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The Jackson Four: 1904
Circa 1904. "W.H. Jackson and family. William Henry Jackson with mother Harriet and probably ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/09/2011 - 8:06am -

Circa 1904. "W.H. Jackson and family. William Henry Jackson with mother Harriet and probably daughter-in-law (wife of Clarence S. Jackson) and grandson Billy (b. 1902)." 11x14 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
Mona Lisa smile.Wow, that woman in the middle sure knows how to pose for a photo. She just has a certain air about her that has reached across time and space.
Must. resist. urge.to draw a mustache on that baby. His mother is beautiful, she reminds me of Alma Mahler.
A handsome familyCaptured by a good photographer. I particularly like the juxtaposition between grandmother's seams and wrinkles and the baby's smooth skin.
Stuffy, Not FluffyAnd doesn't old W.H. look comfortable in that starched collar? 
PossibilitiesDo we think Clarence took the picture?
[Photographer William Henry Jackson was one of the Detroit Publishing Company's founding partners. - Dave]
GenerationsNot a costume historian, but I find it interesting that (to my eye, at least) the grandmother's dress looks MUCH older-fashioned than the daughter-in-law's-- in fact, the closely fitted black silk sleeves and bodice, the lace at the neck, and the obviously wide skirt read as very mid-nineteenth-century to me, vs. the daughter's lace and fuller up-top silhouette.   
 Ditto the grandma's hairstyle (parted in the middle, smooth wings over the ears) vs. the daughter's pompadour.  It's somehow refreshing to think that even Back In The Day there were older people who stubbornly stuck with the personal style that worked for them in their 30s.  
Portrait with a differenceNatural light, I suspect, probably from overhead skylight in the studio, plus a high shutter speed, otherwise the baby would show motion blur - note how that hand is frozen in mid-air. Natural expressions result from not having to freeze in place like zombies for the exposure.
William Henry Jackson He would have been 60 or 61 here. He lived another 38 years and died in 1942, at 99. 
I was always struck by a biography of his I read that stated that late in life he had shot Kodachromes. He had started with a portable darkroom and wet plates in the early 1870s. 
In any format, he is one of the greatest photographers of all time. 
(The Gallery, DPC, Portraits, W.H. Jackson)

DPC Special: 1902
...                 -- William Henry Jackson, "Time Exposure" "Detroit Photographic Co. Special." ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/03/2018 - 8:02am -

        In this car, known as the California Special, I toured the Southwest in 1902 with a display of pictures for the Detroit Publishing Company.
                                -- William Henry Jackson, "Time Exposure"
"Detroit Photographic Co. Special." William Henry Jackson seated in a Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad car. I've been reading WHJ's autobiography, "Time Exposure," which he began in his tenth decade and completed in 1940, two years before his death at age 99. Highly recommended by Shorpy's Book Club. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size.
Cluttered but revealingThis is a marvelous image containing his best images on the walls and ceiling, his 8 x 10 camera on the desk with him, a sturdy tripod that looks light to carry, and my favorite, blotter books on the far side of his bed, weighted down to keep them flat with his pillows. 
Blotter books were, as you can see, a method of drying prints and keeping them flat. Practically though, because that method takes days and days to dry the prints and the blotter paper, I always removed them after several hours and placed them on a very large framed screen that was on pulleys so it could be hoisted up to the ceiling, out of the way. The framed screen was covered with an identical screen so the prints would dry flat .
Good times!
Must be the clean living of 1902If my math is correct, he would be 59 years old in this photo. I will be 59 next month, and Mr. Jackson looks a lot younger than I do!
[WHJ was indeed noted for his youthful appearance in midlife. - Dave]
Good genesAnd not just longevity-wise. That has to be the youngest-looking 59-year-old guy I've ever seen. Take away the mustache and I'd say he was maybe 25. Maybe it was exposure to all that photo fixer early on.
[This may have been taken in the Eighties or Nineties and published in 1902. (Where's that background wall calendar when you need it?) Here's WHJ circa 1904. Below, the old man in his 90s. - Dave]
At 97 and countingThere is a wonderful article from Time Magazine, dated April 15, 1940, on a exhibit of Jackson's work. 
Last week the museum on the first floor of Secretary Harold Ickes' new, white, boxlike Department of the Interior Building in Washington was given over to an exhibition of Pioneer Jackson's aged photographs. Admired by public and connoisseurs alike were the vivid detail and panoramic scope of the mountain and forest views that Old Master Jackson had snapped with his battered, wooden 6½-by-8½ camera in days when photography was scarcely more than a stunt. Best exhibit of all was spry Oldster Jackson himself, stooped and white-bearded but talkative and effervescent at 97.
William Henry Jackson still takes pictures, but with an up-to-date Leica, does a little sketching on the side, spends his spare time polishing his autobiography, which is due next month. Says he: "A fellow has to keep busy or he gets bored. I'm never bored." Three years ago, when his cronies of the G. A. R. hobbled bravely down Manhattan's Fifth Avenue in their Memorial-Day parade, Veteran Jackson failed to march. "Poor old Bill!" sighed his aged brothers-in-arms. Later they discovered that Bill Jackson had been dodging in & out of the crowds all along the route, taking pictures of the parade.
Last StopThere's also a nice writeup of him and a photo of his tombstone at Find-a-Grave that's worth a visit.
Bravo.Luz, espacio 3D, detalle, escenografía, encuadre: Todo. Bravo por WHJ.
Gracias.
"A private railroad car is not an acquired taste...""One takes to it right away." So said Eleanor Robson Belmont.
I imagine this holds true if the company is paying for it, and even if half of the car is taken up by darkroom and storage. And no, I don't think he looks 59. I look young for 43, and he looks a bit younger than me. Maybe he's like the Queen. Or Deepak Chopra.
Color me curious black and whiteI'm hoping someone will have the answers to two questions.  1. What is that box-like device hanging from a strap near the lamp next to Mr. Jackson?  2.  Easier - what was the purpose of the saucer shaped tops about a foot over each of the wall lamp glass chimneys?  Probably to catch soot, but how?
Maxfield ParrishJust add a few nymphs posing here and there among the rocks and trees and those photographs are amazingly similar to the beautiful Maxfield Parrish prints of the day!
So Time Travel IS Possible!Apparently Geraldo Rivera has gotten his hands on a time machine.  You can just see the wheels turning in his brain as he works on his next expose.
Think About Running WaterLooking at the (exquisite) photos on display in Mr. Jackson's rail car, I just have to ask, did he have bladder problems?
Soot catcherDutch asked: ... what was the purpose of the saucer shaped tops about a foot over each of the wall lamp glass chimneys? Probably to catch soot, but how? Soot is in the hot vapor that rises straight up from the flame. All the catcher has to do is just be there close above it. Without those, the soot would coat everything immediately above the lamp, plus also tend to disperse in the air and gradually get all over everything else in the room.
 Wm. H. Jackson and Henry FordHere's another view of Wm. H. Jackson. I bought this image at an antiques store a couple of weeks ago.  If my math is correct, it's from 1942.  A faint "Associated Press Photo" stamp is on the back, so I'm not sure if you can use this.  But I thought you'd be interested in seeing the great man from another angle.
[Most fascinating! If WHJ was 97 when this picture was made, it was taken in 1940 or early 1941. - Dave]
(The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, W.H. Jackson)

Over the River: 1902
... over Des Moines River near Boone, Iowa" ca. 1902. Photo by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Kate Shelley High ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 3:04pm -

"Chicago & North Western viaduct over Des Moines River near Boone, Iowa" ca. 1902. Photo by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
Kate Shelley High BridgeThat's the Kate Shelley High Bridge, which had just opened when this photo was taken. Since the 1880s, Iowa schoolchildren have learned how its namesake, 15-year-old Kate, went to heroic lengths to warn an approaching train that a (different) bridge had washed out. A new span is being constructed next to it, with completion due in June 2009. For the story of the bridge, Kate, and its replacement, click here.  To see it today (with its replacement nearly completed) click here.
3, 2, 1, spit!That's a line they haven't ripped out, thankfully. Here's a photo of a steam loco they use on their scenic railway.
I love trains......and this is an amazing picture of one.  Wow.
William Henry JacksonIt's terrific to see another image by William Henry Jackson, the great photographer of the American West. Jackson, who lived to 99, had an extraordinary career--he even worked on 'Gone With the Wind'!--this 70 years after he was taking his most famous landscape photos. He was also one of the longest surviving Civil War veterans.
High BridgeI think the photo would be a little later than 1900 as photos of the bridge under construction, which were displayed in the old CNW headquarters at Boone, are dated 1903 by the photographer.
High Bridge VideoKateFound this anonymous account of Kate on the net as well.
Boone-area railroadsBoone and Scenic Valley (with their Chinese-built steam loco) operate on trackage previously owned by the one-time electric line Fort Dodge, Des Moines, and Southern. Chicago and Northwestern routes (including the Kate Shelley High Bridge) are now part of Union Pacific.
Please pleaseplease please let there be a stereoview of this somewhere...
(The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, W.H. Jackson)

Chez Jackson: 1900
... 1900. "W.H. Jackson residence." On the right, the home of William Henry Jackson, whose Western, Mexican and Florida photographs formed an ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 10:35pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1900. "W.H. Jackson residence." On the right, the home of William Henry Jackson, whose Western, Mexican and Florida photographs formed an important part of the Detroit Publishing catalogue. View full size.
Chez Jackson = Hotel Richelieu Page 787 of the 1898 Detroit City Directory lists "Wm. H. Jackson, photogr." as boarding at the house on the right -- the Hotel Richelieu, 420 2nd Avenue. In 1920, this address was renumbered to 2536 2nd Ave. [map]. The water fountain in Cass Park can be seen off in the distance. In the 1899 and 1900 Directories, Jackson was living in a house seven blocks to the north at 706 2nd Avenue, which was on the southeast corner at Alexandrine Street. In the 1901 and 1902 Directories, he is living two blocks farther north at 154 Canfield Avenue.
[Thank you! I had guessed wrong as to which half of the panorama showed the house. - Dave]
Doomed canopyAll those stately American Elm trees, soon to disappear forever.
A quiet and peaceful streetwhere life is only disturbed by the odd passing phantom!
StreakersAre those wires coming from the left side of the Richelieu, or just photo defects?
[Telephone wires. - Dave]
Urban treesMany streets in Milwaukee (where I used to live) were lined with elm trees. They were indeed stately trees, beautiful in the summer and the fall, they even looked good in the winter. It was sad to lose them, most died and were cut down in the 50s and 60s, no other urban tree has their class. 
GreeneryCharming. Until I thought of the coal bin and saw that jungle of wires in the trees. If they only knew of the rubber-wheeled locomotives leaving the rails to roar up and down the streets. Those engineers bemoaning a bad economy,, they'd wish to stay in a simpler time.
Give Me Today, Thank YouWhen I first saw this picture I thought " Wow. Wouldn't it be great to go back and live in one of these houses?" But, after some consideration, no thank you. I couldn't have afforded the neighborhood to begin with on my meager salary. Those were not the best of times either. Diseases such as typhoid, scarlet fever, measles, tuberculosis, malaria, all took their toll. Antibiotics, penicillin, even sulfa drugs, which were used in WW2, had not been invented. It may have been a more quiet time but I will stay in my own time thank you.
Ah, DetroitAh, Detroit before the Dutch Elm disease epidemic! How lovely it was.
(The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)

River in the Raj: 1900s
... commence! View full size. Wm. H. Jackson William Henry Jackson made a trip to photograph India as part of his work with the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/10/2014 - 10:01am -

        UPDATE: The location, supplied by Shorpy commenter Downtown Dave, is Madras Central Railway Station in India.
This uncaptioned 5x7 glass negative from the Detroit Publishing archive looks to be far afield from that company's usual stomping grounds. Where in the world are we? Let the crowdsource geolocation countdown commence! View full size.
Wm. H. JacksonWilliam Henry Jackson made a trip to photograph India as part of his work with the World's Transportation Commission.
I wonder whyNobody is wearing Madras plaid.
You Are HereMadras Central Railway station.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)

Georgetown: 1901
... railroad visible in the distance. 8x10 glass plate by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. A thing of beauty ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/22/2013 - 9:26am -

"Clear Creek Cañon." Georgetown, Colorado, circa 1901. Famous for the Georgetown Loop, a narrow-gauge railroad visible in the distance. 8x10 glass plate by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
A thing of beauty is a joy to behold foreverThis place is near and dear to my heart. It's a beautiful little place with equally beautiful, wonderful people. Thank you for bringing a smile to my face, Dave.
[See also: Bisbee, Ouray, Silverton. - Dave]
I was just in GeorgetownInteresting to probably no one but me, I was in Georgetown last week. It's changed remarkably little since the time of this picture, although there are currently more trees. I also learned that my grandmother and grandfather stayed at the Hotel De Paris on 6th Ave during a honeymoon road trip in 1925. 
Well preservedI have compared this photo with fresh photos in Street View. I started from the south end of Taos St. and found soon many houses which are in this photo - many of them wooden. Not only the remarkable buildings have remained but also quite ordinary city street buildings. Amazing, absolutely! Since 1901 there has not been fatal fires, neither too eager rebuilding. I honor the city officials who have succeeded in this. I wish I had an opportunity to visit Georgetown.
Devil's Gate BridgeIt can be seen in back, where the track looped over itself climbing to Silver Plume. Abandoned in the '30's, the loop has been restored. It's nice to see this on Shorpy. Most of W. H. Jackson's Colorado photos are in the Denver Public Library Western History collection.
A familiar sight, stillThis might be one of the least-altered vintage city views I've seen on this fine site-- except for the massive expansion of that steep one-one lane trail to the right, heading uphill to Silver Plume. Today, we call that trail "I-70." So do you have any shots of Silver Plume? That remains the most unspoiled mountain town I've found, even so surprisingly close to Denver.
That tower on the leftAlpine Hose No. 2
View Larger Map
Building in the center with clock towerPublic school built 1874.
View Larger Map
The freeway is new. . . . . . and the switchback trails in the distance have been expanded into proper roads, but not much else has changed.
William Henry JacksonUsing 8x10" (or bigger) plate cameras, Jackson (who died at 99 in 1942) left us an invaluable treasure of extremely detailed landscape pictures, including this one. 
I've been thereNothing much has changed, other than the tourists
(The Gallery, DPC, Landscapes, Mining, Railroads, Small Towns)

Sidewinder: 1890
... "Tamasopo River Canyon." Dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Yikes And I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 1:36pm -

San Luis Potosi, Mexico, circa 1890s. "Tamasopo River Canyon." Dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
YikesAnd I thought Donner Summit on a motorcycle was hair-raising.
Jackson at the railroadI'm a longtime admirer of William Henry Jackson and a descendant of generations of railroad men. I've often wished someone would publish a collection of Jackson's railroad photos, and now Shorpy is doing it, one photo at a time. Keep 'em coming on up the line!
Precarious ParkingThat's a pretty hairy place for a photo op. It looks to me like the combination of that whistle, the vibration of the train when it starts moving and the loose rocks above could be a recipe for a real headache, especially for the banditos beside the track.
Ay, yi yi yi - I am the Frito BanditoSorry señor banditos, we don't have any Fritos onboard.
BanditosWhen I look at this picture I immediately think "Badges!?  We don't need no stinkin badges...vámonos!"
InnovationAlthough we probably wouldn't think it, this railroad was relatively innovative for its time. Notice that the locomotive has a Westinghouse air brake pump beneath the footboards near the cab, the rails have some interesting tie clips to keep the gauge from spreading, which would send a train of American miners to their fiery deaths.
Of course, being Mexico, they have to be practical, as the chain wrapped around the pilot shows. I wonder if it was for retrieving cars from sidings with questionable track or removing debris (rocks, trees, cattle, etc.) from the right of way?
RetouchingThe sky here is clearly retouched.  Looks almost like a paper negative job. Did they make fresh glass negatives after do such manipulation? Was wondering how one got this sort of tonality on an original glass negative.
[The sky part of the negative was painted with what was probably a wash of black ink. - Dave]
DatingDave, is this photo dated, or the estimation of the date was based on the style of the locomotive? Judging by the looks of the so-called bandits, I am tempted to say this could actually be a photograph taken at the beginning of the Mexican Revolution, from 1910 - 1912 or so. I mean, the three men are dressed in the same kind of outfit, which could possibly be an uniform of sorts.
[This image is in the 1898 "Catalogue of W.H. Jackson Views," which covered photographs taken from 1880 to 1897. - Dave]
"We are the Three Amigos"Maybe they lost their horses and are trying to hitch a ride on #124.  These guys in their light colored clothes were almost impossible to see until you click on full view.  Wonder how long that tunnel is that I assume the train is leaving.
PeonageNot to put too fine a point on it but those would be what used to be called peons, or manual laborers. Not "bandits."
Mexican Central 124According to Art Wallace's "Mason Steam Locomotives" (2004, p. 167), this is serial No. 752, Mason Locomotive Works' third from last loco produced, and as such this is a rather important picture. 752 was built in 1889 as a standard gauge 2-6-6T Mason Bogie.  
If you study the alignment of the locomotive trucks, the cylinders & pilot, and compare it to the boiler, you will note that the boiler is sticking out to the right (the engineer's perspective).  Another term might be articulated, and the design is to accommodate sharp curves, such as what you see here.  The pic in the book, possibly taken the same day, shows this as a work train. 
I am speculating that the corrugated second cab roof is to reduce heat, though in the work train pic the converted box and caboose also have the same type roofs. Perhaps it is also for providing a bit more protection for falling rocks.
A Day at the RacesIs that Chico Marx leaning out of the cab?
Train ChainThe chain on the pilot is actually something you commonly see with the early link and pin type trains.  Time and time again, they'd run into cars that didn't have the same types of couplings, and the railroad would have to do something to get them together.  So when switching it wasn't uncommon to have to chain cars together, or even in some cases tie them together with lengths of stout rope. 
(The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, W.H. Jackson)

Classic Rockers: 1900
... Great Lakes shipping magnate and Dime Savings Bank founder William Livingstone and family. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit ... was based on the skill of staff photographers William Henry Jackson, Lycurgus Solon Glover, and Henry Greenwood Peabody and the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 3:51pm -

Grosse Ile, Michigan, circa 1900. "Group at Rio Vista." The Great Lakes shipping magnate and Dime Savings Bank founder William Livingstone and family. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
I'm Not WorthyIt's been said before, but Dave you are the Headline Master.
Gimme your best shot, Mister, we're hot!Doesn't appear that Mr. Livingstone contributed DNA to his offspring, except maybe a bit to his youngest son; they all are clones of Mrs. Livingstone.  Appears hot enough to wilt the vine, and yet the family remains composed during the long exposure time, excellent breeding, eh.
Wooden, you knowStudying this photo and the two other Livingstone family images triggers some observations (one mark of a good photo, I suppose):
- Are the wood walkways a clue that this substantial house is the family's river side cottage (OK, OK, river view, as it's billed), and a more traditionally built home (you know, not a boardwalk in sight) in center city Grosse Ile is where they really live?
[The family's main residence was a mansion in Detroit. - Dave]
- In the photo of the boy and dog, is the sturdy-looking apparatus in the left corner a block-and-tackle boat hoist, indicating a rather serious boat down below? 
- Doesn't this look like a place where the Bobbsey twins come to visit, and the Livingstone kids wheel out their mom's fresh lemonade and cookies? Bert, of course, can't wait to get his hands on that spiffy new fishing pole leaning against the wall.
The OthersInteresting family and location. A cursory search in Google reveals much about William Livingstone but nothing about his handsome family. Talk about a family resemblance! I wonder if we could somehow learn the names and relationships of this group?
Which one is Mom?The two boys certainly take after Mom.  If we could only figure out who Mom was?
On closer inspection, I'm going to guess the woman on our left is Mr. Livingstone's wife.  She has a wedding band on her finger, and woman on the right does not.
EnigmaticThe enigmatic look on the William Livingstone's face makes this  a photograph that make me exceptionally curious about the people in it and what happened to them in their lives.  
It is interesting that the house was so notable that information on it can easily be found but I have had no luck finding details of the people who saw to its creation.
1910 CENSUSAs of the 1910 census the William Livingstone family was quite a large one, living in the aforementioned house in Detroit.  
William 66 head
Susan R 61 wife
William A 43 Son
Helen E 38 Daughter
Susan A 36 Daughter
Robert B 34 Son
Isabourn 21 Son
Thomas W P 18 Son
William is an owner of a publishing company and Robert is a salesman for the same company.  I find it quite interesting that apparantly NONE of the children are married.  Pretty unusual for that point in time.  Maybe that austere face scared any potential mates away.
Well Guess WhatAs I noted in a previous post the oldest son was a publisher.  Well we all have to give him a great thank you.
The Detroit Publishing Company was an American photographic publishing firm best known for its large assortment of photochrom color postcards.
The company was founded as the Detroit Photographic Company in the 1890s by Detroit businessman and publisher William A. Livingstone, Jr., and photographer and photo-publisher Edwin H. Husher.
Nervous? Anxious?Look at the right hand of Mom.
Livingstone FamilyAncestry gives the family in 1900 as William and his wife, Susan- age 51, and seven children living on Eliot Street. The two youngest (in the picture) are Seabourn and Palmer. Seabourn was born at sea according to the census record. I wonder if the other lady is either 29 year old Helen or 27 year old Susie.
Thomas Palmer LivingstoneThe young boy is Thomas Palmer Livingstone, born November 1891 in Wayne County, Michigan, died 1950 in Wayne, Michigan, has a child still living.
1918 Photo
Wifey?Whoever the mom is they both seem quite young to be Mr. Livingstone's wife! It is quite hard to tell who is who because they all look alike in some ways. The boys have very similar features to the lady on the right (chin and mouth). I am leaning towards the lady on the right to be Mrs. Livingstone. Even though the outfit the lady on the left is wearing is quite nice, I can't imagine a banker's wife wearing anything less than the outfit on the lady on the right.
[Plus, the conventions of a pose like this would have the kids between the parents. - Dave]
Detroit Publishing connectionI found this about the family - boys' names, at least:
Detroit Publishing Company, founded in 1895 as the Photochrom Company by the photographer Edwin Husher with backing from the Detroit financier Rudolph Demme and Colonel H. Wild of Zurich. Demme and Wild withdrew in 1896. Husher then enlisted the financial support of William Livingstone, Detroit publishing and shipping magnate, and his sons William and Robert, who expanded operations, first as the Detroit Photographic and then as the Detroit Publishing Company. Until its collapse in 1924, the company was the most important North American source of mass-produced photographs, lantern slides, postcards, and colour reproductions for business, tourism, and education. Success was based on the skill of staff photographers William Henry Jackson, Lycurgus Solon Glover, and Henry Greenwood Peabody and the exclusive American rights to the photochrom process acquired from the Photoglob Co. of Zurich.
— John V. Jezierski
The Others Might BeThe 1910 Census lists the following people in the Livingstone household:
William (66) head, Susan R (61) wife, William A (43) son, Helen E (38) daughter, Susan A (36) daughter, Robert B (34) son, Seabourn (21) son, Thomas WP (18) son.
Subtract ten years and I think we have (from left to right) unknown married woman, William NMI (56), Thomas WP (8), Seabourn (11), and Susan R (51)
Interesting names, A father and son with the same first name isn't unusual but mother and daughter with the same name is much less common. By the way, Seabourn was born at sea.
My familyWilliam Livingstone Jr. was my great-great-grandfather and so I have quite a bit of family history and photos to draw upon.  William and Susan had 8 children, plus an adopted niece. The 8 children were:
William Allan (b 1867), Margaret (b 1869), Helen Edith (b 1871), Susan Alice (b 1873), Robert Bruce (b 1875), Florence Mildred (b 1881), Seabourn Rome (b 1888), and Thomas Witherell Palmer (b 1891).
I am quite confident from family photos that the two boys are Seabourn and Palmer (as TWP was known).  See the attached for another portrait of them. I'm also quite certain that neither of the ladies is Mrs. Livingstone (who was just five years younger than William) but rather they are two of her daughters.  It's hard to tell which ones since they were very similar in appearance.  However by 1900 Margaret (my great-grandmother) was married to James Scott, so that could be her on the left. (Their second child, my grandmother, would have been born earlier that year.) In fact this seems likely since the family history that I have indicates that Florence Mildred did not marry until 1908, and does not mention any marriage at all for the other daughters. Nor were any of the sons married in 1900 according to the family history.
About the LivingstonesI've found some information about the Livingstones.
In Bentley Historical Library, William Livingstone Papers there's a biography of William Livingstone ("A more detailed account of their family history can be found in David Sanders Clark's unpublished genealogy Notes on the Livingstone Family of Lanark, Scotland, and Detroit, Michigan and Related Families, located in the present collection").
In Young Henry Ford: a picture history of the first forty years, pages 160-2, there's more information about William Livingstone and two other photos.
In  The Henry Ford, Detroit Publishing & Co you can find a photo about 1917; Livingstone wife, Susan, is second from the right (also in the photo, William Livingstone Jr., and sons William Allan and Robert Bruce Livingstone)
Same source, other photo, about 1910, William Allan Livingstone stands far left, his brother Robert Bruce Livingstone is third from the left
Suecris commented on 01/14/2011 that success of Detroit Publishing Company was based on the skill of photographer William Henry Jackson; in this two photos (same source and same source), Robert Bruce Livingstone, also a photographer, appears with William Henry Jackson.
About Seabourn, the elder of the sons in Shorpy's photo, I've found some quotations in old newspapers, here's one taken from Oswego Daily Palladium, 1918; Seabourn "returns to the sea to fight for his country."
Seabourn married Marion Henrietta Scherer in 1920 (daughter of Hugo Scherer); a photo or Marion Scherer in 1915 here; they had a son, Seabourn Scherer, and a daughter, Marion Helen. 
Seabourn S. Livingstone died in 1998 at the age of 74.
Marion Helen Livingstone is Helen Livingstone Bogle, donor in 1996 of the William Livingstone Papers.
(The Gallery, DPC, Grosse Ile, Kids, Portraits)

Mexican Central Railway: 1891
... Ferrocarril Central Mexicano." Glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size. Wow What an amazing engineering feat. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 4:53pm -

Jalisco, Mexico, circa 1891. "Bridge near Encarnacion. Ferrocarril Central Mexicano." Glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size.
WowWhat an amazing engineering feat.
Railroad bridge and a dam tooAnyone know of other examples of this kind of combo?
Locomotive LevitationAmazing what could be done with sweat and steam power. The laws of physics haven't changed.
Wow!Wow, awesome! Finally I see a picture of my country here in Shorpy! Kudos for that!
How we got these W. H. Jackson photosWilliam Henry Jackson was somewhat better as a photographer than a businessman. After being his own entrepreneur, he signed onto the Detroit Publishing Company in 1897 as its president, and in the bargain the company got this and 10,000 other Jackson photos. After Detroit Publishing went under, Edsel Ford bought 40,000 negatives for Greenfield Village in Michigan. In 1949, Jackson's negatives were donated to the Colorado Historical Society, which kept the Western U.S. photos and gave the rest to the Library of Congress -- and ultimately to Shorpy and us. Thanks very much indeed!
TrainvidSeems to be the same place.
Re: Railroad bridge and a dam tooThe small city in Nebraska where I grew up had this sort of setup, with a high railroad trestle crossing the gorge below the dam.  We used to walk halfway across the bridge and drop through the tracks onto the concrete support.  There were iron bars running down the side, forming a ladder to the ground 50 or 60 feet below. We'd climb down and fool around in the river, oblivious to the risk of getting there. The dam was part of a hydroelectric plant that supplied power to our city. It was about 2 feet wide at the top, with a 3-story drop below the water. Sometimes we'd walk across the dam with water running over our feet to get to an island in the middle of the stream above the dam, carrying 2-foot corn knives and other tools to build a fort in the "jungle".  It's a wonder we survived to adulthood!
Same PlaceNo doubt they are the same place. It was common for early RR bridges to be anchored by earth later in their history as loads got heavier and train speeds faster.  The bridge is still inside the berm.  Train cars would travel over the trestle, dumping their loads of sand or gravel repeatedly until the span was filled.
How many amazing vistas were spoiled by the cheapest and least creative engineering solution?
Here's how it came to look like the video...http://www.geocities.com/bartemb06424/ARRrapalloFill.htm
LocationI am currently working on a conceptual architecture project that is focused on reprogramming abandoned stations of the old passenger railway system in Mexico. Does anyone know if this bridge is still in existence or where I can find its exact location? The name of the river which it spans would also be helpful. 
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads, W.H. Jackson)

Landing Nemo: 1900
... on the Tomoka." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Sorry, Walt ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 10:14pm -

Florida circa 1900. "A landing on the Tomoka." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Sorry, WaltWomen with guns, the babe with the umbrella, real alligators - that looks a thousand times more fun than Disney World.
Deadeye DorisGator Terminator!
African QueenIsn't that Bogie standing on the log?
Jackson's EquipmentThe cases on top of the canopy appear to be for a a view camera as
I have seen similar cases which were exactly that. However, the
purpose of the wooden frame, which is attached to something out
of view, is a mystery to me. Perhaps someone with old view camera
knowledge will identify it.
Camera hogThat lady with the umbrella is so eager to get in the picture that she's about to tumble backwards out of the boat!
The mystery wooden frameThe mystery wooden frame appears to be the bottom rail (they made 'em of wood back then) of a large view camera that's folded up and laid on its side.
Bang!Here comes my new pair of shoes.
Brave LadiesThis is the same party as in your post "Nemo on the Tomoka." Pretty daring ladies handling guns and hanging over alligator-infested swamps.
Duck SeasonIs that a dead duck under Umbrella Girl's elbow?
[Looks like a turtle to me. - Dave]
Major BellowsThat wooden frame is an extension that can be attached to (usually) the back of a view camera, so the bellows can be "run out" longer than the camera could otherwise allow. These are quite common accessories for old flatbed field cameras.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Florida, W.H. Jackson)

The Jackson Four (Colorized): 1904
... Colorized from Shorpy . "W.H. Jackson and family. William Henry Jackson with mother Harriet and probably daughter-in-law (wife of ... 
 
Posted by bcpowder - 12/20/2011 - 2:22pm -

Colorized from Shorpy.  "W.H. Jackson and family. William Henry Jackson with mother Harriet and probably daughter-in-law (wife of Clarence S. Jackson) and grandson Billy (b. 1902)." View full size.
(Colorized Photos)

Bathing in the Casino: 1889
... nearby Hotel Alcazar (thanks to Amphalon). Photograph by William Henry Jackson. View full size. Miss Teschmacher! I second the Lex ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 4:53pm -

Circa 1889. "Bathing pool in the Casino. (Probably the Ponce de Leon Hotel, St. Augustine, Florida.)" UPDATE: This was actually the nearby Hotel Alcazar (thanks to Amphalon). Photograph by William Henry Jackson. View full size.
Miss Teschmacher!I second the Lex Luthor assessment. A fantastic pool. More hotel pools need to be like this!
BermudaIs that the flag of Bermuda on the rafter? I'd LOVE to swim in this room today ... that's just an incredible pool!
AquabaticistsIs there such a word to describe that team of athletes in the pool?  It just came to me, a silly word that some Victorian sideshow pitchman would come up with to describe them.
Is this pool still around?  Bears an eerie resemblance to Lex Luthor's swimming pool in the movie Superman.
MGMWow!  This would make a great set for one of those MGM Musicals of the late 40s or early 50s!  Dynamite!
Hotel Alcazar CasinoAlong with the Ponce de Leon, the Alcazar was one of Henry Flagler's grand hotels. Today it houses St. Augustine City Hall and the Lightner Museum. The pool is now the Cafe Alcazar:

International House of SplashingThe architecture is quite innovative for its day, and combines the usual eclectic mix of details: inspired by a classical Roman bath, the cast concrete structure combines Roman arches and corner vaults with Greek Doric columns, Venetian Renaissance balustrades, and Spanish corbels and roof trusses. Add to these the electric chandeliers (early enough to have been installed by Edison), the Japanese paper lanterns, and the flags of many nations. The paper lanterns over the shower stalls are in the shape of Japanese carp, a pretty amusing touch in this context.
My first thoughtafter viewing all these wonderful photos from this period something is missing. They didn't have fashionable headwear for the swimmer.
Pointed QuestionThere's something here that no one's commented on yet. A topic of seemingly endless discussion in other posts. What could it be?
Going UnderI'm not sure I could bring myself to get in this pool on a dare. Underwater nooks and crannies terrify me.  I have nightmares that look just like this, except the pool's at least three (flooded) stories deep.  *shudder*  
REPLY TO POINTED QUESTIONHeavens, there are no handrails or guard rails anywhere!!  Someone might fall in.  People should be protected against harming themselves.
Swing babyWell, I don't know if this is what your are alluding to, but are those swing type apparatus on the left for hanging onto and doing??? 
Boys night outWhere are the women swimmers?
Drowned cityGoing Under's comment on the spooky quality of this pool is well made, especially given the "today" photo of the Cafe Alcazar. As the polar caps continue to recede, the dining room might regain its historical appearance in time for its bicentennial.
A shocking detailSomehow the idea of having electric lighting fixtures dangling directly above the swimming pool gives me the willies. 
In the swing of thingsOn the left side of the photo, notice the ropes with handholds hanging from the ceiling. I'm guessing that these were used by people wanting to swing from the balcony and drop into the pool, sort of like an old fashioned tire swing. 
Since the water only appears to be a few feet deep, I don't thing I'd be first in line to try this stunt! 
Without the caption...Agree with "Going Under." If the caption hadn't said it was a pool, I would have thought it was a flooded opera house or theater, with young folks taking advantage of the disaster as they often will.  
The architecture is all wrong for a pool; it's much easier to get trapped under a balcony than to climb out onto a tiled floor.
No bathtub rings, please!Here's a nice touch: Note the showers (with hot and cold faucets) in little alcoves at the top of the stairs leading to the pool. 
No handrails on the stairs, though, even though everyone using them had wet, slippery feet! 
Top Man's CrotchThat's not the name of a town in the Rockies.  It's my answer to the Pointed Question.
Hmmm . . . let's see I'm wondering if this pool is filled with sea water.  I would assume it's not chlorinated.  There are showers in the corners for rinsing off.  The niches now have potted plants.
But what topic could you be referring to, Dave?
Let's see.  There are only men in the pool.  I suppose in those days there were no ladies' hours at all.  They all have fine mustaches.  It's cute to see the ladies demurely watching them.  Maybe it's the baggy wool swimsuits?  But they don't seem to be . . . er . . .  revealing anything inappropriate.  Maybe I need to enlarge the picture?
Oh yesAnd those trapezes look like they'd be lots of fun to swing from and fly into the water.
Casinos, then and nowGiven that our modern understanding of the term "Casino" that is almost exclusively synonymous with "Gambling Hall" I was surprised that I didn't see any comments about how hard it would be to put all your money on Black (that's a Roulette joke).
Of course the 19th century mind would have understood "Casino" as meaning "a public building where pleasurable activities, including gambling, and sports took place."
Pointed, pointed.....nope, not getting the hint. A little vexillology, perhaps? Alas, not the flag of Bermuda. The two identifiable flags I could make out are the Canadian Red Ensign and the Irish Flag of Leinster. The Canadian Red Ensign is the UK colonal flag with the Canadian crest (crest, crown, and a maple leaf wreath), though it was technically "unofficial", because they kept changing the crest every time a province was added and not standardized until the 1920s. The Irish flag to its left served as the "unoffical flag of Ireland" until 1922.
[You are so very close to the forest. With various inconsequential trees getting in the way. A "pointed" question. What could that mean? - Dave]
Virtual TourNice 360 degree panorama of the current space here.
Must have been dangerousI wonder how many folks were seriously hurt climbing the stairs there to get to those showers.  Without guardrails of any sort to hold onto.... one slip on the slippery steps and CONK!  Busted skull.....
Dave, since there aren't any nubile ladies in swim atire in the picture (all of the females are barely seen, and fully clothed in circa 1889 high fashion), I don't see what you're pointing to about the thing everyone's missed... unless it's "How the heck would you safely change a lightbulb from that chandelier while it's over the pool without getting electrocuted?"  Or are you referring to the gymnastic stuff over on the left side of the picture?
The flags on the railingabove the clock have 39 stars.  That would be the "flag that never was," anticipating the two Dakotas would be admitted as one state in 1889.
[Dingdingding. We have a winner! - Dave]
Speaking of Tarzan and swinging...That was something the younger kids would always get to wondering about. Tarzan seeming to having a very convenient vine perfectly located in each tree ready to go. We convinced them that Cheetah and his pals did all his vine re-setting in return for Tarzan's protection services. 
Those movies gave us plenty of ideas of how to hang some various size ropes (actually anything we could find) and tie them on sturdy tree branches. Hint: mama's clothesline was good for about 3 or 4 swings before someone took the plunge. Unfortunately, there wasn't any water under us. We quickly discovered the swinging part is not big deal, but the landing was way sketchy. Eventually we designed a contest of how far a kid could swing out and land. Lots of sprained extremities and bruised butts. Not being absolute idiots we moved over to playing soldier where you only got dirty. Still cracks me thinking of all the silly noises we made for our weapons. Most oft heard phrase..."No way, it was just a flesh wound."
Tarzan practiced hereLooks to me that those ropes are hung in such a manner as to allow one to grab the first one from the shower, and swing from one to another until you've reached the pair closest to the camera. 
And from the markings, I'd say these swimmers are near the shallow end of the pool. It's only 3 1/2 feet at the far end, and 4 1/2 feet near the man with the life preserver, then 6 feet at the column on the near left. Could be a diving board at the near end, judging from the size of the room in the Panorama.
Timely!Amazing, I just ate lunch in the deep end of the Saturday! 
I was quite fascinated by that room, the floor slopes down to the cafe end, with antique shops underneath the sides, they said it was fed by a sulfur spring and kept at 86 degrees.
 The shallow end was reserved for the men so they could smoke their cigars and relax, and the other end was for the women.
The Ponce de Leon across the street had its own powerhouse with two early Edison generators. (Apparently one is in the Smithsonian now.) They may have powered the lights here.
Washed out.I saw the band Explosions in the Sky perform in this very room a few years ago. Very strange space.
A small touch of Japanese styleNote the Japanese chochin (paper lanterns) hanging from the ceiling and arches. Is Japan even considered exotic anymore?
Where's Esther?I pool this beautiful needs a queen.  I think I see a sign: Esther Williams swam here. Or maybe it's just a mirage.
And dancing tooIf you get a chance to visit this landmark it's very important to look at everything to see what it was like during its many iterations.  Try to tell what it used to be like from what it is now.
Some of the things I noticed: The acoustics. The sound echoing up to the rafters of every little activity in the pool area would have made for an interesting stay in the rooms on the upper floors.  
The upper floors seem to be guest rooms surrounding the huge atrium above the pool/casino area.  You see people standing near the edge.  The open deck from where the people are to the rooms is very wide.  Not just a walkway but more a dance hall. I can picture guests dancing in this spacious area with music wafting up from below.
The pool had "canals" off to the sides that one may swim in to the massage and sauna.
Windows opened like awnings all around the top of the building above the pool providing powerful ventilation with the seabreeze.
Lady SwimmersI read that there were ladies' hours, and there was a special private pool behind the main wall. Probably in a book by Thomas Graham, who has written several about the Flagler properties.
(The Gallery, DPC, Florida, W.H. Jackson)

Eureka: 1900
... circa 1900. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Change in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/30/2020 - 2:09pm -

Eureka, Colorado, circa 1900. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Change in WeatherI looks sunny now, but in 1888 this area (including nearby Animas Forks) got 25 feet of snow over a 26-day period. I guess this helps explain why most of the population left during the winter!
Satellite DishImagine my shock at seeing the satellite dish on the roof of one of the buildings! 
Oh, wait a minute...........it's only a windmill. 
SpectacularWhat a find.  This picture is worth a few hundred thousand words.  Thanks for bringing it to life, Dave.
Yeeee-Haaaa!On New Year's Eve I was just over the hill from Eureka in Silverton, where the "wild west" mentality hasn't been gentrified out of the townsfolk....yet. At the stroke of midnight a small rowdy crowd tumbled out of a saloon and someone hollered "yeeee-haaaa" and fired a pistol in the air to ring in 2010. 
Hoping these places don't change too much ...
[Silverton is one of my favorite Western towns, along with its bigger neighbor Ouray. A jeep trail called the Alpine Loop connects them, with ghost towns (including Eureka) and ore mills along the way. - Dave]
WowStunning location. You wouldn't wanna be accusing these boys of cheatin' at poker now would ya.
Some have it, some don'tThis photo illustrates what the French mean by "je ne sais quoi." Whatever it was, William Henry Jackson had it.
Sofa SizeMy life would be complete if I could have this blown up huge, along with the Longacre Square 1904 post from today, and hang them facing each other in the same room. It's "Reservoir Dogs" meets "Bull Durham." Couldn't be more perfect.
Kids!I love the two little kids behind the four men in the foreground.  One of them is wearing a huge hat!
CinemaScopeWith this picture we can appreciate how faithful the Hollywood set designers were in  portraying pioneer towns in those iconic shoot 'em ups directed by John Ford and others. This looks like the movie set in Old Tucson where they shot many westerns.
ArchitectureDoes anyone know the architectural term  for facades  that obscure the pitch of the roof from the front. Is it decorative or does it have a function?
["False fronts." They turn any shack into an edifice. - Dave]
All goneNo remnants appear to exist today:

A 'tighter' shot by way of comparing the mountains in the two, but I think it still shows at least some portion of where the structures used to stand. Below: remains of the Sunnyside Mill.

A dandy?The dandy in the front left with the crease in his pants looks like a bearded Clint Eastwood! I don't know if I would call him that to his face. But where are all the horses at the hitching posts?
RefreshingA welcome break from the  DC and NY cityscapes.
Tarnation!Will you look at the slope behind the town on the right.  That's just screaming avalanche territory.  Just behind the tents in the right background, there's a possible sign of an old avalanche washing up across the valley and into the trees on the other side.  Still, if it's around today, it managed to survive and most of these mountain mining camps seemed to burn down more often than being buried.
Awesome!What an amazing photo!
Draw, PardnerIf this group of four were packing guns one would think they were heading for the OK Corral.
CinemaScopizationWe've had plenty of colorization around here, but John McLaren's comment has inspired me to format this scene to the actual CinemaScope aspect ratio of 2.35:1.
Left to right: Lee Van Cleef, Robert J. Wilke, Thomas Mitchell, Gary Cooper.
Zero horse townAt first I was thrown by the lack of horses on the wagons, being conditioned to your photos of NYC etc. with dozens of horses hitched up. Then I realized that you don't need a horse to get across town, as those gents in the foreground are demonstrating. 
And those hills are just waiting for some ski lifts full of rich tourists. 
The negativeWhere do you start with proclaiming this image to be otherworldly?  I just can't get over the tonal range of Jackson's negatives. He pulled off this same sort of light to dark ratio in a series that Shorpy published from Mexican railroads. And then in the swamps of Florida. I just don't get it and believe me folks, this isn't about Photoshop.
[It is, to a certain extent. All of these images are adjusted using the Shadows & Highlights filter in CS4. It's what brings out detail in overexposed areas (clouds) as well as in the shadows. Below: unadjusted. - Dave]

Old French Market: 1890s
... Grocer wagon and Deutsche Grocery at left. Photo by William Henry Jackson. View full size. William Redmund At the St. Charles ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/28/2013 - 12:41pm -

Circa 1890s. "The old French Market, New Orleans." Points of interest include many horsecars and an arc lamp on a boom. Ship Chandler's Grocer wagon and Deutsche Grocery at left. Photo by William Henry Jackson. View full size.
William RedmundAt the St. Charles Theatre:
"The Great Emotional Actor"
1850 - 1915?
Photo from here.
+118ishBelow is the same view from August of 2008.
Portions still standingGoogle Street View won't let me get quite the same angle, but here's a similar view of the Old French Market today, with several of the buildings on the left side of the street in the Shorpy photo still visible:
View Larger Map
The pictured ship chandlers and grocers are long gone, replaced by brightly colored umbrellas and open-air dining.
Ship chandler"Ship Chandler's Grocer wagon"
I always thought of a chandler as a a soap and candle maker, but looking it up I see that is also such a thing as a "ship chandler" -- a supplier of general provisions and equipment for ships -- of which I was unaware.
I wonderWhy all the spouts on the rain gutter of the structure in the middle ?
interesting time for the QuarterBy the 1890's the French Quarter was known as Little Palermo, with the recent immigration of Sicilians to New Orleans.  There was a turf war between the Provenzano and Matranga gangs, leading to the killing of Chief of Police David Hennessy.  A not guilty verdict led to 11 of the 19 indicted being lynched.  The national newspapers first used the word Mafia  to cover the big story back then.  Many Italian immigrants moved away from the Quarter, but you can still buy a muffuletta at Central Grocery located footsteps from where this old picture was taken.
1900s Hipster MarketThe photogenic corner of the French Market also seen on Shorpy: 

 Circa 1906 
 Circa 1910 

The following description hits many of the key features of today's urban farmers' markets: a wide array of local produce, convenient access to public transportation, unique people-watching, multilingual service, and plentiful coffee stands.



The Picayune's Guide to New Orleans, 1900

French Market.


You know it by the busy rush, the noisy rumbling of carts and wagons, the ceaseless clatter of foreign and native tongues all commingled, the outlandish garbs and curious faces, and the strange, novel, cosmopolitan scene, nowhere else to be witnessed on the American continent. The market is open daily between 5 a. m. and 12 m.; but Sunday morning between 8 and 9, is the best time to visit it. Every stranger goes to see the French Market. There is no more remarkable or characteristic spot in New Orleans. Under its roof every language is spoken. The buyers and sellers are men and women of all races. The French Market comprehends four distinct and separate subdivisions under a special roof. These devisions are called respectively the “Meat Market,” the “Fish Market,” the “Fruit” and “Vegetables” markets. Around these is a fringe of fruit stalls and coffee stands. 
(The Gallery, New Orleans, Stores & Markets, Streetcars, W.H. Jackson)

Magic Kingdom: 1902
... Florida, 1902." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Nah - ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:36pm -

"Tampa Bay Hotel, Florida, 1902." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Nah - can't be!Is that a one horsepower riding lawn mower on the left?
[Could be!]
Wow - and one can fertilize the grass at the same time!
Now Plant HallNow known as Plant Hall, home of the Henry B. Plant Museum on the University of Tampa campus.
Up for debateA timely location tonight.
Maintenence HeadacheI remember over the years the minarets were always a maintenence problem. It seemed they were always scraping and painting on them. Finally several years ago they gave up and put on new metal skins, similar to what they did to the Statue of Liberty I guess. 
Satellite Dishes?Anyone know what the satellite dish-shaped gizmos on the upper-right corner balcony area are?  Lightning related?
[They're still there today, doing their silent duty. Which is purely decorative.]
Cool, I had never noticed those things before.  I guess the picture is more hi-res than a real life visit.
(The Gallery, DPC, Florida, W.H. Jackson)

Luncheon of the Boating Party
... and a proffering of pie. 8x10 inch glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Photographic Co. View full size. 3d Woman ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/06/2018 - 10:02am -

Volusia County, Florida, circa 1897. "Picnic landing on the Tomoka." With much photographic equipment strewn about, and a proffering of pie. 8x10 inch glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Photographic Co. View full size.
3d Woman"Gentleman" at center appears to be 3d woman of group.  Looks like Margaret Hamilton (Wizard of Oz).
"Nemo" is Definitely a Steam LaunchOn closer examination, it's obvious that Nemo is in fact a steam launch.  There's firewood piled just forward of the boiler. Steam launches burned wood or coal; naphtha launches burned...naphtha.
What do you make of the military style tunic on the gentleman in the center of the party? Is that recognizable as part of the circa 1897 uniform of any service? What say ye, Shorpy Sleuths?
BLEVEsA comment by SouthBend states that naphtha can not cause a Boiling Liquid Expansion Vapor Explosion, but steam can.  This is exactly backwards.  Steam does not explode.  It can cause a rupture of a boiler, but it will not explode.  Naphtha, and more usually, light natural gas liquids such as propane are prone to BLEVEs.  A BLEVE is caused when a fire impinges on a pressure storage vessel, suchas a railcar, and weakens the wall of the vessel.  The liquid inside is hot because of the fire, and when the vessel fails, the liquid hydrocarbon boils out and escapes as an expanding vapor cloud, and that cloud will explode when it finds an ignition source, e.g., the fire that caused the rupture in the first place.  BLEVEs are extremely powerful, and scary as hell.  
Where's Bogie & Kate?This immediately reminded me of "The African Queen."
No ants"I can tell you that these folks will soon have about a thousand red ants as guests for that lunch"
The red fire ants common to Florida and the SE USA started showing up in the 1930s and spread rapidly thereafter. In the 19th century they weren't present. There were native fire ants but their behavior is much different, they don't sting, and weren't much of a problem.
Guests for lunchWe used to vacation at Ormond-By-The-Sea in the '50s, right across the river from Tomoka, and I can tell you that these folks will soon have about a thousand red ants as guests for that lunch. 
Jungle Cruise!Just around the bend from the famous Schweitzer Falls (named after Dr. Albert Falls). Keep your hands and arms inside --- dangerous hippos ahead! BANG!
Artists' ModelIt's an American Seurat, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte.
Photo Equipment?There's some gear over near the picnic. It looks like standard size stuff(8"x10"perhaps) for the time. But the really big camera is, I think, folded on top of the boat canopy, near the prow. 20" x 24" I'd guess. Not much enlarging in those days, so big picture=big camera. Is that the case for it back by the stern?
Poor Man's VersionOf "Luncheon of the Boating Party" or, at best, the economy class.  
Steam Launch or Naphtha Launch ?That fantail-stern launch is certainly a handsome little vessel!
It's either s steam launch or a naphtha ("vapor") launch. Some launches used naphtha as the "working fluid" rather than water. 
The reason for this was that some states required (and still require) a steam boiler operator license above a certain steam pressure.  
A naphtha boiler, although it sounds dangerous due to flammability, cannot cause the type of deadly Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE) which a steam boiler can.
I think this one is a steam launch, because it has a whistle. I can't see how a naphtha launch could have a whistle; dangerous vapor would issue forth.  
Kate behind the cameraIn the luncheon party there is one more guy than girl.
Maybe she's the shutterbug.
[William Henry Jackson was the photographer here. One the enormous view cameras used to expose these 8x10 inch negatives can be seen folded up on top of the boat next to a carrying case for the glass plates. - Dave]
Where's the alligator?I'm thinking there has to be one nearby!
Little NemoWilliam Henry Jackson took several views of this picnic party. The LOC has other images from the same event scattered in their negative records but brought together by the keyword "Tomoka." Other images in this set reveal that the launch in the picnic photo was named the Nemo.
[Seen earlier here and here. - Dave]
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Florida, W.H. Jackson)

Water Over the Bridge: 1897
... at Queretaro." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size. Even more amazing in color It is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/16/2019 - 10:24am -

Circa 1897. "Mexican Central Railway -- the Aqueduct at Queretaro." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size.
Even more amazing in colorIt is colorful and detailed Completed in 1738, legend has it that the aqueduct was commissioned by the Marquis del Villa del Alguia as a grandiose testament of his undying love for a beautiful — yet unattainable — woman named Clarissa. You see, Clarissa just happened to be a nun belonging to the convent of Santa Clara. With intimacy out of the question, the marquis believed that erecting a massive aqueduct would spiritually connect him with the off-limits object of his affection.
Watering the locomotive?This stopping point for the locomotive would be ideal if they needed to replenish the locomotive's boiler with a fresh gush of water. Alas, I don't see any piping for such an endeavor. Maybe they just stopped there to get their picture taken?
[The train was how William Henry Jackson and his giant cameras got around. - Dave]
Pink!Santiago de Querétaro is a city in central Mexico. It’s known for its well-preserved Spanish colonial architecture, which includes this striking pink stone aqueduct.
(The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, W.H. Jackson)

Loco: 1890
... Railway train at station." Dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Where's the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:26pm -

Circa 1890. "Mexican Central Railway train at station." Dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
Where's the rest of the train?That is an astonishingly short train: A locomotive, a tender, a baggage car, and then either a caboose or a small passenger car. How did they make this trip pay, unless there is something very special being carried as freight?
Short TrainWe tend to expect long multi-car passenger trains but in many cases the real work was done on branch lines with a set-up that looked pretty much like this in the days before cars and buses became the standard. You really had two ways of getting to your destination if it was greater than walking distance; a local (unnamed) passenger train or a horse/horse and wagon, and after a certain distance the horse and wagon stopped making sense. This kind of train was the intercity bus of its day.
Warm waterThe two ladies are collecting water overflow from the steam injector.  That is the steam appliance they are standing next to.    
Overflow water, which is warmed by this process is not as hot as water straight from the boiler.
Dave J.
Hot waterUnless the boiler pressure is very low, drawing off hot water this way would result in instant steam.  The water in a locomotive boiler is usually over 270 degrees so it will instantly turn to steam if released to atmospheric pressure.  Possibly the locomotive had been standing and pressure dropped or else they were just getting it fired up when the photo was made.  I do see that the Senora with the olla on her shoulders seems to have a bit of insulation in the form of a serape under the jar and against her head.
The most likely manufacturerThe most likely manufacturer of the locomotive is the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Penn.  The circular builder's plate on the side of the smokebox was a trademark of theirs.  Also, they often cast "The Baldwin Locomotive Works Philadelphia, U.S.A." into the margin around the edge of the locomotive number plate during this time period.  An example is here:
http://www.railroadiana.org/hw/hw_bp/bp_BLW32_EBT_b.jpg
This short train, with the small coach and large express car was probably the daily "milk and mail" or whatever the Mexican equivalent was.  These short trains made every stop on nearly every mile of railway line in North America, carrying merchandise packages, mail, and a few passengers to all the small towns.  Chances are, the contents of the express car are more valuable than the tickets for the coach.
Free Hot WaterIt looks like the women are tapping off some hot water from the boiler. I've seen this done in India. I'd leave it to cool down a bit before heaving it onto my shoulder.
Who made this baby?Can anyone enlarge this picture to reveal the wording on that plate on the locomotive? And what on earth are those two ladies doing next to that driver wheel? I wonder if they are looking for something.
Pre-revolutionary transportationThese photos are very interesting to me because they show snapshots of life in Mexico before the civil war (or Revolution, as they like to call it here). Undeniable the influence of American railroads in the design of that loco. 
Do we know where this was taken? 
Is it a Cooke?This loco looks rather similar to this Cooke:

This one is described as being owned by Compania Muebles y Mudazas. 2249 was built by Cooke in February 1893, #2249, as Lehigh & Hudson River 19. It was sold as MyM 2249 and resold as Nacional de Mexico 2249, Class F-23a.  In 1931 it was renumbered 807, Class F-27, and retired in July 1934.
Cooke was based in Paterson, New Jersey.
Re Who Made I can't read them, but the circular builder's plate on the side of the smokebox and the circular number plate look very Baldwin.
Also note the white flags on the pilot beam, signifying that this train is "running extra" -- not in the schedule.
Re: Free Hot WaterI thought they were taking off steam products, which would be distilled, rather than boiler water.
Photo TrainThe white flags denote a special train and I would think this train was assigned to carry Mr. Jackson and his gear and stop where he saw fit to photograph. Other railroads accommodated Jackson in this way.
Probably a BaldwinI'm not 100% sure but looking at the round builder's plate, and trying to decipher the lettering around the edge of the numberplate on the front, I think this was built by Baldwin.
A ten-wheeler would generally be considered a huge engine for such a tiny train, but Mexico is in general pretty mountainous. Also, sometimes an outsized engine would be assigned to a train in order to avoid dispatching it as a light engine to a new location. I seem to recall seeing an example in one of by books, and back when I worked by the tracks in Silver Spring I saw a freight with eight diesels pushing at the back-- definite overkill considering that the run from Brunswick is pretty much downhill all the way.
It's not a Cooke engineI think it's a Mason. It is a dead ringer with identical cab, smoke box, steam and sand domes. and everything matches except for the pilot and location of the bell
Might Be a BaldwinAlthough not 100%, the amount of wording on both the builder's plate (the raised round item on the smokebox, just above the white flag and cylinder on our left), and the front number plate, lead me to believe this was a Baldwin. 
Cooke also used round plates, but with much simpler lettering, and in various sizes, 
Darkoom SpecialVery likely this is a photographer's special, with the second coach fitted up to act as a rolling darkroom.  WH Jackson worked on a contract basis for a lot of western railroads - the Denver Public Library has a huge collection of the pictures he took for the D&RG, DSP&P and Colorado Midland Railroads, among others - and quite a few of them include a two car (in some cases, a two caboose) train fitted up for his use, and posed among various scenic landmarks.  
It's not Alec or Billy or Stephen, but...Careful squinting at the numberplate on the smokebox door reveals it's a Baldwin.
How did they make this trip pay?One could ask the same thing about a private 747.
Short trains, well-known from moviesA lot of cheap western movies show very short trains, probably because they couldn't afford to restore a lot of rolling stock ..... This reminds of such movies.
(The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, W.H. Jackson)

Central Mexicano: 1891
        One of William Henry Jackson's "mammoth plate" exposures, made using 18x22 inch glass negatives, a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/27/2018 - 2:25pm -

        One of William Henry Jackson's "mammoth plate" exposures, made using 18x22 inch glass negatives, a massive view camera, assorted assistants, pack animals and a mobile darkroom that he hauled around by rail with chartered locomotives. This image comes from a number of 8x10 copy negatives exposed in the 1890s from the original 18x22 mammoth plates, which evidently are too big or fragile to scan.
1891. "Mexican Central Railway -- bridge over the Santa Rosa River." 8x10 glass plate made from an 18x22 negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size.
Where is this?Today, I can find no "Santa Rosa River" listed inside the nation of Mexico. Perhaps names have changed.
[Maybe those tricky Mexicans changed it to Rio Santa Rosa. - Dave]
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Railroads, W.H. Jackson)

Viny Houses: 1902
... two characteristic employees. 8x10 inch glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size. Nice characteristics! Them was the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/21/2022 - 4:29pm -

1902. "Characteristic employees' home, National Cash Register, Dayton, O." Along with two characteristic employees. 8x10 inch glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size.
Nice characteristics!Them was the days, not an ankle showing!
What is the tall stack? The plant?
I came in second in the 7th grade spelling bee, because I left out the first C in the word. Characteristic mistake.
She and she and KayeOr make that "K", as in the street ( looking west to Rubicon as best as I can tell)
Sadly, this picturesque assemblage - brick veneered on first floors of the furthest five (tho you wouldn't know it!) - didn't last long: the ever expanding factory complex had replaced it within a few years. Today the scene is as depressing as one might fear, if not worse: something that reflects none of the charm of this scene, or of the history of the site in the century since...it's Parking Lot D.
[Chimneys excepted, no bricks here. - Dave]
The map shows a row of six and five so veneered (the nearest one being an exception). I'll not vouch for what secrets the foliage hides, but if one embiggens the porch area of the second house, there seems to be the rectangular pattern of brickwork. N
[Indeed! - Dave]
Would you like to come over for tea?It's just a bit earlier than Randy Newman's song "Dayton, Ohio 1903" but it does look like a nice place to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.
The vines growing over the houses also has me thinking of end times when the natural world is taking over.
And the total isWe know from a previous post National Cash Register had a pretty impressive attraction at the 1939 New York World's Fair.
I'm impressed with the two curves in the wooden walk in the foreground.  It took more time but makes for a much nicer look than what you'd probably see today.
The lady on the left has a really good expression.  Her look makes me think the man in the background called out something rude to the two women and she has just decided to turn around and give him a response so shocking it will cause the woman on the right to drop her handbag.
Meanwhile, a couple miles westOrville and Wilbur are planning their next trip to North Carolina. 
Tendrils of DoomI always cringe when I see vines growing unchecked on buildings.  Even though some people think it makes the building look neat, the long-term damage is cringeworthy.
(The Gallery, DPC, Factories, W.H. Jackson)

Qwerty Women: 1902
... National Cash Register." 8x10 inch glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size. Nary a bottle of white-out anywhere I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/21/2010 - 1:31am -

Dayton, Ohio, circa 1902. "Typewriting department, National Cash Register." 8x10 inch glass negative by William Henry Jackson. View full size.
Nary a bottle of white-out anywhereI wonder how fast most of the could type -- probably 70-80 wpm -- and how often they made mistakes.
Some years ago I was looking at the file copies of my university department's PhD dissertations. The ones from the 40s and 50s were bound carbon copies and would go on for page after page after page without a correction: the standard of typing was just that high. And I suspect that they were typed at 70-80 wpm.
This comes from someone who can barely type their name on a word processor with making two or three errors. Thank heavens for spell-check.
Oh Dear,I'm sorry ladies, I was looking for the Faulty Wiring Department and naturally stepped in here.
No MistakesIf they made a typing mistake did they have to start the document over?
I don't see any correction fluid bottles.
Maybe they just passed one around.
All in whiteWith few exceptions they are all dressed more or less alike. Fashion, company policy or company culture?
Uniform HairstyleDo you think it was company policy or fashion of the day?
Earplugs not included?I wonder how unbearable the sound in that room could become.
Great PictureI can almost hear the noise.
Clackety-clackLooks like maybe 75 typists - 15 rows of 5, give or take.  Must have been noisy when they really got cranked up.
I was rummaging through my attic a few years ago with my 15-year old niece, and showed her my 45-year old manual Corona typewriter that I used to type my senior thesis (along with a couple of gallons of "white-out".)  She was absolutely mesmerized.  Almost as fascinating as her grandmother's rotary telephone, still hanging on the wall of her kitchen even today.
Gibson GirlsThey are wearing their hair in the style made popular by the famous portraitist of the time Charles Dana Gibson, especially the young lady on the left front.  I'm certain the dress code, along with everything else at that time, was very strict, too.  And I'll bet that not one of them was late to work.
Dressed alike?  Not too sure.While I do look at this picture and think that they're all dressed pretty much alike, I bet they'd think you were crazy if you told them that.  First of all, I bet color would change the perception a lot.  Second, I think our eyes aren't as trained to the details of that style of clothing.  On one level, sure, they're all very similar: high collars, kerchiefs, long sleeves, etc.  But the details are as different as a group of office workers' clothes today.  And I bet that if one of them looked at an office picture of today they'd say that all the clothes look the same too.
Some of the women seem to be wearing the same smock (or whatever it's called) but that's a separate issue.  Including that in the "isn't it weird that they're all dressed so similarly" concept would be like thinking it's odd that all the people in a McDonalds are dressed similarly.
Hair and thereDoes NCR have a hair do code?  All the women have the same hair style.
Paging Mr. Leroy Anderson
Summer?Is that a palm tree in the background? Could summer account for the lightness of their clothes? You can imagine a room like that could get fairly warm.
The new girl.Third row, third from left doesn't appear to have a typewriter yet. In the absence of Solitaire, she might have been playing Tic Tac Toe.
Electric Light, Steam Heat.
By today's standards the electric distribution for the hanging shaded electric lamps would be deemed unsafe.
On the large crossbeam above the second-from-the-right hanging lamp are porcelain fuse holders with screw-in fuses.
The electric service wires then travel to the left horizontally along the beam towards the windows, the wires held in vertical porcelain blocks which hold the wires well separated.
Between the upper and lower horizontal feed wires, round junction taps are installed to supply electric power to each hanging lamp suspended on braided wire.
The lamp shades are glass with the colour green cast in the glass in the upper surface, white below to reflect light downwards.
Until their demise, almost every small railway station had a similar green-shaded lamp hanging over the desk in the bay window facing the track.
Below the fourth and fifth windows on the left are serpentine pipe coils which would radiate heat when steam was passed thru them.
These pipes would always clank and bang from expansion when warming up, a welcome sound on cold days.
Thank You.
Hair CaughtThere's no danger of any of them getting their long hair caught in their typewriter.  Maybe the hair styles aren't really a fashion statement.
Whew.Whenever I see pictures like this, I'm so glad I'm a woman born well into the second half of the 20th century.
NoiseNot only the noise of the keys, but imagine the ringing of the bells before each carriage return (if they had all the bells and whistles c. 1902).
Easy VirtueI bet the shameless woman wearing the colored suit on the far right was known to her female co-workers as a woman of "easy virtue" and a gal that was always ready to show a fellow a "good time!"
A few menThere are a few men in there in the back right corner. I wonder if this was an acceptable job for men in those days? I don't know for sure, but I believe most of them wore the white aprons to protect their clothing from ink stains. Anyone who has ever used an old typewriter knows they are notorious for leaving one's fingers and clothing stained if not careful.
The white topsProbably were company policy as company dress codes were big until about 1970. My mom worked in the Infants & Children's clothing department of JC Penney and even they were supposed to wear white uniforms with white stockings and shoes in the 1950s, as did medical personnel. 
Ringer in backUnless I'm mistaken, there's a guy typing all the way at the back, between the columns in the center of the picture. Looks like another guy lurking over his shoulder. Was this a job he hid from his buddies? Or did he brag of spending his days surrounded by pulchritude? As for the hairstyle, it's the Gibson girl look, very fashionable at the turn of the 20th century.
No. 2The majority of these look to be Remington No. 2s or equivalent. They were "invisible" typewriters -- the keys struck the bottom of the platen and you couldn't see what you were typing without raising the whole roller. The woman in the front row middle has hers raised.
TypereadersLooking carefully, I can see several women without a typewriter in front of them. I suspect there's woman in each row without a typewriter is actually a proofreader, making sure that there are no egregious errors in the pages typed by her row-mates.
And sexist it might be, but I wonder if the men at the back are possibly fixing that particular typewriter.
I notice also that a lot of the women are typing what appear to be index or catalogue cards, possibly part of the accounting system?
Another fascinating photograph.
Dress codeAccording to a family friend that worked in a similar circumstance - you had to wear a white blouse to the neck and long sleeves.  Your skirt had to come to the ankle, and your hair had to be kept up and tidy appropriate to office standards.  Her job did not require an apron, but if you had to have one, it was to be spotless.  Her cousin kept an extra on hand, in case she needed to change her apron. 
CaligraphThe woman front and center is using a Caligraph: no shift key, separate keys for lowercase and uppercase letters (in different arrangements). No touch typing there!
Age of ArousalEarlier in our theatre season, I had to come up with three Remington Invisibles, and desks, this for a production of "Age of Arousal." Here is our take on a similar situation.
The National Cash Register PlanNational Cash Register has some of the very best factory-people-lifestyle photos on the internet.  You will see women in the "women's" lunch room, women in workrooms, men in workrooms attending the different stages of making the cash register all looking crisp and tidy as in the above photo.  NCR also provided row house neighborhoods on NCR property for its employees probably as well as doctors and grocery stores, tying all aspects of the employee, to the company.  I imagine NCR ran a tight ship with a tight employee code.  The Ford company also provided this for their employees.  An interesting if not unnerving concept today.
(The Gallery, DPC, Factories, W.H. Jackson)

Cripple Creek Short Line: 1901
... A gray day in the Rockies. 8x10 inch glass transparency by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. But ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 1:39pm -

Colorado circa 1901. "Cathedral Park near Clyde. Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek Short Line." A gray day in the Rockies. 8x10 inch glass transparency by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
But it's always a gray dayat Shorpy.
Barrels?Anyone know the purpose of the barrels on the side of the bridge?
Rock formations win the sceneNot so much the railroad theme but check out the interesting rock formations.
Barrels?What's the purpose of the barrels placed on the bridge? The only thing I can come up with is some kind of primitive vibration damping system.
Missed the TrainDid those two dressed-up people miss the last train?
JumbotronThe part of the picture, shown below, sort of looks like the Elephant is leaving the room.
Water BarrelsBeautiful landscape.
Also, those water barrels were there in case the bridge caught fire.  Wood burning steam engines were prone to throw cinders out the stack. They would frequently start brush fires or even set the wood-roofed train cars on fire.
Stunning view!Absolutely beautiful! Looks like it could be the inspiration for the great Gorre & Daphetid RR.
CuriousWhat are the barrels on the platforms attached to the bridge for? Gorgeous photograph. The rock formations are fascinating. The couple taking a stroll by the creek help to give perspective to this scene.
Upper Gold Camp RoadI believe this is now the upper Gold Camp Road between Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek. This shows about the same picture. Do a search on Google maps for Gold Camp Road, Colorado and it will take you right to it.
Cliff FacesI see a Cyclops, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, monster faces, a Chinese elder and other assorted interesting shapes on this mountain wall. 
BarrelsIt is my considered opinion that these barrels on the sides of bridges were there for safety purposes.
Should a railroad worker or other person find himself on the span with a train bearing down on them, they could escape into the nearest barrel.
I'm sure I've seen these barrels on steel bridges; that's why fire fighting seemed unlikely the issue.
CindersIt looks like the hill on the far side of the bridge did burn at some point.
Sand Barrels and BracingThe extra track over the bridge with the ends meeting appears to be bracing to keep the main track from shifting on the bridge ties.  This appears to be an uphill curved grade.  Sand from the six barrels could be used for traction without depleting the sand carried by the engine.  Not a location for cannon ball runs. 
Get our your 4WDApparently you can drive right up to this point on Gold Camp Road, if you don't mind the rough ride and the sheer drops of the side.
Magnificent sceneThis must rank as the ultimate setting in a model railroader's dream.
I see the GrinchHe looks stoned. 
Barrels of funThe barrels that are on the bridge are for fires that might start on the bridge. Because the steam engines would drop hot coals as it went down the tracks, they had these handy barrels that were filled with water and usually painted red.  If a track crew or passerby saw any smoke from the bridge after the train past, they could use the water to put the "fire" out. 
The Late Great Gorre & DaphetidJohn Allen was my hero when I was a kid building my HO train layout. John was a good photographer himself and his model railroad was the envy of everyone! Sorry end: John died and his friends tried to preserve his masterpiece  but the house caught fire. The End. RIP John wherever you are.
For the Squirrels.Concerning the barrels on the trestle.
As mentioned, they are for fire protection, and usually had a hook on the inside upon which was hung a bucket under the water.
The Sectionmen would keep an eye on the barrels and would top them up from time to time from the creek below, sometimes with a bucket on a rope, or, in dry locations or on HIGH bridges, from a special Water Car handled by a Wayfreight or Work Train.
Water could be moved by a hose from a steam locomotive tender.
Squirrels, other animals, and birds would attempt to drink from the barrels, and, if the insides were slick, would fall in, not be able to climb back out, then drown.
A floating piece of wood plank would give them something to climb onto, then jump or fly free.
Sparks could come from locomotive fire boxes and smoke stacks and from red-hot iron brakeshoes on trains descending heavy grades.
Diesel locomotives still set fires with carbon sparks from their exhuasts.
Train and Engine crews were admonished to not throw discarded smoking material from moving trains ( Cigars, Cigarettes, Pipe Dottle, Matches and so forth.)
Written notices would be placed in Cabooses to that effect.
Fusees used for flagging and hand signals would set fires if improperly used.
When cooler weather arrived, the barrels would be emptied, or they would freeze and break, often turned upside-down on the platform, with the bucket underneath.
In spring they would be turned upright, the bucket put back in and filled once again.
Different Companies and climates might dictate different policies, but, thats the way it was done here.
After they became readily available, steel drums and galvanized buckets were used on water barrels on bridges.
Steel drums, with one end removed with a hammer and chisel and with holes put in the sides near the bottom with a pick for draft, still make excellent fire barrels for heat, and burning trash, the latter to discourage bears.
As trash burners, a screen would be used in hot weather to capture sparks.
They glow red at night, the draft holes making spooky patterns on the snow, melting a hole, sparks mixing with the stars as the coyotes serenade the mountains.
Thank You.
Twisted by Tempests


The Land of Enchantment: From Pike's Peak to the Pacific.
 By Lilian Whiting, 1909. 


Chapter III
The Picturesque Region of Pike's Peak

…
Every tourist in the Pike's Peak region regards the "Short Line" trip as the very crown of the summer's excursions. These forty-five miles not only condense within their limits the grandeur one might reasonably anticipate during a transcontinental journey of three thousand miles, but as an achievement of mountain engineering, railway experts in both Europe and America have pronounced it the most substantially built and the finest equipped mountain railroad in the world. It was opened in 1901, and, quite irrespective of any interest felt in visiting the gold camps of Cripple Creek, the "Short Line" has become the great excursion which all visitors to Colorado desire to make for the sublime effects of the scenery.
…
The "Cathedral Park" is an impressive example of what the forces of nature can accomplish. Colossal rocks, chiselled by erosion, twisted by tempests, worn by the storms of innumerable ages, loom up in all conceivable shapes. They are of the same order as some of the wonderful groups of rocks seen in the Grand Cañon. Towers and arches and temples and shafts have been created by Nature's irresistable forces, and to the strange fantastic form is added color — the same rich and varied hues that render the Grand Cañon so wonderful in its color effects. This "Cathedral Park" is a great pleasure resort for celebrations and picnics, both from Colorado Springs, Colorado City, Broadmoor, and other places from below, and also from Cripple Creek, Victor, and other towns in Cripple Creek District.
…

Bridge OutIn fact, the railroad itself is gone.  The road bed is now unpaved Gold Camp Road.  The gorge spanned by the railroad bridge has been filled in.  This is the area just below Cathedral Park where in 1901 picture was apparently taken.  The stream called Bison Creek is still there and flows beneath the filled in section.  Following it downhill leads to a small lake it has formed, and signs of life are there.
Beautiful area!I love the area around Cripple Creek and Victor. We go there twice a year. Have never been on Gold Camp Road, but plan to find it and go on it later this year after seeing these pictures.
Barrels!They are there to provide water to fight small fires caused by sparks from the locomotive(s) after they passed by.  The bridges were built with either untreated or creosoted timbers, highly susceptible to fire, and the railroads, in those days, hired trackwalkers to keep an eye on bridges like this, as well as many other maintenance issues.  A small fire or smolder could easily be put out with a little water from the barrels.  Otherwise, the nearest water was in the creek below, IF it wasn't dried up for the summer.
Guard rails on bridgesThese were placed between the tracks on bridges in case of a derailment on the bridge. It was hoped that the wheels would be snagged between the outer rail and the guard rail. No doubt the guard rails did not always keep the cars or locomotive from going over the side.
(The Gallery, DPC, Railroads, W.H. Jackson)

Merry Christmas From the Family
... of famous photographer Just bought a print of a William Henry Jackson photo from the Detroit Publishing Company, circa 1900. WHJ was my ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/29/2014 - 1:40pm -

"Dickey Christmas tree, 1922." Our fourth holiday visit with the family of Washington lawyer Raymond Dickey, who has a decade's worth of Christmas portraits in the archives of the National Photo Co. Some of which turned out better than others. View full size.
Dave's Understatement:"Some of which turned out better than others." Boy, I'll say! It's amazing how many times I find myself hitting"Send To Trash" while editing my own photos. Big plates weren't cheap I don't imagine, so these fellas had to let things slide. Merry Christmas to ALL!!! (but when More (allegedly) wrote "A Visit From St. Nicholas," Santa says "Happy Christmas to all" -- the editors changed it. So, Happy Christmas to ALL of you fine folks too.
The Barbara Walters InterviewBarbara:  "If you were this Chwistmas twee, what would you say?"
Me-Tree:  "Could someone put a little Tylenol in my water - I have the worst crick in my upper trunk."
Are We Having Fun Yet?How exciting to see a comment from Zippy the Pinhead's creator on Shorpy!  
Great Grandson of famous photographerJust bought a print of a William Henry Jackson photo from the Detroit Publishing Company, circa 1900. WHJ was my great-grandfather. I have very few of his actual photos---nice to be able to see and obtain more here!----Bill Griffith (William Henry Jackson Griffith)
Big ContrastThere certainly is an obvious difference between the grim Dickey clan and tterrace's family. 
Oh, MinBack in the 1920s and '30s, "The Gumps" was a popular comic strip, with Andy Gump and his wife, Min.  "Oh, Min!" was a catchphrase back then, so I suppose the album or whatever it is was associated with the strip.
Anything BUT merryThe juxtaposition of the message "Merry Christmas" with the subjects' grim facial expressions is extremely incongruous, and gave me an unexpected laugh.
Happy Holidays, everyone! Truly.
Way back whenBack in the day before fire safety took the fun out of everything, my elementary school had a similar Christmas tree in the front hallway.
Not only was it glorious, it smelled wonderful.
The last year we had one was 1965, the next year the principal set up one of those aluminum monstrosities.
Wonder what became of the ornaments.
Great Shorpy photo as alwaysbut like most commenters, I'm wondering about the unhappy faces.
Two theories:  Either they just found out that the Redskins once again missed the NFL Playoffs or someone recently informed them that the Great Depression was only seven years away.
The Joy of ChristmasLooks like everybody's getting socks and underwear this year.
Nice tree.The faces of the younger woman and the boys almost look like cardboard. It's probably from the flash. What a great picture.
Worn to a FrazzleThat poor Mother looks like she is just completely worn out. The hairstyle reminds me of Elsa Lanchester in "Bride of Frankenstein". The "thousand yard stare" in her eyes makes me sorry for her that Valium had not been invented at that time. Sure hope they all had a better Christmas than their picture projects.
Oh Min!Oh Min! was a song released in 1918, sung by Edward Meeker, based on a catchphrase from the comic strip "The Gumps." Apparently in 1924 there was a motion picture by the same name.
re: Big ContrastYeah, but they definitely have some of our ornaments.
Christmas CheerEggnog and Jack, STAT.
Bah! Humbug!It must be true what they say about those black-hearted lawyers!
"Don't be sad, kiddies; tomorrow we can go back to our usual Dickey lawyering!"
Aside from that, it is nice to see all those wonderful ornaments I remember from my childhood. 
Could they look any more miserable?Man this is a somber looking bunch, the only one with any real expression is the kid in the Sailor Suit.
Love the tree! Real glass ornaments with elaborate decorations, not the cheap plastic or plain glass junk you find now.
Another Christmas photo from the same eraHere's a photo from about Christmas 1922 taken by my grandfather Wilford Fletcher.  On the right is my mom, Margaret, and on the left is her older sister Dorothy.
Oh Min!What is it?
[Looks like a game or a phonograph album. "Oh Min!" pops up periodically on eBay.  - Dave]
Mry Xms -Hpy NwYrI would like to wish for each and all the Shorpyites: "Best of the Season!"
  To Dave especially - what a monumental amount of work this is - I don't think folks can really appreciate that until they've tried to do a bit of itinerant webmastering...    I can just see the typical Louis Wickes Hines photo of Dave, standing in front of his computers: 
"David, looks 65, says he is much younger, been a webmaster for several years now, makes very little for his efforts. Works 15 hours a day, gets no exercise and little sunlight or fresh air. Hands are always sore from typing and processing digital photos. Eyesight suffering. Perhaps no hope for David to have a 'normal' life."
Thanks to tterrace for his contributed (and ongoing) "stream of richness" and for drawing back the curtains over a window into the fascinating 3-D web of lives of his family and friends.
Thanks to all the Shorpy contributors, from the 'Anonymous' one-line drive-by snarkings, to the Rest of the Bunch.
  May each of us find some quiet and contentment in the midst of busy lives and times!
  So: Murray Ecksmiss and Hoppy NuYeer, etc etc!
Cheers
Zephyr
"Merry Christmas From the Family"I hope at least a few people (besides me) got the reference made in the title of this post to Robert Earl Keen's very funny song.
Tall TreeThe tree looks like one of those shown in a past picture..
A 12 foot tree in a 10 foot room.
(The Gallery, Christmas, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo, The Dickeys)

Pike's Peaker: 1900
... Peak prospector." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Equipment Note ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 3:12pm -

Colorado circa 1900. "A Pike's Peak prospector." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
EquipmentNote the hand-drill steel, "single jack" and "double jack" hammers ... wonder if this is at Cripple Creek?  Funny that the stove is outside.
A coot's best friend.He has a dog. I just love that he has a dog.
Cooking alfrescoEver cooked indoors on a wood stove in a windowless cabin in the middle of summer? That's why many old homes had "summer kitchens." It was hot enough in a cabin without having a stove going full blast.
Percolator, mosquito net, dogAll the comforts of home!
A Little ReflectionThat shiny jug by the stove features a rare find --- a reflection of the photographer, William Henry Jackson, standing by his tripod-secured camera. 
Oh lardy, lardyCottolene and the Mysterious Disappearance of Lard
By Dr. Alice Ross
Muffin Pan Man!I bet he could whip up some tasty grub.
Mudhooks is on the moneyIf you look at Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs from this period, you'll find that in addition to wood- and coal-fired ranges they carried a line of gasoline- or kerosene-powered stoves, with such names as "Summer Queen."
Watch out! Yer gonna git bow-legged carryin' all them tools -- oops, too late.
Beautiful stoveThat stove would cost a fortune to buy in a good condition. Beautiful handwork.
Our miner friend looks as though he may have been gotten hold of some "Rocky Mountain High."
I like his little stove.That little woodstove was surely made of cast iron. I wonder how it was delivered to his cabin, because it would have been a heavy piece of freight. Did he bring it on a pack horse or mule, or were the roads good enough that a wagon made the trip to his little cabin? 
An ash tray sat below the grate on which the wood rested inside the stove. Ashes sifted down into the pan and larger coals stayed in the stove. The ash tray and its contents could be removed through the small side door on the stove. This made ash removal much easier.
But you knew all that already, didn't you?
Some Assembly RequiredThose cast iron stoves did not need to be delivered assembled. Since we don't know what is behind us when looking at this photo let's assume it came in on mule. A mule could carry 100-250 pounds.  So if you leave the fire box as one load and the legs/doors/etc as another two mule loads would do the trick.
What always amazes me in old cabins is the use of wood to stabilize the chimney. Or heck - even those old wooden chimneys.
(The Gallery, DPC, Mining, W.H. Jackson)

Jupiter R.R.: 1896
... invention of the pickup truck. Dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Jupiter ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 4:55pm -

Florida circa 1896. "Jupiter & Lake Worth R.R." And one hound dog who didn't have to wait for the invention of the pickup truck. Dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Jupiter & Lake Worth RRMore info: http://www.taplines.net/jalw/jalwry.htm
Technology Marches OnwardIs that a DC battery and wire leading from the tender to the car?  If so, I can see the advantage of electric lighting as opposed to oil lamps.
Does anyone out there know how many locomotives were running on wood vs. coal in 1898?
Squeaky Pooch Is that guy fixin' to oil the hound?
Celestial RailroadSometimes called that because it made stops at Venus and Mars before it ended at Jupiter.  With no turnarounds on the 7½ mile line, the train was always pointed toward Lake Worth, running backward one way and forward the other.
Circa 1889-1896According to the interesting link provided by David Emery, the J&LW operated from 1889 to 1896, and took 35 minutes to make its 7.5 mile run. It, and its connecting steamboat lines, were put out of business by Flagler's mainline railroad, some of whose hotels were featured here several months back. 
Jupiter & Lake WorthWhat a wonderful litle piece of Americana! A short-line narrow gauge railroad that lasted but a handful of years, but was filled with local color and quirky personalities. Stuff like this is one of many reasons we look at Shorpy every day.
Thanks Dave.
WowThe detail and tone on that locomotive is amazing.
Shoeless JoePoor fellow standing on front of engine with no shoes on.  He'd be disciplined for sure on today's railroads.  Heck, to go near a running locomotive today, I must have safety glasses, ear protection, safety vest, gloves and proper boots.  Great picture.
ToolsI don't know if that is a wire running to the coach or not, but the box on the tender is a tool box.  Headlamp is standard oil burner type so probably no electricity on the train.
Baldwin EngineBaldwin did produce rectangular plates during the 1880's, alternating them with the round plates.
And thanks to David Emery for passing my link to the J&LW site, for more interesting old railroad photos and history please visit www.taplines.net
Thanks
Don Hensley
SanctifiedThe photo is so beautiful that it doesn't look real at all. The steam makes the picture seem holy.
That CordThe cord between the passenger car and the tender is probably the Conductor's communicating signal bell rope for getting the engineer's attention.  It seems to pass through a grommet in the end of the car roof.  One very sharp clang of the gong in the cab means "train has come uncoupled"!
(The Gallery, Dogs, DPC, Florida, Railroads, W.H. Jackson)

Old Orleans: 1890
... not to trip on the guttersnipes. 5x7 glass negative by William Henry Jackson. Attribution based on Catalogue of the W.H. Jackson Views ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/16/2014 - 11:49am -

New Orleans circa 1880s-1890s. "Street in the French Quarter." Take care not to trip on the guttersnipes. 5x7 glass negative by William Henry Jackson. Attribution based on Catalogue of the W.H. Jackson Views (1898). View full size.
Gravity-defying porchI'm still trying to figure out how that thin delicate cantilever thing manages to stay up all while taking the load of the porch columns , railings, and roof above.
RE: Gravity-defying porchI agree.  There appears to be a metal support of some kind on the farside under the porch but the same is missing on the nearside.
[The porch is cantilevered on five metal beams that could extend far into the house. - Dave]
Prior to moving to New York CityNikola Tesla spent some time in New Orleans considering a career in architecture.
When Marie Laveux took a stroll, just as an urchin pointed a stick at a raingutter, he thought of alternating current. And the rest is history.
I'll Have You Know!The proper title for those lads is "sidewalk hydrologists."
(The Gallery, DPC, Kids, New Orleans, W.H. Jackson)

Metamora of Palatka: 1902
... Ocklawaha." Steamboat Metamora of Palatka . Photo by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 1:37pm -

Florida circa 1902. "On the Ocklawaha." Steamboat Metamora of Palatka. Photo by William Henry Jackson. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size.
Palatka PixThe Putnam County archive has more pictures.
Walt's inspirationSince no one has mentioned it yet, I have to: This is the jungle cruise at Disneyland.
Spanish TrimmingsThe spanish moss just dripping off these trees seems almost like a holiday garland and thus oddly appropriate for the season.
And they complain about propellersI wonder how many manatees got brained by that mixmaster!  Or perhaps the paddle was better at turning gators into shoes.
Metamora lost to the swamps.I can find nothing on the Metamora in steamboat lists. I believe the reason for the small wheel is that the boat is small. No more than 12 feet wide and maybe 60 feet long. Not much room for large compound steam engines to move a bigger wheel. Note the chains and rudder arms aft of the wheel. A very simple steering setup.
Lucas New LineFrom the Ocala Star Banner of May 8, 1966:
Another interesting sight was the arrival of the "Hart Line" or "Lucas New Line" steamboats from Palatka, which was a 24 hour trip through tropical scenery.
"This tortuous stream"An ad from the 1903 edition of the Foster & Reynolds Standard Guide to Florida.
OCKLAWAHA RIVER.
Most Attractive and Romantic Trip in the South! 
No visitor can afford to visit Florida without having enjoyed a sail on this tortuous stream which flows through a dense semi-tropical forest. The night scenes, when this tangled mass of shrubbery is lighted by torches, are marvelous. A steamer of the LUCAS NEW LINE OCKLAWAHA RIVER STEAMERS will leave Palatka for Silver Spring on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 12.30 p.m., after arrival of trains from Jacksonville and St. Augustine.
Returning leaves Silver Springs Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 12.30 p.m., after arrival of trains from Tampa, Ocala, and other places on the West Coast. 
ASK MR. FOSTER, at the Standard Guide Information Bureaus, Cordova Corner, St. Augustine, and Palm Beach, for further information and printed matter of all the Hotels, Routes and Resorts here advertised.
Enclosed PaddlewheelWhat is interesting about this little steamboat is the fact that the stern paddlewheel is completely enclosed. Was this an attempt to keep it free of vegetation in this tough swamp enviornment? A very fascinating boat.
Florida QueenWithout that caption, this could have been shot anywhere from Africa to the deepest Amazon.  Looking for Bogart and Hepburn!
On the OckHave kayaked the Ock many times. It's quite beautiful with much wildlife to be seen along the way. One obstruction, the Rodman Dam in Putnam County, constructed in the 1960s as part of the ill-fated Cross-Florida Barge Canal, is scheduled to be removed as part of a watershed restoration project.

Trail BlazingI love the way the angle makes it look as though it's blazing its own path through the swamp!!  Wonder how often random snakes and critters ended up on-deck.
Smoke on the water?What is the stuff that looks like smoke, and is reflected in the water, but apparently coming from pipes there at the waterline? Wouldn't the exhaust come from the stack?
[It's steam. - Dave]
Metamora modelI was recently at the Florida History museum in Tallahassee and they had a wonderful scale model of Silver Springs. One of the boats in the model is the Metamora.
New LineYes, the Ocklawaha steamers' inboard paddle design was intended to reduce fouling in the tight confines of the river.
Lucas' New Line was a less successful imitator and rival of Col. Hubbard Hart's original and larger Palatka-Silver Springs line.
Hyacinth countermeasuresThe Ocklawaha, in common with many Southern streams, was totally overrun with South American water hyacinth (a pest to this day). Bringing the wheel inboard let the hull of the boat act as a sort of "icebreaker" to push through the floating mats of weed, and kept the wheel clear.
Metamora looks a bit run down.The lowest tier of siding appears to be covered with the familiar Florida algae and fungus.  There are lots of broken slats in the stateroom shutters.  I wonder if deferred maintenance had anything to do with Metamora's upcoming loss on the river.
I would love to build a model of this little tub-- anyone know where I can get plans?
MetamoraI stumbled across this forum and found it interesting as the co-owner and Captain of the Metamora was my grandfather Joseph Edward Lucas.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Florida, W.H. Jackson)

Canal Street: 1890s
... from the Clay monument." Dry-plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Radio antennas ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/14/2012 - 11:46pm -

New Orleans in the 1890s. "Canal Street from the Clay monument." Dry-plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
Radio antennasOr maybe they're buggy whips. What I would give to be a buggy whip salesman in that town!
Broadway of the SouthGreat photo, looking lakewards (away from the Mississippi River) from Canal Street's intersection with St. Charles Avenue & Royal Street. 
I think the photo is somewhat earlier than the given "circa 1898", as only mule cars are visible and no catenary; the Canal Street streetcar line was electrified in 1894 (with Brill semi-convertible electric cars ordered February 1894 and starting to run on the Canal Street line in August of that year). The photo is no earlier than 1890, however, from the presence of the Chess, Checkers & Whist Club Building (the building with the distinctive corner cupola at seen at left) at the uptown lake corner of Canal & Barrone.
The "Clay monument" mentioned but not seen was a statue of Henry Clay erected in the center of the intersection in 1860. With the electrificiation of streetcars in the 1890s, the slowing of traffic on the tracks around the monument became more of a bottleneck. After years of debate, the statue was moved to Lafayette Square in 1900, where it can still be seen today. Henry Clay, it was remarked at the time, was not a man to stand in the way of progress. 
Infrogmation of New Orleans
A Streetcar Named ElectricThe switch to electric streetcars began in 1894. That would allow for more than a year for changes to be made. They were delivered to New Orleans starting in 1896.
Strings and ThingsPianos and Ladies' Underwear? What a combination.
My First ClarinetI remember my father buying me my first clarinet at Werliens Music Store on Canal Street in 1967. I haven't been back to New Orleans in over 25 years so I don't know if the store is still in business.
Cat's Cradle"Web" hardly does justice to the arrangement of electric (and telephone?) wires.
Also, thanks, Infrogmation, I was wondering about the cupolaed building. I'd guess the Chess, Checkers & Whist Club Building  was a quiet oasis in the hurly-burly of the Big Easy.
Extra TextureHow magnificently textured our cities used to be. There had been a Philip Werlein music store in the city since the Civil War. An elderly descendant of the original owner (also named Philip) did radio spots for the store in the '70s and early '80s. He had that great old New Orleans accent:
"Guitaws, drums, pianas, awgans, 'n everything musical at Woi-lahnz!"  
Werlein's closed almost ten years ago, and now houses the Palace Cafe.
OrnamentalismThis beautiful scene reminds me of the greatest deficit of modern architecture: the lack of ornament (whichever style doesn't matter). The human eye needs to see surfaces that are alive, that are subdivided into recognizable forms, not just big blank surfaces.
Ornamentalismo?A mí me encanta la maraña de postes de la luz, crucetas y cables...
Werlein'sWerlein's is no longer there. The sign stood long after the store closed. It's now the Palace Cafe, which serves a Werlein Salad.
The good old daysAh, Werleins ... In 1996 I came all the way down from Belgium to buy a Deering tenor banjo at Werlein's. I'm sad to learn the shop has closed!
+118ishThe Clay Monument would have been immediately behind the photographer.  Interestingly, the numbering of addresses along Canal have been changed since the photograph was taken.  There are two buildings on the right numbered 131 and 133.  Those addresses now are several blocks south at the terminus of Canal at the Mississippi River.  The location today is the 700 block of Canal.  The view today is similar and some of the buildings may have survived under different facades as noted in this picture from September of 2008 taken from the same location.
(The Gallery, DPC, Horses, New Orleans, Streetcars, W.H. Jackson)

Silverton: 1901
Silverton, Colorado, circa 1901 as photographed by William Henry Jackson. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/30/2020 - 2:08pm -

Silverton, Colorado, circa 1901 as photographed by William Henry Jackson. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Yay Silverton!I stopped in Silverton for lunch on a long motorcycle ride last summer.  It was a great little mountain town, much more "real," I thought, than Ouray up the road.  It's not much bigger now than it is in this 109-year-old photo, and many of the buildings on the main drag are still there.
Fire ContainmentNotice how wide the streets are - at least 50 feet. No doubt they were to act as firebreaks in an emergency. Since fire fighting options were limited in a remote village, better one block should burn down than the whole town.
Prosperity!That's a well laid out, prosperous looking little town!  Looks like they've even got themselves a nice little coal fired power plant.
Well-preservedSilverton still looks pretty much like this. 
I rode the train here with my granddad 30 years ago. We drove from his home in Arizona to Durango in his 1968 Porsche 912.
SidewalksThis could be the beginning of a new housing development today including sidewalks if it weren't for the absence of driveways and the presence of outhouses. It's also interesting how, even in this small town, there is a farm side (left in this picture) and a city side.
In the farm side, there appear to be three animals stretched out on the ground but I suspect that may have something to do with the camera angle. 
With the river running through it, it appears to be an altogether pleasant-looking place to live. 
The railroad is still there!It's interesting to note that the Denver and Rio Grande narrow gauge tracks in the foreground still exist. Silverton is now the northern terminus of the scenic railroad from Durango.  The foreground tracks now make up part of a Y for turning the trains.  The stub of the Y leads to the depot in town.
The view from hereSilverton in August 2009 from Route 550. Click to embiggen.

High altitudeAt 10,000 feet, more or less, it would help to have a great set of lungs if you lived there.
Christ of the MinesI'll always remember our drive up from Durango to Silverton on the Million Dollar Highway: the aspens, the magpies, but most of all, I'll remember the 16 foot Christ of the Mines Shrines, 500 feet above Silverton to the north. 
Old WestThis could be the setting for a movie like Pale Rider.  I can just see Clint Eastwood sneaking around here blowing away the bad guys.
Do I have it installed on here?Suddenly I have this crazy urge to play SimCity, and I can't figure out why ... (shrug)
Silverton 2010I wish you could get better resolution out of Google Maps and Earth, but here's the approximate view today. The original was shot further up the hill behind this vantage point:
View Larger Map
Silverton in Summer of 1970Thanks to member "seacue" for sharing this photo of Silverton as seen in 1970.
Which houseI believe my grandfather, his brothers, and their parents still lived in Silverton in 1901 - in the 1900 census, they lived on Snowden Street.  I wonder which house is theirs in this photo?
Silverton, 1958First view on video almost identical to view in Jackson's photo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DybRHM4scZw&t=12m6s
(The Gallery, DPC, Frontier Life, Small Towns, W.H. Jackson)

Waiting for the Sunday Boat: 1902
... the Sunday boat." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. You call that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 4:25pm -

Florida circa 1902. "Waiting for the Sunday boat." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
You call that hoofin'?The guy to the rear seems to be thinking,"Why don't you step aside and let me show you how a real song and dance man gets it done."
CoolThird from the left, leaning against the wall, is one cool dude.
Good As It GetsWell, this is about as great a picture as you could ever find in this world.
Waiting his turnThe young man third from the left looks like a young "Bojangles." He would have been 24 years old in 1902.
Silver Springs StationThis is the dock side of the rail and steamboat station at Silver Springs, Florida.  Shorpy has featured a number of Silver Springs photographs in the past, including this view of the station, with the Hart Line steamer Okeehumkee docked in front of where these men are standing.  Jackson's photograph of the Lucas' New Line steamer Metamora appears to have been taken from the same spot, but with the camera facing the springs.
This is such a great photoSuch movement!
Lsiten carefullyOnce again, I look at an image on Shorpy and find myself wishing that I could hear what's being said and sung. Where will that Sunday boat carry them?
Give a guy a hat and he'll make it his ownI can clearly see 6 hats and each one has its own personality.
Musical questionsWell dressed, lighthearted, is this the entertainment on the boat tonight? Or do they plan to perform for the disembarking passengers?
And is that a gun belt on the man in the back?
There's a story here.
I Would PayThe price of a Beatles White Album unopened for a recording of that impromptu jam session.
Looks FamiliarThis shot was used as the cover of "The Best of the Memphis Jug Band." Is this the Jug Band?
[The Memphis Jug Band was formed in 1927, so no. - Dave]
Hats Off!The hats alone, and the way they are worn, make this a million dollar shot.
Pic of great feelingsI came to my office this morning with a bad case of the Monday blues. I did not want to start work so I went to this site and when I saw this pic I lost my blues and lit up feeling like I'm ready for the world.
Now, this evening I am home and was back to feeling like crap because of some nasty dealings from my bank. So I went to this pic and now once again I feel GREAT.
Thanks for this most wonderful picture. I hope the people pictured had lives that were long and full of the happiness I am sure they gave to many. 
Martin "parlor"The guitar in this picture looks like an early "parlor" type Martin. I wish owned this guitar today it would be worth quite a bit.
(The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Florida, Music, W.H. Jackson)
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