitting suits, but they sure beat pajamas. Check out the pocket-watch pocket on the gentleman in front. No wristwatches yet. And how about the shine on the shoes in an era where piles of manure had to be navigated while crossing the street. Modern men can take an example of that. 1900Interesting that the pawn shops and quick loans still exist. And the people, caught in the windows--they had no idea they were being preserved for posterity. 108 years from now, one of us, caught on a cell phone or digital photo will be on Shorpy! This is within a few years of James Joyce's "Ulysses"--I know it's not Dublin but the details are intriguing. Hats off to Shorpy!For another excellent find. I always appreciated the era of hats, and being bald now, I long for those days to return. Face it, all I have to choose from is a baseball cap, which makes me look like the world's oldest 10-year-old, or a cowboy hat, which unless you happen to be riding a horse just doesn't cut it. Let's bring back the derby and fedora! Me too...I love how everyone is dressed smartly and I was wondering about the color of their suits. What was the predominant suit color back then ? [An intensely deep, dark purple. - Dave] Another slice of lifeI love the "slice of life" images on Shorpy. The sight of people in the windows is fascinating. These pictures make history come alive and I wish more people could share in that sense of life. Too many think History is a dry, static thing and are unable to make a personal connection. Make Way for DucklingsIn an interesting bit of serendipity, I Just happened to run across my childhood copy of Make Way for Ducklings at my mom's house last weekend. I found every word was deeply lodged in my subconscious although I hadn't read it in at least 30 years. As I re-read it, I wondered if the Old Corner Bookstore (which as a child I assumed was a generic description) still exists. And lo and behold, thanks to Dave and Shorpy, I now know the answer! Another Old JokeWhy did the golfer buy a suit with two pairs of pants? In case he got a hole in one... So what is that "cell phone" thingy then?By the way, re: JimsShip, if people can wear pyjamas to the 7-11, you can buy yourself a dapper hat and wear it any time you like! Bowler hatsYes, these are still available. Easy to find on eBay, if you are confident of your size. I bought mine at a western store in Lincoln, Nebraska that has a large period clothing section catering to re-enactors. That way I could try it on. I wear my bowler every few weeks (to the dismay of my children) and always get positive comments. Wood engravingI have degree in printmaking and have actually created several wood engravings so I'm especially intrigued with the Robert Stockin Wood Engraving business and wish I could see inside. Wood engravings (not the same thing as woodcuts) were used for newspaper and commercial illustrations. That might be a proofing press in the window immediately left of the shield "erected AD 1712" sign or it might be wishful thinking on my part. I'm especially fond of the pointing hand of doom on the side of the building in the upper right. This is a great photo. Fickle Finger of FateSomething I always like in signage of this vintage is the Victorian Directional Hand, employed here to show the way to the Bay State Loan Co. and the Eclipse Pants Co. It makes me wonder what the giant VDH painted on the side of the building at upper right is pointing to, though. CommentedWith 42 and counting, this has provoked comments galore! What is/are the most commented upon photo(s)? [The Beaver Letter. - Dave] The Victorian-era Pointing Hand.Now we know what inspired the Microsoft programmers when they were developing the Desktop for Windows. Street signsLike many other commenters, I've been to the current store and walked or driven by this building hundreds of time. One thing I found interesting is the street signs on the building. Both are partially hidden by the awnings, but one says School Street and the other says Washington Street. Were street signs on poles not used in that era? [They were, but not everywhere. - Dave] Bring back the derby and fedora!Fedoras are back, especially here in New York. I've been wearing them for 4 years. I have a total of three felt fedoras and a straw one, two porkpies, felt and straw and a homburg. Back then was definitely the good old days. People knew how to dress. I wish more people would bring it back. In my opinion after 30 years of sports clothing as the "average daywear" I think it's about time we change back to formal and dress casual. This must be the original negative for our postcardThe museum I work at has a postcard published from this photo in its collection. You can see this colorized image here. It's interesting to see how this image was used back then. (The Gallery, Boston, DPC, Stores & Markets)
West Side Stories: 1906
The Upper West Side circa 1906. "New York, N.Y. -- Broadway, north from 70th Street." With a view of the 72nd Street ... on NY license plates. - Dave] What can I say (?) New York was a laggard . [License plates arrived on the scene well ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/28/2022 - 12:50pm -

The Upper West Side circa 1906. "New York, N.Y. -- Broadway, north from 70th Street." With a view of the 72nd Street subway station, flanked by the Ansonia Hotel at left and Dorilton apartment house on the right. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Crossing wherever you likeIt has dawned on me, looking at these old street scenes, that pedestrian crosswalks were not really needed back in the day. While the roads were quite wide, I doubt a horse drawn carriage or wagon would run down a oblivious pedestrian. Wouldn't a horse avoid a collision? Of course, dodging the road apples would be of concern to someone on foot. As always, I continue to enjoy these glimpses into the past. Two clewsallow us to date this photo: the Subway entrance appears to still be under construction, and the Aerocar had a very brief existence. Purists might point out neither of these is definitive - they may paint the doors every year and the sign might have stayed up for decades - so "circa" is warranted. Oh if only we could glimpse a license plate !! [The 72nd Street subway station opened in 1904; the Aerocar showroom at Broadway and 73rd opened in 1906. Up until 1913, there were no dates on NY license plates. - Dave] What can I say (?) New York was a laggard . [License plates arrived on the scene well after automobiles did; New York didn't begin issuing them issuing them until 1910. If a car had one before then, it was provided by the owner. - Dave] Be careful out thereMy thinking was that horses and carriages are not as genteel as some may think. All I could find was this from a book called "Farewell to the Horse" (2017).         In 1867, horse-powered transportation on the streets of New York caused an average of four fatalities per week, with another forty pedestrians injured; in other capitals the incidence of accidents was also well above what is typical of today's motorized traffic. Even at the beginning of the twentieth century, when automobiles were beginning to be found on the streets, the cause of traffic accidents was still overwhelmingly the use and abuse of horses. Fifty-three per cent of accidents registered in France in 1903 involved horse-drawn carriages: one-third in the cities, two-thirds on the country roads ... LikewiseMichigan also began issuance of auto license plates in 1910. Here's the first five years from my collection. Plates then were preclean porcelain and survived very well. One of the bestI was born at 41 West 87th Street. I can clearly see the brand new 72nd Street subway entrance that is still there. So cool and amazing -- this one I'm buying with frame. A Tale of Two City DreamsThe Dorilton opened in 1902 and the Ansonia in 1904. Each was the vision of a single developer, not a partnership or corporation. Both apartments had over-the-top French Beaux-Arts ornamentation on the outside and luxurious amenities on the inside. From the start, the Dorilton had a better class of resident than the Ansonia, which initially attracted athletes, show people, and small-time criminals. The son who inherited the Ansonia in 1926 was indifferent about maintaining it. By the mid-20th Century, both had deteriorated. No surprise the Ansonia was the worse off, sold at a bankruptcy auction in 1945 for $40,000. From then into the 1960s the Ansonia owner refused to spend anything on maintenance for the apartments. But in 1968, in order to generate revenue, the Ansonia became the landlord of the Continental Baths (Bette Midler and Barry Manilow began their careers there). Today the Dorilton is a co-op and the Ansonia is condominiums. Both have had extensive restoration work. 71st street intersectionStill looks good! Va Va Voom!"Dudes, dame at our 10 o'clock!" Otherwise known as "Needle Park" 50 years agoBroadway's path through Manhattan created numerous pocket parks, as its diagonal path encountered the borough's grid layout. Broadway between 70th and 72nd created Sherman Square (named for the pyro) and Verdi Square (named for the composer), neither of which were square. As heroin abuse became more prevalent in the 1960s and 1970s, this spot became known as "Needle Park," in the title of Al Pacino's second major film, "The Panic in Needle Park" (1971). For more, listen to the Bowery Boys podcast about it. https://www.boweryboyshistory.com/2007/11/ah-bad-ole-days-of-needle-park... Close to the Beacon TheaterAnd 100 years later I would pop into that subway station after an Allman Brothers show during one of their stands at the Beacon. Iconic NYC intersection.I see the Belford up at 79th Street and the Rutgers Church at 73rd and Broadway. Both still there, as are the Ansonia and Doralton. All these old buildings must cost a fortune to maintain, but it's well worth it. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Rubberneck Auto: 1911
New York circa 1911. "Grant's Tomb. Rubber-neck auto on Riverside Drive." To your ... the time: from a previous panorama. The New Century Book of Facts, 1909. Book IX: Fine Arts. Grant's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 5:48pm -

New York circa 1911. "Grant's Tomb. Rubber-neck auto on Riverside Drive." To your left, General Grant. To your right, the Inter-Net. View full size. Fifth Avenue Coach CompanyThe bus is one of a series of 20 French DeDion Bouton chassis' bought in c1910/11 by the Fifth Avenue Coach Company, with bodies built by Fulton and Walker of Philadelphia to a modified London General Omnibus Company design. One of the series was previously posted on Shorpy. Solid Rubber TiresThe hard rubber tires on this truck, combined with the cobblestone paving common in this era, must have made for a bone jarring ride! Big enough for both of themDoesn't matter on which side of him his wife is sitting, her/their hats are certainly large enough for both of them.... "Isn't this exciting Harry, and next we go to the Opera..." No comments yet!OK, I'll have a shot at it, cliched as it is. That poor man doesn't have a hat, and in the presence of Ladies (presumably), wonder if he was arrested on morals charges after the tour? Self DefenseAs the bus has been moving at the breakneck speed of 25 (gasp) MPH, the gent has obviously removed his boater to prevent loss. The ladies of course are equipped with hatpins. Solid MausoleumAn overlooked treasure. Visiting Grant's Tomb is one of my strongest memories of Manhattan. Siting the monument in Riverside Park was controversial at the time: from a previous panorama. The New Century Book of Facts, 1909. Book IX: Fine Arts. Grant's Tomb, New York City. Grant's Tomb, New York.…A huge and solid mausoleum of white granite erected near the north end of Riverside Drive, between the years 1891 and 1897 from designs by J. H. Duncan, and at a cost of $600,000. The lower story, 90 feet square, is in the Doric style; while the cupola, borne on Ionic columns, attains a total height of 150 feet. The interior is arranged similarly to the tomb of Napoleon at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris. In an open crypt below the center of the dome the bodies of General Grant and his wife rest side by side in sarcophagi of red porphyry. Bas-reliefs on the pendentives of the dome are emblematic, of events in Grant's life and were made by J. Massey Rhind. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Civil War, DPC, NYC)
One Flight Up: 1937
... by Berenice Abbott for the Federal Art Project. Changing New York Collection , New York Public Library. View full size. Ratios ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/06/2016 - 10:04am -

May 7, 1937. "William Goldberg, 771 Broadway, Manhattan." 8x10 gelatin silver print by Berenice Abbott for the Federal Art Project. Changing New York Collection, New York Public Library. View full size. RatiosLooks like "2 for 1" suits Goldberg got 8 for 1 from his sign maker. Free AlterationsDuring the early 1950's, when mens' suits with two pairs of pants were the norm, I remember going to NYC with my father when he needed to buy clothes. We lived in a small Ct. town with only one clothing store where styles and sizes were very limited, plus we were always looking for an excuse to go to NYC. This type of store pictured with most of their stock upstairs was pretty common at that time The ground floor would often show just a sample of what was available but the upstairs floors (sometimes two or three) had lofts crammed with endless racks of clothing, thousands of choices, fabrics and sizes along with all the dressing rooms and a tailor who made sure your purchase would fit properly. They would often negotiate for a lower price and if you bought a suit or overcoat, they would usually throw in a free shirt or tie or belt (and I don't mean in the kisser). My father liked a bargain and always felt like he would get one in New York. Free AlterationsDuring the early 1950's, when mens' suits with two pairs of pants were the norm, I remember going to NYC with my father when he needed to buy clothes. We lived in a small Ct. town with only one clothing store where styles and sizes were very limited and prices were high, plus we were always looking for an excuse to go to NYC. This type of store pictured with most of their stock upstairs was pretty common at that time The ground floor would often show just a sample of what was available but the upstairs floors (sometimes two or three) had lofts crammed with endless racks of clothing, thousands of choices, fabrics and sizes along with all the dressing rooms and a tailor who made sure your purchase would fit properly. They would often negotiate for a lower price and if you bought a suit or overcoat, they would usually throw in a free shirt or tie or belt (and I don't mean in the kisser). My father liked a bargain and always felt like he would get one in New York. I lose on every salebut I make it up on volume! Upstairs, UpstairsDid Mr. Goldberg mention he was located upstairs? Bargain BasementsMy retail experience always taught me that it was easier to get a customer to walk down stairs than to trudge up. Basements were more welcoming. I'm Looking for a Cheap SuitCan anyone tell me where I might find Goldberg's? I was told it was around here somewhere. (The Gallery, Berenice Abbott, NYC, Stores & Markets)
Society Girls: 1915
New York circa 1915. "Eleanor Davies -- Marion Gibney -- Emalena Sizer -- Caryl ... the production and its participants was reported in the New York Times . Society Girls yet they mold just like commoners. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/09/2012 - 10:36pm -

New York circa 1915. "Eleanor Davies -- Marion Gibney -- Emalena Sizer -- Caryl Hackstaff -- Elizabeth Kirlin -- Laura Parsons -- Sophie Young -- Elise Rice (Mrs. Winfield Linn)." 5x7 glass negative, Bain News Service. View full size. Fairies at the Bottom of our BallroomThese young society women are dressed in their costumes as the Fairy Queen's courtiers in an elaborate amateur musical comedy, "Old King Cole," a "melange of sprightly nonsense" performed in the Plaza Hotel ballroom on April 15, 1915, and organized by Miss Spence's School Society for the benefit of a class of tubercular crippled children. The play, followed by dinner and dancing, was repeated on the evenings of April 16 and 17. A detailed description of the production and its participants was reported in the New York Times. Society Girlsyet they mold just like commoners. Follows facial featuresDoes anyone know why the mold lines follow facial features in some cases? That is strange and spooky. [Mold feeds on photographic emulsion, an organic gelatin compound. The best feeding ground is where the emulsion is thickest, which on a photographic negative are the densest, darkest areas, such as faces. - tterrace] FinallyDespite the mold lines (because of the mold lines? No.), this is by far the most beautiful group of women ever on Shorpy, by today's standards. I'm not out on a limb here. I'm in on a limb. Way in. Cleaner complexionsBy way of comparison, the LOC negatives include three individual head shots from this same group portrait, in much better condition than the overall view: The Misses Kirlin and Parsons, and Mrs. Linn. Missing TagThese young ladies didn't rate the "Pretty Girls" tag? It's not their fault they're so moldy. [Good point. Fixed! - Dave] (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC, Pretty Girls)
Powerhouse: 1921
... open doors of one of ConEd's steam-electric plants in New York in the 30s. He said: "I was just knocked out by the rhythm and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/06/2021 - 10:01am -

      On this Labor Day 2021, Shorpy wishes everyone a meaningful and at least momentary break from toil. "Powerhouse Mechanic and Steam Pump" (1921). One of Lewis Wickes Hine's celebrated "work portraits" made after his decade-long project documenting child labor. View full size. IconThat has got to be one of the iconic pictures of the 20th century. Re: Icon> That has got to be one of the iconic pictures of the 20th century. ...staged like so many of them. [It's not "staged," it's posed. Which is how art photography works. No different from painting, sculpture or any other representational form. This is why it's called a portrait. - Dave] Listening to "Powerhouse"While looking at a picture titled "Powerhouse" what could be more appropriate that listening to Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse." http://raymondscott.com/Powerhse.wav Nice Image.I think Chaplin in "Modern Times" and Fritz Lang in "Metropolis" must have been inspired by this photo. Steamfitter?I did a project on this photograph in grade 12 photography. I was actually expecting it to appear on Shorpy.com eventually, seeing how it's such an iconic piece. It was called Steamfitter when we did the project, do you know if both titles are used interchangeably? This was the picture that got me interested in Lewis Wickes Hine's photography. Thanks for posting it! Express YourselfLooks like something from the Madonna "Express Yourself" music video... Ooops. I just dated myself.. :-) SteamfitterThis picture is brilliant, and I've often thought that this guy looks like a model. If he was less attractive would it hold appeal? CheersThree cheers to Dave for his note about art and portraiture. Strong imageAs if the worker was blended with the machine. RushThe rock group Rush used this picture in some of their art work on their Snakes & Arrows Audio DVD. There were some mods to the picture but the main part of it was this image. "Blended""As if the worker was blended with the machine." - Anonymous Tipster, Tue, 07/22/08 Indeed. But is the relationship symbiotic, or parasitic -- and if the latter, which is the parasite and which the host? Extra credit: Do you think your answer to that question might have been different if Keanu Reeves and/or the Wachowski Bros had never existed? He looks like Amazing! but he looks like Buster Crabbe! Powerhouse Some years ago (decades actually) I had the good fortune to work with Ray Scott on a number of different projects. Mostly he'd invent and I'd build. He was utterly brilliant and constantly creating things. Bright idea-sparks seemed to fly from him. We were speaking about composition and the origins of how music is "made" - he told me that the basic ostinato theme for "Powerhouse" came from a peek inside the large open doors of one of ConEd's steam-electric plants in New York in the 30s. He said: "I was just knocked out by the rhythm and sounds those three big engines were making. And they stayed in sync with each other for quite a long time. Immediately I heard the tune in my head, and I practically ran to my office to write it down!" Hanging in a frame on the wall of my studio is a signed copy of the sheet music he gave me - one of my 'treasured things'. Pleasant Labor Day to all here at Shorpy - especially Dave and tterrace whose Labors we enjoy. Posing is also workHine let his working people look like they were posing, which is the work they were doing at that particular moment. It's one reason why his photos are art as well as documents. Correct WrenchDoes it not seem a bit large for the nut? Correct wrenchIt is the angle at which the wrench is being held that makes it seem too large. The ends of the wrench are on the nut, but the back part is closer too the camera, so looks larger. If it were flat, it would be clear that if fit. RE: Correct WrenchThat caught my eye, too: especially since there's no way it can turn clockwise without fouling the bolt head above it. But I suspect they needed a loose fit around the nut so the wrench could be held at an compositionally satisfying angle. You know a photo is famousWhen it's copied in another medium. Grandpa was the draftsmanMy grandfather was the draftsman to Edward Gray who designed the Highland Park "Gas-Steam" 6,000 hp engines. One was saved, the first item placed in the Henry Ford Museum. Massive and declared the largest engine in the world at that time. Artist's rendition of the nine 'gas-steam', one 'gas only 5,000hp' and also shows the very first 1500hp engine built at Riverside Engine in Oil City, Pennsylvania, where my grandfather first worked for Edward Gray starting in 1906. The two moved to Highland Park late 1909, as the Highland Park plant was being built. Chaplin's take fifteen years laterHine's photo clearly influenced (though perhaps indirectly) Charlie Chaplin's iconic imagery in 'Modern Times'. Momentary breakWell here I am working 12 hour shifts Sat-Sun-Mon, but taking a "momentary break from the toil" to post this comment. Thanks for the well-wishes Dave, and a Happy Labor Day to all! (The Gallery, Handsome Rakes, Lewis Hine)
School of Aeronautics: 1908
New York circa 1908. "Exhibit, International School of Aeronautics." 8x10 glass ... the two top floors of a building at 2 East 29th Street in New York, next to the Little Church Around the Corner. A New York Times ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 4:54pm -

New York circa 1908. "Exhibit, International School of Aeronautics." 8x10 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. State of the ArtI really like the school's slide projector, a venerable Magic Lantern. I wonder if they had an AV squad to run it? Even more fascinating is that the school itself existed barely 5 years after the Wright Brothers' first flight. Any ideas about what the curriculum was? Beautiful RoomMy eye was drawn to the room itself more than the flying machines, etc. The ceiling, chandelier and fireplace are all gorgeous. Where Are Gomez and Morticia?"Their house is a museum, When people come to see 'em..." First thing I thought of when I saw this! Albert C. Triaca's SchoolThe photo probably illustrates a display room in the school founded in 1908 by Albert C. Triaca, Chairman of the Aviation Committee of the Aero Club of America. The International School of Aeronautics was located on the two top floors of a building at 2 East 29th Street in New York, next to the Little Church Around the Corner. A New York Times article dated May 10, 1908, describes the school and the airship and aeroplane models on display there. Flights of fancyThis looks like the room of a kid who was never allowed to play outside. (The Gallery, Aviation, G.G. Bain, NYC)
The Automobilists: 1906
June 1906. "REO Mountaineer -- New York to San Francisco and back." Percy Megargel and David Fassett at the ... worse for wear after their months-long adventure. This New York Times article from 1908 details the East-to-West half of their ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 2:06pm -

June 1906. "REO Mountaineer -- New York to San Francisco and back." Percy Megargel and David Fassett at the conclusion of their 10-month round trip. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Just In TimeIf that is oil under the vehicle, fortune rode and finished with them. And I do like the holstered rifle accent. ArmedTry riding into NY with a rifle hanging on your car now. StemsInteresting to note that not only is the vehicle a right hand drive but each wheel has five valve stems. [Those are tire clamps -- retainers that hold the tire on the wheel. - Dave] Chain driveThe Reo, like a lot of early automobiles, used chain drive (a heavier-duty version of what you'd find on a bicycle) to turn the rear wheels. The canvas slung under the car would have kept the chain from getting tangled up with underbrush. The chains were lubricated with grease, which would explain the oil spots. Talk about road rage.The rifle seems to be an accessory that has gone by the wayside. Pity. One Grueling GrindBoth men look worse for wear after their months-long adventure. This New York Times article from 1908 details the East-to-West half of their grueling trip, their detour (turn left at the Sierra Nevada range), and a list of things they'd do differently next time. That included taking TWO Winchester rifles to ward off wolves, a vehicle with much higher clearance and a lot more food (they went without eating for four days at one point). Note the searchlight on the hood. Came in handy at night for targeting all those wild and woolly critters out there. Site of Yankee StadiumThe numbered street sign is illegible, but the other one seems to say Jerome Ave. If so, the combination of that and Huber's Hotel seems to mean that the photo was taken in the Bronx at the site of the future Yankee Stadium. [Huber's Hotel was at Jerome Avenue and 162nd Street. - Dave] Whaddaya mean, we need an E-Z-Pass?Once again Percy and David are rebuffed by the Holland Tunnel. And the Oyster Bar was close, so very, very close. I Call Shotgun!What else can be said. In this case, literally. Hoarse and Buggyis what they were after traveling 11,000 miles sans windshield. The Clampettsmust have bought this one used! If that is a sanitation worker in the left background, he's probably excited that the car produces zero emissions of a different kind! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, NYC)
Maritime Mystery: 1909
... sank and the other was beached, no lives were lost. The New York Times ran the story on March 11. As for the chipper newsboy second from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/20/2012 - 2:26am -

March 1909. Bridgeport, Connecticut. "7 P.M. -- Boys selling papers at the depot. Smallest one has been selling for eight years." The headlines: We see the words SINKING and IN FOG. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Ship Sunk In Crash, The Other BeachedThe headlines are reporting the collision of two coastal steamers off Cape Cod on March 10, 1909, in heavy early morning fog. Although one ship sank and the other was beached, no lives were lost. The New York Times ran the story on March 11. As for the chipper newsboy second from left, maybe he grew into those ears later on. That Sinking FeelingOn March 10, 1909, the H.F. Dimock, bound from New York to Boston, and the coastwise steamer Horatio Hall of the Maine Steamship Company collided in the eastern Vineyard Sound shortly after 8 a.m. while sailing at half speed in a heavy fog. The accident occurred in Pollock Rip Slue, not far from where the H.F. Dimock had collided with the Alva in 1892. Captain John A. Thompson of the H.F. Dimock brough his vessel alongside the Horatio Hall so that the latter's five passengers could be transferred. The Horatio Hall sank at the edge of the channel. Most of her crew left in lifeboats and were picked up by the H.F. Dimock, but Captain W. Frank Jewell, the pilot, first mate, and two seamen remained in the pilot house, which remained a few feet above water. (They were picked up later.) The H.F. Dimock left the scene at 11:15 a.m. and sailed slowly toward Orleans Life-Saving Station, where she was beached. The passengers and crew were removed by the lifesavers under Captain James H. Charles. Moderately damaged, the H.F. Dimock was later hauled off the beach and towed to shipyard for repairs. Cape Cod CollisionLooks like it's this one : http://www.capecodtoday.com/news/CC-History/2012/03/10/1909- two-steamers-collide-in-pollock-rip http://www.wreckhunter.net/DataPages/horatiohall-dat.htm Why are they different?The three in the front are wearing knickers, no neckties, and are holding newspapers; the three in the back are wearing long pants and neckties, and do not appear to have papers. While age is the difference, could it have been more than that? Did the older boys sell to a different customer, the riders, needing a more formal approach, while the youngers sold to the yard workers and such? Or was it first class vs coach? Mystery Solved?Sounds like this could be a possible candidate for the sinking and fog incident: New York Times, March 11, 1909 Ship Sunk In Crash, The Other Beached Horatio Hall and H.F. Dimock Collide In the Fog Near Pollock Rip CHATHAM, Mass., March 10 — Blanketed by a dense fog and proceeding at half speed, the coastwise steamer of the Maine Steamship Company, the Horatio Hall, Portland for New York, and the H. F. Dimock of the Metropolitan Line, New York for Boston, met in the middle of the narrow channel known as Pollock Rip Slue today with a crash that sent the Hall to the bottom within half an hour and caused the Dimock to run ashore six hours later on Cape Cod Beach, where the passengers and crew of the Hall were landed without loss of life. Horatio Hall, H.F. DimockThese newsboys were likely hawking their March 10, 1909 evening editions that were headlining the crash of the Horatio Hall and the H.F. Dimock in dense fog off the southeastern coast of Cape Cod,. The collision happened at 8 that morning and the Horatio Hall went to the bottom with no loss of life. Sources: Nashua Telegraph, March 10, 1909 and the Lewiston Journal, March 11, 1909 March 10, 1909The H.F. Dimock collided with the Horatio Hall off of Cape Cod in dense fog. The Horatio Hall is a marked dive spot at Pollock Rip. More here. R.I.P. Horatio HallFrom the Cape Dive Club website: Site Name: Horatio Hall Type of Vessel: Passenger/Freighter Dimensions: 296’ x 46’ x 17’ Tonnage: 3168 Built: 1898 Sank: March 10, 1909 Cause of Sinking: Collision with the H.F. Dimock Location: Pollock Rip Summary: The Horatio Hall was carrying approximately 45 passengers and crew and a general cargo that included paper, sheepskins, potatoes, scrap brass, and cloth worth about $100,000. The Hall was traveling from Portland, Maine to New York City during heavy fog when the Dimock struck it. The Dimock collided into the port side of the Horatio Halls hull penetrating fifteen to twenty feet. The Dimock saw that it might be able to save passengers, so it continued to push the Hall towards the shoal and it allowed for the passengers to jump from the Hall to the Dimock to be rescued. There was no loss of life. Since the hurricane deck of the Hall remained above the water once the boat settled, much of the Hall was salvaged before it was cleared with explosives. 3-10-09Two Steamers Collide in Pollock Rip. Horatio HallGoogle searching suggests it could it have been the Horatio Hall. I bet it was the H.F. DimockShe went down after colliding with the the steamer Horatio Hall in dense fog off Chatham, Mass., on March 10, 1909. [It was the Horatio Hall that sank. The Dimock was beached. - Dave] Skeleton Coast Partially covered headline ending in "TON" could be "Skeleton". On September 5th 1909 the Eduard Bohlen sank off the Skeleton Coast in a heavy fog. Or I'm wrong. [I suspect that's COLLISION, not "Skeleton." - Dave] What,Me worry? GrowingI'm not sure if the fella with the jug ears ever grew into them or later became known as "Kilroy". I'm wondering if the young man in the middle ever grew into his coat. Lewis Hine book outI don't know if it's been mentioned, but there's a new biography of Lewis Hine out by Alison Nordstrom and Elizabeth McCausland. The BBC produced a piece on the book and Hine today, which can be seen here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17673213 Note: the article contains a video. H.F. Dimock was prone to accidentsH.F. Dimock had a very checkered seagoing career with many accidents recorded; both groundings and sinkings (after which she was subsequently raised and repaired.) Her name appears often in books about wrecks and collisions in the waters in and around New York during the early part of the 20th century. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Gotham: 1931
New York. December 15, 1931. "River House, 52nd Street and East River. Cloud study, ... Queens Astounding Proof, as if needed, that New York will always be the most American of cities! This photo demonstrates ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/13/2013 - 6:19pm -

New York. December 15, 1931. "River House, 52nd Street and East River. Cloud study, noon, looking south from 27th floor." 5x7 safety negative by the prolific architectural photographer Samuel H. Gottscho. View full size. School, work and homeI attended secretarial school in the Chrysler Building, lived a couple blocks away at the Barbizon Hotel when it was a residence for single women, and my first job was in the Empire State Building. Breathtaking photo. Awesome pictureIncidentally, 1931 was the year the Empire State Building was completed. I agree that the real star of the picture is the Chrysler Building, which was the world's tallest for 11 months before the Empire State took that title away. 1 Beekman PlaceBottom left is 1 Beekman Place. Sixteen floors, built as a cooperative, 42 apartments now selling at over $1M each. The coal pier next door is gone. View from Queens AstoundingProof, as if needed, that New York will always be the most American of cities! This photo demonstrates the excitement and the beauty of this one of a kind place where expansion "up" was exploited to the max! FANTASTIC PANORAMA!These are without a doubt my FAVORITE shorpy pics. I really hope someone somewhere has more of these grand views of the city. SO MUCH GOING ON IN ONE PICTURE!!! Poster!I've seen this exact picture before, reproduced as a giant framed poster. I didn't realize it was Gottscho. High IronyThe star of this photo is the Chrysler Building. How the mighty have fallen. BeautifulCities were so much more attractive before the glass boxes started to take over in the '50s. San Francisco is another city that looks fantastic up until the late '40s. InspiringSomebody cue Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue! Empire still dominatesMy fist trip ever to NYC was in 2004. While approaching the city on Amtrak, I was amazed that how, after 70 years, the Empire State Building dominated the skyline. More than a bit of luckGottscho had a great understanding of light. The sunrise pretty perfectly illuminates the buildings. At a different time of day, the effect would not have been half so good. Railroad FloatJust behind the coal wharf you can see two or three railroad car floats. Once a common sight in New York and other cities, they've become largely obsolete with decreasing freight traffic and improved river crossings. Dead EndCoal barges, slaughterhouses and luxury highrises: the location for the 1937 movie "Dead End"; a neighborhood in transition. How one man's slum is another's prime real estate. Superman's MetropolisThere's a saying amongst comic book fans that Metropolis is New York in daytime, while Gotham City is New York at night. My personal opinion is that Metropolis is New York from the air, where you can't see the garbage on the street, while Gotham City is New York at ground level where all the faults and flaws are all too visible. UNI walk through the area in the middle of this photo every day. I'm amazed by the number of still-familiar buildings in this photo, I didn't realize so many were so old. Notable changes: the FDR Drive now takes up the area along the East River. Most of the area along the river between the Beekman Hotel (tall building in mid-foreground) and the first set of tall smokestacks seen on the left side of the photograph is inhabited by the United Nations. Those smokestacks are now gone, too - demolished about 5 years ago in anticipation of a long-delayed residential development. WashdayI love the laundry hanging on the line in the lower right of this picture -- so many details, so much time and movement. Thanks ShorpyThanks to Shorpy we enjoy great pictures like these, thanks again and greetings to all. MemoriesI lived on East 54th between First and Second Avenues from 1961 through 1963, just a few blocks from this area. I enjoyed drinks at the top of the Beekman Tower between First and Beekman Place. What a great and elegant neighborhood that was, even better in my opinion than Sutton Place, two blocks north. RooftopsOne of the neatest things from the aerial photos is seeing all the structures, plants, odds and ends on the roofs of the buildings. We never know about that from ground level! No peopleWhere are all the people? It's as if they have been magically removed. We only see remnants of their existence. A bit of laundry. A few parked cars. Penthouse terrace furniture. But no humans. Weird. December sunlight>> The sunrise pretty perfectly illuminates the buildings. At a different time of day, the effect would not have been half so good. It's closer to midday -- I'd say 11:30, maybe noon. [And I'd say it's noon because the caption under the photo says "noon, looking south." - Dave] Noon?Even though the original caption says noon, I believe those shadows are way too long for that time of day.........maybe he got his notes mixed up. [He's not the one who's mixed up. Winter solstice, Northern Hemisphere -- hello? - Dave] (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC)
Betty White: 1922-2021
... Friday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 99. — New York Times One more day — and it would have been 1922-2022. We'll ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/01/2022 - 12:42am -

September 1954. "Actress Betty White rehearsing and performing on her local Los Angeles daytime television show." Look magazine photo archive. View full size. Betty White, a Television Golden Girl From the Start, Is Dead at 99         Betty White, who created two of the most memorable characters in sitcom history -- the nymphomaniacal Sue Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and the sweet but dim Rose Nylund on “The Golden Girls” -- died on Friday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 99. — New York Times One more day —and it would have been 1922-2022. We'll miss you, queen of television. January 17was going to be a big celebration for her. Many stars involved, including Robert Redford, whom she claimed to have a massive crush on. The end of more than one era'The Golden Girls', 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show': all gone now. (Four MTM stars died in 2021: Ed Asner, Cloris Leachman, Gavin MacLeod, and now Betty White.) A couple of years before she joined MTM, Betty White and her husband Allen Ludden appeared on 'The Odd Couple' with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman as contestants on Ludden's show 'Password'. Thanks for the memories ... ... and Rest In Peace, dear Betty. The Lady was a class act.I once saw Betty White on a talk show (years ago when on-air language was strictly enforced) and she was asked how she and Allen Ludden met. This was before he died. She told the story of how they met and dated then added how he asked her several times to marry him. She went on with that she just wasn't interested in getting married, having been married twice before, neither of which lasted very long. She ended with "Well, Allen just kept asking and asking so I finally said Yes. I figured that was the only way to stop the S.O.B. from bothering me." Betty White was the master of the setup. America's SweetheartWhat an awesome and beautiful lady! Betty, thank you for the entertainment and many laughs you gave us. Thank you for your love of dogs and animals. Thank you for just being Betty White. You are an American legend. RIP dear sweet lady. You will be missed --For all the smiles, laughter through the years, for your devotion to all animals; we thank you and will miss you. You are with your beloved Allen - shine, bright star, shine. An Avid Coffee Drinker ... With Chicory!A popular ad, circa 1965! (LOOK, Pretty Girls)
Femme Fatale: 1914
... face from 1914. (And now for the caption: "August 5, 1914. New York. Evelyn Thaw arriving from Southampton on White Star liner Olympic ." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2012 - 5:14pm -

A tip of the Shorpy hat to the first person who can put a name to this well-known face from 1914. (And now for the caption: "August 5, 1914. New York. Evelyn Thaw arriving from Southampton on White Star liner Olympic." The former teen beauty Evelyn Nesbit, shown here at age 29, achieved notoriety in 1906 when her lover Stanford White, the noted architect, was killed by her husband, Harry Thaw.) Glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. EvelynCould it be Evelyn Nesbitt? Less is MoreInteresting, I've seen dozens of photos of Evelyn Nesbit, and I could never see what she had that drove men wild until this candid shot. Her beauty is so unassuming and charming here. Just look at the expression of the fellow in the middle. You can see that he's enchanted by her, and he's probably the most hard-bitten photojournalist in NYC. The It girlIs that Clara Bow? [Clara Bow was 9 years old in 1914. Next! - Dave] My guessIt sure looks like Amelia Earhart to me. AmeliaLooks a little like Amelia Earhart, but probably too young in 1914. A.R.L.Alice Roosevelt Longworth? Could it be ...Dorothy Parker? Grace Anna Goodhue CoolidgeThe Lady in question looks a little bit like Grace Anna Goodhue Coolidge. However She could also be Alice Roosevelt Longworth. I was going to vote for Amelia Earhart.But someone beat me to it. Amelia would have been 17, so it's possible.... Given her background (per Wikipedia), a photograph of her in 1914 would be a bit surprising. Looks Like a Movie StarCould be a young Mary Pickford. Margaret WilsonShe took over in 1914 as first lady when her mother died. She looks frumpier in other pics on the internet. But maybe? One ThingIs for sure : It ain't Marlo Thomas. Mary PickfordAt first I was thinking Theda Bara, but it was hard to find an old photo of her without tons and tons of makeup. So I guess both; call her Theda Pickford. Eleanor Roosevelt Eleanor Roosevelt would be about the right age, no? AaarghStop guessing Mary Pickford...it looks nothing like Mary Pickford... Signed, Grumpy silent film fan Mary Pickford??Mary Pickford?? ElEleanor Roosevelt Evelyn Nesbit ThawAww, someone beat me to it. Other RooseveltShe looks too pretty to be her, but could it be Eleanor Roosevelt? Irene CastleNot sure, but that's my best guess. Blanche SweetIs that silent movie star Blanche Sweet? Team CocoIs it Coco Chanel? Frances PerkinsShe was somewhat famous then. CluelessI would have said Amelia too, but not very confidently. Even though I am without a clue I have enjoyed your challenges lately. M C SMargaret Chase Smith Lucky LadyMaybe Anne Lindburgh? Before she was married? Huh? Irene CastleCould it be? Notorious BeautyEvelyn Nesbit Thaw? Teen AviatrixAmelia was born in 1897 so this is her as a teenager. Lillian GishShe would have been 21 in this picture. Rose FitzgeraldSoon to be Kennedy? It doesn't look a lot like her, but they got married in 1914. Promise Her AnythingCoco Chanel? ESVMI was hoping it might be Edna St. Vincent Millay but, alas. My guessWallis Simpson, the future Duchess of Windsor. Looks likeEvelyn Nesbit Eleanor RooseveltThere is some resemblance to early pictures of Eleanor Roosevelt. However Mrs. Roosevelt had a child in 1914 (Franklin D. Jr.), so it isn't too likely. Jessie Wilson Sayre?The more attractive of the president's daughters (and the one without a Wikipedia page). She would have turned 27 in 1914. Could this be......Miss Julia Sanderson, the actress and singer? And the answer is ...August 5, 1914. New York. Evelyn Thaw arriving from Southampton on White Star liner Olympic. The former teen beauty Evelyn Nesbit, shown above at age 29, achieved notoriety in 1906 when her lover Stanford White, the noted architect, was killed by her husband, Harry Thaw. Below: Evelyn at age 16 in 1901. Second from leftLooks just like my ex. Strange. Candid CameraI agree. Her stunning natural beauty is far more apparent here than in her studio portraits. Sure, she's beautiful in those, but they're posed and superficial. This is real, impromptu, and with little makeup. It shows her natural beauty. It also shows what 13 years will do for a 16 year old girl. The 29 year old woman is far, far more beautiful. Sadness or Sophistication?Her expression here is virtually unreadable. Do I see sadness and resignation, knowing that her husband murdered her lover, and knowing her ultimate fate? Or instead is her expression one of a knowing sophisticate, just arrived from the most sophisticated part of the world? She's quite lovely if already fading. Lines are lightly etched about her eyes and her mouth is a bemused horizontal. Deadly beautiful. Wait For MeI'm away from my computer for a mere 12 hours and you sneak one past me. Had I have have been aware of the post I could have really have given it some serious thought, but would have never come up with Evelyn Nesbit. Eleanor Roosevelt, who I always admired, never looked as good as the woman in this picture. That's why......I love Shorpy! I had never heard of this case before, have just read up on it, amazing story. Thankyou Dave, very educational! Fading, Edwardian styleBy 1914, Mrs. Thaw was no longer considered beautiful. In a where-is-she-now story prompted by her husband's escape from a mental asylum, Mildred Van Allen wrote in March 1914 that Evelyn's eyes were wonderful but her cheeks were more flat than contoured, and she now had the figure of a 15-year-old. ("Only the man who delights in the unusual" would consider her a beauty.) But Evelyn loved that it allowed her to pass unrecognized, even on Broadway. Fading beautyPaula Uruburu wrote AMERICAN EVE, the biography of Evelyn Nesbit Thaw. She states that by 1914 Nesbit had a cocaine habit, which would account for the bags under her eyes. Uruburu also states that Nesbit's 'boyish figure' was apparent even when she was younger (though it doesn't seem to be apparent in the Kasebier photo from 1900). RagtimeWhen I read "Ragtime" I recognized that the fiction incorporated factual history but I had no knowledge of this case. The Thaw character seemed like an eccentric sadist (the real Thaw was all that and more) who used a razor strop, not a dog whip, on his wife. Our system of equal justice under the law causes me to contemplate the peculiar coincidence that the rich often seem to get away with murder but in Mr. Thaw's case the finding of insanity seemed to hit the mark. The mistake belonged to those who declared him cured or recovered: As for the picture, the woman looks stylish and gracious and, though society would deny it, in their eyes she was guilty of being exposed as an adulteress by her husband's recklessness. (My guess would have been Alice Roosevelt Longworth.) (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, NYC)
Eleventh Avenue Freight: 1911
... circa 1911 view of the Eleventh Avenue rail line in New York near West 26th Street. View full size. George Grantham Bain ... Death Avenue...!!! "2000 killed in 10 years", the New York Times wrote on May 4, 1911!!! Because of the New York Central ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 7:20pm -

Mounted flagman and freight. Another circa 1911 view of the Eleventh Avenue rail line in New York near West 26th Street. View full size. George Grantham Bain Collection. The light spot at the top is from deterioration of the emulsion. Death AvenueWell ... Eleventh Avenue was called Death Avenue...!!! "2000 killed in 10 years", the New York Times wrote on May 4, 1911!!! Because of the New York Central freight railroad which was using the Eleventh Avenue!!! I guess the mounted flag man is the direct consequence of such a dangerous avenue!! Thank you for these great documents!!! I appreciate also the cable car of the first avenue in Little Italy! ----------------------------------------- Funimag, the web magazine about Funiculars http://www.funimag.com Funimag Blog http://www.funimag.com/photoblog/ [Also known as !!th Avenue. - Dave] 11th Ave.I enjoy these daily visits to the past immensely, they give me the perspective I need in my daily life. Uneeda BiscuitI love the sign on that building. I need a biscuit... Street sweeperI like the street sweeper in the background. He looks like the man on the Bullwinkle cartoons. Uneeda"It's the Uneeda Biscuit made the people wanna go, wanna go, wanna get up and go!" Uneeda Biscuit, first packaged biscuit produced. One of the first mass produced consumer items in America. (The Gallery, G.G. Bain, Horses, NYC, Railroads)
Read All About It: 1903
New York circa 1903. "A characteristic sidewalk newsstand." Who can help us date ... east of Sixth Avenue, facing south and looking toward the "new" (i.e. after 1896) location of drygoods company James McCreery & Co., ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/01/2012 - 5:35pm -

New York circa 1903. "A characteristic sidewalk newsstand." Who can help us date these period periodicals? Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Racy CoverWas a bit surprised at the provocative pose on the cover of Vanity Fair. I figured a more conservative display given the times. ElevatedAs soon as I saw this photo, I thought of a Martin Lewis print from the early 1930's that I have hanging on my living room wall. I wonder if it's the same station? In any case, both are great images. Scientific AmericanThe two Scientific Americans are the Dec. 13 and Dec. 20, 1902, issues. "Sunset"is the November 1902 issue. Tastes Good Because It Is GoodAn adman in 1903 had a damn easy job. "Figaro Illustré"Above the guy with the hands in his pockets to the right, "Figaro Illustré" is the December 1902 issue. http://www.journaux-collection.com/fiche.php?id=356185 The Art of WarThe art print in the center is of British soldiers fighting in the Boer War. ArgosyThe Argosy on the lower right (below "Success") is the January 1903 issue. Harper'sI know that Aram identified the Harper's Magazine as being dated Oct. 4, 1902. But I found the same cover dated Jan. 3, 1903. [Harper's used the Statue of Liberty cover a number of times. - Dave] Poetic gelatinI don't have anything to share about the magazines, except to marvel at the variety available. I would like to know how Knox Gelatine can turn a "prosy" dinner into a poem. Because everything tastes better when it's gelatinous? "Success"The January 1903 issue. Florodora CigarsDo you think that is Evelyn Nesbit pictured on the cigar sign? The timing would be right as she was a sought-after model as well as a "Florodora Girl." Harper'sThe Harper's with the Statue of Liberty is the October 4, 1902, issue. Thank you, everyoneI have nothing to add except to note my good fortune and gratitude at finding this site. The photos are, of course, brilliant. But the background research of the commenters is both amazing and entertaining. As soon as I saw the array of magazine covers, I knew that a deluge of crowd source detail was going to flood in. I'm rarely disappointed. Thanks, everyone. I'm off to Google Street view to check out the neighborhood mentioned by jsmakbkr. The locationappears to be 23rd Street just east of Sixth Avenue, facing south and looking toward the "new" (i.e. after 1896) location of drygoods company James McCreery & Co., at 64 West 23rd Street (less than a block west of the not-yet-completed Flatiron building). It looks like there is still a newsstand there, next to the subway entrance. The McCreery building, however, is gone. Magazine of MysteryJust to the lower right of the Boer War art print is the "Magazine of Mysteries", which covered topics from pragmatic vegetarianism to divine emanations. A 1901 ad for the magazine reads: Remember the Name MAGAZINE OF MYSTERIES A Large Magazine, Beautifully Illustrated, Containing Special Articles by Adept Writers, Mystics, Astrologers and Yogis, explaining the MYSTERIES of Dreams and their Meanings, Glorified Visions, Occult Powers, Astrology, Hypnotism, Psychology, Telepathy, Psychometry, Magnetism, Soul Charming, Clairvoyance, Graphology, Palmistry, Hidden Powers, Spiritualism, etc. THE ONLY MAGAZINE OF THE KIND PUBLISHED IN THE WHOLE WORLD. THE MOST PHENOMENAL SUCCESS OF THE 20TH CENTURY. ALL are delighted with it, because it tells ALL how to get Occult or Psychic power and force, which make for Health, Wealth and Happiness. $1.00 A YEAR, 3 MONTHS FOR 25 CENTS; SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS. For sale at news stands, bookstores, hotels, and on the railroad trains, or mailed direct by the publishers. Address THE MAGAZINE OF MYSTERIES 22 North William St., New York City. On the purely physical plane, the editors recommended chewing your food 40 times before swallowing. And I always thought that was just an "I Love Lucy" gag. LifeChristmas 1902. Peel Me an AdjectiveOne has to wonder if prosy (meaning dull, ordinary, the root word for the now-common prosaic) was a common word 110 or so years ago, or if the copywriters were educated to the level that they didn't care if the general public really understood their advertising slogans. Obviously there are fads and trends in language. Humbug, for instance, was a common 19th century word, which only survives in contemporary use as part of "A Christmas Carol". Still, "changes a prosy dinner into a poem" has to be one of the worst advertising slogans ever, even by 1903 standards. Who the heck wants to EAT poetry? The Knox ad people were reading too much of it. Delightful detailsThanks Shorpy, I love this photo.. from the randomness of the social interactions and expressions of folks on the street, to the wonderful display of all those old magazines and that cute little Tutti-Frutti dispenser. Great clarity and detail. Santa ClausWhat's the magazine with Santa Claus on the cover? [It's the "Juvenile Number" of The Housekeeper. Right next to Toilette. - Dave] Rye Whiskey Rye Whiskey, Rye Whiskey I CraveAt one time Baltimore or Maryland Rye Whiskey was the choice of many, especially before Prohibition.      As a Marylander I did my civic duty and had my share of Pikesville Rye and I knew I became a man two days after my 21st birthday when I had the traditional shot of Pikesville Rye with my extended family on Christmas Day. I still keep a pint around the house for my Christmas shot and use as a cold remedy. Family lore has it that my grandfather kept all well during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic by administering ample shots to anyone with a sniffle then making them go to bed while being covered with many many many blankets. This caused the patient to sweat out the bug and thus break the fever. I tried this a few times myself and used it when traditional medicine failed. You wake in the morning feeling weak but the bug is usually gone. History of Maryland Rye. Is this the place?"Olde New York" at 00:21 in the clip. Re: ElevatedAnonymous Tipster, you are indeed fortunate to own the Martin Lewis print, "Snow on the 'El'" (1931). Here is what the book, "The Prints of Martin Lewis, A Catalogue Raisonne", by Paul McCarron, has to say about the location of the "El" in your print: "The location depicted in this print is Twenty-third Street and Sixth Avenue." (p. 174) The previous comment made by jsmakbkr is therefore correct in its identification of the location in the photo. It would appear that the "El" in your print and the "El" in the photo are one and the same. How neat. Harper's WeeklyThe issue of HARPER'S WEEKLY shown is the January 10 1903 issue. (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Railroads)
Queen of Soul: 1942-2018
... Thursday at her home in Detroit. She was 76. — New York Times "Aretha Franklin, Jazz & Blues portfolio, 1968." Dye ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/13/2019 - 10:19am -

        Aretha Franklin, universally acclaimed as the “Queen of Soul” and one of America’s greatest singers in any style, died on Thursday at her home in Detroit. She was 76. — New York Times "Aretha Franklin, Jazz & Blues portfolio, 1968." Dye transfer print by Lee Friedlander. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division. View full size. The Queen indeedGreat picture of my favorite female recording artist. And she was never better than she was around this time, the late 60s. RIP I was just listening to her todayOne of the best singers in my book. Not a DIVA, no matter what anyone says. Because DIVA means SPOILED. Even though she deserved to be. Three favoritesEveryone will have their own list of favorites, here's mine: Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool For You Baby) Chain Of Fools Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) Thank you for your artistry, Aretha. Queen ArethaA nice retrospective from WQXR (New York), written just days ago. WQXR played a tape today of her singing "Nessun Dorma", standing in for the ailing Luciano Pavarotti: She will be missed. UncannyWhat a talent. I put her and Ray Charles on a pedestal. Their ability to sing in their styles and never wander off pitch has me shaking my head in appreciation. Bless you, Aretha. And thanks! R-E-S-P-E-C-TAretha is one of the few singers I've ever heard who could blow your butt right out of the seat in any number of genres. I'm sure if she wanted to tackle Swedish Death Metal, she'd have killed that too. If I had to list her Top 5 best songs, which is a Herculean task because there are so many to choose from, this is what I'd settle on — 1. Chain of Fools 2. Think 3. I Say a Little Prayer 4. Natural Woman 5. Rock Steady I could fill out the rest of the Top 10 with Skylark, Respect, Since You've Been Gone, Bridge Over Troubled Water, and I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You). You could probably fill out a Top 50 list, if you wanted. We'll never hear the likes of that voice ever again. Queen and KingAretha Franklin, "Queen of Soul," passes away on August 16, 2018, exactly 41 years after the death of Elvis Presley, "The King of Rock 'n' Roll". I remember that day too. The Blues Brothers movieI have never been so riveted to a movie screen as I was when she sang 'Think' to Matt Guitar Murphy [RIP]. At that very moment, she changed the way I listen to music. Thank you Aretha for all the sweet sounds. Three-octave rangeMy favorites are Respect and Natural Woman. Whew! She had a powerful, three-octave range. Thank heaven for her recordings. She will never be forgotten. Aretha, My QueenIn a 70-year lifetime packed with music, I've had my heart stopped maybe a half dozen times. Two of those times involve Aretha: "Nessun Dorma" and "Natural Woman." Bless her memory. I Say a Little PrayerI’ve spent the last few days listening to many hours of Aretha Franklin. I think if I had to pick my all-time fave, the one that takes me back to the summer of 1968, to being 10 years old, trying to get a sense of what the adult world of longing and devotion might be, it would be this song. I feel a shiver in my spine and my eyes feel hot every time I hear it, even now, especially now, half a century after the first time I heard it. Fashion sense + musical tasteJust about everyone remembers the hat Aretha wore at the Obama inauguration in 2009. Equally significant was what she sang: the nineteenth century anthem "My Country 'Tis of Thee" aka "America." Soul SurvivorExcellent article, must-read: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/04/04/aretha-franklins-american-... (Music)
Footloose: 1946
July 28, 1946. "Florsheim Shoes, 516 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Mirror detail. Ketchum, Gina & Sharp, Architects." 5x7 inch ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/16/2023 - 12:29am -

July 28, 1946. "Florsheim Shoes, 516 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Mirror detail. Ketchum, Gina & Sharp, Architects." 5x7 inch acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Hotfoot it to the mallI have never encountered any actual person named Florsheim, but the name is known to every American of my generation, pretty much synonymous with shoes. Florsheim shoe stores were ubiquitous in malls into the 1990s (verified by Wikipedia!); the company says that in the 1960s it sold a pair every 4 seconds. Nevertheless, I never had Florsheims, perhaps because my parents assumed they were expensive (though they weren't). Flor-ShamI remember going to Florsheim just as I was starting college. I didn't have a problem with the salesman, but the manager (sitting at a desk off the sales floor) gave me grief because I had long hair (it was 1971), and I suppose he thought I didn't look like the type who'd wear shoes. I shrugged, told him what he was, and left the two pairs of shoes I was buying on the counter. I felt a little sorry for the salesman, but I was a paying customer and I wasn't going to be treated that way, even at 18. That was more than fifty years ago, and I have never again shopped at Florsheim. That bigmouth cost his company a lot of money. Love the kicksYou can't beat a riff on the classic spectator pump, but that picture sort of creeps up on you. Fifth & 43rdThe building at the corner of Fifth Avenue and West 43rd Street in 1946 and in 2011, just before it was demolished. Like a cartoonThese shoes with their legless "foot mannequins" look like they should be in some kind of musical sequence from a Warner Brothers cartoon of the era. (The Gallery, Bizarre, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC, Stores & Markets)
The Waldorf-Astoria: 1910
New York circa 1910. "Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street." ... the missing lines! Wireless Towers The New York Sun -- March 06, 1909, Page 12: "Two forty foot steel towers with ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/20/2023 - 9:25pm -

New York circa 1910. "Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street." Note the radio masts on the roof; the 12 wires strung between the towers, 236 feet apart, are too faint to be seen. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Don't Fall!So either that is a facility manager and a midget, or a policeman talking down a jumper. Either way. a precipitous precarious situation. Future site of ...... the Empire State Building. The story behind the hyphenIt was originally two hotels on the same block, built by feuding cousins. The Waldorf Hotel, developed by William Waldorf Astor, opened in 1893 on Fifth Avenue at 33rd St. John Jacob Astor IV opened the Astoria Hotel in 1897 on the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th St. After legal maneuvering, they merged as the Waldorf-Astoria, with 13 entrances. What we're seeing in the Shorpy photo is mainly the Astoria part. The whole thing was razed in 1929 to make way for the Empire State Building. Today's Waldorf Astoria (no hyphen), on Park Avenue, opened in 1931. Hide & Seek With the Missing LinesBy adjusting the contrast, saturation, gamma, etc., we can find the missing lines! Wireless TowersThe New York Sun -- March 06, 1909, Page 12: "Two forty foot steel towers with wooden staves twenty two additional feet high to be erected above the big pent house on the roof of the Waldorf-Astoria" Floorplans and descriptionAll this is from the February 5, 1898, issue of Architecture and Building magazine. There is a descriptive narrative that covers everything from the giant battery in the sub-basement to the grand promenade on the roof. The article also included floorplans for the ground floor, first floor, fourth floor, and the roof garden. In the fourth-floor floorplan notice the extra thick wall that runs lengthwise across the middle of the floorplan. That's where the Astoria Hotel (bottom) was joined to the existing Waldorf Hotel (top). Once you see where that is, you can easily see it on the ground and first floor plans. PhotosI've learned not to try to load too many photos in a single submission. Here are the photos that were part of the February 5, 1898, issue of Architecture and Building magazine: Writing room, Astor gallery, Main restaurant, Grand Ballroom, Garden Court of Palms, Royal suite reception room, and Royal suite bedroom. This last photo is from a June 1904 issue of The Architectural Record magazine. I believe it is the West Foyer on the first floor. There's a naked lady in one of those windows --Or probably should be. I'm out on the ledge but ...we aren't jumpers, we are doing a little repair work. By the way, the ledge is wide enough to do a ballet. The antennaThe antenna wires must be more like 150 ft long, if they're parallel to Fifth Avenue. The block is 197-1/2 ft long. [They're parallel to 34th Street, where the building's frontage is 350 feet. - Dave] (Technology, The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Streetcars)
Vest Test: 1923
... D.C. "W.H. Murphy of the Protective Garment Corp. of New York stood less than ten feet from [Frederick County, Md.] Deputy Sheriff ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2018 - 1:44pm -

September 13, 1923. Washington, D.C. "W.H. Murphy of the Protective Garment Corp. of New York stood less than ten feet from [Frederick County, Md.] Deputy Sheriff Charles W. Smith in police headquarters Wednesday and let the deputy fire a .38 caliber revolver straight at his chest. When the bullet hit, Murphy never batted an eye. Inventors ot the bulletproof vest, which weighs about 11 pounds, have put iten the market for the protection of police and other officers in emergency cases. The bullet which Deputy Smith fired into the vest Wednesday was presented to him for a souvenir." View full size. National Photo Company. Live Rounds?Well, the caption suggests this testing was indeed done with live rounds vs. blanks. But despite Mr. Murphy's calm expression, it is hard to believe that "when the bullet hit, Murphy never batted an eye." Color me incredulous. [There are dozens of news items from 1923 about these salesmen making (and taking) the rounds at various police departments. Also reports of lawsuits filed by a few who experienced wardrobe malfunctions: Pierpont Potter, sales rep for United States Armor and the Bulletproof Corp., sued for $20,000 in October 1923 after a bullet pierced his vest, necessitating multiple surgeries to put him back together. - Dave] But the impact...So the vest prevents the bullet from penetrating. But the torso underneath still absorbs the impact. From accounts, I gather that it's somewhat like being smacked with a baseball bat. Could still be dangerous if the impact centers on the solar plexus or something. I mean, ouchie. [On a related note (below), don't try this at home. - Dave] DC Sheriff?The District has no Sheriff's Office. Prince George's or Montgomery County, maybe? [Charles Smith was deputy sheriff of Frederick County, Maryland. The demonstration in the photo was in Washington. - Dave] Steve OThis would be the 1920's equivalent of "Jackass". Steve O is wearing the suit, Johnny Knoxville is pulling the trigger, and Bam Margera is in the white shirt waiting for his turn to fire his pistol. There is absolutely nothing new. Every "new" idea is a rehash as this proves yet again. What A Sales Rep.That is a man who is dedicated to closing the deal! KevlarRandom fun fact: The guy who invented Kevlar shot himself in the chest while wearing a vest to find out if his product would really work. The "guy" who invented KevlarI suspect the most recent comment is an urban legend. Kevlar wasn't invented by any one person, technically, since it was developed at DuPont by a team of people, but the scientist credited with its discovery is Stephanie Kwolek. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephanie_Kwolek KevlarKevlar was not as much group effort but rather it was invented by a lady in 1965 by the name of Stephanie Kwolek while she was working for DuPont. So while they get to keep the intellectual rights to her work, it was indeed a single person who is credited with the invention. [The article you cite does not credit Stephanie Kwolek with the invention of Kevlar. It does, however, note that she is the person who discovered the polyamide solution from which Kevlar fibers are made: "Following this breakthrough many fibers were spun from liquid crystalline solutions, including the yellow Kevlar fiber." - Dave] Check the collar brassThe shooter is a Park Policeman. Vested interestAccording to news reports, this took place in Potomac Park, just north of the train tracks. (The Gallery, Bizarre, Curiosities, D.C., Natl Photo)
Bae Window: 1943
May 1943. New York. "Woman and her dog in the Harlem section." Medium format nitrate negative ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/02/2022 - 2:27pm -

May 1943. New York. "Woman and her dog in the Harlem section." Medium format nitrate negative by Gordon Parks for the Office of War Information. View full size. ColorizedA superb colorized version of this photograph can be found on Shorpy here https://www.shorpy.com/node/19388 from March of 2015 (that links to this page which was posted two years later - how does that work?). [This image was first posted in 2007, then updated in 2017 when a better-quality scan was made of the original negative. - Dave] Gordon ParksAlthough this is a fine portrait of the woman and her pet, it should be noted that the photographer is the great Gordon Parks. There is not enough space here to expound on his achievements, but if you're not aware of him, you should be. Look him up. Coolster DaveOxford English Dictionary named "bae" as a runner-up for 2014 World of the Year. (It lost to "vape.") Their blog defines bae as a "term of endearment for one's romantic partner", which seems rather lame, but added that it has origins in African-American English and is found widely in hip-hop, R&B, and social media. It is widely assumed that bae is a shortened form of baby or babe, though it is also said to be an acronym for "before anyone else." (If you go back to the 1500s, you can find it as alternate to baa for sheep sounds.) In 2014, The Atlantic shed crocodile tears over the "Lamentable Death of Bae," noting its use by Pizza Hut, Olive Garden, Whole Foods, Mountain Dew, AT&T, Wal-Mart, Burger King, Jamba Juice, Arby's and Denny's. This was six months after Esquire proclaimed "the dawn of bae," citing the collaboration of Pharrell Williams and Miley Cyrus on "Come Get It Bae." A Shorpy firstAre we fellow Shorpsters aware that this is a first-time thing, where Dave re-posts a really old post, but doesn’t include the old comments? We start fresh in the comments here on an old post, which is weird. Plus I tried to find the old post and comments, but couldn’t. Plus the power of the photograph, for me, resides in the human and the dog looking at two completely different things. [The oldest comment is right here, from 2017. Scroll down. A lot of our earliest posts have no comments and zero "likes," which is why we repost them. - Dave] Sometimes a photograph breathesLike this one. I looked for fitting Harlem poetry, and found 'Mother to Son' by Langston Hughs. Well, son, I’ll tell you: Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. It’s had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. But all the time I’se been a-climbin’ on, And reachin’ landin’s, And turnin’ corners, And sometimes goin’ in the dark Where there ain’t been no light. So boy, don’t you turn back. Don’t you set down on the steps ’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard. Don’t you fall now— For I’se still goin’, honey, I’se still climbin’, And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. (The Gallery, Dogs, Gordon Parks, NYC, Portraits)
Clam Chowder Today: 1905
New York City circa 1905. "Exterior of tenement." The longer you look at this, the ... restaurants in that immediate area. Tenement? In New York City a "tenement" is considered to be a small (under five story with ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 2:37pm -

New York City circa 1905. "Exterior of tenement." The longer you look at this, the more you'll see. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Time for some road repairWow, that's a nasty bit of road in front of that building. HauntingBest face-in-a-window shot in a long time. Looks like a painting, and speaks of timeless solitude across a century. 308Who'll be the first to post a Street View? S&H Green StampsAnd here I thought they were a product of the 1950s, or earlier. ["Earlier" would seem to be correct. - Dave] Pop. 2So far I see two people in this photo. Not counting George McClellan. I wanna buy that mason a beer!Those are the coolest headers I've ever seen! There's probably a term for that style, for all I know. The cobblestones on the street are another story. No doubt a mosquito plague after every rain. DeepI think I lost a truck in that pothole. Scared the bejesus out of me!The shadowy lady in the doorway! And the pensive woman in the window looks so lost in thought. The people in this photo are the best part! Down in flamesHmmm, fire escapes that go nowhere. Maybe notI was thinking of swiping something out of that tool chest, then I read the label! Loafer DeterrentThose sharp triangles on the top of the railings look to be very effective at keeping people from sitting on them. [Also effective for loafing pigeons -- note that they're also on the lower rung. - Dave] Trading stampsThat S&H Green Stamp sign would be quite a collectible now. Sperry & Hutchinson began in 1896. They're still around, just virtual. Give the man a steak to go with the beer!The brickwork is fantastic. Look at the fancy work above the second floor windows and the double diamondwork up the walls. I have never seen diamondwork in brick before. It does not survive.308 East 40th Street (courtesy of the 1915 city directory). View Larger Map Chillin at the windowI count two windowsill milk bottles. Plus some paper-wrapped packages, maybe meat or butter. I just figured it outWhy do vintage street lamps always those two arms sticking out? To support a ladder for maintenance! Thank you!Clicking on these photos to get the full-size view is like opening gifts! I'm thrilled every time. Thank you. Tudor City308 East 40th Street in Manhattan is just off Second Avenue on the south side of the street and just a few doors away from the Tudor City apartment and park complex. Back in the 1980's, there were some terrific restaurants in that immediate area. Tenement?In New York City a "tenement" is considered to be a small (under five story with no elevator) overcrowded run-down building. The houses on the Lower East Side in the early 1900s were tenements. 308 East 40th Street does not fit that description. [Meanings change over time. Strictly speaking, a tenement is any tenanted building, i.e. apartment house. Below, NYC real-estate listings from 1905. - Dave] GaslightThe lamplighter would lean his ladder against those arms. It's a gas!I see that H. Kino the Tailor still uses gaslights (in the front window) -- but seeing as how this building was a "tenement," I suppose electrification was a low priority. Fire EscapesThe two "Fire Escapes" I guess are not balconies but have no apparent way to get down to street and away from the conflagration. The only thing I can figure is the NYFD would come and raise a ladder to them. We can't tell how tall the building is but I imagine no more than four or five stories [Actually, seven. - Dave]. The fire escapes for the floors above must be on the sides and rear of the building. I am having trouble identifying the metal bracket affixed to the wall between the tailor shop window and it's door. It looks like it could have held a hanging sign but appears to be too low. Morning scrubbingThe lady in at the doorway seems to be scrubbing the floors. You can see the water dripping down the front step. Graffiti If you zoom in you can see initials chalked on the bricks. JuniorIn spite of the apparent distaste someone in this neighborhood had for George B. McClellan, he won his mayoral campaign. The name sounds familiar, of course, and the man on the poster is the son of Civil War General George B. McClellan. He served as mayor of New York City from 1904 to 1909 (he was elected first for a two-year term, and then for a four-year term). Apparently he was a little moralistic, and canceled all motion-picture exhibition licenses on Christmas Eve 1908. Perhaps that's why he was not encouraged to run for reelection for the 1910 term. Once, tenements were even respectableLovely curtains, with lace or bobbles or fringe, at every window. No broken glass. Well-kept and middle-class. Jacob Riis had shown New York tenements as nothing but degrading slums. "How The Other Half Lives" was only 15 years old when this photograph was made. But there was always a strong sense of middle-class values that resided in the people who lived in the "better" tenements. They embraced the Settlement House movement, strove to present a "decent" face to the world, and certainly didn't want to be tarred with the same label as those dirty, disreputable slum-dwellers downtown. What an amazing image. There's so much we've forgotten. Thank you for reminding us. George B. McClellan JrMayor of New York 1904-1909. Born in Dresden, Germany, and son of Gen. McClellan of Civil War blundering. Elmer's GantryOn the wall above the cellar stairs, there's a triangular rig for hoisting stuff up out of the basement. Where'd the cart go?There are two other photos of this tenement in the Library of Congress collection. They look much more inhabited and show how this image might have been manipulated for effect -- the other images show the address number (curiously missing here), the awning down, and a cart of produce in front of the building, a much more inviting view. [Nothing was "manipulated." You can't see the address numbers because they're on the front doors, which are both open in this view. - Dave] Lace Curtain IrishIf this is chowda, it must be Friday. When I was a kid, every Friday was meatless and during that era, the better-off Irish were referred to as titled. Likewise the Polish people who were "comfortable" were "silk stocking Poles" and my father used to call us cotton stocking Poles. Both ethnicities were Catholic and Friday always meant seafood, (Irish were also referred to as "mackerel snappers) and odors of frying fish, tuna salad and chowda permeated the neighborhoods. My mom made three kinds of chowda, New England with a creamy, white base, Manhattan with a tomato base and lots of vegetables and Rhode Island which was a lighter version of the N.E. kind but with added broth. I love them all but also miss the smell of everybody's tuna and onion sandwiches at school lunch and fish frying aromas wafting through our town at supper time. I do remember that fresh mackerel was ten cents a pound and almost everyone could afford it. Thanks for the great nostalgic picture, the despairing lady in the window seems trapped and scared, there has to be a story there. Windowsill gardenI love the window with all the plants in it! Hard to tell what they are, though it looks like one may be an orchid. I wonder if they were purely ornamental or if some were herbs for cooking. Either way, you've got to cram as many as you can into your available sunny spaces! Francie is gazing out the windowIt could be Francie. It could. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn was my favorite book as a young adult and this detailed photograph brings a better understanding of the novel. Almost "Norman Rockwell"Imagine a 5000-piece picture puzzle with this photo as the topic! I LEARN so much from the comments!This is one of my favorite sites for resting my weary eyes during work breaks. And while I certainly savor the photos, so many layers are added by the comments. Thank you, everyone, for sharing your knowledge. Holy horse dung!Having lived in Manhattan for 12 (yes, only 12) years and having moved away, this photo leaves me speechless. The detail of the photographic process is amazing and the subtle (and somewhat hidden) joys on view here make me wanna head back for any chowder--even the famous Gowanus Canal Chow. All the sights, smells and sounds of the greatest city on earth come back to me. Many thanks. I now live on this spotOr possibly right next to it. I live in the Churchill, a 33-story apartment building at 300 East 40th Street - it takes up the entire block between 39th and 40th Street, and 2nd Avenue and Tunnel Entrance Street. 308 was either torn down to make room for the Churchill (built 1968) or possibly during the building of the Midtown tunnel and its approaches (1936-40). What am I missing?Just wondering how "swein" determined that this was E. 40th; might I be enlightened on this "1915 directory"? I'm half-cringing in anticipation of a "duh" moment but I've looked over the pic & the comments -- and I'm not getting it. [Swein consulted the 1915 Manhattan City Directory for Wm. Inwood, Grocer, and found a listing that matched the 308 address in the window. - Dave] Do You Supposethe Sicilian Asphalt Company also offered a line of concrete shoes? (The Gallery, DPC, NYC, Stores & Markets)
Shooting the Bull: 1913
... Bain Collection. View full size. Headline in the New York Times : MAN IS SHOT DEAD IN CHASE FOR STEER Frenzied Animal ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2011 - 10:16am -

Nov. 3, 1913. "Shooting bull, Central Park." 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size. Headline in the New York Times: MAN IS SHOT DEAD IN CHASE FOR STEER Frenzied Animal Tears Down Fifth Avenue, Police Shooting From Taxicabs. SEVEN OTHERS SCATTER Wild Bullet Slays a Watchman -- Waiter Is Wounded -- All the Beeves Caught or Killed. The steer which caused the excitement in Fifth Avenue was one of eight which escaped from the yards of the New York Stock Company at Sixtieth Street and the North River. In the pursuit another man was wounded, a policeman was trampled on, and a delivery wagon was wrecked. The excitement began about 4 o'clock yesterday morning and did not end until five hours later, when the last steer was shot to death in Central Park. The steer which alarmed Fifth Avenue was one of the wildest of the lot, and it was a police bullet fired at it which went wild and killed George Beattie, night watchman of the building under construction at 24 East 55th Street. ... The steer, bleeding from wounds, turned into Fifty-Fifth Street, followed by a string of revolver-popping automobiles. ... According to stockyard authorities, about 200 short-horn Oregon steers were unloaded yesterday morning, consigned to various butchers in the city ... Original Keystone Kops?"Police Shooting From Taxicabs" Good grief, maybe the Keystone Kops were a documentary. Running of the BullsPamplona has nothing on us. We not only had the the running of the bulls, but a Wild West shootout in Midtown Manhattan. There was the posse (cops in taxicabs), town folk killed and wounded as well as a stampede with one the Marshals trampled. I also learned about the North River, which is the southernmost part of the Hudson River. The best we can do now is an occasional shooting by patrons outside some nightclub in Chelsea. BeevesThanks for finally cluing me in the plural of beef! Neither my wife nor I had ever heard of "beeves". I looked it up in my dictionary and sure enough, it is the plural for beef! BeevesWe learned the plural of Beef in English probably back in the 6th grade, guess everyone did not have this or just did not remember. My great-grandfather!Can you tell me where this picture came from? The watchman who was killed by a stray police bullet was my great grandfather. I have seen the NY Times article before, but never this photo. Very cool! (The Gallery, Animals, G.G. Bain, NYC)
Shadow-Catcher: 1839
... is connected to the Inter-Net! Robert Cornelius The New York Times, May 4, 1895: Headline: Advance in Photograph As set forth ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2018 - 5:44pm -

Philadelphia, November 1839. "Robert Cornelius, self-portrait facing front, arms crossed. Inscription on backing: The first light-picture ever taken. 1839." One of the first photographs made in the United States, this quarter-plate daguerreotype, taken in the yard of the Cornelius family's lamp-making business in Philadelphia, is said to be the earliest photographic portrait of a person. View full size. Sitting time?How long would an exposure have been for that process back then? This looks rather casual compared to other early portraits. Love That BobDashing devil! Love these old daguerreotypes. - Katherine How Handsome!I'd date him! What a beautiful photograph. Johnny?He looks like Johnny Depp's "Sweeney Todd" character. Mr. CWow, Mr. Cornelius was kinda ... hot. He has that Mr. Darcy look about him. Well, *had* that look about him. RobertI think the casual history of photography posits that there wasn't really any photography before the Civil War. Of course this is untrue, but I enjoy seeing this "from the beginning" example! And it's been mentioned before, but Mr. C is incredibly good looking. Being a 23-year-old 169 years after this photo was taken, that seems a bit creepy, but I guess it's good to appreciate true beauty throughout the ages. If only Mr. C had come along a little later, Colin Firth would have indeed been out of a job! CastingWill Hugh Jackman be playing him in the movie? Wild ManeAll those years of having my hair perfectly coiffed for school pictures, family portraits, team photos... and it was meant to be free from the beginning! Quite handsome!He lived until 1893. I wonder if he admired this portrait in his old age and thought, Heh, I was pretty good looking back in the day... Wonder what the rest of his life was like. Did he marry? Here's a link to an article about him from Godey's Lady's Book http://www.daguerre.org/resource/texts/cornelius.html Time MachineHe looks skeptical. Little does he know that the funny box he is staring into is connected to the Inter-Net! Robert CorneliusThe New York Times, May 4, 1895: Headline: Advance in Photograph As set forth some time ago at the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia's claims for priority are ... Robert Cornelius of Philadelphia obtained the first picture of a human face by Daguerre's process in the world, November, 1839, in the yard of his residence, 176 Chestnut (710) Street ... in February, 1840, opened, at the northeast corner of Eighth Street and Lodge Alley, the first portrait studio in America, if not in the world. Good lordHe is really good looking. Jeez. Now I need to think about how he probably wouldn't be very good date material nowadays (women can VOTE???). Nicolas Huet. 1837Nicolas Huet. 1837... probably the first portrait ever made [There are questions surrounding this claim, made 10 years ago on a French web site. - Dave] How Gorgeous!!I'm in love. Too bad he's dead and I'm 70. It could have been something wonderful. SideburnsYes, please! Wowzers!Just another female chiming in about how gorgeous he is! I bet he had all the beauties swooning over him back in the day! I'd love to read more about him! Robert Cornelius.He did take another one in 1843, covering his face though. RobertThe 1870 Census shows a Robert Cornelius (60) in Philly married to Harriett (55), with four children living at home: John (30), Fannie (23), Helen (20) and Constance (16). I'm guessing this is our man from his age and listed occupation as "manuf. of gas fixture." The Census also seems to show that he was rather well off and that his son followed in the family business. What a treasure, thanks as always Dave. Mrs. DJS Robert CorneliusThe quite handsome Cornelius bears a strong resemblance to Beethoven. See 1820 portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler when Beethoven was 50. Bed-head is not something new to this generation but it seems to suit both gentlemen. Family TreeThis picture makes me want to do some genealogy work...my maiden name is Cornelius and there are many resemblances to my father and his father... huh. I don't know much as my grandfather died when my dad was little... Interesting! Heathcliff?My twin brother Carl recently showed me an edition of "Wuthering Heights" which has this daguerreotype as the front cover illustration, and we both realize...Robert Cornelius could be Mr. Heathcliff, exactly as he is described in the novel, with that handsome yet brooding countenance, including the military-style sideburns! Mr. Cornelius could also easily be a younger version of Edward Rochester, and I feel that both Charlotte and Emily Bronte would agree! Yorkshire, UKHe looks like a modern day Dr Who! Gorgeous? yes! BDIHIf anyone is wondering why this is currently No. 1 on Shorpy, it's because this Lewis Powell photo has been blogged on Jezebel.com, thanks to a post on Bangable Dudes in History. [Super. I wonder how long it'll be before Jared Loughner attains bangability. - Dave] Yup...I'd do him. (The Gallery, Bizarre, Handsome Rakes, Portraits)
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