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Sugar, Incorporated: 1937
... to be unloaded. East Grand Forks, Minnesota." Photo by Russell Lee for the FSA. View full size. It used to seem normal and natural ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/01/2018 - 10:06am -

October 1937. "Sugar beet factory with trucks lined up waiting to be unloaded. East Grand Forks, Minnesota." Photo by Russell Lee for the FSA. View full size. It used to seem normal and naturalBelching smokestacks, I mean. When I was growing up (Massachusetts in the 1960s), we had lots of factories in town, and thick black smoke was common. Now, it seems shocking to see such visible pollution. Industrial BreathThat's really quite the black plume. What were they doing - burning the sugar once they extracted it from the beets? Black diamonds help produce white goldThat is one impressive coal pile - they must have stockpiled it during the year to get ready for the fall sugar beet harvest. Great business for the railroad, even though it seems from this picture that trucks have the advantage on the inbound sugar beets. This facility still exists, although in much altered form - it's owned by American Crystal Sugar. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Factories, Russell Lee)
Bottlecap Blowup: 1939
... . Quemado, Texas." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Better call ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/21/2019 - 2:59pm -

March 1939. "Detail of bottle caps decorating abandoned theater. Quemado, Texas." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Better call SaulOuch, the sharp edge is facing out, today that would be inviting a lawsuit. Who Knew?Quemado, Texas was the birthplace of "pop" art?!? Seriously, though, this is a very "cap"-tivating photo! Growing up, I seem to recall cork being used in bottle caps well into the 1970s. I still prefer glass-bottled pop (or soda) to the plastic bottles or aluminum cans used today. Somehow, it just tastes better. Advancing yearsI’d forgotten about the cork inside bottle caps. Cork!I have a memory of being at my grandparents' house back in the late '50s and seeing cork lined Coke bottle caps there. I can’t remember seeing them anywhere else or if cork had been replaced by then but I well remember being maybe 5-ish and using my fingernails to try to dig out the cork. More on corkI definitely remember cork inside Coke/Pepsi/7-Up bottlecaps at least into the '70s -- I used to try to dig the cork out as a kid too! Who's got the corkOne of the largest manufacturers of bottle caps at that time was the Crown Cork and Seal Company. Wearing a Pepsi badgeMore fun than a kid should have: 1. Carefully dig the cork out of the cap. Don’t break the cork or the fun won’t happen. 2. Position the cap carefully on your t-shirt. Right side up. Not too high or low. Sort of like a sheriff’s badge. 3. Reach up inside the shirt and press the cork back into the cap. 4. Wear it proudly! Yes, it does taste differentSoft drinks (like Coca-Cola, etc.) do taste different when bottled in glass as compared to aluminum or plastic. As it was explained to me at a Dr. Pepper convention, the difference has to do with how quickly the product cools to room temperature after being bottled. And a huge tip-of-the-hat to those bottlers who have returned to producing relatively small batches of their products using cane sugar in recent years. The industry switched to corn syrup decades ago simply because it is cheaper. (The Gallery, Bizarre, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Bottlecap Bijou: 1939
... caps. Quemado, Texas." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. WIP It's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/21/2019 - 2:56pm -

March 1939. "Abandoned theater decorated with bottle caps. Quemado, Texas." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. WIPIt's obvious that the bottle-cap builder intended to finish the job. What happened? Perhaps he/she couldn't drink that much soda pop ... or whatever ... before losing interest or being called away on more pressing business. Truth in advertisingQuemado means 'burned' in Spanish. Weary traveler, consider yourself warned. (The Gallery, Bizarre, Movies, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Working Mom: 1939
... encamped near Spiro. Sequoyah County, Oklahoma." Photo by Russell Lee. View full size. Poor When I look at one of these pictures, I am ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/11/2014 - 3:59pm -

June 1939. "Mother and child, agricultural day laborer family encamped near Spiro. Sequoyah County, Oklahoma." Photo by Russell Lee. View full size. PoorWhen I look at one of these pictures, I am reminded how much I have now. My grandparents would say that they were poor when they were young, and it does not sink in that this may be what they are talking about. BasketsI remember those baskets while growing up in the 50s-60s. Do they still make them? (The Gallery, Great Depression, Kids, Russell Lee)
Reading Room: 1936
... December 1936. Untitled photograph taken in rural Iowa by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. 35mm nitrate negative. View full ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 6:43pm -

December 1936. Untitled photograph taken in rural Iowa by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. 35mm nitrate negative. View full size. The look on her face...It's like that little girl can see us here in the future, but nobody is going to believe her, and she'll forget all about it when she grows up. But it happened-she saw us here back in 1936! (The Gallery, Kids, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Check, Please: 1941
... migratory labor camp mobile unit. Wilder, Idaho." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Did you get ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/04/2018 - 9:00pm -

May 1941. "Child at FSA migratory labor camp mobile unit. Wilder, Idaho." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Did you get any in ya?An expression heard frequently in my family. HipsterOh, those sandals! Been there,done that. (The Gallery, Kids, Kitchens etc., Russell Lee)
Modern Signal: 1939
... near Shaftsbury, Vermont." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Shades of O. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/16/2018 - 5:08pm -

October 1939. "Railroad crossing near Shaftsbury, Vermont." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Shades of O. Winston Link!All it needs is to be taken in the dark with a truckload of flash apparatus. Oh, and a train might be nice, too. The Rutland RoadThis is most likely the main line of the Rutland Railroad Co. The Rutland Road went into receivership on May 5, 1938, and was still operating that way when the picture was taken. It recovered a bit during WWII but lost most of its stone, milk and passenger traffic in the 1950s and was bought by the State of Vermont in 1963. It is still(?) state-owned as the Vermont Railway Inc., and does see some traffic. Shaftsbury was just north of the Rutland's connection to Troy via North Bennington, which was one of the more profitable parts of the route because it allowed traffic from Albany and points south to go north to Montreal via Rouse's Point, N.Y., without traversing of the mountains on the south and west side of Lake Champlain via Plattsburg. (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Railroads, Russell Lee)
Colorado Caboose: 1940
... gauge railway. Telluride, Colorado." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Stuck in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/23/2019 - 1:52pm -

September 1940. "Caboose of the Rio Grande Southern narrow gauge railway. Telluride, Colorado." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Stuck in the middle, or a good guessThis shot apparently was taken the same day as the Telluride photo posted the other day. If you expand the earlier picture, you'll see the train has arrived in town with a boxcar behind the caboose. There can be a number of reasons for placing it there. My guess is the boxcar has mechanical problems (air line leak; coupler drawbar issues) that forced the crew to bring it in like that. It likely was placed on a siding where the car dept. people could fix the problem before it continued its trip. BTW, RGS caboose 0402 survives today at Knott's Berry Farm. (Too bad same can't be said for the Rio Grande Southern RR.) In the middleAnyone know why this caboose wouldn't be at the end of the train? Time ParadoxOlde Buck - thanks for the note that the caboose is now located at Knott's Berry Farm. My first job when I was 15 was at Knott's and I had been there several times as a kid before that (I grew up down the street from it). It's strange to see a photo today of something that I had seen as a kid a loooonng time ago several decades before I saw (and probably crawled around) it. I'm not sure what kind of whiplash time machine that is, but there's probably a term for it. (The Gallery, Railroads, Russell Lee)
Chest Carver: 1940
... are adept in many of the handcrafts." Acetate negative by Russell Lee. View full size. The "boy" looks like Anthony Quinn ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/28/2020 - 12:03pm -

July 1940. "Chamisal, New Mexico. Spanish-American boy with chest which he carved. These people are adept in many of the handcrafts." Acetate negative by Russell Lee. View full size. The "boy" looks like Anthony QuinnNot the "Zorba the Greek" Anthony Quinn. More like the "Lust for Life" Anthony Quinn. My takeActor Michael Pate (The Gallery, Portraits, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Breaking: 1940
... View full size. Medium format safety negative by Russell Lee. Penasco I don't know if I've ever seen anything creepier than the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/05/2008 - 11:28pm -

July 1940. "Acrobat and audience at Spanish-American traveling show. Penasco, New Mexico." View full size. Medium format safety negative by Russell Lee. PenascoI don't know if I've ever seen anything creepier than the masked gentleman to the right of the drums. Forget giggling with your girlfriends! I'd be running away. (The Gallery, Music, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Last Call: 1937
... Winton, Minnesota." Medium format nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Today ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/28/2016 - 2:05pm -

August 1937. "Abandoned saloon. Winton, Minnesota." Medium format nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Today[The place certainly has grown. - Dave] Latte, anyone?Looks like a promising location for a Starbucks... (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Ricycle: 1938
... Crowley, Louisiana. View full size. 35mm negative by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. No Matches Please! The rider would ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/03/2008 - 1:02pm -

October 1938. Watching the National Rice Festival parade in Crowley, Louisiana. View full size. 35mm negative by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. No Matches Please!The rider would end up like the Wicker Man. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Russell Lee)
Pinus Ponderosa: 1942
... View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Russell Lee) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2012 - 3:29pm -

July 1942. "Stand of virgin ponderosa pine, Malheur National Forest, Grant County, Oregon." View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Russell Lee. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Russell Lee)
En Famille: 1941
... San Diego, California." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Made Cents ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/05/2018 - 11:23am -

June 1941. "Family of Marine in their living room. They live in one of the units of the Navy defense housing project which is designed for Naval people, Marines and some civilian defense workers. San Diego, California." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Made CentsThat the coin in Mom's shoe was a wheat penny So fa ... so goodMy very first apartment in Chicago had that very same sofa bed, complete with the same upholstery. Didn't have the matching chair though. April 12 issue of Collier's"Defense on Ice" by Walter Davenport, Collier's, April 12, 1941. Sitting on top of the Life magazine. The Instagram of its DayLooks like the Life magazine at the bottom of the stack under the coffee table is the April 14 issue, which you can read here. It covered everything from the war to a Hollywood Production Code edict banning shots of "sweater girls" (with pictures of course). Long goneThe recruit training center for Marines is still in San Diego but the adjacent Navy RTC/NTC has been relegated to civilian use. Many of the old buildings are converted yet some have been removed for new homes. USS Reversal remains. Quite the trendy area now. I boot camped/schooled there for several months in 1977/78 and recently went back to find the place familiarly differentised. What is it?That object in the box on the table. The round thing with holes of different sizes. Perhaps a cigarette holder ? I don't smoke so how would I know! (The Gallery, Russell Lee)
Battle of the Bands: 1938
... Louisiana." View full size. Medium format negative by Russell Lee. Well sir, I'm Jordan Rivers And these here are the Soggy ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/14/2008 - 10:07am -

October 1938. "Musicians in cajun band contest at the National Rice Festival. Crowley, Louisiana." View full size. Medium format negative by Russell Lee. Well sir, I'm Jordan RiversAnd these here are the Soggy Bottom Boys. Songs of salvation to soothe the soul. First thing I thought of. Thomas Hart BentonSomething about this photo reminds me of the paintings and murals of Thomas Hart Benton, who was very active in the same time period. (The Gallery, Music, Russell Lee)
Ghost Tractor: 1937
... home of the "$240 Staude." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Mak-A-Tractor ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/23/2019 - 4:21pm -

November 1937. "Old building in Plentywood, Montana." Former home of the "$240 Staude." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Mak-A-Tractor That would be the Staude Mak-A-Tractor conversion kit for the Model T. Steel lug rear wheels with gear reduction built in. Cars axle drove small gears that ran in larger gears on the inside surface of the wheels. Before there was spray paint ...Street gangstas had to content themselves with soaping windows. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Frontier Life, Russell Lee)
Agua Fria: 1940
... Arizona." View full size. Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. Thanks Thanks for posting ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 6:51pm -

May 1940. "Young migratory agricultural workers singing at the Saturday night dance. Agua Fria migratory labor camp, Arizona." View full size. Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. ThanksThanks for posting these pictures on your blog. My son is always asking me what things were like in "the old back days." Now I can show him. Plan on returning. (The Gallery, Music, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Santa Fe Trailways: 1940
... Socorro-Springerville Express . Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Nice touch I notice some light colored ... (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Pie Town, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/15/2020 - 2:10pm -

June 1940. "Stage in front of the post office at Pie Town, New Mexico. This stage comes through daily except Sunday. It takes in cream for the Pie Town farmers to Magdalena and Socorro and then returns the empty cans." Our second look at the Pie Town stop of the Socorro-Springerville Express. Medium format negative by Russell Lee. View full size. Nice touchI notice some light colored pinstriping on the wheel wells of the fenders on this great vehicle. Car 1403, Where Are You?I wonder how long it took them to cover the 150 plus miles between Socorro and Springerville. And if that was the load always carried, how many miles between flats, breakdowns, and other assorted mechanical problems. Hoosier Taxi jump seatsWhen I was young, circa 1963, my hometown had a few taxis that looked just like this. What I found most interesting was that on the back of the front seats there were four little round seats, each about the size of a dinner plate, that folded down; sitting on one meant you were facing the folks on the rear seat. Every Tuesday in the summer, my mom and aunt would call a taxi, and shovel all nine of the kids (aged 4-12) they had between them into the back. As the smallest, I ALWAYS managed to grab one of the little fold-down seats. And off we'd go, without adults, to the New Moon theatre to watch a double header matinee for 25 cents each. Who needs seatbelts when there are nine little bodies packed in like sardines? And the taxi would be waiting a block away for us every time, what days those werec... Oh, and my brother managed to open the suicide door once and almost fell out as we were moving along! I just remembered that! Sailing Alonghttps://www.allpar.com/history/plymouth/1937.html Pie TownThe vehicle appears to be a 1937 Plymouth DeLuxe seven-passenger sedan. For those who didn't know, the road between Socorro and Springerville is Highway 60. The Continental Divide at 8,000 feet is just east of Pie Town and the highway at that time was unpaved. Anywhere but hereWho's the young man inside the door, dreaming of life somewhere else? Picked up a rockLooks like one of those unpaved roads threw a rock into the windshield in front of the passenger. If someone was seated there at the time it must have been a shock. Parcel PostThe taxi company must also have a contract with the Post Office Department. That's a #2 Parcel Post sack being carried into the building. How do I know? 36 years with the Postal Service. I recognize the hasp. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Pie Town, Russell Lee, Stores & Markets)
Lil Popeye: 1938
... After the spinach ran out. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Wonder what ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/21/2012 - 1:00pm -

October 1938. Crowley, Louisiana. "Woman with child in front of store during National Rice Festival parade." After the spinach ran out. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Wonder what Popeye is made of?Another great Shorpy photo. Wonder if Popeye the (stuffed?) toy is made of an early plastic, or ceramic (doubtful) or painted wood (also doubtful) or maybe knitted yarn? Whatever it is, I'll bet it would be worth a bunch today as an old-time toy. [Looks like inflatable rubber or plastic. See above comment entitled "Stuffed." - tterrace] Take a strollJudging by the handle, the stroller is a "Taylor Tot" stroller. Made from the 1920's to the 1970's, they were the most popular style in the 1950's. StuffedPopeye appears to be a fabric doll which has been stuffed like a rag doll. Fabric stores used to carry fabric printed with the front and back of popular characters. Just take home, cut out, sew, and stuff with cotton batting. [tterrace bows to the expertise of his sister, and withdraws his previous comment. - tterrace] Inflatable?I tend to agree with tterrace's first impression. The toy reminds me of similar inflatable toys that were around my grandmother's house as I was growing up in the 50s. It looks too shiny and smooth to be fabric. I tried doing a quick search and found two things quickly: If you search for "inflatable toys", no matter how carefully you define your terms, you will get mostly sex toys for results. The other was that the beach ball, with pop-out valve, was invented in 1938. Which at least confirms that inflatables were around at this time. Stand Your Ground tterraceThat looks like a blowup valve on the back of Popeye's head. Popeye's value todayJust might put a big dent in the farm mortage back then. Inflated, for sureNote the scalloping along Popeye's legs and (looks like, anyway) cap. You can clearly see the external welded seam of the plastic. Sorry, Sis! Definitely inflatedThe fact that there is the rippled edge is a clear give-away. A single seam completely around the edge and then reversed (inside out) and the bend lines in the knees and elbows are indications. While stuffed toys often have ripples in the seams, inflatables have them all the way around. I got a number such toys when I was little, in the 1950s at fairs at the balloon vendor. Blow upBlow up toy for sure. A stuffed toy would bend downward, when held by the leg like that. No matter how tight you stuff the batting, the weight would bend it. [It is bending. There's a kink in the leg. I agree with tterrace's sister -- it's cloth, stuffed and stitched. - Dave] Further down. She does not have a tight grip on it either. And his chest is too shiney for fabric. Enough about PopeyeWhat is that strange alien looking balloon critter on her left? Looks like it escaped from area 51! To stuff or not to stuffI'm pretty sure it's an inflatable, for several reasons: There appears to be machined, scalloped edges; and there are no lumps. A stuffed doll would not have had perfect, identical seams and at least some kind of lumpage over time. As for tterrace, I can sympathize with you deferring to your sister. I have 7 sisters myself, all of them older than me; thus, at an early age, I quickly learned "The Sister Rules": 1 - Never ask them their age; 2 - Never ask them their weight; and 3 - Never contradict them, regardless of whether you're right or wrong. However, since your sister isn't MY sister, I can make the following statement with complete confidence (that she won't find me and hurt me): Your original assessment was correct: inflated. :-) George (The Gallery, Kids, Russell Lee)
Telluride P.O.: 1940
... post office at Telluride, Colorado." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Miners ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/04/2020 - 1:57pm -

September 1940. "Former miners' hospital, now the post office at Telluride, Colorado." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Miners Hospital, now apartments Everything has a reasonIn the Google street view the stairs go straight up from the sidewalk to the front door. In the 1940 photograph it looks like that was the original arrangement, but for some reason the stairs had been rebuilt to the side. The change resulted in a minimal number of fewer stairs that could have been covered either way. At some later date someone decided it was worth the effort and expense to [re]build a straight staircase. (The Gallery, Frontier Life, Russell Lee)
Rabies Babies: 1939
... a local man was financing it." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Raw Milk? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/26/2018 - 4:00pm -

June 1939. "Day laborer and his family who live in the Arkansas River bottoms near Webbers Falls, Oklahoma. This entire family was taking anti-rabic serum after drinking milk from a cow which had rabies. There were no public funds for this treatment and a local man was financing it." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Raw Milk?As in unpasteurized? If so theoretically yes, a human could then get rabies via milk if the bacteria wasn’t killed off but on the other hand there has never been a documented case of it happening either. Even cattle today are not typically vaccinated against rabies, which does in fact occur, though not common. I suppose it’s all water under the bridge by now, or fussin’ over, er, spilled milk. Rough timesThe absolute despair of their condition is written on the father's face. (The Gallery, Camping, Kids, Russell Lee)
Allen-Bradley: 1940
... "Putting up a new traffic signal in San Diego." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The traffic ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/16/2017 - 1:47pm -

December 1940. "Putting up a new traffic signal in San Diego." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The traffic lightManufactured by General Electric between roughly 1937 and 1950, this is the Novalux sectionalized signal. The lenses are commonly referred to as "spiderweb" style and if you look closely you can see the GE logo embedded in the center of the lens. The pic below is one from my collection. Interesting that they painted these in the field after installation instead of beforehand. New Problems Don't Always Make Older BetterYeah LEDs don't get hot enough to melt snow, but with the amount of money saved in electricity and re-lamping (LED signals use about 1/10 the electricity of incandescents, and last about 10 times longer) they can afford a crew to go out and blow off the signals with compressed air or brush them off with a pole the very few times a year when it might matter. [U.S. Patent 7211771 B1, "De-Icing System for Traffic Signals." -Dave] Older Was BetterYou all may have noticed the proliferation of LED traffic signals in your area. I can tell you that in Erie, PA, the new ones don't get hot enough to melt the snow that blows into them. Same with LED marker signals and headlights on cars. Newer ain't necessarily better. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Russell Lee)
Old MacDonald: 1938
... Louisiana." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the FSA. Color me tired Now in color! Click to enlarge. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/05/2008 - 11:57am -

October 1938. "Farmer at the National Rice Festival taking a rest. Crowley, Louisiana." View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the FSA. Color me tiredNow in color! Click to enlarge. (The Gallery, Russell Lee, Small Towns)
Our Town: Pie Town!
Main Street, Pie Town. Sept. 1940. Kodachrome by Russell Lee. View full size. (The Gallery, Pie Town, Rural America, Russell ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2011 - 3:53pm -

Main Street, Pie Town. Sept. 1940. Kodachrome by Russell Lee. View full size. (The Gallery, Pie Town, Rural America, Russell Lee)
Little Squirt: 1941
... fountain. Fourth of July picnic in Vale, Oregon." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Possible ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/07/2014 - 4:00am -

July 1941. "Fun at the water fountain. Fourth of July picnic in Vale, Oregon." Photo by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Possible Current ViewNo idea if this is the exact location, but the large cement square is there. View Larger Map DelightfulCandid shot; boys being boys! (The Gallery, July 4, Kids, Russell Lee)
Shasta Dam: 1942
... Shasta County, California." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Office of War Information. View full size. What A ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/04/2017 - 7:51pm -

June 1942. "Shasta Dam under construction. Shasta County, California." Medium format negative by Russell Lee for the Office of War Information. View full size. What A Fascinating Image!Wow! I am so moved by a lot of the photographs on Shorpy, but this one! Well, one of the best I have seen on the site as far as angle, lighting and action. I might have to hang this one in my office. High anxietyAt first look it is hard to tell which way is up. Mr. Escher would likely have approved of this composition. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Industry & Public Works, Russell Lee)
American Lunch: 1938
... D.C. "Buildings on L Street." 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. NW or NE? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/12/2012 - 5:32pm -

January 1938. Washington, D.C. "Buildings on L Street." 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. NW or NE?Does anyone know whether this is L Street NW or L Street NE? It's N.W.I Googled the address to see if I could find a current view and located a "then and now" picture on a website called "Vanished: Washington." I have no connection to the site, BTW. http://www.theruinedcapitol.com/2012/02/1809-1807-l-street-nw.html (The Gallery, D.C., Russell Lee)
Water Boys: 1939
... about a dozen families. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma." Photo by Russell Lee. View full size.         General caption: ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/19/2020 - 8:24pm -

July 1939. "Children of May Avenue camp pumping water from thirty-foot well which supplies about a dozen families. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma." Photo by Russell Lee. View full size.         General caption: Photographs show exterior and interior of shacks, tents, other makeshift shelter in May Avenue camp, which is partially under bridge and adjacent to city dump and hog wallow. Squalor, filth, vermin in which poverty-stricken inhabitants dwell. Water supplied by shallow wells and water peddler. Piles of rubbish and debris in which children and adults have injured feet. Privies. Families eating food from vegetable dumps, packing houses and discarded from hospital. Children clothed in gunny sacks. Malnourished babies. Sick people. Cooking, washing, ironing, patching. Improvised chicken coop. Corn patch." Just imagineThere are some people who view back then as "The Good Old Days." (The Gallery, Great Depression, Kids, OKC, Russell Lee)
Rural Pacification: 1941
... unit. Wilder, Idaho." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Semi digital ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/04/2018 - 12:28am -

May 1941. "Farm worker with his wife and their twin babies at the FSA migratory labor camp mobile unit. Wilder, Idaho." Medium format acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Semi digitalBoy they look young, with a very nice hand-me-down pram. Looks like our young mother is missing a digit. Farming accident? [You are mistaken (see below). Fingers bend! - Dave] Gave me a chuckleSeeing Dave's comment "pacification" I couldn't see the connection of parents and a baby carriage to pacification, then I saw the pacifiers. Ha! Next thought, does Dave lay awake at night thinking up these witty wisdoms or do they just come naturally? In either case, thanks for the extra enjoyment. [Rural Pacification comes from the Vietnam War. - Dave] The happy familyDad seems a little overwhelmed, or maybe unsure about being photographed, but Momma's expression of pride and love is unmistakable. I hope they prospered. Maybe later, Dad will get to enjoy a Grain Belt beer. That SmirkThe smirk on Mom's face and her hand nudging the squinting twin into facing the camera make me laugh. Parents never change and neither do babies! Side BuckleThe way the fella is wearing his belt is interesting. You'd see more of that style of wearing the belt with the greasers/rockabilly guys in a few years from when this photo taken. [Actually the side buckle was a staple of 1930s men's fashion. - Dave] The wearing of the buckleI wore my belt buckle off to one side in the '60s. I didn't want to scratch the paint on the fender of my car when working on it, which was a constant thing. (The Gallery, Agriculture, Kids, Russell Lee)
Co-op Gasoline: 1937
... movement started by Finnish immigrants. Photo by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Corn to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/23/2017 - 5:09pm -

August 1937. "Virginia, Minnesota -- cooperative service station of the Virginia Work People's Trading Company." One manifestation of the Iron Range consumer cooperative movement started by Finnish immigrants. Photo by Russell Lee for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Corn to StudebakersMy father was employed at the Elanto Co-op in nearby Nashwauk in this era. Virginia was the local headquarters for Co-op stores all over NE Minnesota. In their day they sold most anything a person would need from canned corn to Studebakers. Alas, it's all gone now other than some local credit unions, the victim of chain stores. The Finnish immigrants in this area brought the concept with them from Finland. Still Auto-Related. Although, in a different capacity. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Russell Lee)
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