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Baltimore Luggers: 1905
Baltimore circa 1905. "Oyster luggers at the docks." Panorama made from two ... View full size. Skipjacks Nice photo of Baltimore Harbor in 1905. I think the Detroit Photo Co. knew little about ... The term "lugger" was pretty much unknown around Baltimore. The boats with the masts severely inclined towards the stern are ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2017 - 8:30pm -

Baltimore circa 1905. "Oyster luggers at the docks." Panorama made from two 8x10 inch glass negatives. Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. SkipjacksNice photo of Baltimore Harbor in 1905. I think the Detroit Photo Co. knew little about oystering in the Chesapeake. The term "lugger" was pretty much unknown around Baltimore. The boats with the masts severely inclined towards the stern are skipjacks. Skipjacks would pull a dredge along the bottom to harvest oysters. Baltimore Luggers - topsails?These look like "Skipjacks". I'd like to know if the bundles at the tops of some of the masts are flying topsails? Thanks Baltimore's First Powered (Steam) Police BoatThe Lannan was Baltimore's first police boat, put in service in 1891. Before that rowboats were used in the harbor. This from the Sunday, Februray 23, 1958 issue of The Baltimore Sun: Click on both images to enlarge. The history of the Baltimore City Police Department's Marine Unit (originated 1860, formally founded on August 10, 1891) can be found here. Nautically speakingSkipjacks are the single masted vessels used till recently to dredge for oysters. However, in the photo we see that many of the vessels are two masted. As one of the other comments say, the ones that are steeply raked belong to the bugeyes, the vessels whose bottoms were made of multiple logs joined together cleverly to be watertight (similar techniques to today's racing log canoes). They are described in M.V. Brewington's "Chesapeake Bay: A Pictorial Maritime History". Only a couple of captions in that book show that before 1900 it was not rare for bugeyes to be "Square rigged" (gaff rigged) and therefore, yes, they could have gaff topsails. Most bugeyes were technically, from a modern point of view, ketch rigged -- the aft mast was smaller than the forward one -- and also usually had triangular sails, "leg-of-mutton" rather than Marconi because of no spreaders and lower aspect ratio, but this was during the 20th century. I think I can identify both ketch rigged and schooner rigged bugeyes in the photo. It's amusing that the confusion between the two rigs lives on in the log canoes. When I raced one in the 1980's I discovered that the larger, forward mast is the foremast and the aft mast the mainmast -- schooner terminology, even though the boat I raced was rigged as a ketch. The schooner-rigged vessels with more conservative rake to their masts (and more substantial hulls) are pungy schooners, used for cargo carrying. They too would have a main gaff topsail. A replica exists today (Lady Maryland I think) based in Baltimore. Schooner vs. Ketch vs. YawlIn Germany the ting ist simple: If the rear mast ist higher than the first or same high, the ship is a schooner. Therefore ist the rear mast the main mast and the foreward the foremast. If the first mast is bigger, it is a Ketch. The first one is the main mast and the second the besan mast. And now, to make the confusion complete: It the besan stands behind the rudder (= outside the construction waterline and mostly behind the steering position) the thing is called a Yawl. So lets have a look - the first one behind the lannan is a Schooner - definitivly. The second one seems to be a Ketch, the "annapolis and the Vessel behind her are Schooners too. The ships on the right of the "Annapolis" could be discussed - you can not see exactly the mast height in the picture, and the tree at the rear beam is cut off from the edge of the picture, and therefore the length is not recognizable. In order to set top sails on a gaffel-rigged mast, a top steege (=top mast) is required. These have very few ships on the picture. However, there are also constructions in which these steeges (for example, in order to pass under bridges) could be dismantled. What I'm wondering is the steam ship in front or the seed store. Must have been quite a puzzle, the thing to get there - and ran out certainly not "times just fast". Or stood the building on the left on a isle/ponton oer something else and ther was a way ount forward? Where's that wharf?Polk's city directory for 1893 and 1895 locate F. Border's Son (oyster packers, selling under the Blue Moon brand) as being at 331 McGillivrey's Wharf, but modern maps of the harbor fail to show a wharf by that name. Does anyone have a notion where in the harbor this would have been? Wharf LocationMarchbanks, I believe this would have been along Pratt Street; west is to the left. Same view from another pier/wharf - look at background. Re: Where's that wharf?Poking around a bit, I found a reference to the Fountain Hotel (of that era) being located at Pratt and Calvert streets. That would place the location at the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore. (Panoramas, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Streets of Baltimore: 1940
"Row houses, Baltimore, June 1940." Medium format safety negative by Jack Delano for the ... day It must be a workday -- no one is stoop-sitting. Baltimore was famous for marble steps on its row houses, but these look like ... Wow! There's a band date I would have liked to attend. Baltimore Row Apartments All those incredibly narrow apartments with the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 6:45pm -

"Row houses, Baltimore, June 1940." Medium format safety negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. For the love of old cars.The immaculate black 1937 Ford Touring Car was a rarity at that time and scarce today - valuable indeed. The last car is a similar vintage Chevrolet. Would someone please identify the car in the middle of the scene. ShuttersI don't think I've ever seen shutters on doors before. You usually see them on the windows of coastal cities for storm protection but unless the doors were primarily glass the shutters would be more ornamental than practical. AntennasI'm always fascinated to see rooftops without TV antennas but I'm seeing shortwave "longwire" antennas aplenty here. Radio truly was the mode of communication back then. Work dayIt must be a workday -- no one is stoop-sitting. Baltimore was famous for marble steps on its row houses, but these look like wood. LocationAnyone know this intersection? Hear the drums?Gene Krupa! ShinySo that's what they looked like brand new! Bazooka Bubble GumI bet those kids are reading the Bazooka Joe comics from the gum they just bought. Gene Krupa, July 2Wow! There's a band date I would have liked to attend. Baltimore Row ApartmentsAll those incredibly narrow apartments with the flimsy wood stoops. They can't be much more than 12 or 14 feet wide. Is this an old Baltimore solution for cheap housing, or do some other Eastern cities have these as well? They all look neat and well scrubbed, but my dad would have called them "cribs." Meeeeeeooooow!You can almost hear that kittycat on the stoop wailing to get back in! Graham-PaigeThe middle car would appear to be a circa 1934 Graham-Paige, possibly a Blue Streak or Custom Eight. Quite a machine. Fond memories are mineThese are not apartments! They are individual homes. Many had small back yards on the alley. Some even had garages. Many residents would turn their "stoops" over at night. Virtually every step was painted annually, and was washed every day. Most of the rowhouses were on "land leases" over the whole city. The ground lease was typically for 100 years. Philadelphia and St. Louis also had many rowhouses. What's the larger structure in the background? That would place this on the money. I think this is north of the harbor. Marble stepsIt looks like there are some of the famous marble stairs by the first parked car in the background. I imagine this looks fairly similar to my dad's boyhood home on Kennedy Avenue in Bawlmer -- He'd have been about 4½ when this picture was taken. Cross-ventilationThe shutters were on the front door for ventilation. The row houses I knew had solid front doors. The front door was opened; the shutters were closed and latched. Typically the front door was at the bottom of the steps to the second floor. The windows would be opened at the back of the house on the second floor. Voila; natural ventilation. Shuttered doorsShutters are common all over the Caribbean and in South Florida, and exist in many places in the south. They were popular in pre-air conditioning days, so you could get let a breeze in with the window or door shaded to stop "heat gain" and a wood barrier is slightly more security than a flimsy screen. In a urban setting like this, the bigger appeal may have been privacy, even with the door open. Yikes,This is funThe tracks were for the #27 Streetcar line. The building in the background was the Carroll Park Shops. This was an absolutely enormous facility that did virtually all of the heavy overhaul and maintenanc for Baltimore's streetcars. Found this on Wikipedia: The Washington Boulevard streetcar line, which started operating in 1905, was designated No. 27. This was converted to electric trolley buses in 1938. Ground RentNot called "land lease" but "ground rent." It made it possible for people with not a lot of money to buy a house without buying the land. The rent is fixed and rather low. The system is so old and antiquated and the deeds were so poorly unrecorded that people who bought a rowhouse would sometimes not know they were on ground rent. Until they didn't pay for X years and had their houses taken away from them! The Baltimore Sun did a series on this in the last couple of years and laws have been reformed to make this impossible. Too bad there are no visible house numbers, that would help narrow it down a lot. You can see it was on a streetcar line. It appears to be fall or spring, not hot enough for the man in the background to go without a jacket, but the kids are okay without one. [Another clue is in the caption, where it says "June 1940." - Dave] So tidyYes, those are actually wooden steps. I think marble would be seen on a slightly higher class house (or later). These look like "alley" houses, the smallest of the rowhouses, usually built for working folks. I just looked through a book at BCPL on Baltimore Alley Houses, and they showed a lot of pictures of houses with shutters on the doors and windows, to actually use in hot weather. Seems like it would be so handy. They do look about 12 feet wide in this picture, which is pretty common. Judging from the Italianate styling, I'd guess late 1800s. They do have rowhouses in other cities. Washington, Philadelphia, and the narrowest ones I've ever seen were in Georgetown (DC). MemoriesGrowing up in Bal-mer in the 50's and 60's, these places are my memories. We lived in the burbs although all my family lived in places like these. And yes, even in the burbs we were paying ground rent! Just a way of life and I've never heard of it anywhere else! Horton"Horton" (or Morton) would be the company that painted the sign. HortonDidn't they sometimes used to put street names on corners of buildings back then? I wonder if Horton is maybe the name of that side street. Just a thought. Hortons Nortons and MortonsI checked them all via local.live and google maps. They're alleys with nothing like this scene. The street has streetcar tracks, so it's at least a halfway important street. But Baltimore had tons of lines. The big structure in the background looks like a church nave to me, the front of the church facing the photographer, so that would put the church on a corner. [This is from a series of photos taken on U.S. Route 1, Baltimore-Washington Boulevard. - Dave] I think it's a LincolnI think the spiffy droptop on the street is a Lincoln Zephyr, which would've looked a lot like it's poor cousin, the Ford. The teardrop shaped headlamps are the clue. [The car is a Ford, not a Lincoln. - Dave] Found it: Carroll ParkThanks Dave for the clue about US 1. View Larger Map This is at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Bayard Street. The opposite side of the street is Carroll Park (which probably explains why the car has such a long shadow). The big roof in the back ground is not a church like I thought, but an old carbarn for the streetcars. The long monitor roof along the ridge of the carbarn has been removed and the building is now a bus maintenance garage. Of course, being Baltimore, the whole row is covered in FormStone or PermaStone, whatever you want to call it. You see one of the sad things about FormStone: all the great wood cornices are chopped off so the FormStone can be installed. Charm CityGreat shot--it's June, the two kids are hanging out at the corner store, the cat on the steps, the car--a nice moment in time. Trackless TrolleysYes, these are in fact trackless trolley wires. You can clearly see where the B.T.C. simply added a negative wire along side the existing positive street car wire. There is a Baltimore trackless trolley sitting inside of the car barn at the Baltimore Street Car Museum. It was built by the old Pullman Standard Car Mfg. Company of Worcester, Mass. I grew up in BaltimoreIn the 26th Ward, in a rowhouse just like these. I'll never forget Saturday mornings and my mother scrubbing the white marble steps. Although we lived on the southeast side, I passed this intersection daily making deliveries to the old Montgomery Ward building that was the next block down!! MemoriesI grew up in Baltimore and my grandma lived on East Monument Street and she had marble steps. All the neighbors would wash their marble steps and keep them looking white. And everyone sat outside at night to chat. Pigtown Historic DistrictThis scene is indeed at Washington Boulevard and Bayard Street, facing south. It is within Pigtown Historic District. The hip-roofed building at the end of the row appears to have been constructed after 1914 and been demolished by 1951. It stood at 1463 Washington Boulevard, and was a filling station by the December 1951 Sanborn map. The 1914 Sanborn shows the lot owned by D.M. Larkin, Contractor. None of the buildings depicted look much like the hip-roofed structure in the photo. The Carroll Park Shops, on the far side of Bush Street from the mystery building, were constructed c. 1899. The United Railway & Electric Company hired B&O architect E. Francis Baldwin to design a single, centralized shop for repairing and rebuilding streetcars. Two huge one-story buildings (each covering an entire block) went up on the southeast side of Washington Boulevard, between Bush and Elk Streets. Each structure is lit by four long roof monitors that run the entire length of the building. Today, these turn-of-the-century facilities still stand as the repair shop for MTA buses. The buildings were never three stories high, however, and couldn't be the structure depicted in the photo. Of the houses in the photo, they were built in 1888 by Cornelius H. Saffell (or Soffell), and have typical Queen Anne-style decorative brick door hoods; first floor windows have segmentally arched lintels made up of a double row of header bricks, with the upper row alternately projecting to create a decorative effect. The late Italianate-style cornices have jig-sawn friezes. Saffell was one of many German-born builders to construct buildings in the district. Indeed, many of the residents were German immigrants working in the butchering industry. +74Below is the same view from July of 2014. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Jack Delano)
Lord Baltimore No. 6
Washington, D.C., circa 1924. "Lord Baltimore Filling Station No. 6, Connecticut Avenue and Ordway Street N.W." ... the ceiling lights around the perimeter. [The Lord Baltimore stations, along with other Washington gas stations, were designed by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 10:02pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1924. "Lord Baltimore Filling Station No. 6, Connecticut Avenue and Ordway Street N.W." View full size. National Photo glass negative. Stations of the GasI'm guessing that the other Washington gas station buildings followed the same architectural theme of a train station. It would seem a very effective way for customers to identify their "brand" of filling stations. This building is rather elegant looking with its clock cupola, tile roof, and columns. I can't make out the writing on the ceiling lights around the perimeter. [The Lord Baltimore stations, along with other Washington gas stations, were designed by Arthur B. Heaton. - Dave] Lord Baltimore CapitalLord Baltimore Capital Corporation is the present-day successor to this chain of filling stations. Both the American Oil Company and Lord Baltimore Filling Stations Inc. were founded by the Blaustein family. The trolley power pole in the middle of the road was an automotive collision magnet, I bet. Could we please have a close-up of the alcohol sign by the front door? I'm guessing the "Free Crank Case Service" was a drain and refill of engine oil offered with purchase of the oil itself. AlcoholThanks for the close-up. Again, I am guessing, but wasn't alcohol used as antifreeze back then? I have read that ethylene glycol-based antifreeze didn't see wide automotive use until the late 1930s, primarily due to cost. Keep the filling station and garage pictures coming, plus count me in as a tterrace fan! Trolley linesThere are two power lines for trolley cars and yet there are only two rails, one on each side of the pole. Is it possible that the trolleys had rubber tires on the other ends of their axles and used the rails only as a guide? Could have been done by using steel wheels with two flanges to straddle the rail. Hummm, maube the trolleys had a slot down through their middles so they could let the power pole pass right through the car!!! [There are four rails. - Dave] Robert BeresfordArchitect Robert Beresford designed this fine station in 1923 for the Connecticut Avenue Accessories Company. It was built at the southeast corner of Connecticut and Ordway over the winter of 1923/24. In spring of 1924, Beresford presented his design for a modern filling station at the annual exhibition of the Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. As in the other Robert Beresford creation seen on Shorpy, "modern" features included wide driveways, numerous pumps, protective canopies, and even a women's restroom. The president of the company, Alan E. Walker, was a local real estate mogul. He died in May of 1925 and it appears that soon after the the ownership of the station had transfered to the Lord Baltimore Filling Stations, Inc. Washington Post, Dec 9, 1923 The new filling station and accessory store of the Connecticut Avenue Accessories Company, at the southeast corner of Connecticut Avenue and Ordway streets, well be the finest and most complete establishment of its kind in the country, according to the officers of the company. The station will have five concrete driveways, each 18 feet wide, eliminating congestion and facilitating entrance and exit. Eight visible measure gasoline pumps and eight double visible measure pumps will be installed. Wide attractive canopies will cover all driveways. Oil pumps will be located in heated vestibules, keeping the oil during the cold weather at a temperature where it will flow freely. Adjoining the large accessory store there will be a handsomely appointed women's rest room. At the rear of the station a large area will be devoted to specially constructed oil draining pits, and five air lines, each with automatic gauge. ... The building will be heated with oil. A complete oil-heating apparatus with a 1,000 gallon storage tank will be installed. Construction is now progressing rapidly, and it is expected that the station will be opened in the later part of the winter. The Connecticut Avenue Accessories Company is composed of Allan E. Walker, president: Henry T. Offterdinger, vice president and treasurer and E. Edgar Leedy, Secretary. Theodore Offterdinger will be manager. Washington Post, Mar 17, 1924 The 1924 exhibition of the Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects will come to a close tonight after the most succesful exhibition in its history. ... Robert Beresford presents a design for a gasoline filling station now under construction on Connecticut avenue and Ordway street. It is a pleasure to see that we are at last to have a well-designed building which is to be used for this purpose Other sources: Washington Post, Nov 18, 1923; Jul 13, 1924; May 16, 1925; Mar 6, 1925 Denatured alcohol Denatured alcohol sold at a gas station by the gallon was most likely for use in stoves. Denatured alcohol stoves are still sold for camping and marine use. ArchitectureThe primary motif seems to be Colonial Revival, with the columns, pilasters, cupola, trellis fence, etc., fitting the name quite well. The tile roof seems a bit more Mediterranean, though. Still, an attractive building. AlcoholEighty cents a gallon seems like a lot for alcohol, when the gas was around 20 cents. Many cookstoves used gasoline and kerosene. And calling out the 188 proof on the sign would indicate to me that this is antifreeze quality. Alcohol for antifreeze was still popular here in the Northeast to the mid 50's. Required was a change to a 160 degree thermostat for the winter to slow the boil-off of alcohol. But still you needed to carry a gallon with you to top off the radiator, every day. Ethylene glycol was very expensive even in the 1950's. So many motorists used the cheaper alcohol. And the story of the discovery of ethelyne glycol was that it was a byproduct of another chemical manufacturing operation and was just piped out of the building and let on the ground. When the chemists saw that it mixed with rain and snow and didn't freeze the light bulb of enterprise came on and the search for a use for this resulted in an antifreeze product. [Or maybe not. Ethylene glycol was first prepared over 150 years ago by the French chemist Charles-Adolphe Wurtz. - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Gas Stations, Natl Photo)
Streets of Baltimore: 1906
Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1906. "The Continental Building." 8x10 inch glass ... It's remarkable that all the buildings shown on Baltimore Street and the first four complete buildings on the cross-street ... every day on my way to work. This is the intersection of Baltimore & Calvert Streets. Continental Op Dashiell Hammett worked ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/29/2018 - 10:36am -

Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1906. "The Continental Building." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The more things change...It's remarkable that all the buildings shown on Baltimore Street and the first four complete buildings on the cross-street (Calvert) exist largely unaltered today. CuriousWho knew that cranes wore shoes and cats wore clothes in 1906? Still standingThis is very cool! I walk by this building and the dark little one behind it every day on my way to work. This is the intersection of Baltimore & Calvert Streets. Continental OpDashiell Hammett worked in the Continental building in the 1920s, when he was an op of the Pinkerton Detective Agency. In this photo you can see the two large gilded birds presiding over the entrance, as well as smaller versions marking the second floor level in the large windows. These birds are indeed what dreams were made of--they are gilded falcons. Still ThereIt's now known as One Calvert Plaza, and looks like it's in great shape still! I'm amazed that it held the title of tallest building for 10 years. Calvert StreetCalvert Street with no cars -- I have dreams like this sometimes. I spent a couple of years as a messenger in Baltimore and always wondered what daily life looked like back then. Now I know: Less crackheads, more horses. Going UpThis photo really lights up the people who love to see how those early industrial age buildings were built from inside out. The marvel is what those men achieved with such rudimentary tools and machinery. Their pace was indeed slow (and dangerous) by our modern standards, but one look at that simplistic boom and pulley rig that they were using tells you all you need to know. The other bonus in this photo is the building being demolished at the bottom. Gives you a good view of an even older building and the way it was put together. Not to say I didn't relish slowly roving foot by foot over the daily routine going on in the streets and the bay. Great photo to bring that era alive. A challenge for Shorpy photo detectivesWhat is visible across the street, reflected in the windows? I have no idea what the right answer is, and this might be too tough, but have at it! Here is the best detail I found. Recent HistoryI love these pictures ... the ruins (not under construction, not being torn down) in the lower right corner are most likely what was left after the Great Baltimore Fire, which was only two years before this was taken. Here's a comment about the Continental Building from http://www.kilduffs.com/Buildings.html "It was build in 1901 as the Continental Trust Building. Daniel H. Burnham & Co. were the architects. The building was at the hottest point of the 1904 fire and totally consumed. However, the steel frame survived, allowing the existing structure to be rebuilt." AlterationsThe Continental has lost most of its fancy cornice at the roof. The small buildings to the east seem hardly changed. The building under construction in 1906 now looks to be under refurbishment. "The Block" - East Baltimore StreetThe comment below about East Baltimore Street reminded me of traveling down to this area, popularly known as "The Block" while in the Army in the 60's, stationed at nearby Fort Holabird. Army commanders warned us to never go down to "The Block" alone as too many soldiers were mugged and rolled for their money by the local denizens and bar girls. The primo location was the beautiful "Gaiety" burlesque house, though long past its prime by then. Stripper Blaze Starr had a bar there as well. Thanks for reminding me of that.I understand the area was cleaned up and assume the Gaiety building is no more. Coming SoonThe pervasive United Cigar Store. East Baltimore StreetEast Baltimore Street and its immediate neighborhood including Fayette Street had become a "Sin City" by the early 1950's, where burlesque theatres, porno shops and raucous nightclubs had sprung up. To college-age boys from MD, PA and nearby DE back in those times, a run down to that neighborhood was a popular destination for revelry. That's all gone by now, I think. What a proThe photographer was a real pro at architectural photography. Not only is the exposure and composition near perfect but he has avoided the "perspective effect", i.e. convergence vertical lines, by being high enough that he could point his camera at the horizon and still cover the building from top to bottom. Notice in the photo provided by Rusty, Still There, that the camera was tilted upward to get some of the upper portion of the building and the vertical lines have an unnatural converging effect. Tilt-shift photography>> The photographer was a real pro at architectural photography. Not only is the exposure and composition near perfect but he has avoided the "perspective effect", i.e. convergence vertical lines, by being high enough that he could point his camera at the horizon and still cover the building from top to bottom. The reason the sides of the building are parallel doesn't have anything to do with how high the camera was. The photographer used a view camera, which allows one to tilt the camera up and at the same time tilt the lens board and glass negative back to align with the building, thus keeping the perspective correct. Gayety Burlesque, Blaze Starr and the Power Plant View Larger Map The old Gayety Burlesque building mentioned below is still there and lives on as Larry Flynt's Hustler Club. Blaze Starr's 2 O'Clock club is still there too but last I heard she sold out her share years ago. The infamous "Block" during its heyday spanned at least three blocks of E Baltimore street and was the scene of a impromptu celebration march when the Orioles won the 1966 World Series. I and thousands of other marched up and down the Block until 2 in the morning. Nowadays The Block truly is just a block within walking distance of City Hall. In the background the four stacks of the power house are visible. Today it is an entertainment complex but when this piture was taken it supplied power to Baltimore's electric streetcars. http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=2531 The demolished building on the right was probably a victim of the 1904 fire which gutted downtown Baltimore but it cleared ground for a new Baltimore. View Larger Map (The Gallery, Baltimore, DPC)
Streets of Baltimore: 1904
Great Baltimore Fire of 1904. "Liberty & Lombard Streets, southwest limit of ... men standing there looking at all this devastation. Baltimore Fire of 1904 Amazingly, only one person appears to have died in the fire. Press The fire was covered for the Baltimore Morning Herald by an aspiring 23 year old newspaper reporter who ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2011 - 9:11pm -

Great Baltimore Fire of 1904. "Liberty & Lombard Streets, southwest limit of fire." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. World War 1 PreviewIf Weil & Co., Printers & Lithographers, had a branch in a French city that was devastated by an artillery barrage, this picture would work right down to the two gendarmes standing watch. Gorgeous DevastationConsidered aside from the human tragedy and the loss of some magnificent architecture, there is a somber beauty to this photograph. UnimaginableThis photo cannot give true emotional details as if you were there in person. I could not imagine what it would be like to be on e of those men standing there looking at all this devastation. Baltimore Fire of 1904Amazingly, only one person appears to have died in the fire. PressThe fire was covered for the Baltimore Morning Herald by an aspiring 23 year old newspaper reporter who later became known as the "Sage of Baltimore," H. L. Mencken. Shame it's a bitShame it's a bit damaged. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Fires, Floods etc., Natl Photo)
Information Retrieval: 1942
... of War Information. View full size. Washington, Baltimore and Un-app-olis Many of us, I think, look on scenes like this, and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/28/2024 - 10:55am -

November 1942. "Washington, D.C. Clerk and ticket seller searching for reservations at the Union Station." Acetate negative by Gordon Parks, Office of War Information. View full size. Washington, Baltimore and Un-app-olisMany of us, I think, look on scenes like this, and are amazed at how - or simply that - the world functioned in the the pre-digital age. It is impressive, but it's also useful to keep the numbers in perspective: American railroads handled 53 billion passenger miles in 1942 (many of them on unreserved, short distance trips), American airlines today handle more than 600 billion passenger miles (almost all of them on reserved tickets) ... so those would be some big cabinets. Analog vs. digitalImagine what happens if that system "crashes" -- and that the data needs to be reconstructed. I wonder whether there are reports on customer satisfaction and reliability of those old analog physical reservation systems. Whether they lost more reservations than today's digital booking systems. How does this work?I've always assumed reservations in the "old days" were tracked via calendar; but that doesn't seem to be the case here. I'm counting each drawer holds eight rows of 28 hooks, so no obvious system I can think of (I got close with seven days in a week and 26 letters in the alphabet). There are lots of papers on almost every hook, but no hook labels to indicate dates, last names, or trains. So, how did our hard-working lady look up reservations? She had to have had a system to immediately go to the correct hook. SpillageI don’t get how a lot of those tickets don’t dump out of their slots, upside down, when the drawer is closed, even with the hooks. I’m trying to imagine the big drawer closing, moving through 90 degrees, leaving much of the ticket load dangling or sliding out of their slots and off their hooks. And although I see only one fingernail, I do like her nail polish. (Technology, The Gallery, D.C., Gordon Parks, Railroads)
Roofs of Baltimore: 1912
Circa 1912. "Baltimore from the Emerson tower." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit ... on the top floor (and the Spy vs. Spy chimney) is the Baltimore Gas and Electric Building, completed in 1916. Now converted into ... tower. [Another clue would be the caption: ""Baltimore from the Emerson tower." - Dave] Hamburger & Sons I was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 6:40pm -

Circa 1912. "Baltimore from the Emerson tower." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What has been seen... cannot be unseen! Acme TiresInsert Wile E. Coyote joke here. Continental BuildingOn the right in the distance, immediately to the right of the clock tower, is the Continental Building, seen here. Rooftop appurtenancesI've always found the mechanical appurtenances on building tops interesting. The purpose of some -- smokestacks and water tanks -- is obvious but many others, like those tentlike structures, are a mystery especially since this was before the days of air-conditioning equipment. [Those are ventilators. Also many skylights. - Dave] Hamburgers I saw the sign for "Hamburgers" on that tall building and thought it was a really big fast-food place. The other sign explains that it is a clothing store. Skip Luke What ARE they doing?I think I know, but it sure look nuts! Johns Hopkins HospitalProminent dome right of center on the hazy horizon. BGE BuildingThe tall white building on the left with the arch windows on the top floor (and the Spy vs. Spy chimney) is the Baltimore Gas and Electric Building, completed in 1916. Now converted into condos and known as "39 Lexington." Based on the angle, this photo may have been taken from the top of the Emerson Building, AKA Bromo-Seltzer tower. [Another clue would be the caption: ""Baltimore from the Emerson tower." - Dave] Hamburger & SonsI was expecting someone to question the YMBOD on the side of the Iaasac Hamburger & Sons building. (Your Money Back On Demand) Breathtaking, once againI was thinking: no other place I visit on the Web gives so much entertainment and enlightenment per click, day after day. Baltimore ArenaThe Baltimore Bargain House is still standing, too (it's now a state office building ), but everything in the foreground, including the couple blocks of Liberty Street that run diagonally, was razed when the Baltimore Arena was built. The street at the bottom of the picture is the first block of South Howard. City Hall!Seeing the Continental Building to the right of the clock tower and the dome of City Hall to the left of the buildings to the left of the same clock tower, and knowing that Continental is at Baltimore & Calvert (see Continental's Shorpy post) and City Hall is two blocks North and one block West of Continental, we can say this was taken facing East, though I haven't figured out just where the camera was. [There might be a clue in the caption. - Dave] Google Earth Modern EquivalentWith the knowledge of what direction the photo faces and the revelation that The Emerson Building is The Bromo-Seltzer Tower, and finding no equivalent, modern-day view available, I did my best to recreate the shot in Google Earth. You can see the results here. Very few of the old buildings are there still, or at least are visible. Of particular note is the BALTIMORE BARGAIN HOUSE sign, still visible today. That advertisement may have been there for 100 years by now. View Larger Map Too bad we can't see the tower itself. I think at this point of its history it still had the Bromo-Seltzer water bottle on top. (The Gallery, Baltimore, DPC)
Elks Parade: 1916
"Elks parade in Baltimore, 1916." The message on those paddle fans: "Bromo-Seltzer." Harris ... Shoe Even the sign was educational. Big deal in Baltimore Obviously, this was very popular event. A quick visit to the Elks ... organization is still going strong. Are there any Baltimore-based Shorpsters who know if this parade is still happening there? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 6:45pm -

"Elks parade in Baltimore, 1916." The message on those paddle fans: "Bromo-Seltzer." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. The Educator ShoeEven the sign was educational. Big deal in BaltimoreObviously, this was very popular event. A quick visit to the Elks website indicates that the fraternal organization is still going strong. Are there any Baltimore-based Shorpsters who know if this parade is still happening there? Sons of the Desert"We are the Sons of the Desert Having the time of our lives! Three thousand strong, Marching along, Far from our sweethearts and wives (God bless them)..." Ceremonial song of the lodge that Stan and Ollie belonged to, whose "exhausted ruler" exhorted the members of Tent 13 to show 100% attendance at the Chicago Convention. Hat KnowledgeThose were the days when every man knew his hat size, and if he was a "long oval" or not. And what a glorious riot of overhanging signs! Plop plop, fizz fizzThe Bromo-Seltzer Tower is a noted landmark of downtown Baltimore. On an unrelated note: My goodness, what a lot of bunting there is! I'm amazed...At the number of people in the crowd, and the number of men marching. Today, the only parades that have this much interest tend to be the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, and the Rose Bowl Parade. What i just learned!Many moons ago, I knew a very old man who told me he had only seven teeth left and one of them he got when he joined the Elks Club. I never "got" the joke and this photo jogged my memory so instead of remaining ignorant, I looked up the Elks initiation ceremony a few minutes ago and found out what he meant. Very interesting. Thanks for the enlightenment. Great ParadeWhoever thought a bunch of middle-aged guys in boaters, bow ties, and white gloves could draw such a crowd! Hat trickI realize that's not a plumber's helper stuck to the top of the policeman's cap, but it sure looks like it. BPOE '16Baltimore hosted the 1916 BPOE National Convention; here we see the parade of delegates who were in attendance. L&HDefinitely reminded me of "Sons of the Desert." Still waiting for Stan and Ollie to march by with a babe on each arm. A great photo reminder, thanks. Send in the clownsAll those people gathered just to watch a bunch of men walk down the street? At least the Shriners have funny cars and cool fezzes. Don't get you antlers stuck in the tram wires!A lot of the flags are hanging from the support cables for the overhead tram wires. I hope they turned the juice off first. Antlers and electricity probably don't mix. Steady ThereI am amazed at all the people watching this parade from balconies and open windows. RubenesqueIt looks like a Pee Wee Herman parade. That's EntertainmentWhile there are a great deal of people watching the parade, in the days before television, computers or the internet, the options for entertainment were more limited than we enjoy today. For 1916, watching a parade must have been a big deal. Stop, my sides!"Rubenesque, It looks like a Pee Wee Herman parade." Funniest. Title/Comment. Ever. George Herriman's convention cartoonsI'm reminded of George "Krazy Kat" Herriman's 1907 cartoons about a convention. The comics blog Stripper's Guide had a series of these up last year. Not Elks or Sons of the Desert in this case, but Shriners. Loadsa laffs. Learn something new ....Okay, I guess those are all 48 star flags - didn't know that .... but there's a 46-star flag above the Elk's-head banner on the top left corner - the second and fifth rows are indented! [It's a 48-star flag. Which, as we noted below, came with the rows either lined up or staggered ("indented"). - Dave] Two Different FlagsNote that there are both 46-star and 48-star United States flags in the picture. Arizona and New Mexico had become the newest states only four years before this picture was taken. You can tell by the grid versus offset rows patterns of stars. [These would all be 48-star flags, which came in both grid and staggered flavors. - Dave] What Street?Dave, do you know what street in Balmer this is? [I do not. - Dave] No Fat BoysExcept for a few paunchy stomachs on some older fellas, I don't think I can see one fat American. Useless factoidThe Elks were founded by Irish vaudevillians in NYC who needed a place to collect their mail and keep their stuff while on the road. No one wanted such transient Irish rogues around (sow biz folks, and Irish at that!), so they banded together to form this Protective Order. It then grew as an Irish club to include others besides vaudevillians, but still mostly first generation Irishman. What I'm saying is, these guys may look like Pee Wee Herman, but I wouldn't make fun of their clothes to their faces. Baltimore StreetThis view is looking west along Baltimore Street from Holliday Street. thats an amazing photo ofthats an amazing photo of baltimore Good Call Baltimore BoyThe only building that seems to be still standing from 1916 is the white one on the left in the Google street view: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Holliday+Str... One little girl found the cameraAn amazing photograph. I wonder what sort of gear you'd need to take this with today. Spot the little colleen who has found the photographer. The buildings that wereThe large structure on the northwest corner of East Baltimore and Guilford Streets in the approximate center of the photo (with the striped first floor) was known as the Tower Building. Constructed in 1904 (following the Great Fire) with an enormous 18-story clock tower, it housed the Maryland Casualty Company, an important local insurance firm. There is a parking lot there now. To the right, on the northeast corner, was the Franklin Building. Five stories high, it was also built in 1904, with unusual 15-pane over 1 windows. In 1983 it housed a Little Tavern Hamburger joint in the west half of the first floor. To its right is a building with a beautiful arched window mostly hiding behind the Olympia sign. It was built in 1908 as a Horn & Horn restaurant. Horn & Horn was a Baltimore institution through the 20th century, open 24 hours. It was a Wendy's in 1983. The Olympia Dining Room to the right of it was built in 1912 as a simpler version of its neighbor. Also with an arched window, but without the elaborate detailing. Both were designed by theatre architects. The building containing the Educator Shoe company in the photo was built in 1905 and was a show bar in the 1980s. The remaining Baltimore red-light district (known as The Block) is extant in the block to the east. It's too bad the buntings are obscuring the elaborate windows and brickwork of the McGraw Hotel/Pocket Billiards building in the photo. It was built in 1904 following the fire. The building to the far right with the large brick quoins was constructed in 1868 by Baldwin and Pennington as the German Bank. It was completely altered and modernized in 1930 as the National Central Bank. This street corner is significant as the location of the nation's first gas street light. This row of buildings was demolished and the parcel is occupied by a parking structure constructed in 1998. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Harris + Ewing, Patriotic)
Bananas to Baltimore: 1905
Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1905. "Unloading banana steamer." A teeming scene ... in 1929, as noted by an ad in my desktop copy of a 1929 Baltimore business publication marking the city's 200th anniversary: Heyser’s Oysters Baltimore’s Leading Brand The William Heyser Co. Raw Oysters 2201-09 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/08/2014 - 1:03pm -

Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1905. "Unloading banana steamer." A teeming scene that calls to mind the paintings of Brueghel, if Brueghel ever did bananas. Note the damage from the Great Fire of 1904. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Big MikeThese bananas are the variety known as Gros Michel or "Big Mike." They were a larger, heartier, tastier banana than the Cavendish variety that everyone eats today, and hardly any special shipping methods were needed. Just stack them and go. Unfortunately, since cultivated bananas are genetically identical to one another, by the 1950s essentially all Gros Michel bananas were wiped out by one Panamanian fungal disease. The Cavendish was a suitable replacement as it could grow in the same soils as the Gros Michel, but it requires more delicate handling during shipping. The Cavendish itself is steadily being wiped out by a similar fungus and we may need to look for another replacement in the not too distant future. Spiders, Oh My!Mackenzie, your family history is probably not far off. I had an ex who discovered a scary-looking spider in a shipment of bananas in the middle of Nebraska of all places about ten years ago. He thought it was dead and went to poke it, and to his surprise, it was alive! Fortunately for him, he was not bitten. I would imagine the threat of spiders and other creepy crawlies would be even greater before shipments passed through inspection. I don't blame your ancestors for being a little scared one bit! Always have a spare.I like the extra anchor lashed to the railing on the lower left of the frame.I wonder how much it weighs. NabiscoThe original NBC, the National Biscuit Company, makers of Uneeda Biscuits and more importantly, Mallomars. Hey, Mister Tally ManSomeone tell the two gents with ledgers (looks like) in the small screened shed to knock one banana off the day's tally, thanks to the one guy in the bunch eating the inventory, in the foreground looking at the camera. The William Heyser seen on one building was an oyster distributor still in business in 1929, as noted by an ad in my desktop copy of a 1929 Baltimore business publication marking the city's 200th anniversary: Heyser’s Oysters Baltimore’s Leading Brand The William Heyser Co. Raw Oysters 2201-09 Boston St, Baltimore, Md. This reminds me of a road projectThree or four guys doing the heavy lifting while a hundred guys watch. NabiscoFirst known as the National Biscuit Company, makers of fine hardtack biscuits. Bananas from a boatBy the time they shipped them to Baltimore, they must have been all brown and slimy. I think the evidence supports this. [As opposed to the way bananas get to America now? - Dave] Do they still ship them all the way to Baltimore? Is that a Banana in your handOr are you just... Oh, never mind, it IS a Banana. Quality ControlNice to see the gent here on the left foreground tasting the produce to make sure that indeed it is a banana. Don't dally you men, the talleys are correct and Harry Ketler's Express boys are in a hurry. re: BrueghelDave, I'm impressed! Your comparison to Brueghel is dead on. May I suggest a novel to you: Headlong, by Michael Frayn. http://www.themanbookerprize.com/prize/books/80 300 accidents waiting to happenI am speaking of all those bananas and peels on the deck. A slapstick comedian's dream. Looking SouthwestThis view is looking Southwest from a pier located on Pratt Street. My guess is that it is Pier 3 which is now the location of Baltimore's Aquarium. United Fruit Company (Chiquita Brand) would later build a large Banana handling plant on the Light St. side of the harbor. On a side note, Baltimore rebuilt itself after the fire. The mayor politely but firmly declining all offers of outside help. How they get here nowThey still arrive on boats, of course, but in a carefully controlled inert atmosphere (usually nitrogen-rich, always oxygen-poor). Banana ships today are among the more specialized transport vessels. [Plain old air could be considered "nitrogen rich and oxygen poor." - Dave] Well, there is a pretty faint difference between rich and poor, as regards oxygen. The troposphere is about 21% oxygen, on average. Meanwhile, OSHA defines air below 19.5% as oxygen-deficient. It's a razor edge that we breathe on, and seldom even think about. But we are talking a sledgehammer beyond that razor. The high parameter for oxygen in modern banana transport is about 4%. If you do not follow the proper ventilation protocol, you will literally suffocate seconds after entering the hold. And look at the guy... eating a banana while the other guys do all the work! The B.B.B.W.U. (Baltimore Brotherhood of Banana Workers Union) will hear about this! All star castIs that Corey Feldman and Eddie Murphy in the wagon?! Daylight comeand me wanna go home. WatchersI think the guys "watching" are buyers. Satisfaction GuaranteedBy our Quality Control Department and On-Site QC Manager! Testing the ShipmentMan in foreground: "Gotta make sure they're really ready to eat." Banana MythA good chunk of my genealogy includes generations of Eastern Shore watermen and Baltimore stevedores. The fear among all banana handlers was that tarantulas would be hiding in the bunches. I have no idea how real or factual this fear was, but it's still talked about at family reunions. Did anyone else think of this?They guy looking at the camera, snacking on a banana, lower left. 1 Timothy 5:18 For the scripture saith, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn." and "The laborer is worthy of his wages." Sampling the merchandiseGuy in the bottom left. You can always tell the accountants -- starched white shirts and ties by the gangplank, best dressed by far, and looking very pleased with themselves! James Bond?I had no idea that Pierce Brosnan (Lower Center) liked Bananas so much?! Banana "Myth"My brother-in-law, who was produce manager for many years in one of Canada's largest grocery chains, was often confronted with six- and eight-legged critters that accompanied fruit boxes, including many tropical spiders and roaches. Banana boxes produced some of the largest and scariest spiders because of the nooks and crannies that they can hide in. Many were deceased but some were not. One piece of advice from his long years of experience is NEVER, ever, EVER bring home vegetable boxes for moving or storage. You DO NOT want infestations of 4-inch flying roaches. Now & ThenI didn't know where to post this, so here it is: A neat page I found- taking old photographs from the Smithsonian's collection, and holding them so they fit into place for a current photograph. http://jasonepowell.com/ And he gives Shorpy credit for discovery of some of the photos! The BasinA back-to-front review: National Biscuit building in the distance lasted into the '70's as a rowdy saloon known as Elmer's. The ancient peak-roofed structures facing us, fronted on Light St., a major north south street. The two Bay steamers were laying over for their nearby terminals, which lined along Light Street. The mostly new-looking structures on the right, faced Pratt Street. The city has a strange, open quality about it, a result of the recent Baltimore Fire of 1904, which gutted the business district east of Light St. down to the waterfront. The brick foundation closest to the banana boat is likely remains of that conflagration. A famous Baltimore photographer, A. Aubery Bodine, took photos of banana boats being unloaded in the 1950's in nearly the same location as this, with no difference between them. A Baltimore and Ohio RR "Fruit Pier" was established in south Baltimore in the 50's, which largely replaced the practice shown here. The area in this photo was known to generations of Baltimoreans as the Basin; today it's the yuppified, allegedly upscale Inner Harbor. I can't even imagineHow that place could smell. HumorI would love to be in on the joke they're sharing. Bolgiano's Seed Store[stanton_square's contributions to Shorpy tend to be of the Joe Friday type: "All we want are the facts." On occasion this blogger stumbles across documents which have both 1) historically relevant facts and 2) overt racism or sexism. In such cases it is sometimes difficult to decide what is worth transcribing. The following 1903 Washington Post article contains such a passage. While I decided to transcribe this passage, I feel obligated to point out the back-handed anti-immigrant racism contained in the first paragraph. The second article, from the American Poultry Advocate, relates the disastrous business impact of the Baltimore fire of 1904 and contains an odd usage of the word 'wonderfully.'] J. Bolgiano & Son, founded 1818. Bolgiano's Seed Store was located at the corner of Pratt and Light. Several heirloom tomato varieties grown today are descended from Bolgiano stock including: Greater Baltimore, John Baer, and IXL Extremely Early. Washington Post, May 17 1903 English names are not the only ones that have been handed down from Revolutionary times, and often a name that seems to indicate foreign blood represents an old American family. This is illustrated in the firm name of F.W. Bolgiano & Co., of this city, an offspring of a firm of like name established in 1818 in Baltimore. It is Italian in origin, but no longer represents Italian stock more than English. The name is known throughout the country to purchasers of seeds, which the firm grows and sells in many parts of the United State and imports from Europe. … The firm grows seeds largely in Frederick County, Maryland, and supplies some of the largest seeds houses with certain varieties of seed. The firm now has business connections in more than a dozen States, and customers in nearly every State in the Union and Canada. American Poultry Advocate, 1904 It is more than probable that every reader of this paper has heard of the wonderfully disastrous fire which so recently burned the heart out of the city of Baltimore. Unless you just happened to know some one who was living or doing business in Baltimore, it is likely that you gave the fire hardly more than a passing thought. But what do you think it means to the people of Baltimore? What do you thing it means for instance, to J. Bolgiano & Sons, the seedsmen who have for eighty-seven years been doing business In the fated city? In all that long period they have never before suffered from fire. Indeed, they felt perfectly safe this time, for when the fire first started it was more than ten city squares away from them. Later, and when they thought they were endangered — though the fire was still six squares from them — they employed two hundred hands and fifty drays and began the removal of their large retail seed stock to one of their warehouses a long distance from the fire, and where they felt everything would be safe. It transpired, however, that by a shifting of the winds the fire ate relentlessly away until both retail stores, offices, packing rooms and warehouses were destroyed. Bolgianos made a brave fight to save the orders and seeds for their thousands of customers, but fate was against them. The orders already booked and the lists of names of multiplied thousands of customers all over the world were lost in the twinkle of an eye. With absolutely nothing to work with, nothing to aid them except their fair name and excellent reputation, the Bolgianos have set to work with firm hands and brave hearts to rebuild their business. They have already laid in a large stock of the very best farm and garden seeds, notwithstanding the short seed crop of the past season, and will be able to fill orders as usual. Since all their advance orders and names of customers are burned, they have very little to begin on. Will those of our readers who ordered from Bolgiano & Sons write a postal card at once, simply giving your name and postofflce address? Do this whether you are an old or new customer of theirs. Send them your name anyhow, so that they may send you their catalogue another season. Simply address the card to J. Bolgiano & Sons, Baltimore, Md. Market Growers Journal, 1915, Advertisement. Originator's stock — the world-famous Tomato "John Baer." The earliest and best Tomato on earth." Bolgiano's "Long Lost" Lettuce. Excels All Others: On the market, as a Shipper, as a Keeper, in Quality, in Sweetness, in Flavor, in Color, in Profits, in Reliability, in Hardiness. The Town, Women's Civic League, 1916, Advertisement. A rich deep velvety green lawn is assured by planting Bolgiano's Druid Hill Park Velvet Green Lawn Grass Seed Canning Age, Vol 1. 1920. Glory Tomato, yielding better than 20 tons per acre. Pittsburgh Pickle, raised by expert grower. Bolgiano Tomato. Washington Post, Oct 29, 1920. J. Bolgiano & Son Fail. Seed Firm Assents to Bankruptcy and Appointment of Receiver. J. Bolgiano & Son, wholesale and retail seed growers and distributers, today assented to proceedings in the United Sates court adjudging the firm bankrupt and placing it in the hands of receivers. The seed house was established more than 100 years ago by the great-grandfather of Charles J. Bolgiano, present head of the firm, and is engaged in marketing the seed products of more than 10,000 acres of land in Canada, as well as seeds from ten states of the American Union, Holland, France, England, the Canary Islands and other foreign countries. "Hawaii" and bananasI recall reading James Michener's "Hawaii", when the pregnant Jerusha Hale (played by Julie Andrews, in the film version) is aboard ship for the gruelling journey to Hawaii. In order to keep her strength up, she is forced to eat bananas which, by this time in the journey are nearly liquid in their black, greasy skins. She's so disgusted with them that she finally throws them overboard. When she arrives in Hawaii, she is offered bananas and doesn't realize that the yellow fruit is the same thing... Dock SmellIn response to Darnuad's comment: my childhood memories of the harbor involve the enveloping odor of SPICES. McCormick's was there, and it was the best-smelling place I've ever been. Anti-immigrant racismAs one whose name is reminiscent of English blood, I don't find the mere mention of my name as offensive, nor would I think Mr Bolgiano found anything backhanded or racist in his story. He was probably thrilled to get the free publicity. Ship NameDoes anyone know the name of this ship? Thanks james@thebeckhams.us (The Gallery, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Baltimore: 1904
"Baltimore Fire of 1904. General view of South Baltimore." National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size. Baltimore Fire I like old books, and found one with a firsthand account of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2011 - 9:12pm -

"Baltimore Fire of 1904. General view of South Baltimore." National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size. Baltimore FireI like old books, and found one with a firsthand account of the fire published shortly after it happened. Some of the details were horrifying. It also showed how fire companies and police departments from four states and the Feds right up to the president offered assistance and sent men and equipment at a moment's notice. The railways cleared the tracks and gave trains delivering aid top priority. Wash DayIn the left distance, somebody appears to have hung out their wash on a rooftop. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Fires, Floods etc., Natl Photo)
Shade Tree Mechanics: 1920
... exploring the world -- anything but working on cars. Baltimore Avenue This is a fantastic photo of old PG County. Could this have been near the Bladensburg town line, on Baltimore Avenue (currently US-1A)? Way back when license plates in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/15/2013 - 7:31pm -

Prince George's County, Maryland, circa 1920. "Hyattsville Automobile Co." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Born 30 Years Too Soon (or maybe 40)The young fellow on the left sure looks like he was made for the Beat Generation, or possibly the '60s. He wanted to be writing, exploring the world -- anything but working on cars. Baltimore AvenueThis is a fantastic photo of old PG County. Could this have been near the Bladensburg town line, on Baltimore Avenue (currently US-1A)? Way back whenlicense plates in the State of Maryland needed only three digits and vehicles didn't have brakes on the front axles. [Model T's didn't have service brakes on the rear axles, either. The brake was in the transmission. - Dave] Number Please?The three autos with the license tags visible are numbered; 370, 371 and 374. Number 372 or 373 is possibly lurking behind that tree. Hyattsville Livery StableIt was at Emerson Street and Baltimore Avenue. Link. Hyattsville AutomobileThe dealership went by the name of Suburban Motor Sales in 1931 and was owned by Hervey G. Machen Sr. The building was in the 4800 block of Baltimore Avenue near Gasch's Funeral Home. Many years ago Stanley Machen, Hervey's son, told me his father initially started the business under the Hyattsville Automobile Company name. It was supposedly the county's first Ford dealership. The building was originally constructed as a livery stable. [That explains the notation "Machen" on the negative. I wondered what that meant. - Dave] ReflectionsI wonder what was going on at the American Legion from August 14-28. Hyattsville Auto MileA stretch of US 1 north of the D.C. line was the "Auto Mile" through much of the 20th century. In its last gasp, in 2000 I took my damaged car there for an insurance estimate. The main reminder today is an old dealer showroom, now the Lustine Center of the floundering Hyattsville Arts District. It's impossible to tell just where this photo was taken, but I'm sure I drive by the spot almost every day. Baltimore BoulevardThe dealership was indeed located on Baltimore Boulevard (Avenue), though I'm not sure exactly where. The reflection in the window would suggest across the street from the American Legion, although the Legion no longer has a post in Hyattsville. By 1938, the dealership was apparently specializing in Buicks: Washington Post, 8 January 1938. The boys from Hyattsville Auto bravely entered the Prince George's County bowling league in 1928, taking the spot of their counterparts from Lustine Chevrolet (a mainstay on US-1 in Hyattsville until a few years ago), who had lost all 21 of their games. Washington Post, 18 November 1928. Around the CornerThis is (was, I suppose) right down the street from me. It doesn't look like either of these buildings remain, but I can go get a picture of what's there if anyone is interested. [We are interested! - Dave] Hyattsville Automobile Co.I now own the property in this photo it is a Auto Body shop at this time I have seen the Livery stable photo befor but not the Auto dealer but I was told that it was an old Ford dealer at one time I love to see our History as it was I remember about fifteen years ago we were installing a fence around the perimiter and we dug up old 100 year old car parts and a horse shoe. Thank you for sharing your info. Car guy (The Gallery, Gas Stations, Natl Photo)
Bustling Baltimore: 1917
Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1917. "Union Station showing Charles Street and ... and Boston. Still vibrant on the eve of WWI Baltimore was my childhood home. This view, dated 1917, shows a Baltimore that was still a vibrant city. Note the tenement homes, in good ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 7:18pm -

Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1917. "Union Station showing Charles Street and Jones Falls." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Kind to pedestriansLove that railroad viaduct. What Is Their Purpose?Toward the right side of the photo there are some rectangular blocks on top of a building behind the Union Station building. Two of them are up against the windows in a sort of wavy manner. They look sort of like warped mini-roofs. What is their purpose and why are they wavy and slanted as opposed to flat like the other ones? [Wavy things: roofs over stairways. Flat things: skylights. - Dave] Flour, Yeast, Studebakers and CokeWhat else can you possibly want? Don't forget the ice!Sign behind and to the left of Union Station. It's Penn Station nowand still in full daily use, including as a main stop on the Amtrak high-speed Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston. Still vibrant on the eve of WWIBaltimore was my childhood home. This view, dated 1917, shows a Baltimore that was still a vibrant city. Note the tenement homes, in good shape, interspersed with a variety of industry and transportation. Home to the country's first railroad, Baltimore was the second largest port on the East Coast. The streets are clean and there are landscaped areas to be enjoyed by the residents -- a bit of elbow room to make life bearable. Thirteen years earlier, downtown Balto had suffered a major fire. The Baltimore of today is but a shadow of its former self, having suffered substantial economic and social decay. This photo evokes a sad nostalgia of a bygone era. Bawlmer -- where do I start?You'll need the hi-def version to follow me here. The freight yard across the top of the photo is the Northern Central Railway, and since 1912, the Pennsylvania RR Bolton Freight Station. My great grandfather was likely working there this day, as he would until Bolton Street was closed. Just off photo to the distant left is B&O's Mount Royal Station, the tracks of which are below grade behind the PRR yard. The Studebaker/Garford shop was known as Zell Motor Car Company; my grandmother's brother-in-law was a highly regarded mechanic there for many years. The prominent arch-windowed building behind it on Charles Street is now part of University of Baltimore, where I attended classes for a time. The beautiful massive stone structure in the distance with two stacks was a water pumping station, removed for I-83 construction in the 1960s. Directly in front of that building is North Avenue "NA" Tower; it's dark because it is painted in B&O's red color. NA Tower protected the crossing between the two track line seen crossing Jones Falls, and the B&O main line, which isn't visible here. Note locomotives on both sides of NA tower. The water course in the middle is Jones Falls (the name being a peculiarity of the region; instead of Creek or Run, sometimes a channel was called a Falls). The most distant bridge is North Avenue Viaduct, built in the 1890s and still in use. Close behind the viaduct is B&O's bridge over the Falls, not visible here. At the right end of the viaduct, above the Morgan Millwork sign, can be seen the B&O mainline to Philadelphia and where I labored four decades. Finally, great big Union Station isn't the only downtown passenger terminal in view. Just left of Morgan Millwork and above the City Ice sign is the peaked roof of the Maryland and Pennsylvania (Ma & Pa) RR's Oak Street Station. Beautiful shot. Thanks, Dave! Slow TrainI commuted from Richmond to Baltimore twice a week during the gas crisis of 1973-74. Taking the train was, at times, a pleasure but it was anything but "high speed." Railway Express & OystersIn the mid '60s I worked for Railway Express and each weekday night we would make a run from our depot on Calvert & Centre to Penn Station. The usual cargo was mainly express packages and barrels of oysters and boxes of soft shelled crabs fresh from Crisfield on the Chesapeake Bay headed to Philadelphia and New York. We would drive down that ramp to train track level and transfer the barrels to those high-wheeled station carts, which were pulled by a small mule (automotive variety). As the train entered the station we would drive alongside as it came to a stop so our carts were lined up with the messenger car. We had ten frantic minutes of rolling the barrels into the car until the train pulled out. Thankfully we never hit a passenger or dropped a barrel onto the tracks. That was always the best part of our night since after that we would take our time getting back to the depot so we got there just about time to punch out and head down Calvert Street to Susie's for an after work beer. So if sometime you stopped in an Oyster Bar in Philly or New York and had either some soft shell crabs or oysters and remarked about the freshness of the same it might have been me who got them there for you. Another InspirationI wish I was a kid again. What a grand sight this would be in H.O. Scale! Morgan Millwork Co.Morgan Millwork Co. was the eastern warehouse and showroom for the Morgan Sash & Door Company. Architectural Record, 1910. Correct Craftsmen Style Morgan Doors are noted for correctness and originality of design and finish. Their construction is guaranteed to be absolutely faultless. Morgan Doors add wonderfully to the permanent value, comfort, beauty and satisfaction of the house. Morgan Doors are light, remarkably strong, and built of several layers of wood with grain running in opposite directions. Shrinking, warping or swelling is impossible. Veneered in all varieties of hard wood — Birch, plain or quarter-sawed red or white Oak, brown Ash, Mahogany, etc. Any style of architecture. Very best for Residences, Apartments, Offices, Bungalows or any building. Each Morgan Door is stamped "Morgan" which guarantees highest quality, style, durability and satisfaction. You can have Morgan Doors if you specify and insist. The National Builder, 1915. Morgan Sash & Door Company Department A-22, Chicago Factory: Morgan Co., Oshkosh, Wis. Eastern Warehouse and Display, Morgan Millwork Co., Baltimore. Displays: 6 East 19th St., New York; 309 Palmer Bldg., Detroit; Building Exhibit, Insurance Exchange, Chicago. Looks like the early 1920’sby the look of some of the cars Corpus Christi Church and MICAThe tall pointy steeple in the upper left corner is Corpus Christi Church, and the white building to its left is the Maryland Institute College of Art where I went to college. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Railroads)
Scooped to Safety: 1924
... broken ankles beat getting ground up under the wheels. Baltimore passenger cars Does anybody know any history about Baltimore brand automobiles? I have information that there were about 3 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 4:36pm -

December 17, 1924. Washington, D.C. "Auto safety device demonstration. Inspector Albert Headley." National Photo glass negative. View full size. They have to be kiddingI can't believe anyone would think this would be "safe". Was it supposed to scoop up pedestrians, sit them down and take them for a ride? It's a startI agree. This doesn't look safe whatsoever. It wouldn't even make a decent snowplow! But I applaud the auto company for at least trying to make a safety feature. People CatcherI remember reading about these. They were meant to function the same way as a cow catcher does on the front of train locomotive. Unfortunately, they had a tendency to break the pedestrian's legs and ankles at speeds above 2 mph. The best safety feature on any carwould be a six-inch steel spike pointing straight out from the center of the steering wheel. Hard to startLooks like it would make the car difficult to start, too. Note the crank behind this contraption. [Most cars of this vintage had electric starters as well as cranks, for use if the battery was dead. - Dave] For a special kind of pedestrianObviously this is for pedestrians who are already in a seated position in the middle of road, and are jollily bouncing across an intersection. Although I guess technically they wouldn't be pedestrians then. Cow catchers didn't..."Catch" cows, they were angled to plow them off to the side of the tracks and clear the path of the train. I'm thinking that design would have been a better option here. Bring out the Scoops!Soylent Green is People!!! Proven TechnologyYou can scoff all you want, but trolleys and streetcars used a similar device for over thirty years. I guess a couple of broken ankles beat getting ground up under the wheels. Baltimore passenger carsDoes anybody know any history about Baltimore brand automobiles? I have information that there were about 3 different companies incorporated to build Baltimore cars from about 1899 to 1906 but it indicates that none of them were successful. I would like to learn what years these cars were built. Baltimore AutomobileI'm very interested if anyone knows more about the car in the pic. I can't find anything about a Baltimore Motor Company. There was a Lord Baltimore motor company, but they were only in business for one year, 1913, and this car looks newer than that. anyone got anything? [The car is a circa 1920 Packard. - Dave] (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Baltimore, U.S.A.: 1943
May 1943. "Baltimore, Maryland. Building the SS Frederick Douglass . More than 6,000 ... Making America Great Roger Smith's photographs of the Baltimore shipyards show the difficult and dangerous work on the homefront that ... in WWII possible. Bravo to the hard-working people of Baltimore who continue to help make America great! United We Stand Thank ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2019 - 10:34am -

May 1943. "Baltimore, Maryland. Building the SS Frederick Douglass. More than 6,000 Negro shipyard workers are employed at the Bethlehem-Fairfield shipyards, where this Liberty ship is being rushed to completion. Douglass, the noted orator and abolitionist leader, worked as a ship caulker in the vicinity of this yard before he escaped from slavery. Smiling from porthole of the dockhouse is rivet heater Willie Smith." 4x5 inch nitrate negative by Roger Smith for the Office of War Information. View full size. Making America GreatRoger Smith's photographs of the Baltimore shipyards show the difficult and dangerous work on the homefront that made victory in WWII possible. Bravo to the hard-working people of Baltimore who continue to help make America great! United We StandThank you Shorpy for this wonderful picture of a true American citizen. I see you, Shorpy!Thank you for this terrific photo/commentary on recent news. Well done. Unusual libertiesWere taken at Fairfield, because they made riveted Liberty ships. The design was for a welded hull and a life of only five years, but there was a general lack of welders during this changeover period of ship design and fabrication. Fairfield riveted Liberty ships suffered none of the problems of the initial welded versions supposedly caused by brittle steel and not the welding quality. Whatever, they lasted a lot longer than five years; an historic photograph all right. https://www.ssjohnwbrown.org/blog/2015/1/16/adopt-a-rivet Did Not Live LongTorpedoed here in 1943 by a U boat. No casualties though. Charm CityLove the picture. I cherish every one you post from my hometown. And thanks to young Mr. Smith here for his contribution to the war effort. Being a rivet heater in a ship's hull seems like a tough way to make a living. EDIT: expanding on a previous comment....According to the National WWII Museum website the 70 on board when the Fredrick Douglass was torpedoed were rescued by the British ship Rathlin. The 70 consisted of 40 merchant seaman, 29 'armed guard' and one female stowaway. Unsung HeroNow, it's people like this who have made America great! (The Gallery, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, Patriotic, WW2)
Bird's Eye Baltimore: 1906
Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1906. "Looking up North Charles Street from ... Love this, it's so rich in detail. I've never been to Baltimore, but doing a virtual walkabout on street view seems to indicate that ... a similar view today, from Wikipedia: (The Gallery, Baltimore, DPC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/27/2014 - 10:49am -

Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1906. "Looking up North Charles Street from Washington Monument." At right, the massive Hotel Belvedere. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Now THATis a flagpole bracket. Today's Bird's EyeFrom Bing Maps: http://binged.it/1f6P5u4 A surprising number of old friends accounted for, lovely town. StunningLove this, it's so rich in detail. I've never been to Baltimore, but doing a virtual walkabout on street view seems to indicate that there's a lot of the buildings in this pic still present and correct. Charles Street Rum RunFor several years in the 80's, we ran a 10K race, sponsored by Bacardi, straight down Charles St from St Mary's Seminary on the Northern Parkway to the harbor.Great town, great run (a completely downhill 10K!), great memories...my only sub-40-minute 10K ever. Modern viewHere's a similar view today, from Wikipedia: (The Gallery, Baltimore, DPC)
Company Cottage: 1942
July 1942. "Middle River, Baltimore County, Maryland. Housing development for workers at the Glenn L. ... link has more pictures. https://www.redfin.com/MD/Baltimore/7-Elm-Dr-21220/home/9440918 The Glenn L. Martin facility (now ... L. Martin museum on the airport grounds. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Marjory Collins, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/07/2023 - 1:58pm -

July 1942. "Middle River, Baltimore County, Maryland. Housing development for workers at the Glenn L. Martin aircraft plant. Living room and dining alcove." Porch Lady is back, pouring a nice glass of air in her Cemesto bungalow. Acetate negative by Marjory Collins. View full size. Don't lick the walls!If the lead paint doesn't get you, the cement-asbestos mix will. (As Martha put it in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," Never mix, never worry!!) The floor is a pleasant surprise: It's probably just pine, but individual boards. I was expecting plywood. Times changeIt's interesting how standards have changed. This house was compact, clean and un-fancy, but we can no longer build affordable housing in this country. Whatever the reason may be -- land cost, zoning, building costs, codes, changing consumer expectations -- lots are larger, houses are much larger and costs are far higher compared to median earnings. You are the wind beneath my antiquesThat's a bold move to put fragile figurines on the ledge above the windows. Hopefully nobody slammed a door too hard one day! Not nail friendlyIt appears cemesto is not nail friendly. The fruit ornament is suspended from wood trim at the top of the wall. There is also a visible seam, which should have been taped and floated. Responding to wally -- one thing that helped make housing today larger and more relatively expensive is the invention of air conditioning. Because of AC, people want more square footage that is climate controlled, also affecting the cost of heating. Porches on the front of houses today are mostly esthetic. And on the back, porches have been replaced with decks because you no longer go outside to catch a breeze and a better temperature. To mitigate the expense of climate control, houses built today have more and better insulation, and often better insulating windows, which add to the construction expense of larger homes. But you are correct that other factors are also responsible. Probably luxury living I'd imagineComing out of the Great Depression and very happy to have it. Population ExplosionIn 1939, the Glenn L. Martin aircraft plant in Middle River, Maryland had about 3,600 workers -- by the end of 1942, Martin employed 52,474 workers, mostly in Middle River. https://www.mdairmuseum.org/martin-and-community Horse LoverI believe I see a total of nine horse figurines and maybe one cat? [And a bird! - Dave] Still hereMany of these homes are still there. A comment in a previous post mentioned 7 Elm Drive, pictured below. The link has more pictures. https://www.redfin.com/MD/Baltimore/7-Elm-Dr-21220/home/9440918 The Glenn L. Martin facility (now Lockheed-Martin) is east of the community at what is not Martins State Airport, within easy walking distance. Lockheed-Martin is in the process of closing operations at the airport. The airport is still fairly busy, plenty of corporate jets and small aircraft, as well as an Air National Guard unit flying A-10 Warthogs. There is a Glenn L. Martin museum on the airport grounds. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Marjory Collins, WW2)
Prove It: 1925
... what's attached to the car, perhaps, is the car itself: Baltimore ?? I've never heard of, nor can I find mention of, a make by that ... catchers? As Goliath would say, I dunno Davey. The Baltimore Earlier, Notcom wondered about the "Baltimore" on the car ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/11/2023 - 3:24pm -

Washington, D.C. September 11, 1925. "Demonstration of auto safety fender." 4x5 inch glass negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size. SAFETY FENDER COMPANY TO GIVE TEST HERE         "How to pick up a girl" will be practically illustrated tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock on Third street between Maryland and Pennsylvania avenues northwest.         Using a human being in their demonstration, the manufacturers, under the supervision of the traffic director's office, will show a recently devised scoop, which is designed so that when attached to the front of an automobile striking a person, injury is averted. -- Washington Times, 9/10/25 SkepticalMany of the men in the audience look skeptical - as I am. I doubt if that device preformed as advertised. The lowdown on fendersThese were relatively common on streetcars, where the massiveness of the car allowed a much larger surface - supposedly you were scooped up to safety; I've never seen one on an auto (likely because they were useless). Of more interest than what's attached to the car, perhaps, is the car itself: Baltimore ?? I've never heard of, nor can I find mention of, a make by that name (it seems to have the disinctive radiator outline of a Packard). The company that manufactured these contraptions was HQed there, could that be the reason? Cuthbert J. Twillie in the white suit AKA W. C. Fields The scoopCow catchers, okay. People catchers? As Goliath would say, I dunno Davey. The BaltimoreEarlier, Notcom wondered about the "Baltimore" on the car grille. I had wondered about the similar fancy script "San Francisco" I'd seen on the grille in photos of my father's 1929/30 Chrysler. Turns out getting those items to celebrate/ballyhoo your home town was a thing, like in this previous Shorpy example. Sure, I'll askWhat could possibly go wrong? It's ready for a comebackI previously commented one issue with electric vehicles is they run silently, and people are getting hit by cars they never heard coming. Dave pointed out EVs are required to make a noise at speeds under 30 mph. But we don't need a bunch of EVs running around making a bunch of fake noise ... the answer is right here. Thanks Dave! Good Idea Until It's Put Into UseAll I see is two snapped ankles and a metal grate that would drive over you and do more damage than being bumped by a car that's probably travelling at 10mph. Safety?Is relative! Spectators also interestingThe well-dressed gent with fedora and crossed arms has that "I'll believe it when I see it," skeptical look. The young man in shirtsleeves next to him appears to be thinking, "I wonder if I could catch me a girl with one of them things." It's a Packard, all rightSpecifically a 1918-1920 model year, as evidenced by the shape of the windshield, the tiny cowl lights, the shape of the headlights and more specifically, the shape of the grille. Faces in the CrowdThere are a few famous faces in this photo. Let me point them out. First, on the far left of the crowd wearing his world-famous fedora, I see old Sam Whatzisface, character actor who specialized in playing cops, crooks and crazy uncles in movies of the 1920s, '30s and '40s. Here he is demonstrating his famous side-eye glance and holding his ever-present unfinished stogie. Actually, he didn't smoke. Then, if you look between the inventor's head and that of the bowtie wearing guy next to him, way in the back, you see the first ever recorded photo of Hitler's American nephew. Obviously, he never learned the family way of trimming his mustache. A little farther to the right, just to our left of the tall, uniformed, straight out of central casting gentleman, is a face few can forget. Seen in many post offices coast to coast, I give you "Ugly Boy" Floyd Bootlegger. And last, but hardly least, again just to our left of the (hopefully) off duty motorcycle cop at the right is a rare picture of Sean Penn's grandfather. I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. I thank you. HopefullyThat car had an electric starter. Would be tough to crank with that contraption on the front. A bad angle to be reaching in there. Scoop to HospitalGetting hit by a metal object moving any faster than walking pace would certainly involve injury, possibly broken or fractured leg bones, and when you were felled, any number of additional injuries would prevail. This contraption's possible only saving grace is that you would be unlikely to be run over by the vehicle. I'd like to see how this was promoted -- a litigation lawyer's dream in the making, one would presume. (Technology, The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Dead Man's Curve: 1920
1920. "Dead Man's Curve. Baltimore tour." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass ... Location? Does anybody know where this is located in Baltimore? I'd love to get even a rough idea of where this is. I'd happily go back and take a modern-era photo of this. Dave in Baltimore www.seinberg.net Product Placement At least after your ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/26/2011 - 3:13pm -

1920. "Dead Man's Curve. Baltimore tour." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Note the tiny DANGER sign in the middle. Location?Does anybody know where this is located in Baltimore? I'd love to get even a rough idea of where this is. I'd happily go back and take a modern-era photo of this. Dave in Baltimore www.seinberg.net Product PlacementAt least after your car rolls off the road you know just where to get new tires and auto supplies. Garrett Dash Nelson Baltimore tourDid "Baltimore tour" have any special meaning, or is it just a tour around (?) Baltimore, or a ring-road perhaps? [From what I can tell, it was National Photo's annual trip from Washington to cover the races at Pimlico. - Dave] Dead Man's CurveUnderneath that "Danger" sign, it should say "If you can read this, it's probably too late." Dead Man's CurveBecause of the billboards, this road is likely the old Route 1, the Washington-Baltimore highway. I lived on that highway in Beltsville in the 1940s and travelled it many times with my grandfather. I imagine that it would have looked like this in the days of this photo. Dead Man's CurveIt's definitely Route 1 and seems to have been so well known back in the day that nobody bothered to say exactly where it was. I've been trying to localize it for over a year now. Current working hypothesis: it was on the upgrade approaching Elkridge from the south. Dangerous CurveThis is part of the old Baltimore-Washington Road. This part of the road was relocated again to the west of the original alignments. You can enter this part of the old road from the east side of current Route 1 across from Ducketts Lane. The entrance is also about a mile north of State Route 100. There was an article about it in the May 30, 1955 issue of Life. Dead Man's Curve from the north and south: (The Gallery, Baltimore, Natl Photo, On the Road)
Lock, Stock & Barrel: 1942
... Zenith appears to be tuned to 1090 kilocycles, WBAL in Baltimore, which at 50kw power would have come in well in greater Washington. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/05/2023 - 1:48pm -

September 1942. "Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Sergeant George Camplair cleans his rifle regularly." Acetate negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. Best wishes, Sgt.Hopefully the Sgt. made it home safely and had a good, long life. "This is my rifle,... this is my gun." The immortal scene from Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket." PatchesIt won't be his mom complaining about oily patches on the bed, as might have happened to this young man https://www.shorpy.com/node/24096. Seems he has the warmest spot during winter months. What's taped to the inside of the drop-down radio lid?(And I'm sure someone out there knows what station it's tuned to.) [It's a girl! Hugging a pillow! - Dave] The Zenithappears to be tuned to 1090 kilocycles, WBAL in Baltimore, which at 50kw power would have come in well in greater Washington. Nice & ToastyI'll bet that's a warm bed to sleep in with that radiator right there. What is the purposeOf the large magnet, also sitting on the radiator? I hope the answer has something to do with attracting attractive women. J W Wright, thanks for the answer and the link. So, the Zenith Radio Wavemagnet is today what we call an antenna? I wasn't even for sure it was attached to the radio. Zenith "Wavemagnet"Click image for more information than you wanted: Aught-SixLooks like a WW1 surplus 30.06 rifle? Chutist Looks Vaguely FamiliarEschewing his sleigh, Santa parachuted into Vietnam so as not to grab unwanted attention. Sgt Camplair's radio attachment is, however, somewhat familiar. M1 GarandThe rifle is an M1 Garand, in 30.06, semiauto, fed by a 8 round clip. The fact that these new front line rifles were being issued stateside as early as 1942, rather than being reserved solely for the overseas theaters, shows the power of US industry. M1 GarandFor missing link - that is not a WWI surplus rifle. It is an M1 Garand. It is in .30-06. I've cleaned many of them. M1 Garand RifleThe rifle is actually an M1 Garand semi-automatic. Shoots 30/06 ammo out of 8 round clips. M1 IDIt is an M1 Garand. An unmistakable profile. The M1 replaced the bolt-action M1903 Springfield as the U.S. service rifle in 1936 and was itself replaced by the selective-fire M14 rifle on March 26, 1958. ShinyIt appears that the dark finish of the gas cylinder on Sergeant Camplair's M1 has worn off, exposing the stainless steel (can't tell for sure though). If so, it's odd that it would wear off so early in the conflict. Shiny bits on oneself is not a good thing in combat. He'd also better be careful in cleaning the bore so as not to damage the muzzle, as he might at the angle shown. The cleaning rod has to be in direct line with the bore. On a side note, it's great to see that fellow Shorpyites own M1s as well. Now if M2 ball ammo was readily available again... WW2 M1It has all the earmarks of a WW2 M1 Garand. I remember stripping them down followed by the reassembly process from ROTC training in 1963. It is definitely an M1 receiver by his left knee on the edge of the bunk. DownrangeU.S. ‘Rifle, .30 Caliber, M1’ AKA: M1 Garand, a .30-06 caliber, gas operated, magazine fed, semiautomatic rifle once described by General George S. Patton as "the greatest battle implement ever devised”. When the USA entered World War 2, mass production of the M1 rifle began at the Springfield armory and at the Winchester plant. During the war, both companies produced between them approximately 4 million M1 rifles, making them the most widely used semi-automatic rifle of World War 2. M1 Garand "stripping" for cleaning and inspection here. M-1 Garand semiautomatic shoulder weaponGen Patton called it the greatest combat weapon ever invented. I have one I bought from the CMP. Ping! (The Gallery, Jack Delano, WW2)
American National: 1918
... Placement Motor is mounted on right front fork. AKA Baltimore Sun Bldg. Originally built for the Baltimore Sun newspaper. Alternate Shorpy view in 1924 . Bank ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2012 - 5:35pm -

Washington circa 1918. "American National Bank, F Street." Right next door to Harris & Ewing Photographers, who took so many of the photos (including this one) seen here on Shorpy. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size. Still There?Please tell me this wonderful building is still there! ["This wonderful building is still there!" - Dave] View Larger Map Victor E. Desio & Co. Desio & Co. will Remodel Dwelling Victor E. Desio & Co. have plans prepared by Julius Wenig, architect, for remodeling the three-story and cellar store building at 1309 F street northwest. The entire building, which is 26 feet wide by 82 feet deep, will be remodeled into two stores. The front will be of all glass show windows, marble base and copper trimming. The second and third floors will be fitted out for store and work rooms, and an electric elevator will be installed from the first to third floor. Metal ceilings and marble floors will be a feature on the first floor. When completed the work will represent an outlay of $8,000. Work will be started July 12, and Victor E. Desio & Co. will occupy the west store and Howard Deane the east store by September 1. Washington Post, Jul 9, 1916 Victor E. Desio Rites Arranged Here Tomorrow Victor E. Desio, retired jeweler, who for many years conducted business at 1309 F street Northwest, died yesterday at his home, 2400 Fort Scott Drive, Arlington, Va. He was 64 years old. Born here, Mr. Desio carried on the jewelry business founded by his father, the late Gerome Desio, in 1874. He was a member of the Holy Name Society and the Lido Civic Club. Washington Post, Jan 19, 1943 Not Entirely ThereThat wonderful steeple -- was this a cathedral of banking? -- is gone. Motorized bicycleCheck out the motorized bicycle at the far right. The more recent Schwinn Heavy Duty or the Worksman bikes look like that. Sidewalk sidecarCheck out the bike with the cargo sidecar in front of the bank! And what are those brass cans on the sidewalk? [Fire extinguishers. - Dave] Motor PlacementMotor is mounted on right front fork. AKA Baltimore Sun Bldg.Originally built for the Baltimore Sun newspaper. Alternate Shorpy view in 1924. Bank In Sun Building American National Acquires F Street Structure The American National Bank has bought the Baltimore Sun Building, the price it is understood, being between $210,000 and $225,000. The bank will remodel the interior of the building, and will take the entire two first floors for its bankroom, giving it one of the largest rooms, if not the largest in the city. The bank will move into its new building in September or October of the present year, the deed for the purchase of the big office building, one of the finest in the city, and one of the landmarks of F street, is consummated practically on the first birthday of the bank, its first year of existence having ended yesterday. The bank has been looking for a new location for some months, its present building on Fourteenth street not being large enough. ... The building was the first of the "tall buildings" erected in Washington, and when it was built, about twenty years ago, it was the handsomest business buildings in the city. It cost for the actual construction about $340,000. Washington Post, May 5, 1904 BicycleI see the bicycle, but having trouble locating the motor. Maybe he took it with him while he was shopping. Motor BikeI'll be. It looks like a Smith Motor Wheel. They were usually mounted at the rear of the bike. I've never seen one up front. Just like the one that the lovey Ms. Young has on her Bug. Dayton Motor BicycleThat's a very rare Dayton Motor Bicycle. The motor is indeed very similar to the Smith Motorwheel, but it was a version sold by the Davis Sewing Machine Company, makers of the Dayton brand at the time. The engine is in the middle of the front wheel. The patent is here. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Stores & Markets)
Charm City: 1903
Circa 1903. "Baltimore from Federal Hill." A freight terminal (O'Donnell's Wharf) and the ... Brother Mathias who taught him the game of baseball. Baltimore Rocks The powerplant across the Inner Harbor still exists, now as ... bends around from west to south. The National Aquarium in Baltimore now occupies the space where Pier B's two buildings are, as well as ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 3:09pm -

Circa 1903. "Baltimore from Federal Hill." A freight terminal (O'Donnell's Wharf) and the Patapsco flour mill. Detroit Publishing Co. glass negative. View full size. The Babe's old stomping groundsThis is where a young George Herman Ruth got into all that mischief which led him to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys. There, he met a gentleman named Brother Mathias who taught him the game of baseball. Baltimore RocksThe powerplant across the Inner Harbor still exists, now as a venue for night clubs and sports bars, including the Hard Rock Cafe and an ESPN Zone. Of course, the harbor is no longer a working harbor. Rusty Scupper, National AquariumLooks to be taken from roughly the location of the Rusty Scupper Restaurant on the south side of the Inner Harbor, near where the Key Highway bends around from west to south. The National Aquarium in Baltimore now occupies the space where Pier B's two buildings are, as well as the Northern Central Freight Station pier. Three SheetsI love the waterfront photos on Shorpy! The three-master in the center is a beautiful boat, I would love to have seen her under sail! Boy is it different todayYou can still see power plant though the Northern Central Freight Stations building was replaced by something more modern. The Arthur Andersen office used to be there and have a glass center wall that overlooked the Barnes & Noble. Phoenix shot towerThe crenelated "smokestack" to the right of the power plant is the Phoenix Shot Tower, from 1828 until the 1880s the tallest structure in the USA. The neighborhood to the right of the picture is "Little Italy" (correct Bawlmer pronunciation: "LiddleIddlee") which is now among other things a concentration of restaurants. An OutingThe little two-masted sailing vessel to the left of the Northern Central warehouse seems to be filled - with people? An excursion, perhaps? Seems a funny place to be starting from, but the boat is too far from the dock to be anchored there. Fire!Just one year before the Great Baltimore Fire destroyed much of what you're looking at. Amazing. A grim place.Baltimore looked grim then, and is far worse now, from personal experience. Train FerryThey had a ferry for railroad cars. They move entire trains from one side of the harbor to the other. You can see parts of it at the "New York and Baltimore Transportation Lines." +111Below is the same perspective from July of 2014. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Factories)
New Baltimore: 1941
October 1941. "Street scene in New Baltimore on the Hudson, New York." Medium-format nitrate negative by John ... (1875-1954) is buried at Chestnut Lawn Cemetery, New Baltimore, Greene County, N.Y. '35 Chevy truck Dennis M, The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/11/2012 - 9:18am -

October 1941. "Street scene in New Baltimore on the Hudson, New York." Medium-format nitrate negative by John Collier. View full size. Ah, the Frenetic Pace of Life!Two seasoned layabouts and a young, saddle-shoed apprentice carry on the favorite local custom -- not doing a whole lot of anything. (In reality, I suppose, they're waiting for an inter-urban bus that will take them to their arduous and character-building jobs in the next town). I wonder if that's a Grand Union food market next door? The Calm Before The StormAnd is it only me or do others also miss those old drug store fountain drinks? Is there any city in the world without a Coca-Cola sign? Ancient Rome perhaps? P.S. WheatThe Greene County Examiner-Recorder of Feb. 6, 1941 reported P.S. Wheat and others attended Lodge the previous Tuesday. Fro-Joy Ice CreamI found this 1929 Ad for Froy-Joy Ice cream. Fro-Joy also issued Baseball Cards as premiums. Some, like the Babe Ruth series, are collectibles but they were all in black & white and aren't as popular as the color cards. '40 Chevy & ?Well we have a fairly new '40 Chevrolet sedan and the i'm going to guess the truck is a mid-thirties Ford. Not much to go on there unless one is vary familiar with the specific model. O.G. HotalingOrville G. Hotaling (1875-1954) is buried at Chestnut Lawn Cemetery, New Baltimore, Greene County, N.Y. '35 Chevy truckDennis M, The truck is a 1935 Chevy. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, John Collier, Stores & Markets)
Burlesk & Butter: 1943
April 1943. "Baltimore, Maryland -- a street scene. Light Street." Photo by Marjory Collins ... going home. Broads to Booze Still standing on E Baltimore St but now a liquor store. The 2 O'clock Club next door is still ... seedy. After the great fire of 1904, "The Block" on East Baltimore Street became Baltimore's hot spot for movie theaters, burlesque, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/01/2013 - 8:05pm -

April 1943. "Baltimore, Maryland -- a street scene. Light Street." Photo by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. DodgeThe truck is a circa 1940 - 1942 Dodge Cab Over Engine (COE) on a short wheelbase. The Dodge Ram hood ornament is visible and the nameplate "Dodge" is between the chrome strips on the front of the hood. The driver has had some difficulty as there are some very large scrapes on the side of the refrigerator body. "Makes Baby Thrive"Why not "Makes Your Baby Thrive"? How did "baby" become a proper noun? Did 40's people delay naming their babies for the first year, calling them "Baby" instead? (I know that's not true.) [cf. the nursery rhyme "Pat-a-cake" or the popular song "My Blue Heaven." -tterrace] Tough decisionsWhat a neighborhood. Do I go to "Joy Land" first and then to the "Globe Berlesk" or do I patronize them in the reverse order? Either way, don't forget to pick up a bottle of milk before going home. Broads to BoozeStill standing on E Baltimore St but now a liquor store. The 2 O'clock Club next door is still there. The BlockStill there and still kinda seedy. After the great fire of 1904, "The Block" on East Baltimore Street became Baltimore's hot spot for movie theaters, burlesque, honky tonks, and penny arcades. View Larger Map East Baltimore StreetThe Light St. address must be wrong, as Stanton Square's post makes clear. This is the 400 block of East Baltimore St, which is ground zero of the once-extensive entertainment area still called "The Block." The 2 O'Clock Club, where Blaze Starr became famous in the 1950s, was just to the right of this photo. Along with "burlesk," Royal Farms is another Baltimore name still current. It's now a chain of convenience stores, though their website dates the outfit only to 1959. Still Going StrongIn 2013, 70 years later, Royal Farms is the largest locally owned convenience store chain in the State of Maryland. Also, the owner of the Globe was the uncle of Stan & Barry Livingston of the TV show "My Three Sons." Spell CheckAll these years I've been spelling Burlesque incorrectly. Good Old Girl & Boy LandAh, the Penny Arcade, which I could never get enough of during my childhood Rockaway Summers. The games and chits for winning the usual Carny junk, how little it took to make me happy then. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Marjory Collins)
The Great Fire: 1904
"Great Baltimore Fire of 1904. Fighting the fire on Baltimore Street." The first in a series of photographs from the fire, which ... for two days in February 1904, consuming much of downtown Baltimore. National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2011 - 9:11pm -

"Great Baltimore Fire of 1904. Fighting the fire on Baltimore Street." The first in a series of photographs from the fire, which burned for two days in February 1904, consuming much of downtown Baltimore. National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size. Now on Baltimore street...The famous Red Light District! MenckenH.L. Mecnken, who was working as an editor for the Baltimore Morning Herald, wrote about the Great Fire of Baltimore in the second volume of his memoir "Newspaper Days." (The Gallery, Baltimore, Fires, Floods etc., Natl Photo)
Chestnuts Roasting: 1905
Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1905. "A chestnut vendor." 8x10 inch dry plate glass ... chestnut off them and never feel it! National Bank of Baltimore Appears to be the National Bank of Baltimore in the background. Which makes this St. Paul Street, looking towards ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 11:09am -

Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1905. "A chestnut vendor." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. 45 degreesInteresting loading concept on the part of whoever packed that wagon in the background. Apparently they did not like the idea of packing things together using 90 degrees as a base angle. Makes me wonder just how that loading strategy worked out, how far that horse was going, how many bumps he was going over, and what good that little strap across the top really did. What a contrastbetween the two "gentlemen" striding by and the two smokers, from the shoes to the hats. Love these old photos! On an open fireI have seen photos of roasting chestnuts in old photos and have always wanted to taste one. Of course it would never taste as good as one would imagine. But OllieJudging by the wrinkles in his pants, the fat man on the right sits down a lot, the skinny man on the left, less so. Hot NutsYep! My grandfather on Mom's side worked as a chestnut vendor, possibly in NYC, after immigrating from Italy in the very early 1900's. Charcoal fire, tongs, and a loud voice. Notes from a hat archivistWow, really interesting tuck and dart placement on the crown of the chestnut vendor's cap! And, those bowlers on the gents to the right are top-notch. I have a couple of those in the collection i work with, and they're hard as helmets, even with 100+ years age on them. You could bounce a hot chestnut off them and never feel it! National Bank of BaltimoreAppears to be the National Bank of Baltimore in the background. Which makes this St. Paul Street, looking towards the northeast corner of St. Paul and Baltimore. There is a Citibank there now. To be cliche about itMain Street on the left, Wall Street on the right. Delicious ChestnutsAlthough I've never seen a chestnut vendor in Baltimore lately, I do see them all the time in NYC. There are modern vendors who use electricity to roast them and there are many "old school" vendors who roast them over hot coals not too differently than seen here. Now that's a slice of lifeWhat an unusually rich snapshot of a long gone innocuous moment. When In RomeYeah, roast 'em old-school like the Romans do. I took a picture of this fellow in the Eternal City in the spring of 2006. Things change very slowly there. Roasting chestnutsHow I loved to eat them back in NY as a child, they were sweet & crunchy, I've roasted them at home on a grill and they almost taste like the ones sold on the street, sweet memories. Packing techniqueThe 45 degree packing technique interlocks the wooden crates in the low sided wagon and avoids the slipping and sliding of flat stacking. One strap was sufficient. Speed was probably under 10 mph and even less in turns. Get yer hot nutsThey were still selling them in Baltimore in the early fifties. My favorite vendor was a man along the infamous Block, an adult entertainment center. His song went, Hey get yer hot nuts. Hey get yer hot nuts. Get 'em from the chestnut man. American ChestnutAny chestnut vendor in the States is likely to be selling European chestnuts because nearly all American chestnut trees were wiped out by a blight in the first half of the 20th century. Over 3 billion trees were killed by the blight. (The Gallery, Baltimore, DPC, Streetcars)
Light Street: 1906
Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1906. "Light Street looking north." 8x10 inch dry ... referred to as "the polyester of brick." Speaking of Baltimore Do you take requests? I just finished watching the HBO series "The Wire", which was shot on location in many of Baltimore's old, working-class neighborhoods. In the show, there were a lot of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 6:47pm -

Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1906. "Light Street looking north." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Oh Wise OneDave, please enlighten the poor clueless Shorpsters such as myself.How can I say this any other way but, what is that appendage on that guy's behind? [Looks like a small pillow or cushion attached to his pants. Or possibly a patch that needs patching. Where's a Pantitorium when you need one? - Dave] Gone?I'm gonna guess this is near the present day Inner Harbor. Googling along Light Street, I found many examples of what John Waters once referred to as "the polyester of brick." Speaking of BaltimoreDo you take requests? I just finished watching the HBO series "The Wire", which was shot on location in many of Baltimore's old, working-class neighborhoods. In the show, there were a lot of great shots of now decaying neighborhoods filled with slightly sagging row houses on streets paved with bricks. I would love to see those neighborhoods in better times. It broke my heart to see such charming neighborhoods in such a state of disrepair. As for this picture: Spectacular! This must be one of the most condensed and crowded scenes I've seen on Shorpy's. Holey Pillow-pants, BatmanIf it's a pillow, I can't imagine what use it might have. Unless, perhaps, it's for piles. I would have thought, though, that a less obvious and more expansive cushioning bight have done a better job. [If you ever had to pilot a horse wagon over brick and cobblestone all day long, you might be able to imagine. - Dave] Which is why I was wondering why it's so small. You'd think it would need to cover a bit more of his backside. Personally, I'd simply use a cushion. However, I wonder if he (or more importantly, his wife) knows his posterior has been preserved for posterity.... What an amazing photo!Thank you for answering my first question about the strange pants on the man on the wagon. I have two others: 1.) How old were those rowhouses when these photos were taken? 2.) Why are all those men standing on the curb at the lower left? [Gravity. - Dave] Men's WorkThere's not one woman visible in this photo! Traffic jamWow, this is indeed a spectacular photo! You post one every couple of weeks, Dave, that could be studied for hours. It's amazing just how busy things are. All the little details are incredible -- like the horse that's being fed atop a crate on the lower right. Keep up the great work! SpottedThere is one woman, barely visible, under the second arch to the right. You can just see her skirts and apron. Light and LombardThe building with the white "Hunter" flag (about midway up on the left) is still there (22 Light Street) but not much else. It's the third building on the left in the Street View image. View Larger Map Just Amazing!I can't get over the high quality of this shot! So much going on the the picture, too. I almost feel as though I could click a "play" button and watch it come to life. I believe the location is just below present day Pratt St., on what would be the west side of Light St., where the Verizon Building is today. The pier buildings on the right would occupy the space of McKeldin fountain. Light Street 1912The rowhouse businesses on the left had been torn down by the time of the 1912 photo below (looking southeast from Light and Pratt Sts. toward Federal Hill Park). Photo courtesy of Kilduffs.com (The Gallery, Baltimore, DPC, Horses, Stores & Markets)
Inside Track: 1943
April 1943. Baltimore, Maryland. "Trucks and trains unloading goods underneath elevated ... into storage units. View Larger Map Baltimore Terminal Warehouse The building on the left that survives is the Baltimore Terminal Warehouse, which was built in 1894 with an addition in 1912. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/17/2014 - 6:46pm -

April 1943. Baltimore, Maryland. "Trucks and trains unloading goods underneath elevated trolley." Medium format negative by Marjory Collins. View full size. The Guilord Avenue Elevated RailwayBegan at Guilford Ave. and Chase Street and ended at Guilford Ave. and Saratoga Street. That was a distance of 8 blocks. The line was discontinued in 1947 and razed. The photo is of the intersection of East Pleasant St. and Guilford Ave. Here is a present day street view of that intersection. The building on the left survives and has been converted into storage units. View Larger Map Baltimore Terminal WarehouseThe building on the left that survives is the Baltimore Terminal Warehouse, which was built in 1894 with an addition in 1912. Not So Pleasant StreetAbout two blocks west of JellyBelly's location map is an infamous hill known to many a teenager and adult of mid-century Baltimore. In the 40's and 50's before the Maryland DMV moved to Glen Burnie if you lived in Baltimore the driving tests were taken on the streets of Baltimore with real traffic and not in a fenced in trafficless parking lot. The terror and bane of all aspiring drivers came when the Tester told you to make a left off of Guilford onto Pleasant and go up to St Paul Street and make a right. Sounds simple now but in those days most cars were gear shifts and not automatics. Back then there was a stop sign at the top of Pleasant instead of a light thus you had to come to a complete stop and look for traffic coming your way, change gears while alternately playing with the clutch and gas pedals so you wouldn't stall out or drift back too far or go ahead into the cross traffic. Fortunately DMV had moved when my driving test time came and I didn't have to worry about that hill and it's been so long since I have had to shift gears I'm not sure if I could pass that test now with out a lot of practice. +71Below is the same view from July of 2014. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Marjory Collins, Railroads)
Backyard Picnic: 1960
... as to look for their home, which was at 4003 Fleetwood in Baltimore. There are old listing photos still online at https://www.redfin.com/MD/Baltimore/4003-Fleetwood-Ave-21206/home/111403... Two stood out to me. The ... and Kermit H. Sanders? The house at 4003 Fleetwood in Baltimore looks like a match. I understand many houses were mass produced. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/29/2023 - 10:10am -

        We dedicate this golden (Kodachrome) oldie to picnic-partakers everywhere. Happy Memorial Day weekend from Shorpy! June 1960 somewhere in Maryland. "Picnic in yard." Janet, of Kermy and Janet, pointing at the camera. Who wants more potato salad? View full size. Ashtrays and lightersI too remember lots of ashtrays. And lighters or matches. An older brother and I were accused of trying to burn the house down one time. Of course, it is all his fault, I was the innocent one. He had the lighter. It is surprising that no one is smoking. IDEAL brand ketchupThe IDEAL brand ketchup was the store brand of the American Stores Co. ("ACME" stores). Love the coffee mugLove the coffee mug directly below the young girl's pointing finger. I've got a set of about 8 of those that my dad and his hunting buddies used during their annual deer hunting week at our cottage in northern Wisconsin. Everyone had their name painted on their mug. The guys are all gone now and those mugs have become a treasure to me. Table Still Going StrongMy father bought an identical solid redwood picnic table in southern California, in 1960 no less (a year before I was born in LA). We moved back to northern Missouri in 1963 to be closer to Mom's parents and that was one of the very few large items that made the move. It served as our kitchen table for a few years. It's been refinished a few times and is showing its age (Missouri winters are rough compared to LA's) but is still in use up on my deck and I hope to pass it on. But me,I'll take the radio. Sheesh, that's unusual ?When I was a kid everybody had that table. Not just had, but burntWhen our parents' picnic table reached the age of about 40 years and had rotted to the point that it was structurally finished, my youngest brother and I threw it on the bonfire and watched the flames leap higher than a man, a long-suppressed wish of ours. Bonus treat was the unexpected sight of it burning: looked like a giant BBQ grill on fire. Nice smell, too, the cedar. Picnics are made oftasty Heinz pickles and some kind of generic local-brand ketchup. Otherwise, everything else seems homemade, as it was back then. And don't forget real Dixie brand cups, the only kind being sold then. [There were many brands of paper cups. A major competitor starting around 1920 was the Lily Cup. - Dave] TablesHubby and I have two of them out back, both gotten at auctions. SeatingI love the variety of chairs: the plastic web loungers, the wooden-frames with canvas backs & seats and that metal one that most likely leave a scallop-shaped impression in your back. By the way, the ketchup is "Ideal," the house brand of the local Acme Market. Dixie vs Hard PlasticNotice a stack of Dixie Cups on the table, but we are drinking from the durable, washable plastic tumblers. The two "Dixies" that are upright have spoons in them. Maybe to serve Aunt Dora's special homemade relish? From the way they are stacked, I'll bet the plastic utensils get washed too. Scalloped SeatingI sold a set of four of those and a matching round table on Craigslist last year. Same color, probably about the same vintage. How about some Kool-Aid?Looks like what's being ladled into those Dixie cups is red Kool-Aid. The favorite drink of kids from the era. I have the radio, butI'd like a pair of those striped chairs, please. Kool-AidBack in the day when "red" was a flavor, at least to the kids. Always kids to play withI was 5 in the summer of 1960, about the age of those kids. Born at the peak of the Baby Boom, there were always kids my age around. Also between that and Sputnik, we always had new books and desks in school too, not to mention new buildings and young teachers. Where are the ashtrays?Hard to believe we have a photo from 1960 and not an ashtray in sight! I was 9 in the summer of 1960 and every mom but one that I knew smoked. If they were like my mom and were married during the WWII years and worked they picked up the habit then. As for the younger moms seeing the older ladies smoke and the massive advertising rush of the 50's convinced the others they should smoke. Humble pleasuresThese sensible moms used a bath towel as a tablecloth; an excellent idea. As was always the case with gatherings like this, everyone is nicely dressed. I see Grandad in the background. This occasion must have taken place on a weekday while the dads were at work. It's Seems Complete, But...Where is the Jello mold? I am of a similar vintage, and trust me--whatever gathering, whatever state you were in and whatever picnic especially--there was always, invariably a Jello mold. Subversives, maybe? TupperwareWe always had a bucket of Kool-Aid in a Tupperware container just like the one at this picnic. Ashtrays in the backyard?Not in our 1960. The butts went in the grass under your foot, or they were "flicked" across the yard by most men to be stomped on by us boys. Also, there appears to be an airline size pack of menthols near the second blue cup. Not our backyard picnics!If we were going to have a picnic, it would be when Dad took the family on a road trip and we'd stop for a break. If we were going to eat in the backyard, the picnic table would be covered in newspapers, a bushel of steamed crabs dumped out on top (covered in Old Bay seasoning) and bottles of Black Label beer for the adult beverage and iced tea for the kids. Surely, they did not get store-boughtIn my 1960s childhood, Memorial Day gatherings in the backyard with family always included homemade ice cream. When my parents hosted, my father somehow convinced his three sons it was a privilege to turn that crank until your arm could crank no more. Inexplicably, the next brother would be standing there, waiting for his turn. That was some good ice cream. For someone with superior search skillsWhen Dave posted Hawkeye Troop: 1956 in 2012 (see the Kermy and Janet link), noelani wished we had access to the 1950 Census so we could look for a boy named Kermit in Overlea, Maryland. The 1950 Census is now available. I am mediocre at searching for my family members; but I looked for Kermit, born 1948 in Maryland, and found two possibilities. One has a sister named Janet, but she is three years younger than Kermit and the Janet in the picnic photograph looks like an older sister to me. Someone with superior search skills is welcome to show me how it's done. Click to embiggen Doug Floor Plan for the Win!I'm on Ancestry right now, and there is huge evidence that the 2nd census listing he posted is indeed Shorpy's Kermy and Janet. I don't even know what to link to, there's so much stuff. I too thought that Janet was older than Kermy, but the little blonde boy in this photo is not Kermy - look at this to see Kermy in 1957: https://www.shorpy.com/node/16626 And then this to see Janet the same year: https://www.shorpy.com/node/16641 I even went so far as to look for their home, which was at 4003 Fleetwood in Baltimore. There are old listing photos still online at https://www.redfin.com/MD/Baltimore/4003-Fleetwood-Ave-21206/home/111403... Two stood out to me. The one with the fireplace looks like the one in this photo of Janet: https://www.shorpy.com/node/20476 And the one taken from the back porch looks like the porch in this "Backyard Picnic" photo. I'll stop before I'm arrested for stalking. But there's so much more ... Let's ask DaveThanks for the credit, jckazoo, but you're the one who identified Kermy as the elder child. One thing I've learned reading Shorpy is, you don't tell Dave, you ask. Dave, are these kids Kermit H. "Kermy" and Janet C. Sanders, children of Anna and Kermit H. Sanders? The house at 4003 Fleetwood in Baltimore looks like a match. I understand many houses were mass produced. But the bottom of the window to the left of the fireplace is the same in relationship to the fireplace mantel, the mantels are identical, the bricks are the same make, and there are six rows of bricks between the underside of the mantel and the top of the firebox. The back porches are long with identical posts and parapet wall, and the door to inside is at the top of the steps. The only difference is in 1960 the house is clad in cedar shakes and I'm not sure it is in the Realtor photos. Click to embiggen Late to the DanceI was just about to post the Sanders family 1950 US Census info, but Doug Floor Plan and jckazoo already have done all that work. Well done great sleuths! Still with usA follow-up to my previous post: while their parents have been gone for 10 years, Kermy and Janet are still among us, both in their 70s, which is why I didn’t want to post much more about what I found. It is tempting to reach out to them to tell them about Shorpy, but that’s not my place. Maybe Dave ... ? [We would love to hear from Kermy and Janet! - Dave] DejavuI was the same age as the boy in the stripes in 1960. That definitely brings back some memories! (Kermy Kodachromes, Kids)
Trackless Trolley: 1943
April 1943. "Baltimore, Maryland. Rushing to catch the trackless trolley home from work at 4 ... Collins made good use of fill-in flash for this shot. Baltimore transit Here is a link to baltimore streetcar museum: ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/30/2013 - 1:41pm -

April 1943. "Baltimore, Maryland. Rushing to catch the trackless trolley home from work at 4 p.m." Basically an electric bus. Medium format nitrate negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. What's in a name?We used to call them trolley buses. They seemed to be the transition from trolleys to gas/diesel powered buses. Clever MarjoryMs. Collins made good use of fill-in flash for this shot. Baltimore transitHere is a link to baltimore streetcar museum: http://www.baltimorestreetcar.org/carstock.html http://www.trolleybuses.net/bal/bal.htm Still rollingVehicles of this type are still very much in use in San Francisco, where they're called "trolley buses." They're very good for climbing hills that regular diesel buses wouldn't be able to make. GlendaleI remember riding the trolley buses in Glendale, CA when I was small. Occasionally the trolley pole would jump off of the overhead wires and the driver would have to reach up, with a long pole, and reconnect the shoe to the power line. Very exiting for a small child, with all of the sparking and drama. The Trackless Trolley War ConnectionThe pictured trackless trolley was noteworthy in 1943 because it was one of very few such vehicles that were allowed to be constructed nationwide during the war because of metal and tire shortages. Baltimore was heavy on war production plants and needed more transit vehicles to move the masses to work (notice that they are women factory workers). The fact that these buses did not use gasoline, which was also in very short supply, further lent credence to their special government dispensation allowing them to be constructed. The builder was Pullman Standard Mfg. Co. of Worcester, Mass and this particular group was retired around 1958. The bus looks like a Pullman Standard, from about 1940. Rode them frequently in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a lad during the early fifties. They were replaced later by larger Marmon Harringtons. These electric vehicles were very quick. Although I never witnessed such an occasion, I understand an aggressive driver could snap an axle on one if not careful. Still Rolling in Cambridge, Mass., tooComplete with sparking poles when the shoe comes off the wire. I was fascinated by these buses when I first moved here in 1981. Now they're just an everyday part of the scenery. Seattle still has lotsAnd also up the road in Vancouver, BC. Saskatoon Trolley BusesThey were called trolley buses around here too. The Saskatoon Transit System shut down street car operations here in 1950 and replaced them with trolley buses. I have mixed memories of them. Thet're generally quite nice to ride in and fairly quiet when compared to a diesel bus. On the other hand in a Saskatchewan winter they could be only slightly warmer than the outside air. As well it inevitably happened that the poles would jump off the overhead wiring in the winter due to ice build-up - usually at a turn or a junction point with another line - tying up traffic until the driver got the pole back in place. Saskatoon eventually sold our trolley buses - made by Canadian Car & Foundry under license from Brill - in 1973, not quite 25 years after the street car service ended. In the typically foresighted manner of our local government the trolley bus system was scrapped during the 1973 energy crisis. The cars were sold to Vancouver still operates a trolley bus system. CurblinerWhen trolley buses were first introduced in Des Moines, Iowa, there was a contest to name them. The winner was "Curbliner," and it became common usage in the city. Don't know that they've ever been called by that name anywhere else. Happy pairThese two are looking pretty happy after a day's work. Ms Collins got herself and us a delightful image. Saskatoon to VancouverI was driving trolley buses in Vancouver in 1973 when we received the second-hand Canadian Car Brill trolleys from Saskatoon. They arrived in mint condition, and ran for another 11 years in Vancouver. The photo shows the original Saskatoon number and paint scheme on the right, and the new Vancouver version on the left. Everyone but my wife agreesThis photo could not have been taken in 1943 because the young lady on the right HAS to be my wife, and she (allegedly) wasn't born back then. Regardless, that's the spitting image of my Rebecca at 19, except she never let her hair poof quite like a poodle, though it would be trivial to do so. I'm now starting to wonder if I'm married to the eternal woman, the "Methusalah Girl", based on this picture Dave. Double-decker trolleysAs a kid growing up in Portsmouth England during the 1950s, I loved riding the double-decker trolleys. Up front, up top. When one of the arms fell off the overhead wires, the amazingly long re-attachment pole had to be hauled out of a long tube running down the side of the bus. It was all a bit too difficult to wield that long thing properly for some conductors, and the driver sometimes had to hop out and help, especially when the trolley-bus was far off its usual intended course, making it difficult to latch the fallen arm on the wire again. Much quieter and quicker of course than the diesel buses used on other routes. When we emigrated to Canada, Halifax still had trolley buses, then in '68 they replaced them with the noisiest buses ever made, that GM thing with the big front window. Never was quiet in town again for 25 years with those braying things, which sounded like a thousand fingernails being torturously scraped across a blackboard. And they called it progress. It just made a totally annoying din and stank of diesel. If you lived on or near a street with a bus route, sleep was impossible until they shut down around midnight. The trolley bus was my favourite. Never liked streetcars and screaming wheel flanges on turns with the clunking over points and each rail. Electric buses. We'll soon see them again for everyone's sanity, but probably the week after I start pushing up the daisies, worst luck. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Marjory Collins, Streetcars)
Let's Do Launch: 1943
May 1943. "Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards, Baltimore, Maryland. Portraits of the workers who turn out 'Liberty' ship cargo ... Merchant Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic. The Baltimore yard built Liberty Ships, eventually 384 of them, along with LSTs ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/01/2023 - 3:01pm -

May 1943. "Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards, Baltimore, Maryland. Portraits of the workers who turn out 'Liberty' ship cargo transports, during lunch hour or on rest period." 4x5 inch acetate negative by Arthur Siegel for the Office of War Information. View full size. Juan de la cruz is awesomeThe photo with "What is being said"? is different from the original "Let's Do Launch". Either Mr. de la Cruz has astounding Photoshop skills or it is the second in a series of pix. Either way it is a personality plus photo. [I added the photo to show what they were laughing at. - Dave] Short-lived but crucialThe Birmingham-Fairfield Shipyard existed for less than five years. It was one of two yards (the other in Portland, Oregon) constructed under the 1941 Emergency Shipbuilding Program. The emergency? Even though the U.S. was still officially neutral, it had to react to the severe losses of the British Merchant Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic. The Baltimore yard built Liberty Ships, eventually 384 of them, along with LSTs (Landing Ship, Tanks) and Victory ships. What is being saidWould love to know what is causing all the smiles. What is the conversation. If I had the editing skills, I'd add balloons to each of people with, starting from right to left: "Say what?" "Can't be true!" "He really did that?" "Yup, I saw him -- " And then I run out of conversation. Someone else, with better imagination, can carry on. Dave - Thank you for adding it. Wish I could take credit for it, but I can't. It is as fun a photo as the original. Lots of smiles. And I really wish I could hear the comments! Brown bagsFrom what I can see, they all brown bag their lunch. I wonder why none of them has a black, domed top, metal lunchbox with a handle? [Because when a metal lunchbox falls on your head from 50 feet up, it hurts. - Dave] Point taken. The other observation I have is about the guy sitting fourth from the right, including the man sitting on the bottom step. I'm pretty sure he was a football lineman. He's a big guy and he's wearing what appears to be a varsity letter on his sweater. Waxed paperWhen I was a kid we didn't have plastic sandwich bags. A sandwich wrapped in wax paper worked just fine. At the lunch table, I could lay it flat for a clean place to lay my lunch out on. Occasionally, I'll still wrap a sandwich in wax paper. The S.S. John W. Brownwas assembled at the Baltimore shipyard in 1942, and is one of two surviving fully operational Liberty Ships preserved in the United States. It is docked in Baltimore, and open for tours and living history cruises. https://www.ssjohnwbrown.org/ Looks like Central CastingEach one of these guys looks like some character actor. Especially the fellow in the white sweater, I'm sure I've seen him in a Bowery Boys picture. Good bunch of guysThere's lots of nice body language in this shot. I especially like the fellow, lower center, leaning back into the legs of the guy behind him, who is gesturing with a touch to the shoulder. And, of course, they are of different races -- in a time that racial segregation was widely legal and widely practiced. VarietyThat's quite a collection of headgear. The man with the bill-less cap probably is wearing it backward, not because it was the style but possibly because he wears a welder's mask when he's working. Today you would probably see uniform OSHA-approved hard hats. And you wouldn't see any cable-knit sweaters. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, WW2)
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