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Naval Escort: 1943
... Maryland. "Servicemen and their girls at the Glen Echo amusement park." Medium format nitrate negative by Esther Bubley for the Office ... would have been 1960 or so. Mom wasn't a big fan of amusement parks, but she did walk us through one day before we moved. Gimme ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/30/2017 - 8:43pm -

April 1943. Montgomery County, Maryland. "Servicemen and their girls at the Glen Echo amusement park." Medium format nitrate negative by Esther Bubley for the Office of War Information. View full size. Go Navy!Popeye hits the jackpot. Dress codes matter!With today's dress codes and its bare midriffs, the gentleman wearing blue might end up as a "navel" escort. When Is A Clutch Not A Purse?When it either carried or, held "clutched" under the arm pit. A handbag has handles, according to my wife. Although the girl in the checks is carting her handbag (I see handles) under her arm. The middle girl is carrying, what I assume, is a peize of some sort. [It's a camera. -tterrace] [good eye] Used to live across the street from Glen EchoI remember trying to fall asleep on those hot, humid DC nights, to the sound of the roller coaster and the screams of the riders. This would have been 1960 or so. Mom wasn't a big fan of amusement parks, but she did walk us through one day before we moved. Gimme a hand!Lots of handling going on here! Prelude to cell phone cameraBrownie box camera. What hath George Eastman wrought?? That SailorCould have been me in 1951. Looks AlikeThe two girls on the left appear to be wearing outfits made out of the same checked material. Either they're sisters or best friends who shared a bolt of fabric. As usual, their 40's hairdos are a marvel of ingenuity. Some more pictures of Glen Echo ParkFrom my late father's pictures. Also taken in 1943, I believe. That's him mugging for the camera just below in the O of the word POP CORN. Coaster DipsThat appears to be the Coaster Dips roller coaster in the background. (The Gallery, Esther Bubley, WW2)
Saucy Stories: 1920
... "slum," carnival routes, and other items relevant to amusement business generally. It might interest some to know that at that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 2:37pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "O.J. DeMoll Co., Autocar truck." The cigar store has an interesting selection of magazines, including one called Saucy Stories. Mold-spotted National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. The BillboardThat Billboard magazine in the window would come as a shock to someone reading it today as it *gasp* didn't include any music charts! The first hit parade wasn't published by the magazine until 1936. Instead readers were likely to find reviews of motion pictures and live events, as well as listings of upcoming shows. [Subtitle on the cover is "A Weekly Theatrical Digest." - Dave] Saucy StoriesAccording to the Magazine Data website (philsp.com) Saucy Stories was founded by H.L. Mencken and George Jean Nathan in 1916, then sold by them within in a year. I am surprised that this was displayed in the window as I have always thought of this type of pulp as being an under the counter item. As a pulp magazine fan I would love to see a close up of the magazines. [Click the first link in the caption for a closeup. - Dave] O.J. DeMoll & Co.The photo is at 12th and H streets northwest. The July 24, 1919 Post reports that the Howard P. Foley Company is remodeling the building at 806 12th street for use as a store and office building. (click for larger version) BillboardThough Billboard is primarily known as a music magazine, it predates the rise of the record industry. It began as a trade publication for advance men (theater, music, even circuses) who went town to town posting bills to publicize upcoming entertainment events. Dedicated coverage of music and music sales came much later, through the connection that a touring musician had advance men, as well as a vaudeville or comedy, or theater troupe. But early Billboard was about touring road shows and the people who worked behind the scenes to publicize those. PricesWe often see the prices and think nostalgically of the old days. Well, look at some of the prices listed here. Songs rolls for $1 - which in today's money would be $12. Even if you buy music now (and seemingly fewer and fewer do), we pay a dollar a song on iTunes. But, how about a new Aeolian-Vocalion for $2000! That would be around $25,000 in present day dollars. Saucy, Not SpicyMost of the stories in Saucy Stories were much like those in Captain Billy Fawcett's Whiz Bang. Most of it was on the order of "He drinks to calm himself. Last night he got so calm he couldn't move." In all probability, that Billboard had ads for various acts and actors that could afford advertising, the "pipes for pitchmen," ads for novelties, "slum," carnival routes, and other items relevant to amusement business generally. It might interest some to know that at that time, a concessionaire generally paid 5 percent of their gross to the venue. Today that's as much as 70 percent. No wonder hot dogs are so expensive at the state fair. Old Radio Man Popular MechanicsThat issue of Popular Mechanics at the bottom of the narrow rack is from March 1920. The cover features an elephant carrying a motorcycle. Why the Bulletin?The newspaper covering one of the doors appears to be the Bulletin, an afternoon daily published in Philadelphia (and, in this instance, reporting on the progress toward ratification of the Ninteenth Amendment). With the headquarters of both the evening Star and the morning Post a few blocks away, the choice of the Bulletin seems odd. [I'd imagine there were dozens of newspapers called the Bulletin. This particular "Bulletin" seems to be a page of Washington theater listings. - Dave] VocalionThey needed a huge truck to deliver piano rolls? [Vocalion was also a brand of Aeolian phonograph (and later, record label). DeMoll was a big dealer in player pianos and Aeolian phonographs (its 12th Street showroom was named Aeolian Hall). Click below to enlarge. - Dave] Autocar truckSome interesting items to note. This is one of the first cab-over-engine trucks. It also has a front bumper, hand crank, and leather crank holder. Note the tarp that rolls down for the windshield, with the two celluloid panels for viewing. Also the side curtains, rolled up on the camera side. The truck has two side lamps, no headlamps, and solid rubber tires. Brakes at the rear only. Year of the truck is about 1912. System Magazine"System" magazine--anyone know what topics it covered? ["The Magazine of Business." - Dave] It's a jungle out thereEdgar Rice Burroughs, creator of Tarzan, wrote for System Magazine. He was turned off by the fact that writers like him, with no business experience, were supposed to provide advice to business managers in the journal. He began sending stories out to be published, first science fiction stories, then the Tarzan stories, in order to be able to leave the magazine and make it as a writer on his own. Autocar PricesThis Autocar motor truck sold for $2325 ($2150 for chassis only) - not much more than the highest priced Vocalion. Photo and all the specs are in the 1912 Official Handbook of Automobiles - page forward and back for other Autocar models. Victor, Columbia, Edison, VocalionThe Vocalion brand name started out in the pre-World War One player piano era, and lasted all the way into the late 1930's. As it went along, the company made the transition from piano rolls to distinctive red shellac records (with a quite beautiful Gothic-style, multicolored, lithographed label), to what were called "race" records (aimed at the emerging African-American market). By the late 30's, Vocalion was recording everything from novelty groups like the Hoosier Hot Shots to the immortal, haunting Delta blues of Robert Johnson. There seems to have been one, consistent policy in force at the label: "Maybe it's obscure, but if it's good, we'll issue it." Vocalion Records finally disappeared in the buyout of its parent company, the American Record Corporation, by CBS in 1939. However, many of its best recordings were reissued on the Columbia label, as a result, and continued to sell. All-Story WeeklyThe All-Story Weekly in the middle on the right is the March 6, 1920, issue. Grandma's DeMollMy grandmother had an O.J. DeMoll upright piano in her home in the Anacostia section of Washington. After she died we inherited it. Unfortunately, the movers bounced it around, shifting the harp and soundboard. The piano wasn't worth much, so it was eventually hauled away. We still have the stool that went with it -- it is now a rather nice plant stand. I wonder if that truck delivered our old piano to my grandmother's house. System magazineSystem Magazine was published and edited out of 151 Wabash Ave, Chicago, by Arch W. Shaw (b. Michigan 1876, d. 1962), one of the preeminent business book publishers from 1910 to 1930. Helped Harvard (where he taught now and again) get its Business Review magazine going in 1922. Also a partner in the Kellogg Company. The magazine became Business Week in 1929. Shadowland magazineWhat caught my eye in the magazine rack close-up is the Shadowland Magazine. I've googled this but have only come across worn copies being sold on eBay or old magazine sites that have a lot of missing web pages. I was wondering if someone could perhaps point me in the right direction for this particular magazine. I'm a big fan of old photographs, publications, music, architecture, and culture (and subculture). [Try Alibris.com - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
The Chickenator: 1941
... "painless killer" machine reminds me of the Tilt-A-Whirl amusement park ride, the one where centrifugal force pinned riders against the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2022 - 8:44am -

August 1941. "The painless killer. Food for Defense program cooperative cannery and hatchery in Coffee County, Alabama." Photo by John Collier, Farm Security Administration. View full size. How the hook worksYou can see the harness under his shirt that holds it on. When I was growing up, I had a friend whose dad lost his hand in a farming accident. The harness was made with a cable so he could operate the hook to open and close to grab things. Most chickens die happy!!A recent survey shows that 90% of all chickens prefer the Chickenator over the lowly hatchet. At least they died happyThe "painless killer" machine reminds me of the Tilt-A-Whirl amusement park ride, the one where centrifugal force pinned riders against the wall, then the floor dropped. At least the chickens had a good time before meeting their Maker. How does this work?I can't figure out how this works. The chickens are hung on bent coat hangers from a rack you can rotate inside a homemade metal drum. The man doing the work seems to somehow be securing each chicken for its final ride. The fact he's a black male in 1941 Alabama tells me this is not a pleasant job, regardless of pain not inflicted. The hanging dead chickens behind him are not decapitated or otherwise mangled looking. What killed them? Oh good Lord! Dave posted the enlargement below to answer my question. He could have just said, "It's a mystery that has been lost to time." [Click to embiggen. Any colorizers out there?? - Dave] HookedI wonder if the supervisor lost his hand in a more-automated machine? Oh, and that little boy is gonna pay for counseling later. Maybe it does this ...It looks like it is possibly like a big centrifuge to spin the chickens free from their blood. It looks like they are punctured in the brain first. Okay, let's go all the way with this --It appears to me that something is being inserted to go through what little brain the bird has and therefore kills it? Or am I wrong? As a kid I was witness to the old hatchet and the running of the chicken with his head cut off. Which I assume now allowed the blood to run out of the meat. A friend who has chickens has a conelike contraption where he places the chicken upside down, the head sticks out of a hole in the bottom and he grabs hold of the beak and slices the head clean off with the blood draining away. I don't understand why the head is still left on in this picture although I have certainly seen plucked chickens with their heads on in European markets. I'll have the saladThe more I know about where our meat comes from, the less I eat. ChickendI've only slaughtered about 1000 chickens, so I am no expert. It would have been great to have the tool this man is using to pith the chicken before cutting its throat. Pithing a chicken involves destroying the chicken's brain. This is a "nice" way of rendering the bird senseless before bleeding them. I don't think this device spins the chickens to hasten the bleed-out. Rather the round shield probably just keeps the blood from spattering. It must be collected for disposal. Years ago when I raised my own meat chickens, I used a special pithing knife (about 1/4" wide, stiff and pointed) inserted upwards through the roof of the mouth into the brain. I always had to be careful not to push too hard and stab the palm of my hand. The tool shown in the photo looks like a better way to go, faster and safer. (The Gallery, Agriculture, John Collier, WW2)
Traver Circle Swing: 1905
... flag and properly retire it! Adults Only For an amusement park where one would expect to see quite a few kids, this photo seems ... is a specification. My invention relates to an amusement apparatus or roundabout device, the object being to so construct a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 1:44pm -

New York circa 1905. "Luna Park circle swing, Coney Island." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. REALLY Old Glory!They need to take what's left of that poor old American flag and properly retire it! Adults OnlyFor an amusement park where one would expect to see quite a few kids, this photo seems to be populated by all grown-ups. (Maybe the kids were all at work in the coal mines, textile factories and sardine canneries.) Pre-Aerial Days - 1920s upgradeSince motorized flight was in its infancy, the swing ride seats here are made to look like a sleigh. By the time Harold Lloyd filmed Speedy at Luna Park in 1927, the sleighs were replaced by small airplanes. The "A Trip to the Moon" pavilion appears behind Harold in these frames grabs. Replacing the flagAgreed, that flag really needs to be replaced. How on earth does a workman even get up there to do it?? Hot air balloon? Zeppelin? Yikes!Yikes! Patent 830,687 United States Patent Office, September 11, 1906. Circle-Swing Be it known that I, Harry G. Traver, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Circle-Swings, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to an amusement apparatus or roundabout device, the object being to so construct a device of this character that it will be simple and efficient; and the invention consists, essentially, in the combination, construction, and arrangement of mechanical parts, substantially as will be hereinafter described and claimed. … (The Gallery, Coney Island, DPC)
Red All Over: 1972
... choices I'm making now might elicit the same reactions of amusement and derision 50 years from now. I've seen him before! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/13/2022 - 3:12pm -

From around 50 years ago comes this uncaptioned News Archive negative that might have been used to illustrate a newspaper feature on trends in Seventies menswear. And what the men swear could curl your hair. But probably not this particular hair. View full size. That’s the '70s I remember Ugly clothes, and even worse hairstyles. Those pantsI had a pair quite like that back in high school circa 1969-70. More brown than those he's wearing. Looking back, they were very ugly but I thought I was pretty stylish at the time. I like the tie, though. I'd wear it today (if I wore ties, that is). Tie one onAlthough in and of itself the hot pink/fuchsia/magenta necktie is all right, I am definitely not digging it with this particular ensemble. But I can appreciate the overall sartorial aesthetic; my husband was wearing a similar outfit when I first clapped eyes on him in February of 1976. He had on similarly patterned polyester slacks (okay they may have been a solid color, black or gray) and a burgundy (to this day he calls that color maroon) single-breasted polyester sports coat complete with goldtone buttons, and a wide tie that was most surely of an appropriate pattern for the times. But his hair was much shorter than that of our subject, and he was significantly prettier. Also the only jewelry he ever wore was his Citadel ring. Serious comb-overTim Roth! Forgive usOur past tresses. [★★★★★ ! - Dave] The hair could be worseEvery piece of clothing you can see on this guy is either polyester or a polyester blend. I remember the initial attraction of polyester -- it was more durable than silk and didn't wrinkle like cotton or wool. You could throw a lot of it in the washing machine. We seemed slow to realize it also had no personality and was really hot because polyester doesn't breathe. And this very modern, young man is sitting in a Victorian armchair because that somehow gives him more credibility as a reporter? The hair could be worse. He could have had a mullet. [Newspapers generally use models, not reporters, to illustrate fashion features. - Dave] What??How can that be fifty years ago?! Re: Those pantsI’m guilty of those same pants. In that very year, I went curling at least twice a week in my hometown of Winnipeg (fun fact: it was the city with the greatest number of sheets of ice for curling in the world!), and it was important to have pants that could stretch (no one wore tight jeans, for instance), so I always wore the same pair of grotesquely patterned, 100% polyester, cuffed flare pants. This was common garb. I did not stand out amongst my fellow 14-year-olds. And, I might add, we thought we were cool. Killer 'doI think Anton Chigurh's haircut in No Country For Old Men looked more welcoming. Side curtainsBack in the '70s, before we could grow sideburns, we grew side-curtains instead. Waiting BackstageThis time period will never be known for it's its understated elegance but I am glad that we took chances with new products & ideas, even if some were a bit tacky. I think everyone has funny pictures of themselves dressed in similar clothing. Although I can appreciate avant-garde type fashion & enjoy styles from decades gone by, this complete look is too much like a costume. Rather like the pinstripe pants & the tie isn't awful, but both would benefit from a more toned down coat. Big, bold red is great but in smaller doses & more as an accent color piece. The model's hair could have used a better cut with more softness & shorter bangs to show off his expressive brown eyes. The two women of the 1960s textile industryPolly and Esther Fashion forwardI sometimes wonder what fashion choices I'm making now might elicit the same reactions of amusement and derision 50 years from now. I've seen him before!He's an anchorman on BBC news! I saw him last night! Hey barberGimme a Beatle haircut. Career HighlightsSun-In: a product that never should have seen the light of day. Ahhh the 70sThe decade of disco, lava lamps, bell bottom pants, platform shoes and the coup de grâce -- the plaid polyester leisure suit, with lapels and neckties wide enough to double as an airplane wing. (NIXON, now more than ever!) "C'mon Baby Light My Fire"I remember way back around 1980 driving to work one morning with a lit cigarette in my hand. I was wearing polyester pants at the time. I proceeded to make a big turn with the steering wheel and it knocked the ash off of my cigarette on to my pants. It made a hole so big I had to go back home and change. I do not remember getting burned, though. Yeah, don't miss those times at all. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, News Photo Archive, Portraits)
Loop the Loop: 1903
... restrained from interfering with the operation of the amusement enterprise known as the "Loop the Loop," at Coney Island, which was ... Beware of Pickpockets How come modern amusement parks don't have such helpful signs? Maybe it's because our pockets ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 10:22am -

Circa 1903. "Loop the Loop at Coney Island, New York." Watch out for pickpockets. Detroit Publishing Company glass negative. View full size. What could be safer?I'd have no problem riding that, since I'm sure they adhered strictly to the no-doubt comprehensive roller-coaster-construction rules of the time. And since it's so unlikely anyone got paid to look the other way when it was inspected -- for surely it was inspected! -- what could be the danger? Oh! How brave of them!I guess early rollercoasters didn't have safety bars. Those passengers look to be just bracing themselves going upside down! It's a MessI prefer the warning sign to the left. From the look of the begloved woman in the high hat, the sign likely reads: "Beware: high likelihood of fouling yourselves" New York Times, 28 July 1901Sorry about the neck and all, but you're in the minority, bub. LOOP THE LOOP TO OPEN AGAIN. -- Temporary Injunction Against Police Interference Secured Ex-District Attorney Foster L. Backus yesterday obtained from Justice Hooker, in the Supreme Court, Brooklyn, an order directing Police Commissioner Murphy to show cause to-morrow why the police should not be permanently restrained from interfering with the operation of the amusement enterprise known as the "Loop the Loop," at Coney Island, which was stopped a few days ago by Deputy Commissioner York, on the ground that it was dangerous. ... A mass of affidavits was presented to the court to show that many thousands of persons had taken the trip on the Loop the Loop without any having received personal injuries. New York Times, 28 July 1901 Go WhitefishCongratulations kid, you just passed Physics. Hot Wheels - LifesizedThis ferocious loop-the-loop was a large part of the magic of Hot Wheels that our sons experienced in the 60s and 70s. They happily spent hours clamping their track to anything sturdy in the house and ran their cars from room to room, finishing with a huge jump out the window into the flowerbed. While it was great fun helping them set up and listening to their verbal descriptions of the driver's derring do, we were all too chicken to ever try a real rollercoaster loop. Circular Loops of DoomNotice that the loops here are circular. If you look at modern roller coaster loops they are more oval, almost a teardrop shape, known as a clothoid loop. The G forces on riders in these circular loops is very intense, much more so than some of the most intense coasters out there today. My guess is, like many intense coasters of the time, that this one probably had a nurse on staff. Nosebleeds were probably common on this ride as well as graying out or blacking out. Loop the LoopAccording to Ultimate Roller Coaster's article on Early Coney Island coasters: Edwin Prescott's Loop-the-Loop was built at West 10th Avenue, Coney Island in 1901. The ride showcased engineering that greatly improved on the Flip Flap. The track was made of steel, the loop was larger, but most importantly it was an ellipse which pulled relatively few g's and provided a safe ride. Sadly, the public was more inclined to watch than ride. The Loop-the-Loop limped along until World War One, making money by charging people admission to the viewing area. Many more paid to watch than to ride and the coaster faded into bankruptcy Beware of PickpocketsHow come modern amusement parks don't have such helpful signs? Maybe it's because our pockets have already been cleaned out getting into the park. (The Gallery, Coney Island, DPC, Sports)
Goodyear Blimp: 1938
... near the Washington-Hoover Airport and the Arlington Beach Amusement Park According to "Answer Man" at the Washington Post, in 1932, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/28/2012 - 12:08pm -

April 13, 1938. Washington, D.C. "Goodyear blimp Enterprise at Washington Air Post." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. InflationIn the mid-1960s, in Miami, Goodyear blimp flights were $5. I don't know which blimp was stationed there part of the year. I never took that flight, to my now deep regret; flights for the general public have ceased, I understand. Follow the BlimpI took a road trip from the east coast to Chicago a few years ago, and stopped in Akron for a night. Tthe next morning as I got on the turnpike the Goodyear blimp appeared overhead and followed overhead for at least an hour. I suspect they were navigating by following the highway. I miss hearing the GoodyearI miss hearing the Goodyear blimp. I say "hearing" because as a kid in Southern California, I would hear its unmistakable low drone and would run outside to see it passing over the neighborhood. Trans AtlanticHave any of these types ever crossed the Atlantic? You Sayin' I'm Fat?I resemble that remark! Air TrekGoodyear's Enterprise was named after the winning yacht of the 1930 America's Cup. Seeing this picture makes me wonder if this blimp may have been young Roddenberry's inspiration. She was enlisted in the US Navy as Training Airship L-5 during World War 2 from 1941 to 1945. Boldly going where no one has gone before!The very first aircraft owned by the United States also bore this title. It was a hot air balloon used during the Civil War. Go for a Ride!The dirigible hangar was near the Washington-Hoover Airport and the Arlington Beach Amusement Park According to "Answer Man" at the Washington Post, in 1932, you could go up in the Goodyear blimp for $2.50. Gene RoddenberryRoddenberry was influenced by a lot of WWII things. The Enterprise was named for the aircraft carrier, and James T. Kirk was the general commanding the Ordnance Department early in the war. There are others. Summer 1954I remember playing in my front yard during summer vacation and hearing something I didn't recognize. I ran into the back yard and saw the Goodyear, not the one pictured, fly past the back of the house. It was sufficiently exciting to be the topic of conversation for the next few days, and there was even a picture of it docked at the local airport the next day. Exciting times for a Carolina kid in the early '50s Navy Blimps in the 40'sEvery summer we would go to Falmouth Mass to the beach. The Navy blimps would pass overhead out to sea. Once one went so low the landing ropes dragged across the beach. I never realized they were on patrol looking for U-boats off the coast of Massachusetts. I assumed they were training and actually they were armed and did fight U-boats off our shores. Look, up in the sky, it's a bird, no, a blimpA Goodyear blimp still resides in Southern California and can be seen most days when one is driving on the 405 freeway through the city of Carson. You can also often see it over large events such as football games where a helicopter used for photography, would disturb the spectators, but a blimp used for aerial shots makes everybody smile down below. Hearing a blimpI don't remember seeing blimps in Florida in the late 40s but forty years later I recognised the sound and went outside to see a blimp passing overhead. A Ride in the GoodyearI was lucky enough to get a ride in the then-current Goodyear Blimp in about 1969, thanks to my father's position at nearby El Toro Marine Base, which was near the Lighter Than Air facility in Tustin, which had giant hangars that allowed Goodyear to do certain maintenance. In return they provided a day of rides for military families. This blimp has since been replaced with a newer version, but our blimp's control wheels and cables were charmingly exposed to the attentive eye inside the little cabin which was clearly designed for lightness rather than jetliner strength, and seated about 12. After achieving a satisfactory weight balance, the pilot revved the motors, the blimp moved majestically ahead, and about 50 feet later he cranked the elevator wheel, the nose came up, and we ascended as if climbing a staircase. Not scary, due to the gentle response, but unexpectedly graceful, like the dancing hippos in Fantasia. We cruised the coast for about an hour at a nice viewing height. The sound of a blimp in flight...That low drone sound of an approaching blimp's engines STILL makes me run outside to have a look. I even have a memory (or imagine that I have such a memory) of standing on Bush Avenue in Newburgh NY as a 4 or 5 year old kid and seeing a huge dirigible flying doen over the Hudson toward NY City. I went up in herMy mother's school chum took my two older brothers and me for a ride in this blimp in 1938 (might have been 1939) from the old Wash airport. We circled the city for about a half hour. The windows were open. I sat in the middle seat in the back row. It went up at about 45 degrees and on returning it nosed down at about the same angle. Ground crew caught the ropes and pulled it down to a level attitude on the ground. What a thrill it was for a 7-year-old. Navy BlimpsEnterprise, along with Goodyear's other private blimps was transferred to the Navy at the beginning of the war. The became the basis for the L-Class training type. Apparently they weren't armed and had too short an endurance for long patrols. They had a crew of two in military service. The most common of the naval blimps was the K-Class which had an endurance of just over 38 hours aloft and carried four depth charges and a .50 caliber machine gun as well as various detection equipment and a crew of 10. 134 were built, and the last K-ship (K-43) left service in March 1959. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Zeppelins & Blimps)
Boy Cave: 1955
... this teacher's initials were G.O.D. was a source of much amusement, I understand. Timer Photos When ever a self timer was used, ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 09/29/2011 - 6:14pm -

My brother, via self-timer, in his half of the bedroom we shared. At the time - May 1955 - he was 17, I was 8. Later that year he'd be off to college, but the room didn't become completely my domain until he moved into our sister's when she married in 1958. Here the only sign of my occupancy is at the lower left, part of the disorganized agglomeration of junk I always had covering the child's table I called my desk. On the wall, the incongruous juxtaposition of a holy water font and a protractor. I can't remember if the former ever actually held any holy water; on the other hand, you never can tell when you might need to draw a circle. The chart shows U.S. mineral distribution. On the side shelves of his desk, stacks of science and nature guidebooks, including some Golden Nature Guides which later became mine. I still have them. The photo tacked to the upper right corner of his bulletin board is a collage of two other Tri-X shots he took in his high school classrooms. Yes, we still have that too, complete with the original Scotch tape. There are also several 35mm film canisters on the desk - metal ones, remember? I think he took this with bounce floodlight; it looks too bright for the room's normal illumination. Note the complete absence of rock band, supermodel, sports and movie posters. Yes, it was a different world. View full size. Conformal Posture"Ma! You don't want me to slouch, then fix the ceiling in our bedroom." (Smack!) NerdlandReminds me of my bedroom about ten years later: upstairs with sloped ceiling, technical/non-art tacked on the ceiling, science books. Brother's photoThat print stuck at the upper right of his bulletin board. The fact that this teacher's initials were G.O.D. was a source of much amusement, I understand. Timer PhotosWhen ever a self timer was used, folks try to act as if it's a purely candid shot. Great picture. And, back in the day, I would have loved that wallpaper with the P-38 too. Alternate Title"Self-Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (About to be Farked and/or Colorized)." P-38 Sighting?Looks like a P-38 on the wall above your brother's head, and some other planes about? If that was fighter plane wallpaper, I'm jealous. Degrees vs CirclesMethinks that the object hanging on the wall is a compass and as you noted is used for drawing circles. A protractor is used to measure degrees of an arc forming part of a circle. Cozy BedroomI love the nautical bedspread and lampshade. That wallpaper looks familiar! Boy Cave todayMy brother just found this listing for a rental of our old home. Much changed inside, but still recognizable. There's one shot of our old bedroom, the 9th thumbnail: Start slideshow. Great house!I checked out the realtor's photos -- what a great house! I think you should buy it back. Realtor RealityThe poor Realtors who have your old home listed are going to have one heck of a mystery as to why this particular property receives an incledible number of views this week! LOL! 9 Arch StreetLast sold for $1.175 million, November 2005. "Terraced grounds" (well of course they are). Property taxes a mere $11,000 per annum. Alas, the Salmon Kitchen has been replaced by a "chef's kitchen." Living room invaded by Giant Slipcovered Ghost Furniture. Rod SerlingI think he would appreciate the surreal nature of this posting; to find your house on Shorpy while, in its moderne duds, listed for rent 56 years later. Great coincidence. Lost its charmAlthough someone put a lot of money into fixing up the place, they have only succeeded in stripping it of its original character and warmth. [As a great statesman once said: I have a dream house. What if the place were purchased by the Shorpy Trust for Historic Rustication. We'd buy it back and hire tterrace as the curator and resident guide, tasked with restoring the house to its former grandeur. Sell all that Martha Stewart froufrou on eBay or trade it for some decent 1950s appliances and period furniture. Unfortunately the Trust is woefully underendowed. Who wants to chip in? - Dave] re: Lost its charmHoly mackerel, home furniture inflation has been almost as dramatic as home price inflation. The only room that seems less overwhelmed by the contents is my old video room in the basement (below in 1979). Interestingly, the cabinet, shelves and even the shelf brackets are the same ones. I've actually long indulged in the fantasy of somehow (by winning the lottery?) reclaiming 9 Arch and restoring it, along with my father's garden, to precisely the way it was in, perhaps 1960. 9 Arch Then and NowHere's a short slideshow using images from the real estate listing and vintage shots from our collection: http://tinyurl.com/3kk36xu A House is not a HomeLast July, 2010, I had occasion to visit my old hometown and driving by my childhood home, was astounded to see that it too was for sale and vacant. Since nobody was living there, my family and I parked and went around the entire house peering into all the windows to see the changes in the last fifteen years since my mom died and it was sold. She had lived there 54 years, from the time she was 33 until she was almost 86 and it was always the place where everyone wanted to spend time, holidays, vacations and even just visit for a cup of coffee or tea and chitchat and always, always lots of laughter. Needless to say, the place had been "updated" and stripped of its warmth and frankly looked like very bastardized architecture. The rooms were modernized, yet strangely appeared cold and the huge vegetable and flower gardens were all sodded and as slick as a golf course. The interior was without a heart or soul and the cozy familiarity had been completely stripped out, leaving me missing most the occupants who made it what it once was. I would not want the house the way it is now because there is nobody I love inside and nobody I know to greet me; it is just a house. The people who dwell within are what makes it so much more. Like the poet said "You can't go home again." I do keep it all intact in my memory as I keep all my most valuable and priceless treasures. Tterrace has once again tugged at everyone's heartstrings with yet another outstanding presentation of life's 'moments in time' that we can all identify with. As Bob Hope said, thanks for the memories. Nobody can take them from you. The FurnitureI suspect the house has been professionally "dressed," with the furniture, throw rugs and wall hangings to make it more enticing to prospects. Thanks, tterraceYour contributions to Shorpy's are wonderful. I was born in 1941 so we are pretty much contemporaries. These are great memories; keep up the good work. Thanks to you too Dave for giving TT plenty of space. Thanks JohnHowardYour comment about the temporary professional furniture dressing probably explains the missing wrought iron railing on the landing at the bottom of the stairs. It was probably removed to facilitate getting the furniture to the upstairs. I was wondering why the railing was missing in that photo and thought it a bit unusual as well as unsafe. When does the TTerrance coffee table book come out?"TTerrace: An American Century" A Different WorldYes, it was a different world. It was when boys were boys and Men were really MEN. Somehow the lines have been blurred since then. Only my humble opinion. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
Steeplechase Park: 1903
... Park was on the western end of the Coney Island amusement area, roughly where the minor league Keyspan Park and its parking lot ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 7:14pm -

New York, August 1903. "South end of Bowery, Coney Island." Be sure to bring the kiddies -- "All the children will be presented with toys to-day." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. ReliefAfter you eat your rosted peanuts and drink your lemoade, you can go to the tolet upstairs! SignageIncredible photo! I spent a half hour just reading signs. 1963I visited Coney Island exactly 60 years after this photo was taken. You could still avail yourself of the Steeplechase Horses and Parachute Jump. And George C. Tilyou is the name behind the flags. Who says there's no such thing as a time machine?I love photos like this one - so clear and so detailed, its like you could step right into them! Thanks, Shorpy! When Life gives you LemosCheck out the sign: LEMOADE! At nightthis place is lit up like Luna Park! They all just seem to be in costume. It's hard to believe that people wore those kinds of clothes. Especially the women. It just seems all so civilized. My first impulse upon seeing this image, was to jump into it to hear the sounds and smell the smells of what this grand place was offering. The Guy on the Leftis ready to start a fight. Maybe he's the guy who misspelled "Lemonade." "The Funny Place"Does anyone else remember the old newspaper ads for "Steeplechase, The Funny Place," whose logo was the caricature drawing of an idiotic grinning man? I always thought it was George C. Tilyou himself. What's there today?What a beautiful picture. Coney Island is such a wonderful chameleon. Steeplechase Park was on the western end of the Coney Island amusement area, roughly where the minor league Keyspan Park and its parking lot are today. This means that if this picture was taken at the western end of the Bowery, which stopped at the Steeplechase property line, then that puts us on the Bowery just west of W. 15th Street. Here's the the corner on Google Maps. Keyspan Park would be directly in front of us where the Steeplechase admission gates are. The spot to our left, in later years, would've been the Thunderbolt roller coaster with the Kensington Hotel underneath its far turn (the house from Annie Hall where Alvy Singer grew up.) The roller coaster sat dormant from 1983 to 2000, when Guiliani tore it down in 2000 to make way for a much-needed vacant lot. Anyway, I just realized I'd taken a picture of that spot from a similar angle in 2000. As you can see from the 2000 picture the street was no longer a public way, but you can get a good sense of the use of the land then and now. I'm willing to bet Kensington Walk is the little turn-off to the left that you see in the 1903 pic. The Kensington was built in 1895 and according to this story from a NY folklore society it "survived the Bowery fire of 1903". The New York Times story on the fire puts the date of the blaze as November 1, 1903. This photo is dated on or before August 25, 1903 if the Knights of Columbus sign is any indication. Most of these buildings, then, didn't have long to live when the picture was taken. Most of the Bowery from Steeplechase all the way to Feltman's Restaurant (where Astroland Park recently stood) was ruined. Out of the ashes of the bordellos and gambling parlors came, well, more bordellos and gambling parlors. Coney Island has always had that amazing knack for giving people what they want. This is why I love shorpy.com so much. With a little work and some luck, we can still uncover those connections from the past which the photographs (and the newspaper morgues, bless the NYT) have so kindly kept for us. Budget Sign Co.You may have needed some of that LEMOADE to wash down those fresh "rosted" peanuts. Back into my ancestors' livesMy grandfather was born in Brooklyn, not far from here, the month after this was taken. Seems like a completely different world. Wonderful image. PalmistI want my life read to me by Eaton the Great! That clock tower is amazing! No No, can't have it here!"Yes, we need electricity, but placing a utility pole here would get in the way of our customers buying our waffles for 35 cents. Figure something out." "Well, ok, but we'll have to balance a pole up on your balcony and tie it to your roof. We try not to do anything in an attractive way, you see." So the power companies and telegraph companies set a precedent that stays with us to this very day. Steeplechase JackYou can see "Steeplechase Jack" and his grin inviting you into "The Funny Place" near the center, below the weathervane, to the left of the signs for Cummins Indian Congress (a Wild West show)! (The Gallery, Coney Island, DPC, Sports)
Sugar and Spice: 1900
... it was a much safer place. They may even have gone to the amusement park at the far south end (long gone when I lived there). A ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 2:04pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1900. "Merry-go-round in Clark Park." 8x10 inch (cropped) dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. AdorableFrom afar, black and white pictures of children always creep me out and I blame horror movies that insist on featuring children as evil-doers ("The Bad Seed", anyone?). When I click on the picture however, the girls look like any other child one I'd run into--innocent, sweet, and charming. I absolutely adore the fact that little girls dressed so nicely back in the day--the pigtails, bows, stockings, and frocks. Not to get into the whole "now vs. then" comparison, but today, girls and boys wear similar clothes (jeans and a t-shirt), which, while more comfortable, does lose a bit of sweetness. In this day and age, who would dress up like this to go to the park? MexicantownWhat a charming photo. I drive by this park all the time. It is located in Mexicantown and is across the street from Western International High School. I know what comes next!The girl on the right will try to make the girl in the middle throw up and get dizzy. Then the older gal will try to make peace and finally decide it is time to grow up and get paid to be a nanny. Will she have brats of her own? Stay tuned! Long whirled awayWhen I first moved to Detroit in the summer of 1965, I lived at the YMCA that faced the park's northwest corner I was 17 and on my own, with a summer job at the Cadillac plant a few blocks north on Clark Street, which led to a 37-seven year career with General Motors. I do remember afternoons in the park after work -- evenings were getting to be a little dangerous. I am sure when these young ladies were there it was a much safer place. They may even have gone to the amusement park at the far south end (long gone when I lived there). A random view into the park: View Larger Map SplintersThat thing is a public risk analyst's nightmare. Multi-PurposeToday that same merry-go-round sleeps six to eight. Speaking as a motherI'm not sure what would have driven me more crazy..trying to keep my "all dressed in light colors" child tidy and clean or trying to lace up the boots of the girl in the front! The guy in the backIs looking to see where the next pizza gets delivered. Concussions, Ahoy!A common complaint these days is how overly-concerned about safety people are that they've "taken the fun" out of childrens play... "In my day, no one wore helmets riding their bikes and we all lived to tell about it!" "In my day, had metal monkey bars in the parks with none of this fancy rubber padding underneath and and WW all lived to tell about it!" They seem to have forgotten the number of kids they knew who flew off the spinny things pictured above and cracked their heads open, fell off their bikes and got concussions, and broke their arms falling off the monkey bars. Quite frankly, given the number of times I and people I knew broke appendages and concussed ourselves when we were kids, I wonder how we DID survive! Long-agoI was born in 1950. These little sweethearts would have been my present age then, looking back wistfully upon their long-ago childhood as I do mine now. Another look at that sceneI think the girls' Sunday-best garb was because they were at someone's party in the park (or a house nearby), and were taking a break between rounds of pin-the-tail and olly-olly-in-free. Or maybe they were waiting for that delivery boy to show up with party grub, although they probably referred to it more young lady-like. Playground Dangers!?In the 1950s, we had a metal versions of this mechanical marvel of kid-powered fun. Playground folklore for this and even more dangerous "rides" included tales of "the kid who lost a finger," and the like. Do they still have these in kiddie parks? PollyannaThe period fashions remind me so much of the movie that I expected to see Hayley Mills in this photo. Crack in the parkYou might get a sliver off this machine, but it's a lot safer than the metal roundabouts we played on in the 1950s. Both my brother and I got broken legs off the '50s version. EnnuiThe little girl in the back on the right seems bored. I think she wants to go in for some milk and cookies. Playground casualtiesI have to agree with MarkJ .. I don't see anything inherently dangerous in this roundabout. As soon as children are let loose on anything which moves, and which they control, accidents of some sort are inevitable. Older kids here in England, having survived the extremely safe, but lame, modern playground equipments, buy small cars and drive them at ridiculous speeds; there is an extremely high accident rate. Kids and machinery will always result in accidents. I suspect that many of the people who view this magnificent website regularly climbed trees as children, played on ice on ponds, raced their home-made carts down steep inclines and suffered an amazing array of grazed elbows, knees and etcetera. 99.9% recurring survived to the present day. Better that, by far, than having children huddled in front of computers, with their concomitant lack of social skills. I wouldn't have missed those days for the world. Profound thanks to Dave for this superlative resource. I have spent hours scouring it already -- truly amazing! David, Leicestershire, England PhotographerI would like to write an essay on this photography for school. Do you have the photographers name? [Most of the photographers, all employees of the Detroit Publishing Co., were apparently not specifically identified in the company records that accompanied the collection, which is now at the Library of Congress. - tterrace] Metal 'maypoles'At school in 1958, Santa Maria, CA there were two 'swings' as we called them on the play ground. They were very tall and had chains which hung down with handle grips at the end of each chain so we could all run, then fly into the air. The best riders would weave in and out of the slower riders until all our chains were tangled and we would have to stop to sort them out. Now, some kids would lose grip and fly off leaving their 'swing' to fly around with the rest of us. Needless to say, it was exhilarating, truly wonderful to play on. The worst that I EVER remember happening was bloodied knees from bad landings. I'm sure there were those who got knocked in the head or mouth with the flying handles- but I would never trade those recesses for all the padded plastic safe playgrounds offered today. This was taken in 1956. Closest I ever got to flying. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Kids)
Bumper to Bumper: 1942
May 1942. "Southington, Connecticut. Amusement park." With a dress code. Photo by Fenno Jacobs for the Office of War ... touted itself as America's oldest continually operating amusement park. That's kinda sorta true. About 25 years ago the park was in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/15/2013 - 1:47pm -

May 1942. "Southington, Connecticut. Amusement park." With a dress code. Photo by Fenno Jacobs for the Office of War Information. View full size. Keeping the streak alive, sort ofLake Compounce opened in the 1840's and has long touted itself as America's oldest continually operating amusement park. That's kinda sorta true. About 25 years ago the park was in very bad financial shape and the then-owners had no hope of running it for full seasons or getting most of the rides in operable condition. During a span of three or four years they opened it for only a few days each year to host concerts, which to their reasoning at least was enough to keep the streak alive. Today the park's under new ownership and seems to be in relatively decent shape both physically and financially. I must add, however, that I grew up just a couple towns away from Lake Compounce and at least in my circles the general view was that the park was rather uninteresting and not really worth the money. And this was after it had recovered from the worst of its troubles. Most people would drive the extra 40 miles to Riverside Park (now known as Six Flags New England) right over the Massachusetts line, which offered far more and better attractions and wasn't that much more expensive. Love It!Love the picture and I loved driving those bumper cars when I was a kid. Not exactly PorchesI remember driving these bumper cars at Lake Compounce as a child. (They looked like this, but dinged up almost beyond recognition.) My enduring memory is that when trying to exercise defensive or offensive moves the response from the steering wheel was, shall we say, vague. I wore my tie of course; that's simply how it was done. [Front porch or back? -Dave] Nyuk, nyuk. Capital "P" Dave. This is Lake CompounceLake Compounce is still around, but unfortunately these scooters are long gone. Dodging?These are called 'dodgems' in the UK and are certainly still a feature of travelling fairs (aka 'the shows' in Scotland). They still do this today.This is an office staff doing team building exercises. Old Blue EyesHey ... what's Frank Sinatra doing there in the back?? ;-) Now Available As A Convertible The all-new retro-styled Smart Car for 2014 with the safe-from-any-angle bumper system! The stylish front grill is removable for use in your kitchen as a cheese, cinnamon or nutmeg grater. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Fenno Jacobs)
Arlington Beach: 1925
Circa 1925. "Arlington Beach." An amusement park in the general vicinity of today's Pentagon, removed in 1929 to ... halcyon days that so many of them are taken at beaches, amusement parks and picnics and the people always wore a lot of white clothing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 10:41am -

Circa 1925. "Arlington Beach." An amusement park in the general vicinity of today's Pentagon, removed in 1929 to make way for an airport expansion. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Crank it up to 11From the looks on the faces of the patrons, that has got to be the world's most boring Ferris Wheel. Boring ferris wheelObviously the wheel has stopped. From the look of the guy on top, it has been a while. These days there would be an uproar over those two children alone. In the Good Old SummertimeI notice when looking at our old family pictures going back to these halcyon days that so many of them are taken at beaches, amusement parks and picnics and the people always wore a lot of white clothing and straw hats. Most apparently absent then was today's look of stress which seems to be ever present in many current candid shots. Was it because leisure time really made them carefree or because they were not so worried about being robbed, assaulted and pillaged as we are today? (And come on all you imaginative and inventive Shorpy commenters, this photo needs some commentary and story lines). I must say I relish the variety of writing styles by the brilliant viewers just as much as I enjoy the appealing photography. Don't just sit there, SAY something. Probably because it isn't moving...You can see that the leaves on the trees are blurry with movement, but the people on the Ferris Wheel are nice and clear. This would seem to indicate that it isn't moving, and a Ferris Wheel that isn't moving is a pretty boring place... 'Great Sound'Quite the sound system on the Gazebo floor... bet the kids loved it and the parents hated it? Warts and All Washington Post, Jul 26, 1925 Children With Warts to Compete at Outing The more warts the merrier it will be for the underpriviledged boys and girls who go on the Gospel Mission's outing at Arlington Beach park next Sunday. A handsome prize, donated by the park management, will be presented to the child showing the most of them. About 200 kiddies will go on the trip. John Newbold has donated four big vans with which to carry the children across the Highway bridge to the beach. Other conveyances will also be used. The run of the park will be given them when they get there. CC: GrandmaI was talking to my mother recently about her visit to the circus (Ringling Brothers) around 1934. My grandmother wouldn't let her have any cotton candy because "it was dirty." (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
Grading on a Curve: 1922
... road construction, view of Sutro Heights and Playland amusement park." 6x8 inch glass negative. View full size. My ... Lobos Avenue from the Cliff House. The sprawling amusement park visible in the 1922 photograph (which eventually became ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/24/2016 - 6:00pm -

San Francisco, 1922. "Cliff House road construction, view of Sutro Heights and Playland amusement park." 6x8 inch glass negative. View full size. My vote's with HayslipThe radiator shell is a match for the Stephens, and the logo is the right shape. The only thing that doesn't match is the hubcaps. Dave, can you please give us a closeup of the logo on the radiator shell? This one had me stumped, until Hayslip posted. Not a lot of pictures of Stephens on the Web. [The car is indeed a Stephens. - Dave] Car ID suggestion1922 Stephens Salient Six-93 A DuesieThe car is a 1922 Duesenberg. I have the book by Don Butler on Auburn Cord Duesenberg with the perfect match. The two brothers Fred and Augie are on the radiator emblem but can't be seen well on your photo. [The car here is most definitely not a Duesenberg. - Dave] True Steam ShovelThe ancient construction equipment in this photo would warm the heart of any old truck enthusiast. The excavator in the foreground is a true steam shovel complete with steam escaping from the safety valve. Other than museums, I have not seen one of those at work since the 1960's, and they were obsolescent even then. In the background, there's another steam-powered crane. We can't see what it's doing; likely working a clamshell bucket or a dragline bucket. The truck in front of the far crane seems to have a canopy on the back, possibly sheltering an air compressor. (The hoses strewn about the site are presumably air hoses.) Construction's finishedThis is the current view looking southeast along Point Lobos Avenue from the Cliff House. The sprawling amusement park visible in the 1922 photograph (which eventually became "Playland at the Beach") was demolished in 1972 and replaced in the 1980s by the dreadful condominiums visible today. Watch it now!If you go to Kinzers in PA, you can watch these earth-moving mechanical masterpieces working hard, still today. Beautiful machines! Dealer 27The automobile dealer number on the license plate (27) indicates that the car was being sold by W. J. Benson Co. located at 1420 Van Ness, San Francisco in 1922. Benson sold the Stephens marque circa 1919 - 1923, but he was in automobile business in San Francisco both before and after these years. Erie Type AJust a guess on the shovel, Erie Type A? Here's one in action, looks like a handful to operate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJEin7oVajQ (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, San Francisco, W. Stanley)
World Cruise: 1943
... to be found at Glen Echo Park, the free admission amusement park and recreational center located at Glen Echo, Maryland, is the ... recall anything out of the ordinary, but Mom didn't "do" amusement parks, so no visits for me in any case. All I remember of Glen ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/25/2016 - 4:55pm -

        Among the more than 50 attractions to be found at Glen Echo Park, the free admission amusement park and recreational center located at Glen Echo, Maryland, is the magnificent World Cruise Water Ride. Embarking at the entrance in boats seating six passengers, one is transported over a waterway to magnificent scenic views of the capitals of the world. Glen Echo Park is open each year from early April to the middle of September and is easily reached by De Luxe Capital Transit street cars, or Conduit Road auto highway, or auto straight out Massachusetts Avenue. Devoid of any objectionable features, Glen Echo Park is one of the points of interest of the National Capital.         -- Postcard text, 1941 July 1943. Montgomery County, Maryland. "World Cruise at Glen Echo Park." Photo by Esther Bubley for the Office of War Information. View full size. Out of uniformI'm surprised to see one sailor out of uniform. He's wearing Dress Blues when the district dress code calls for Dress Whites to go on liberty. Devoid of any objectionable featuresIn other words: No Negroes. https://www.nps.gov/glec/learn/historyculture/summer-of-change.htm Park historyhttp://glenecho-cabinjohn.com/GE-04.html "Objectionable features"What the heck is meant by the comment that it is "devoid of any objectionable features"? [Until 1961, Glen Echo Park was a segregated, whites-only venue. - Dave] In England... this would be a QUEUE. In the US, a LINE, either way, annoying to those adults with little or no patients. [In other words, annoying to pediatricians. - Dave] [LOLOLOLOL. Where is speel cheek when you need it - Baxado] I don't think that's what it meantThe phrase "No Objectionable Features" was once used to describe movies, vaudeville and various entertainments. All it meant was that there was no nudity or lewdness, and that it was safe for everyone from children to grandparents. Summer of changeI lived right across the street from the park when I was a kid. I would have been 6 during the "Summer of Change". I don't recall anything out of the ordinary, but Mom didn't "do" amusement parks, so no visits for me in any case. All I remember of Glen Echo, is the sound of the roller coaster and the screams of its riders through the open window of my bedroom on the hot and humid summer nights when I was trying to get to sleep. In UniformNavy dress blues have always been considered a liberty uniform no matter the season. If a service member were visiting or transferring to an area and was unaware of when the seasonal uniform shifted from "summer" to "winter"... they could always wear their dress blues. Flow of History"Glen Echo Park is open each year from early April to the middle of September and is easily reached by De Luxe Capital Transit street cars, or Conduit Road auto highway" The stops along the street car line are now neighborhoods bearing the old stops' names, and linear village greens that were the track bed and ROW. For example, Brookmont near Bethesda, MD: https://goo.gl/maps/ogLQgE31wio Conduit Road became MacArthur Blvd. Its original name was to do with the Washington Aqueduct conduit pipes beneath it, servicing the Dalecarlia Reservoir in DC/MD. It was completed in 1858 and is the major source of DC's drinking water. The Aqueduct has a Rails to Trails B&O (and then CSX) Roman Arch tunnel beneath it, measuring 340 feet long, 18 feet wide. It is now part of the recreational Capital Crescent Trail. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, D.C., Esther Bubley)
Dreamland in Color: 1905
... wanna go here! Another excellent colorization of an old amusement park. I can almost feel the spray from the Shoot-The-Chute as I ... 
 
Posted by Avzam - 03/17/2012 - 7:07pm -

New York circa 1905. "Dreamland Park, Coney Island" (original image). It's hard to believe it all burned to the ground. This was one heck of a coloring job but I was intrigued to see Dreamland as it might have been. If only we could visit this amazing place. View full size. Comments"Where other colorization jobs often appear unnatural and garish " - well, thanks. Maybe you'd like to give it a go? However - well done Avzam. It is really a good piece of work, and at least you're getting comments. Colorizations never seem to warrant them no matter how much work has been put into them or how good they are (and I'm talking here not of mine, but some other very talented colorizers whose work is on here). [This might be a good time to point out the link to the Colorized Photos gallery down the left-hand column that some may be overlooking. - tterrace] Nice WorkDespite my mixed feelings about artificially colorized images you have done an excellent job with this photo. DetailsI don't think you missed one! Most excellent job! I ConcurSome colorization's come out feeling too ... something. I don't know what it is. Yours looks natural and balanced. Just wowNice job! Superb, Avzam!Exceptional work. Whadaya mean?Looking at that, I feel like I am there now. Beautiful RestorationExcellent! Even the little boy about to go swimming. Neat, neat neat! Absolutely GorgeousI love this so much, I could practically marry it. This is gorgeous. The saturation and balance is right on target. It looks "correct," if you know what I mean; I can look at this photo and believe it. That's a tough target to hit, but you've done it. Excellent attention to detail. Everwhere I look I see variation. This isn't a photo that was colorized; this is a photo that was restored. I expect this took freakin' forever to do. NiceI am not a big fan of colorization of old photos, but as someone else mentioned already, this feels natural and "real." Nice job. Fantastic!I didn't realize Eastman was experimenting with Kodachrome this early. The B&W original is very interesting, but this colorized version actually makes me a little sad I couldn't have gone there. Truly excellent work, Avzam. ImpressiveWonderful job, well done. Thankyou Wow!I have been visiting Shorpy for years but never as a registered user. This photo impressed me so much I felt compelled to register just to leave this comment! Like others who have commented I'm not really a fan of colorization, but your photo is absolutely spot on. Where other colorization jobs often appear unnatural and garish yours seems almost perfectly balanced. The fact that it is a Coney Island photo (one of my favourite subjects) is simply icing on the cake. I can't wait to see your other photo projects. Simply excellent. Off-the-chart effort. I hopeOff-the-chart effort. I hope all the praise the community is giving you brings cheer. =) Really an exquisite jobReally an exquisite job. I can't imagine how you did it; it must have taken hours. But the result is stunningly realistic. I'd love to see you take on some of the glorious street scenes on Shorpy. Natural-looking color adds so much life. Only your set dresser knows for sureChecking my daily Shorpy newsletter via my cell, l scooted this image around on the screen checking out details before seeing the note that it HAD been colorized. Honest to goodness, I had no idea. Didn't even cross my mind I wasn't looking at a color photo. I'm glad I didn't notice the title or caption first; it was the best "Wow" moment I've had for quite a while. Thank you. Very Nice Job!With the colorization, more of the details are noticeable. For example, the pavilion on the right that dramatizes the "Great Baltimore Fire of 1904. Forget Six Flags, I wanna go here!Another excellent colorization of an old amusement park. I can almost feel the spray from the Shoot-The-Chute as I speak. With all the over-dressed [by our modern standards, anyway] folks in the photo, it's nice to see one person--the little kid on the beach at lower right--is bucking the trend and going his own way. "Dang it, it's summertime and I'm gonna be comfortable!" And, given the park's demise by fire several years later, I find the exhibits on "Fighting Flames" and "The Great Baltimore Fire" somewhat prophetic. SpectacularAnyone who thinks colorization is always a bad thing for historic photographs needs to go to Avzam's web site (http://paintedback.blogspot.com/). Scroll down to the one with the Greyhound bus and the Royal Crown Cola sign for a real treat. AmazedI am amazed at the color detail of this picture. How in the world does one begin to colorize a photo like this? Do you look at old colorized postcards to get a sense of which colors to use or just jump in and use whatever seems right? There are some really great colorized photos here on Shorpy. Thanks to all the contributors. (ShorpyBlog, Colorized Photos)
Nuisances Prohibited: 1903
... was nothing left of it even in 1964. There was a small amusement park on Beach 90th street with a Roller Coaster called the Atom Smasher. The amusement park was thrown down for housing in the 90's I believe. Learn New ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/18/2014 - 12:34am -

Long Island circa 1903. "The Bowery -- Rockaway, New York." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. I wish I were BIGI wonder if the boys on the left realize the danger they may be in; that machine they are hanging around could be the Zoltan machine that turned David Moscow into Tom Hanks. Hmmph.I guess that leaves me out. Danger aboveThat ladder (if that's what it is) on the roof of the verandah at right looks a bit dangerous if it decided to slide off. A nuisance, who me?Google "COMMIT NO NUISANCE." This was an expression from the olden days. A common sight back then to see it posted on walls, poles, bill boards, etc. Spinoff jobsBack in the day there were people whose jobs it was to operate elevators, and yes, to operate weight scales once you stepped on them! He's Gone Electric?What are the wires on the white stand in the right foreground. Can't tell if the gent staffing it is speaking into a device or holding a drink. The sign below says "Press the button . . . [blocked view]". Maybe that's what it is, but what is it? [Looks like it probably says, "Press the button have your fortune told." - tterrace] Where in RockawayI Lived in Far Rockaway from 1964 till 1969, does any one have any idea where this area was, there was nothing left of it even in 1964. There was a small amusement park on Beach 90th street with a Roller Coaster called the Atom Smasher. The amusement park was thrown down for housing in the 90's I believe. Learn New WordsThe device with the wires looks very like an induction coil, much loved by quack doctors and malevolent small boys, with some kind of meter behind to add to the effect. Hold the handles, press the button - and impress your companions with your new vocabulary. Rockaway PlaylandAs a kid in the fifties, my parents would drive over there. Then it was fairly large and competed with Rye Playland, Conney Island, and Palisades Park. (The Gallery, DPC)
Cat Wedding: 1914
... and orangutans being taught to smoke cigarettes for our amusement. We've seen enough of these already, so can we move on, now? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/19/2018 - 1:54pm -

        We're reposting this just in case you've had enough of that other wedding between you-know-who and what's-her-name. 1914. "Kittens in costume as bride and groom, being married by third kitten in ecclesiastical garb." Holy catrimony! Photo by Harry W. Frees. View full size. Just for clarificationI guess until I saw the comments that some people still misunderstand what is going on here. These animals are very definitely restrained and probably sedated. I am no animal rights nut, these *are* just cats and dogs and by standards of abuse that many cats and dogs go through, this is a mild case. But make no mistake, they are wiring/tying/otherwise restraining the animals into these poses with armatures and the other props you can see. For at least 10s of minutes. I don't care for the pictures themselves, they seem pretty silly at best and vaguely disturbing even ignoring what it took to make them, but if you tried to do this today you would be on Animal Cops with your faced blurred out. ["Probably sedated"?? LOL. Nonsensical Comment of the Day! - Dave] Really? What makes you say that? You know that kittens are not capable of standing upright on their rear legs with their CGs well in front of the camera as shown here. I am not sure how you consider yourself an expert on how the photos were taken but if you want to play "physics expert" you are going to lose. [The "sedative" is a hand through the backdrop. - Dave] Easy, folksFrom what I've read, Frees was simply a VERY patient photographer. I can't imagine that these animals were drugged, and they certainly weren't dead. Well, they are now. Yup. Creepy.Having numerous cats and kittens, now and in the past, I can't imagine these weren't at least sedated, and that makes it not cute. Creepy. Perhaps historically noteworthy, but creepy. [Ill-informed yet entertaining. Keep 'em coming! - Dave] Freesian FactoidsHis housekeeper sewed the costumes, and Frees worked hard at his newfound calling in life, and ended up making quite a good living off of his silly animals- dressed-as-people photos. He borrowed his four legged subjects from friends and neighbors, and actually found them quite difficult to work with; for instance, flies were terribly distracting to cats, making for especially difficult photo ops, so he had to make sure there were no flies in his studio. He worked only 3 months out of the year. The rest of the year, he actually spent recuperating from his epic cutesy animal shoots, and meticulously planning the details for his next shoots. (Jason Harrington) Mona LisaI guess the Mona Lisa would also qualify as no social redeeming qualities. Aw, settle downCedarCreek needs to be a little more tolerant. I love animals but I also find these pics disturbing!!!!! But this is a "history in photos" site and these were part of a particular era. Just don't look at them. Sorry to be a weirdoBut I have enjoyed all of these kitty pix, especially the 3 kittens in the pony cart. However, I am strongly repulsed by photos of chimps dressed in suits pretending to be business executives. Thanks, Dave, for mixing up the topics and tones of your postings so well! I'm staying out of this feline fracasBut here is a shot of the infamous Mr. Frees Kitty Karma GoldJust wait till Reddit sees these. Abuse?Been researching for a little while the alleged claims of abuse regarding these animals and could find nothing confirming that the subjects were harmed in any way. Kind of surprising actually, as I thought the animals were wired into the backdrop to keep them from moving, but apparently he just posed them as best he could--they're very close to the camera--and squeezed off shots, discarding the vast number of inevitable blurred photos. Poster Cedar Creek mentions Frees committing suicide, probably to confirm his/her view that Frees and his work were both mentally ill, which I think is a misnomer. Frees suffered from cancer during the last several years of his life. Perhaps he got tired of living in great physical pain. Disturbing pet tricksThese photos of small animals dressed as little human beings are far from being pornographic, and I doubt these animals suffered any long-term damage from being abused in this way, but I find this series of photos to be not humorous and definitely disturbing. Photos of human beings existing in poverty and children working in industrial settings have some sort of profound social message. These pictures of kittens in little dresses and suits have no redeeming social value whatsoever. I hope the next cache of photos you run across are not of chimpanzees and orangutans being taught to smoke cigarettes for our amusement. We've seen enough of these already, so can we move on, now? [Ridiculous Comment of the Day! Clapclapclap. - Dave] Well, Dave, at least I'm not the only one who finds these dressed up animal pics disturbing. You've made whatever point you were trying to make with these. Let's move on to something new. Take a close look at this particular picture. If you've ever owned a cat, Dave, you'll know that there is no way to dress three cats in little outfits and then get them to pose like that for the slow films they had in 1914. There's a very good chance that they are drugged and an outside chance that they were dead when the picture was taken. If you do a little research, you'll find that these animal photos represent the entire body of work done by Harry W. Frees. He did this and nothing else for decades until he committed suicide in Florida in 1953. The animals were rented from various sources. They were not his own beloved pets. There were complaints about animal abuse associated with these photos from the very beginning. The cute little outfits were designed with internal restraints that forced the animals to maintain the pose until he got the shot he wanted. Not nice for the animals, but there was money to be made. [Inaccurate, misleading, perversely entertaining! More, please. - Dave] No Foolin'.They are really awful. I must admit I don't care for these pictures, either.I just don't like to see animals in such unnatural (for them) poses. Although a different eraI can't help but think he had a special love of animals to make it his life's work. A lot people today dress their beloved animals in silly little costumes and as a little girl I dressed my own cat, which I simply adored, in my doll's clothing. Creepy? No. Bravo! I SayHe had a vision and he followed through with it. He probably, maybe did something that was either wonderful or detestable. He certainly energized the Shorpy fan base. Frees your mind and you body will follow, or vice versa. Supporting PropThe prayer book on a stick that is poking out of the backdrop is something for the preacher cat to lean on. As for those who say that cats can't be trained - tell that to a circus lion tamer. PerhapsMy significant other--a crazy cat lady whom I share these photos with--brought up an interesting point: perhaps these kittens weren't photographed standing UP, but rather lying DOWN on their backs, with the camera positioned above them? As they say in the old cartoons, "Eh, could be?" If Frees didn't think of it then that is a shame; it would have made his work much easier! [Not. - Dave] Trick photography?This is purely speculation, but do you suppose that in at least some of these photos the animals' bodies are either taxidermy or artificial? It would be relatively easy to create an inanimate tableau and then have the live animals, coaxed by food, simply stick their heads through carefully placed holes in the backdrop. Notice how close the backdrops are in many of these photos, perhaps with a helper standing behind. [No. - Dave] Herding catsThey say it cannot be done, but my #2 son who knew nothing about animal training taught our female cat 25 years ago to pretend to be shot just by endlessly making the sound of a gunshot but not giving her a much-loved treat unless she lay down very still and rolled onto her side with her eyes closed. To take it a step further, if he said "James Cagney," she would do an extended version, moving along the floor a bit, changing positions and finally laying motionless as Cagney did in many of his gangster roles. It was quite an extraordinary conversation piece but then she really did pass away at the age of 21 after a lifetime of luxury and rapport with our human family. She is buried in our back yard in her favorite shady spot under the cherry tree (and no, she wasn't just pretending to be dead that time). She was never mistreated and was a contented and affectionate companion with a brilliant mind, my favorite cat ever. Good GriefWhat a strange time we live in for all these accusations to fly on such flimsy assumptions! [Just wait a few years. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cats, Harry W. Frees, Weddings)
Strike Up the Band: 1925
... "Arlington Beach." Circa 1925, the dance pavilion at the amusement park across the Potomac from Washington. National Photo glass ... has been spared to make the park one of the leading amusement places of Washington this year. The leading Washington orchestra ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 10:46am -

"Arlington Beach." Circa 1925, the dance pavilion at the amusement park across the Potomac from Washington. National Photo glass negative. View full size. Replacing bulbsAn interesting structure for sure, requiring a lot of skilled labor to piece together all those angle joints. It appears this was lit with a series of small bulbs running up the underside of each truss. Probably gave a nice atmosphere but I wonder how they got up there to replace them which must have had to be done often. Does this structure still exist? [Torn down in 1929. - Dave] Disco Ball!And here I thought Disco balls dated from the Disco era. I wonder if that ball actually managed to survive into the Disco era, somehow. In case anybody wants one...those mirrored balls are still available for $34.99 at the party store. And I thought that we psychedelic hippies invented them. Dance pavilionsWhat memories. I think there were dance pavilions up to WW2. We would drive out from Detroit to Walled Lake with its dance pavilion and really enjoy the dancing. This was the summer of '41 before Pearl Harbor and it has not been the same since. Lions and Rotarians, and Shriners, oh my!I like the banners of all the lodges surrounding the ceiling. I can't imagine..the carpentry/framing skills required to build something like this.With all the odd angles and radial trusses,must of been quite a challenge, even for true craftsmen. Room for 1,000 Washington Post, May 23, 1925 Arlington Beach, Many Attractions Added, Opens Today Bathing Facilities Enlarged; Dance Pavilion to Accommodate 1,000 With many added attractions, Arlington beach, Washington's only bathing beach, located at the south end of the Highway bridge, will be opened today. With the Tidal basin closed, the bathing at the beach will be one of the leading attractions, and realizing this the management has announced that 2,500 new bathing suits, 4,000 new steel lockers and several shower baths have been added. The beach this year will be operated under the management of Jesse Thomas and Lloyd Schafffer. Mr. Thomas said no expense has been spared to make the park one of the leading amusement places of Washington this year. The leading Washington orchestra will furnish music for dancing in the pavilion, which will accommodate more than 1,000 persons. While the roller coaster will not be ready for the opening, work is being rushed, and it will be completed in a few days. Mr. Thomas said that the management this year will specialize in making Arlington beach a family resort and a place for all-day outings for clubs, schools, lodges and church societies. Ample room has been provided for parking. Thanks again, Shorpy!Once again, you have revealed a gem from the past. I marvel at all the man hours and wood that went into the construction of this big ol' barn. I can't help but wonder how the music sounded as it bounced off this cavernous structure with dancers on deck. I believe Brunelleschi himself would appreciate this dome. Breaker, breaker, for a Walled LakerAh, yes, good old Walled Lake: See it larger here. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Sports)
Cheyenne Joe's: 1903
... fall of civilization. Great Photo This is a perfect amusement park photo from the turn of the 20th century. I wish I could time ... back to 1903. I’ve often wondered how many of these amusement park scenes are set up by the photographer. The couple walking ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 1:48pm -

New York circa 1903. "Coney Island -- the Bowery." Decisions, decisions. Wacke's Trocadero or Cheyenne Joe's? Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Do Not ResuscitateSome fashions should never be revived. I am talking about the fellow on the far right, facing away from us. He has a V gap in his waistband, just above his rump. I don't know what they were thinking when they designed that, but I hope no designer thinks it again! Re: Do Not Resuscitate@aenthal: While I share your dislike of that v-cut in the waistband of the gentleman's pants, I'm not so sure I agree with your observation that it's "just above his rump." Those are some mighty high-waisted pants! I'd say that gap is more like just above the L1 or L2 vertebra. Other choicesBallantine's Export or Genuine Wurzbüger Draught He Coulda Been a Contender"Rumour had it the challenger was so determined to prevail, he planned to load his gloves with Plaster of Paris. “Let him do it,” said Jeffries. “I’ll flatten him anyway.” "It came in the eighth round. After several blistering exchanges, Fitzsimmons inexplicably paused, lowered his guard, and spoke to Jeffries, taunting him. The champion’s response was a hard right to the belly followed by a thunderous left hook that put Fitzsimmons on the floor and ended the fight." from http://www.bestboxingblog.com/?p=687 Don't Overlook Flynn's... and Ballantine! They made a pretty good ale up through the 1970s: green bottle, great with hamburgers. From the Dutch "bouwerij" meaning "farm"The idea that Coney Island would have a theme area based on a famously seedy street in a nearby borough cracked me up; it was a short leap (for me, anyway) to visions of Disneyland installing a pre-Disney 42nd Street populated with street walkers and hustlers dressed as Disney characters. Pooh? Bambi? Lady & The Tramp? The 7 Dwarfs? It's a natural. But the truth about Brooklyn's Bowery is merely very interesting... http://www.thevirtualdimemuseum.com/2009/11/coney-island-bowery.html Wacke's TrocaderoFree Movies With Beer Coney Island theater proprietor Herman Wacke, no stranger to the moving image, is touted by some as the first commercial exhibitor of a motion picture at his Trocadero Hotel in 1893. Wacke's hotel, a stalwart from Coney's early years located along a strip of cabarets and beerhalls affectionately called the Bowery, was nearly destroyed in the fire that consumed Steeplechase in 1907. In 1912, Wacke fanned a few new flames. He began showing films for free in the saloon as a way to entice people to come in and purchase food and beer. Wacke's was probably the best known of many along the Bowery to exhibit films in this fashion. But the proprietor didn't have a license to do so, and during one particular sting, Wacke was arrested -- "charged with conducting a free show in connection with his bar" -- and fined $5. Not a huge sum of money for a successful saloon owner, and Wacke went willingly, becoming a test case for a law that many certainly thought was rigid and overly meddling. The Bowrey Boys - New York City History Cinnamon Rolls & BeerAnd there on the left you can get your fresh cinnamon rolls to go with your Export Lager Hot Crisis Vaffles 3 for 5 cents?The curlicue tool held by the woman in the booth on the left intrigued me. I stretched and skewed the sign on the front of her stand, but I still cannot make sense of it. [HOT CRISPS WAFFLES / 3 for 5¢ - Dave] Love this picture!Wonderful, evocative detail. Please, somebody colorize this one for us! Get a RoomCould that couple actually be holding hands in public? It's shameless is what it is. Ballantine'sBefore I read the comments, coincidentally, I did the same as JeffK, but with the sign over the street on the left. Ballantine's Export Beer was well advertised! 3 Balls 5¢Are they for a throwing or bowling game? I can't imagine they're talking whiskey at that price. Cheyenne Joe's Cowboy TavernFrom The Summary - Published weekly by and for inmates of the New York State Reformatory at Elmira. The Summary, July 4, 1908. Coney Island: The World's Greatest Play Ground As it is To-Day. … Cheyenne Joe's Tavern is free and once inside a long bar is visible. On one end sits a cowboy with two six-shooters protruding from this belt while he plays a violin. Another cowboy acts as waiter while a third tends bar. A group of these typical westerners are around a table and in the corner of the cabin stands a pony restlessly. The floor is sprinkled with sawdust and newspaper is made to supply wall paper. … Personal Time MachineThis is what I love about Shorpy. Whenever I want to go to a different time and place, I just come here, find a wonderful picture like this, click on "View Full Size," step into the picture and go for a fascinating visit. Oh the hats! I believe when we stopped wearing hats, it was the beginning of the fall of civilization. Great PhotoThis is a perfect amusement park photo from the turn of the 20th century. I wish I could time travel back to 1903. I’ve often wondered how many of these amusement park scenes are set up by the photographer. The couple walking towards the camera could be models. People are in just the right places. I’m sure they spent a lot of time setting up for the perfect shot. Belly Up To The Bar Boys. I'm BuyingQuite a few always wax nostalgic when an idyllic tree lined residence street with an little girl is shown and wish that they could go back to that peaceful scene. Not me. This is where I'm taking the Time Machine and a hundred dollars. A sports bar, German beer on draught, Ballentine Ale, cinnamon buns, good 5¢ cigars, hot crisped waffles 3 for 5¢, chops, a cowboy bar with sawdust on the floor plus a pony, cowboy waiters, cowboy entertainers, an Oriental shop with 10 ¢ large ????, and last but not least an Irish Hotel Bar. Since I am of Irish/German ancestry, a known beer drinker, and an occasional cigar smoker I would have been right at home here and would have spent the day slipping in and out of the various establishments announcing each time, "Drinks on me, boys and may ye be dead an hour before the devil knows it." Ah wouldn't it have been a glorious day filled with oompah bands and Irish reels, good food, cold beer, and possibly meeting relatives from Strokestown, County Roscommon Ireland or Dusseldorf Germany?" (The Gallery, Coney Island, DPC)
Theatre Comique: 1910
... nickel would have bought him over a week of shelter and amusement, not to mention being entertained by the Great Shomers (and avoided a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 10:55pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910. "Theatre Comique." Bring the kids! 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Wow!Courtesy and refinement! Safety and comfort! Those other joints make you choose. For my 5 centsCan I stay as long as I like? Oh wait. I can't rememberthe last time I caught a show with some extraordinary equilibrists. Over nine hours for a nickel!What a steal! Where else can one hang out for that long in an enjoyable atmosphere and not be called a wayward vagrant. Years ago an unemployed friend of mine was picked up for vagrancy charges when he was simply standing on a city street for too long and it seems they determined he was a criminal because he had less than 40 cents in his pockets and no job. Why, this nickel would have bought him over a week of shelter and amusement, not to mention being entertained by the Great Shomers (and avoided a police record) all the while. Youse guys got a lotta class! As an aside, I'm pretty sure that leaving several baby strollers unattended on the sidewalk today would mean they would be long-gone when the show was over. What can we get for a nickel today? Not even a postage stamp or a gumball. We ain't got no class. Above AllIt's all HIGH CLASS ! 1249 BroadwayThe Theatre Comique, whose roots in Detroit go back to 1849, was renamed the Comique Theatre when it started showing motion pictures around 1920. This Week's Bill Smith & Adams: A Scream. The Great Shomers: Equilibrists Extraordinary. Physical Marvels. (possibly William Eugene Shomers and Frances Mae Hatfield.) Billy Hines: A Top Notch Comedian. George Deonzo: (possibly of the Deonzo Brothers, famous Barrel-jumping acrobats. DisclaimerBest show in town ... for the money. Translation: "Hey, whaddya expect for five cents?" Broadway, Detroit styleAccording to Craig Morrison's 2006 book "Theaters" (published by the Library of Congress and W.W. Norton), this place was at 1249-1251 Broadway (presumably using the post-1921 building numbering system). Designed by locally-born theatre architect C. Howard Crane, it was initially named the Crystal Theatre when it opened in 1905, but reopened at the Comique in 1908. The location is now a small parking lot, beneath the People Mover and next to a suit store called The Broadway. Beckoning Theater Front but it is the bar next door that must been a work of art, what with the beautiful stained glass windows. The back bar which I can just visualize had to be a classic of the period. Zee high class theatre! Theatre Comique is French for "Funny Theater" One might guess that using the French spelling make it look like a high class act? At least a dollarwas required in some places to avoid being classified as a vagrant. My father worked for a large plumbing company in the late 20s and 30s and was sent all over the country. He always carried one Morgan silver dollar at all times. In fact, he carried it for so long that it wore slick with just a trace left of the liberty head. I foolishly traded it at the bank for a newer one back when you could do so. I never thought about how it likely kept him from being arrested as a vagrant. Also on the bill"Self Explanatory Animated Pictures" Motion pictures *and* live entertainment? A true multimedia experience! All the while being "High Class", with "Courtesy and Refinement." More Entertaining Surroundings?If I could go back in time, I think I'd rather grab a stogie from the shop on the far right, and then walk into the door on the far left. Clear BootsSomeone else must notice the blurred figure of a man on the left (top hat and all) standing on the sidewalk. Camera mishap? "ghost?" Why are the boots clarified while the body and head remain blurred? [When you're walking, your feet are the only parts that stop moving forward, if only for a fraction of a second, each time you make a footfall. - Dave] (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Sands of Glen Echo: 1943
... on the sand beach at the swimming pool in the Glen Echo amusement park." In the foreground: The photographer's sisters Claire and Enid ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/15/2009 - 9:36am -

July 1943. Glen Echo, Maryland. "Sun bathers on the sand beach at the swimming pool in the Glen Echo amusement park." In the foreground: The photographer's sisters Claire and Enid Bubley. Photo by Esther Bubley, OWI. View full size. I'm becoming an Esther Bubley fanThis is such an eloquent picture of everyday people. Unobtrusive, not calling attention to itself, just capturing a moment in a way that presents it most beautifully. I also love the picture of the two kids watching the parade. I'm sure they and their parents treasured this photograph! It's so real, authentic, representative, unposed, and funny, all at the same time. Two-PieceI've always loved those two-piece swimsuits in cheerful prints that were so popular during the war! A good deal more flattering to most women's bodies than the totally unforgiving bikini One pieceIn the background, I notice that the topless male bathing suit is making its historical appearance. Shudder! (At least in most cases.) Another Photographic ArgumentFor the classic Bikini. A lyin in the sandHere we see indisputable proof of the efficacy of the beach towel. Tan Am"Sandy" is going to have one goofy looking sunburn when the day is done. Rookie mistake. I love youClaire and Enid. Foy Las Vegas That's my Mom!Wow! Esther Bubley was my aunt, so I've seen a lot of her photos. I have some of hers--that she printed--in my home. And when I was maybe 6 years old, she took a series of me and my sister. But I'd never seen this one, or any that she'd taken at Glen Echo. Interestingly, another sister--Anita--would move close to Glen Echo (in Bannockburn, just across the road) about 10 years later. Anita died a few years ago, but her husband, Harry, still lives there. And I have some nice memories of Glen Echo from when I was a kid, back around 1960. Thanks for the memories. [You're welcome! Which one is your mom? - Dave] Hey, I'm next, darn itSad to see so many people waiting to use that solitary beach chair. I sure hope the guy with ankle grabbed didn't forget his swim trunks again. The white swimming cap.My mom is Claire -- the one closest to the camera with the white swimming cap. I'll ask her whether the third woman, the one with sand on her back, was with them. And if you happen to run across any Esther Bubley photos of a wedding, please let me know. Esther took photos of my mom's wedding--it was either 1947 or 1948--but never was able to find them, or at least never made any prints (that my mom is aware of). So, the wedding remains photo-less. [The archive of Esther's 2,100 photos taken for the government is here. - Dave] (The Gallery, Esther Bubley, Swimming)
Dreamland: 1905
... Fire The ballroom was part of the larger Dreamland amusement park. Just before the park opened for the season in 1911 work was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2012 - 2:55pm -

Coney Island, New York, circa 1905. "Dreamland Ballroom." The home of light music. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Beautiful place.It's hard to imagine a place so bright and cheery in 1905. To the people at the time this must have seemed like a Wonderland. We have become pretty immune to simple pleasures like this, it takes a Las Vegas sized Light Show to impress anyone today. Six years before its up in flamesThis wonderfully eerie photo was taken about six years before the catastrophic Dreamland fire: "On May 27, 1911, a huge fire illuminated the sky and sent fire companies from all over Brooklyn rushing to Coney Island. Dreamland Park was ablaze." One wonders where the dancers are; the floor's pretty worn. Great shell for the bandBet they played all the newest songs of the day. Hot hits such as "In My Merry Oldsmobile," "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree" and "Wait 'till the Sun Shines, Nellie." One stout ghostly gentThere are figures visible around the periphery of the dance floor and one stout ghostly gent there on the left, who moved a bit during the long exposure. I think that the dancers are there, but they are moving so much that we can't see them. [If there were people moving around the dance floor, I think we'd see them, however blurrily. - Dave] A job for lifekeeping all those light bulbs in working order! I'm guessing the fire wasElectrical? Easy BakeI bet it felt like an oven under the 10,000 light bulbs. And man, I wonder how the electric bill looked like, even for 1905. Meet Me Tonight In DreamlandI wonder if that song referred to this particularly wonderful dance hall or just to dreaming in general. Since there are many people in this photo, seated in the outlying areas seemingly waiting for some event to begin, perhaps this was taken just prior to a dance contest or maybe a marathon "dance till you drop" endurance test. Like many other pictures on Shorpy, this brings to mind the hauntingly beautiful empty ballroom in the movie "The Shining." [This is 1905, so I don't know about "dance till you drop." Maybe "waltz till you wither." - Dave] Now listen Carl,the burned out bulb is aisle five, row nine and it's the fourth from the end. The largest ballroom in the United StatesThe Coney Island season opened every year in mid-May, with plenty of advance publicity about new attractions. Dreamland and its ballroom were built on a beachfront site previously cleared by another disastrous fire. Below is an excerpt from a New York Times feature, "A New Coney Island Rises from the Ashes of the Old," dated May 8, 1904. A week later, 250,000 people came to see all the new attractions. Dreamland FireThe ballroom was part of the larger Dreamland amusement park. Just before the park opened for the season in 1911 work was being done to repair the roof on the "Hell's Gate" ride. At least part of the work was being done at night. At about 1:30 a.m. the light bulbs illuminating the work area began exploding, probably due to an electrical malfunction. In the dark after the lights went out a worker kicked over a bucket of hot tar which started the fire. The flame spread swiftly because the park was essentially built of lath covered with a mixture of hemp fiber and plaster of Paris. [One view of the aftermath is here. - Dave] Empty ShellThe band appears to have taken a break. Where's the DJ? Gorgeously Illuminated The Real New York, 1904. The rival paradise, Dreamland, is said to have cost over $3,000,000. It has taken over the old Iron Pier and built above it the largest ballroom ever made, 20,000 square feet; beneath is the restaurant and a promenade, and beneath all the cool rush of the surf. The company runs four large steamers, as well as Santos-Dumont's Airship No. 9. Light, Vol. 4, 1904. The Ballroom, as here pictured, is the most gorgeously illuminated interior not only to be found at Coney Island, but there is none such interior lighting effect even at the World's Fair. This ballroom is one of the sights of New York at night, and is a study from the standpoint of the lighting engineer. Electrical Age, Vol. 37, 1906. "Dreamland," Coney Island, has perhaps the best lighted ballroom in the world. ExtinguishedI count six burned out lights. Anyone else see some I missed ?? Dual purpose room?I keep looking at this picture and think that it might have served as a roller rink and or a dance hall. The floor being worn so much at the corners or "turns" has me wondering. That's a good surpriseI don't expect to see many photos of Dreamland, considering its short life. And that ballroom invites me to dance. Live orchestra, free champagne, some beluga -- I'd really like to be there right now. Thanks for this nice surprise, and waiting for more Dreamland. (The Gallery, Coney Island, DPC)
Dancing Glass Balls: 1905
... to it that there is nothing lacking for the comfort and amusement of his patrons. The hotel is one of the oldest on Rockaway Beach, ... Why then, one wonders, was a site of innocent amusement in Queens named after such a place -- perhaps to simulate the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/16/2012 - 11:35am -

Rockaway, New York, circa 1905. "The Bowery looking east." Much intriguing signage here. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Crystal Hotel"Charles Vollmer, who conducts the Crystal Hotel on Ocean Avenue, is considered one of the most popular hotel keepers in Seaside. His guests always seem to be in a happy frame of mind, which is evidence that the genial proprietor sees to it that there is nothing lacking for the comfort and amusement of his patrons. The hotel is one of the oldest on Rockaway Beach, and is noted for its original style of serving German dishes. The well appointed cafe is also an attraction". NYT July 17, 1904. The article also mentions Curley's Hotel, which was still in existence when I was a yute. Seaside is roughly in the area of Beach 90th to about Beach 110th Streets, and was damaged in the recent floods. I need glassesFor a second I thought there was a satellite dish on the 2nd roof on the left. I said to myself "Hey they had satellite back then?" When we all know they only had cable TV. Oyster StewI think I start with some oyster stew from Frederick's. Then, I'll get one of those frankfurters, and finish with some ice cream. I could also use one of those canes that guy is hawking. I can't reach most of the nuts on my pecan tree and a came would really help to pull those branches down where I could reach them. Where can I sign up?"WANTED: 500 men to eat Frankfurters" Organ Grinder ?Man in the right foreground wearing a striped vest and white, western style hat seems to be holding a box and the two people to his right seem to be looking down and are amused by something. Could he be an organ grinder an his monkey is just out of sight? Any other speculations ? What's In a Name?The real Bowery (in Lower Manhattan, not Rockaway Beach) was an unsavory area that has only recently lost its reputation for cheap dives, flop houses, and rampant street crime. The song "The Bowery," popular about the time this photo was taken, in no way presented that thoroughfare as having any redeeming characteristics. In popular culture, the area was synonymous with a trap for the unwary and a refuge for the reprehensible. Why then, one wonders, was a site of innocent amusement in Queens named after such a place -- perhaps to simulate the thrilling allure of counterfeit sin in an area of relative safety? [Coney Island also had a Bowery. - tterrace] Basket Parties WelcomeI'm afraid to know if there is some modern day euphemism, but circa 1900 a "basket party" consisted of couples or families on a day-long excursion with a picnic lunch packed in a basket. Round-About New York, 1902. M. ZIMMERMAN Established 25 Years and now the largest and best-known manufacturer in the United States. Sausages, Bologna, Frankfurters and Wiener Wurst, Smoked and Corned Beef, Smoked and Corned Tongue, Kosher Cooking Fat, 1,3,5 & 10 lb. cans. Goods shipped to all parts of the United States. Orders solicited. 318 and 320 E. Houston Street, New York. (The Gallery, DPC)
The White City: 1910
... circa 1910. "The White City." One of many "White City" amusement parks, which took their name from the plaster-slathered architectural ... Shoot-the-Chutes This ride was a mainstay at most amusement parks of the early twentieth century. Also of note is the Figure ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/06/2012 - 1:31am -

Louisville, Kentucky, circa 1910. "The White City." One of many "White City" amusement parks, which took their name from the plaster-slathered architectural style popularized by the 1893 Columbian Exposition. View full size. Short livedAccording to this site, this park only existed from 1907 to 1912. Shoot-the-ChutesThis ride was a mainstay at most amusement parks of the early twentieth century. Also of note is the Figure Eight side friction roller coaster to the right. There is only one of these left in the US -- Leap the Dips at Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pa. (The Gallery, DPC, Louisville)
Atlantis: 1905
... still sound, however, and the section was rebuilt as an amusement park; it was very well known in the 1950s. The center section where ... The Million Dollar Pier was still intact as an amusement venue as late as the middle-1950's, although it was always ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2012 - 4:14pm -

Glimpses of a lost world circa 1905. "Young's Million Dollar Pier, Atlantic City." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What?Down here we have fishing piers. What does one do on one like that? Fire magnetTell me that huge mass of wood construction never caught fire and burned to the ground/water. SignI'd love some salt water taffy and Hygienic Ice Cream! Love this photograph - obviously during the day during the week, the slow time when the blue collar workers come out to maintain the grounds. Notice the men on the roof and the gardener in the yard. One Look Tells MeI bet that Young's Million Dollar Pier was destroyed by fire. Just a guess. PuppiesThe two dogs on the lawn caught my eye. One more curious than the other. I'll Take That BetAccording to the sources that I've found, Young's Million Dollar Pier survived until 1981 when it was demolished and replaced with a concrete pier known as "Ocean One." In 2002 it became "The Pier Shops At Caesars" but is currently in foreclosure. I don't doubt that much of what was on The Million Dollar Pier might have disappeared over the years, it was almost certainly due to demolition rather than fire. Deep Sea NetWhile the best online history of the 'Million Dollar Pier' records that net fishing began in 1907, the following article calls this into question. The Washington Post reports on the capture of a baby white whale at this location, two years prior to this photo. While Americans had mastered the technology to launch global, multi-year voyages to hunt whales, newspaper accounts from the time display a maddening nonspecificity regarding whale species. The only true white whale is the Beluga, which inhabits the margins of the arctic ocean. It would have been a truly remarkable event to find one this far south. Today, the reported southern edge of their range is the St. Lawrence River in Canada. Washington Post, Aug 23, 1903 At Atlantic City A baby White Whale Captured in the Fishing Nets Among the incidents of the week was the capture of a baby white whale, the only of its kind ever seen in this city, and the big baby has attracted thousands of people, who have watched it cavorting in the large fish tan on Young's pier. What to do on the pier? & Are those dogs?The pier included the world's largest ballroom, named The Hippodrome, and a huge exhibit hall. It also hosted movies, conventions, and exhibits. So say they intertubes. In the yard where the gardener is working - are there two dogs laying on the grass? Can't imagine he would allow that. I see a small statue in the closer yard so perhaps that's what they are. I also see 3 or more people working on the far end of the roof. Probably spreading tar. Oh, thank goodness,the ice cream here is hygienic!!! The last time we visited the shore we got some of that unhygienic ice cream by mistake. Poor Aunt Tessie was sick for a month! Tar TimeAs far as the guys taring the roof goes, "Only 50,000 square feet to go" Pier reviewAuthor Emil Salvini's "Tales of the Jersey Shore" blog includes a postcard that he found in 2009 depicting a March 29, 1912 fire: Jim Waltzer, co-author of "Tales of South Jersey," wrote an article in 2006 in Atlantic City Weekly that describes Young Pier fires in 1949 and 1981. Fate of the PierYes, indeed, fire did claim the pier (kind of), but even to this day, not completely (the pier is about a third of a mile long; you are only looking at some 300 feet or so). The Grand Ballroom, which is to the far right, was destroyed by fire in 1949; the pier itself was still sound, however, and the section was rebuilt as an amusement park; it was very well known in the 1950s. The center section where the workers are on the roof was torn down in 1969, and replaced with other amusements. The far ocean side of the pier burned in 1981. The Ocean One Mall is built on what's left of the pier and pier site at this time, though one of the casinos is eying rebuilding the pier to something close to its former state. What does one do on a pier like that?One strolls while eating Cones filled with Hygienic Ice Cream, of course. Second-String but stll First-Rate.The Million Dollar Pier was still intact as an amusement venue as late as the middle-1950's, although it was always 'second-string' to The Steel Pier. But back in those days, that was in no sense a demeaning position to be in, in AC. Long-Lived"When did that thing burn?" was my first thought. It lasted a good long time. The pier had burned in 1902. (You can see some roof work going on in this picture). The rebuilt pier lasted in one form or another until the ocean end burned in 1981. The pier at Caesar's stands at the site now. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, DPC, Swimming)
On the Ohio: 1910
... the public landing in Cincy up river to the Coney Island amusement park. I made that trip many times as a kid in the late 1940's. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 2:42pm -

The Ohio River circa 1910. "Nightfall on the Ohio at Cincinnati." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Neither the Island Queen nor Delta QueenThis is the huge sidewheeler City of Cincinnati, built in 1899 at Jeffersonville, Indiana. You are thinking of the Cincinnati, built in 1924, which was supposed to have a twin, the Louisville. The latter boat was never completed, and her hull was sold to the Coney Island Co., who finished her as the Island Queen. Island Queen or Delta QueenI guess it could be one or the other. The Island Queen used to take passengers from the public landing in Cincy up river to the Coney Island amusement park. I made that trip many times as a kid in the late 1940's. It was quite a thrill in the summer to sit on deck and listen to the calliope. The Island Queen caught fire and was destroyed while in the dock at Pittsburgh in the late '40s. The Delta Queen continued to operate and as far as I know still exists. ClassicAnd Timeless; one of the best pictures yet! Thank You! The Delta QueenThe Delta Queen was a sternwheeler, not a sidewheeler like the boat in the Shorpy image. The Delta Queen (below) is still used for river cruises, but not overnight trips since it doesn't meet the current safety requirements. Far EastWith such air quality, I thought it was a picture of modern Beijing! The past is so bright, I gotta wear shades.Absolutely, one one my all time Shorpy favorites! I love how when I gaze from bottom to top, the sun actually seems glaring. [That's (ostensibly) the moon. One of many Detroit Publishing moonlight views. - Dave] Moonlight?I'm going to have to differ with Dave on this. I can't imagine that there'd be a photographic emulsion fast enough in 1910 to capture that image by moonlight with no motion blur. It'd be good a trick even today. I mean, look at all the "ghosts" of pedestrians walking in broad daylight in contemporaneous street views we've seen here. Same with their other "moonlight views" in the LOC collection. My bet is that it's the equivalent of "day for night" movie filming, that for their postcards, Detroit Publishing printed it dark and tinted it bluish for a simulated moonlight effect. Sidewheeler City of CincinnatiThe boat appears to be the 1899 sidewheeler City of Cincinnati of the Louisville & Cincinnati Packet Co., seen in previous Shorpy post: Steam Under the Bridge: 1906. Moonlight Photography"Moonlight photography" was a discipline of some interest to shutterbugs of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A distinction was drawn between "real moonlight photography" and "moonlight photographs" in general -- a stylistic genre that utilised underexposed pictures taken in daylight and then "printed deep" (a technique not available for this particular image, as it is taken from a negative without benefit of a paper print). The ghostly personages who populate much of the era's daylight photography are a consequence not of slow emulsions but rather of the fact that most large view cameras of the era lacked timed shutters (what were known then as "clockwork shutters" -- most spring shutters lacked a timing mechanism and were opened and closed by the photographer, which necessitated one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi exposures of several seconds' duration), or any shutters at all, exposures being made by removing and then replacing the lens cover. Photographers with clockwork shutters who wished to avail themselves of "fast plates" had a number of very sensitive emulsions available, as evidenced by the stop-motion photography of the 1890s. These were also utilised for "real moonlight" photographs. [And indeed we have a number of stop-motion images here, this being one example. Although, after reading your references and tterrace's comment, I do have my doubts as to whether the nighttime photography of a century ago could freeze waves as seen in the Ohio River picture. Then again, one underestimates the capabilities of an 8x10 view camera at one's peril. - Dave] 1910 by moonlightOne of those references is to an article on "real" moonlight photography in American Photography dated 1910, the same year this shot was taken. In discussing exposures using "a long bellows reversible back view camera... exposures will range from ten to thirty minutes on a clear night using stop f8 and fast plates." It also mentions two methods of getting the moon itself in the image without showing the effect of its motion during exposure. One was to double-expose the plate, first a long exposure of the scene when the moon was out of the field of view, then a shorter one after aiming the camera at the moon. The other involved exposing two negatives when making the print, one of just the moonlit scene, the other of the moon itself. Or the Moon Walking in BrightnessPerhaps enough sunlight and moonlight has already been shed on the subject, but a consideration of the location may further illuminate. The boat appears to be commencing her run down river, approaching the old C&O RR bridge spanning the Ohio. The camera has taken a position a bit upriver, almost certainly the south tower of the Suspension Bridge. Both bridges align slightly to the west of due north. The point of view is roughly WNW, perhaps tending towards NWbW. A full moon in early winter might take up position as we see, but would necessarily put cameraman and boat on river in the hour or two before dawn. A full moon in other seasons could not occupy the section of sky. The few souls visible on the boat seem dressed for heat, and -- looking far for a bit of vegetation -- the gap in the truss section of the bridge frames a bluff where trees appear in leaf. The moon appears less likely when we find that the photograph below from Detroit Publishing bears the title Sunset on the Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio. Many details match precisely our photo, including the distant cloud bank low on the horizon. It could easily have been taken just a short while before the boat floated into position. On the OhioSerious contender for best picture on the blog. Any idea of the photographer? [Mr. Detroit Publishing. - Dave] (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Cincinnati Photos, DPC)
Down on Main: 1976
... this Southern California road trip at all. Much to his amusement. View full size. Bell-bottoms Yep, it's the mid-70's! ... 
 
Posted by tterrace - 06/18/2015 - 9:09pm -

Main Street, USA in Disneyland, that is, where my friend has captured me on Kodachrome with bell-bottoms billowing and armed with Super-8 camera. I didn't know this photo existed until a few days ago when he and I discovered a cache of slides in a forgotten box at his place. In fact, I'd totally forgotten we'd taken this Southern California road trip at all. Much to his amusement. View full size. Bell-bottomsYep, it's the mid-70's! Yesterday's Mall RatsAnyone who thinks Disneyland is a sign of privilege obviously never grew up in Orange County. Back in the days Orange County mothers considered Disneyland the cheapest babysitter in town. You could drive right up to the gate to drop them off, admission was almost nothing (when they charged by the ride), and you could leave your kids knowing that The Mouse would see that no harm came to them. For less than what a babysitter charged they could see the parades, the shows and the fireworks, eat dinner, and maybe even ride an "E Ticket" ride like Haunted Mansion or Pirates, and then be out front waiting for a pick-up at 10PM. Enough!Please do not publish the entire box of slides. We know you grew up privileged. [My father was a grocery clerk; our family car was a Rambler. And I grew up in clothes from Montgomery Ward. -tterrace] [On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with "growing up privileged." - Dave] Amazing CaseI have that case! It was my grandfather's, and it was branded to accompany the Stereo-Realist 3-D camera that he acquired back in the 1950's. It took two half frame images with lenses about 3 inches apart. Bicentennial coutureWow, I remember chambray shirts with floral printed yokes and cuffs, as I was wearing those to high school in 1976, along with Qiana shirts, which when worn in a cold wind felt like a wet rag against your skin. Oh, and I learned to drive in a Rambler, a '66 American 440. We liked our Rambler. Oh for crying out loud.Please keep posting these pictures, tterrace. Most of us love seeing them. I can't imagine why some people think they need to whine about the content of their free entertainment. If you don't like a particular picture or set of pictures, move on to the next one! Enough!To Radiodale; Oops, your condescension is showing and it ain't pretty To tterrace; for some reason some people have to make mean stupid comments, I'm enjoying the change of style (1970s) mixed in w/the awesome (but usual) vintage stuff. --many thanks for a great site. Not enough!As one who always wanted to go to Disneyland, and didn't get to go, I like these photos. I also like '60s World's Fair photos, if anyone has any laying around they'd like to share! My only complaint against the otherwise stylin' tterrace is that he isn't wearing one of those black caps with the ears on them, which I also always wanted as a kid. I'm kind of in the Rambler club, as I learned to drive a manual transmission-- on the steering column-- in an older faded-blue Rambler station wagon belonging to a neighbor. It survived my inept attempts at shifting, which I thought was rather remarkable. Learning that one must KEEP THE CLUTCH PEDAL DEPRESSED while shifting was the key to my eventual success and much less noisy. 39 Years AgoI seem to recall at one time your family had a Hudson, before the Rambler. The Rambler is gone as is Super 8, however "we" are still here, 39 years later. You had a Nizo 800?Cool camera, did you do any stop motion? I had only had a kodak M28 no frame speed adjusting at all we had to just blip the trigger and hope for not too many frames... [A friend and I once made a "cartoon" with it via single-frame exposure. I had two Nizos; outwardly they were identical, but now I've forgotten what the upgrade was and when I did it. I just checked the camera - it's been stored away in that camera bag since the 1980s - and I can't find a model number. But there is a roll of Ektachrome 160 in it! -tterrace] Privileged?Not sure when going to Disneyland became a symbol of privilege, but anyway... We also had many a car of, how shall we say, modest aspirations, including a '57 Rambler which left the 3 on the tree shift lever in my dad's hand when he shifted into 1st to leave a light. Guy behind us blew his horn one time too many, and Dad (stressed by 5 kids and recalcitrant autos) got out and angrily brandished the shift lever at him... while we all laughed in the back seat, fueling his ire. Good times. I was privileged?Jim Page's mention of Disneyland and World's Fair photos reminded me of a youthful great adventure complete with a lot of touristy stuff on the way. My dad got a job in California in 1964 and we literally traveled coast to coast. Two weeks, two cars, one in tow and three kids, 9 (me, almost 10!), 5 and 10 months old. And the original Route 66 from IL to CA. In that summer of '64 we visited the New York World's Fair and Disneyland. Plus Sea World. I had no idea I was "privileged". The Fifth YorkshiremanA Rambler? Luxury! The first car I ever "drove" was a '36 Chevy, and that was in about '72. Scared some poor lady half to death, along with my dad. I was not allowed behind the wheel again until I had completed the driver education class at school. The old Chevy was actually our family car for a summer but it had a Pontiac V8, automatic, and power steering so I have no excuse or complaints. Keep those pictures coming, guys. This site is amazing in more ways than one. (Music) Cue the Kodak Commercial"But there is a roll of Ektachrome 160 in it!" tterrace - You mean the roll of film is in the camera? With some exposed frames? I want to see what you have there. When I was about 13, I found an old camera with a partially shot roll of B&W film in it. When I had it processed, it turned out to be baby pics of yours truly. In Rambler ClubYup learned on a Rambler. My grandmother's rather new 66 Rambler American. To my relief an automatic. The only stress was on a windey back road driving at 50 and my grandmother asking why I was driving so slow and to "punch it a little". Our RamblersOur first one. Our second one. Those were the days!That was what "crowded" *used* to look like at Disneyland! (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery, tterrapix)
The Great Coal Mine: 1901
... not choose to go on this "ride" while vacationing at an amusement park, since they knew well the misery of the real thing. Long ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/17/2014 - 10:38pm -

New York circa 1901. "The Great Coal Mine, Coney Island." From the book Coney Island and Astroland: "The Great Coal Mine was a 1,500-foot-long dark ride that enabled visitors to travel on coal cars through several levels of a dimly lit simulated mine. It opened in 1901 on the north side of Surf Avenue at West Tenth Street, was not very popular, and was soon replaced by L.A. Thompson's Oriental Scenic Railway." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Re: Fire in the Hole!JimmyLee-I have ridden that ride several times. I you sit in the front car, you can see the big drop before the steam jets blow. (The steam jets were there to hinder your view as you went straight down a 40' to 50' drop!) I'll bet Coney Island was blast back then. I've been enjoying the close-up viewing on the pictures of it that have been posted these past few days. Wild guessI'm thinking that Pennsylvania was just a few hours from N.Y. and since so many Pa. people worked in the coal mines every day, they probably did not choose to go on this "ride" while vacationing at an amusement park, since they knew well the misery of the real thing. Long pants vs. short pantsDoes anyone know at what age boys began wearing long pants? These guys look pretty close in age. [Reaching puberty was usually the point. In this closer view, it's easier to see that one has, and one hasn't, quite. - tterrace] Hop to itBoth the lady in the street by the Zoo, and the man passing by the scenic railway seem to get along fairly well, considering they're both missing a leg. "Fire in the Hole"This reminds me of a ride in Silver Dollar City outside of Branson, Missouri. Built in 1972 it is a dark roller coaster ride that takes you through a simulated burning mine town. Still in operation and another one like it at Dollywood in Tennessee. Rip off: Belle Epoque styleI don't understand how the luncheonette can charge as much for Lemonade as Ice Cream Sodas and Milk Shakes. Similar to to-day's coffee being $1.49 a cup--is outrage! Digital Sign? In 1901!At the peak of the uppermost roof there seems to be an early example of some kind of nine character display sign. Behind the glass there looks to be a fourteen segment display. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteen_segment_display I'd sure like to see a night photo with the sign lit up! Surely advanced technology for its day! [According to the article, not so much advanced as costly: "Multiple segment alphanumeric displays are nearly as old as the use of electricity... a complete set of commutator switches, drums and lamps would have been required for each letter of a message, making the resulting sign quite expensive." A related display is the carriage call. - tterrace] Chicago Coal mineAt the age of 12 or 13 I was traveling with my family out to Kankakee, IL. One of the places we stopped was the museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. They had a replica of an operating coal mine there, as well as the U-505, a captured German U-Boat. I know that the U-505 is still there, but I am not sure about the coal Mine. This would have been circa 1959-1961 I wonder if any other Shorpyites remember this exhibit. Other unsuccessful rides at Coney IslandOther unsuccessful rides of the general era at Coney Island included: "Ride with Custer, Hero of The Little Big Horn" "A Trip through the Spanish Influenza Ward", and "Journey with the Majestic New 'Titanic' and Back" Remember it wellGreycat, the coal mine at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry was just one of the many wonders of "The Pushbutton Museum." I also visited a couple of times around 1961 during our layovers on train trips to Denver, even though it was a $12(!) cab ride to get there. As I recall, the walls on both the elevator and the mine tram portions were on moving belts to make the rides seem longer. Another favorite was the Santa Fe train layout with functioning Central Traffic Control. At the time I saw it, a female museum guard was overseeing it. She told me the male guards would try to run it manually, and derail the trains. What this country really needsThere's a wagon full of them, parallel parked in front of the L.A. Thompson Scenic Railway, though I can't say if they were any good. The coal mine ride, while less than enthralling to anybody who had been inside the real thing, must have thrilled the kids. I well remember the mine exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry when I was eight. Funny, if the fourteen segment display was so expensive, that they would put it on such a combustible building. Photographer at largeIt looks as if that fellow is whispering in the policeman's ear about the photographer. The cop is wondering what's up. Casing the joint? (The Gallery, Coney Island, DPC, Mining)
Glen Echo: 1925
... Co." Picnic tables at the Montgomery County, Maryland, amusement park. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. ... is still full of picnic tables. Although its no longer an amusement park, its still a great place to visit. The Bumper Car Pavilion is ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/24/2013 - 6:49pm -

1925. "Glen Echo Park Co." Picnic tables at the Montgomery County, Maryland, amusement park. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Picnic groveThis looks like the same area, near the bumper cars, where I waited for several hours around 1955 to meet Buffalo Bob from Howdy Doody. After the long wait we were rewarded with Buffalo Joe or some such name as Bob had a more pressing commitment. AmenLet's eat! Suitable attireI'm surprised to see so many men in suits. It doesn't look like a lot of people having fun. I wonder if was a company picnic. And of course, everyone at Glen Echo was white, and would be until 1960. The Cloche Hatsitting on the picnic hamper in the immediate foreground would look perfect on the bobbed haired flapper standing left of the tree! So GladThat Glen Echo still exists and that some of the rides have been restored so that everyone can enjoy them. This was out in the 'country' when this picture was taken and a street car line carried you to the Park from Georgetown. American Beer GardenThe outdoor atmosphere, the trees and the picnic tables hark back to the German-American beer gardens that were once common. However, based upon the somewhat sad to uninterested faces, like the man in left center, it's clear this is indeed during the less than Gemutlichkeit period of American Prohibition. Post more!I have fond memories of Glen Echo from my childhood. I can still see the airplane ride at the entrance to the park. Please post more pictures! And yes, it was all-white. Washington DC was, alas, much segregated until the mid-1960s. The Maryland suburbs weren't much better, and Virginia was simply shameful. I myself grew up listening to kids casually using the "n-" bomb. Still ThereThat area is still full of picnic tables. Although its no longer an amusement park, its still a great place to visit. The Bumper Car Pavilion is used for dancing (real dancing, like swing) in the spring and summer seasons and the glorious Spanish Ballroom from the 1930's (where my grandparents danced) holds dances all seasons. I've gone swing dancing there and it is magical. (The Gallery, Natl Photo)
Here Come the Girls: 1953
... still sing the jingles for Castro Convertibles, Palisades Amusement Park, Man-o-Manischewitz kosher wine, and "It pays to save at the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/13/2014 - 2:41pm -

Dec. 29, 1953. "New York City views. Times Square at night." Let's meet at the Brass Rail. 4x5 acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Give my regards to BroadwayTo be more specific, it's Father Duffy Square, the north triangle of Times Square. Now home to TKTS and a statue of George M Cohan. Mr. PeanutI don't spy the person so costumed who used to stroll around in front of the Planter's store, but below the Pepsi sign is Castro Convertibles' neon. That firm had become a public nuisance by the early '60s, their radio jingle ("Who was the first to conquer space?") being a tune that, once stuck in the mind, abides until senescence. I still sing it in the shower every now and again. This view, which predates both Times Square's descent into Sodom and its more recent Disneyfication, shows a place of honest, if slightly tawdry, popular entertainment. A steak, a couple of shots of Four Roses, a movie and vaudeville's last gasp at the Palace, and then, if all goes well, a $4 room at the Taft. Here comes the bus.I have such a warm feeling when I see that GM bus. That was the bus in Springfield, MA that picked up the high school kids. In the winter, it was so nice to see it coming down the street. The StarsBob Hope, Tony Martin, Arlene Dahl and Rosemary Clooney. And I didn't even have to Google it. Old coots rule. +56Below is the same view from May of 2009. Poor Mr. Peanut One of my first memories is of some college boys grabbing a person wearing a metal Mr. Peanut costume who was in front of a store and rolling him down the sidewalk to the bottom of the hill. The poor Mr. Peanut slowly got to his feet after this experience and was staggering around so much that the college boys ran down the hill to keep him from stepping into traffic. This was about 1955, I guess, and the Mr. Peanut person was lucky that Tallahassee didn't have very high hills. Times Square memoriesI spent some time here in the mid-'60s while in the military. Made a few trips to the Brass Rail and saw Gene Krupa playing drums in a little bar on Times Square (must have been toward the end of his career). It had not been too long since the Cuban Missile Crisis and as a kid from the sticks, after seeing the Castro Convertible sign, wondered why Fidel was allowed to sell cars in NYC. Ralph KramdenSeated behind the wheel of the "Old Look" General Motors bus. Castro ConvertibleWho was the first to conquer space? It’s incontrovertible, The the first to conquer living space Is the Castro Convertible! Who conquers space with fine design? Who saves you money all the time? Who’s tops in the convertible line? Castro Convertible! I could climb into this picture, so well do I remember the remnants of this from the late sixties before it sank into decrepitude. There is something innocent yet tawdry about this photo. No business like show businessIt was a bit of a surprise at first to see the vaudeville pitch on the Palace marquee. My thought was that vaudeville had gone the way of the dinosaur long before the sophisticated early/mid fifties. Then I remembered that several hit television shows from that period were nothing more than warmed over vaudeville, so there must have still been a market for it. Texaco Star Theater with Milton Berle, The Jimmy Durante Show, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and Your Show of Shows all come to mind. Note the sign under the Marquee: "Only Stage and Screen Show on Broadway." No. 8 bus, 7th Avenue LineThrough the windshield, look closely -- it's Ralph Kramden. How I First Saw ItWhen I was nine, my grandmother married a retired NYC cop. His last job before retiring was escorting Manhattan merchants to the bank with their daily receipts. It seemed like everyone on the island knew and loved him. Their wedding reception was at Mamma Leone's, we met the man himself at Dempsey's, had comps at Radio City Music Hall. The Brass Rail was just one place where I heard a variation of "Put your wallet away, Mac. Your money's no good here." 2761Is that Ralph Kramden behind the wheel of Gotham Bus Company coach 2761? The ConvertiblesUnlike today, the only foreign (and that's a stretch) neon sign that I can spot is the Canadian Club behemoth that brags about it being imported. Castro Convertibles were not automobiles but sofa beds. Early TV commercials shows a child, a young girl, pulling the bed out of the couch. She was Mr Castro's 6 year old Daughter, Bernadette, later the Parks Commissioner of New York State. Bernard Castro, her father, was credited as being the inventor of the modern sofa bed. Held OverAs a young Brooklyn boy in 1953 I remember this version of Times Square well. At the Embassy I wouldn't know a thing about the sensational "Virgins of Bali," but "Indo-China Aflame" caught my eye, as it was still burning when I got there 15 years later as a young Marine when the place was known as Vietnam. HoneymoonersI'm absolutely sure that's Ralph Kramden driving the bus. This picture is worth1000 pages, not 1000 words. Looking at what is here and going on in this one you could write a novel and never leave the block. Amazing. 4x5 cameras rule! GMTATo all those who shared my Ralph Kramden observation: All Great Minds Think Alike! Virgins of BaliVirgins of Bali is a 1932 documentary directed and filmed by Colorado native Deane H. Dickason. The only reason an old social anthropology movie was being screened in 1953 Times Square was because the two main characters, the "firmly and harmoniously developed" sisters Grio and Tagel, appear in unabashed comfort while being filmed in their traditional topless Balinese dress. A few links: Virgins of Bali page at the American Film Institute. First 7 minutes of the film at YouTube. Indelible memoriesI believe the last part of the human brain to die is where ever jingles are stored. It's been 45 years since I lived near NYC but I could still sing the jingles for Castro Convertibles, Palisades Amusement Park, Man-o-Manischewitz kosher wine, and "It pays to save at the Bowery...". Regarding the photo, classic GM coach! The Public Service ran about a million of them in north Jersey, each with a miniature cash register type machine that spit out a small fare receipt. StatuesIn the 1954 photo, the statue of Father Francis Duffy of the "Fighting 69th" is seen in front of the Pepsi Cola sign (partly obscured by the traffic light in the foreground). Father Duffy was so highly thought of by both the soldiers of his regiment those higher in the chain of command that his divisional commander, Douglas MacArthur, once recommended him for the post of regimental commander. The Duffy statue was erected in 1937, five years after the priest's death. In 1957 a second statue was erected in the square, forward of the Duffy statue. This is the statue of George M. Cohan which is the only statue visible in the 2009 photo. Vaudeville And The MoviesWhile I never caught the show at the RKO Palace I did catch shows in my hometown of Baltimore at the Hippodrome up until about 1950 or so. One of the first shows I remember seeing was Glenn Miller's Band under the direction of Tex Beneke plus the Count Basie and Duke Ellington bands. Mom was a fan of big bands as I am still to this day. For some reason I also remember the comedian Herb Shiner and the silly Harmonicats. Once I even got on stage when a rolling skate act ask for volunteers from the audience and I and three other kids became part of the act for about 5 minutes. All the above were fine but for a youngster of the 40's the all time favorites I saw were Abbott & Costello and on another day The Three Stooges. 'Twas a fine time to be eight years old. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gottscho-Schleisner, Movies, NYC)
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