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The Apprentice: 1911
... Miss. "Alma Croslen, 3, daughter of Mrs. Cora Croslen, of Baltimore. Both work at Barataria Canning Co. (shucking oysters). The mother ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/26/2009 - 6:23pm -

February 1911. Biloxi, Miss. "Alma Croslen, 3, daughter of Mrs. Cora Croslen, of Baltimore. Both work at Barataria Canning Co. (shucking oysters). The mother said, 'I'm learnin' her the trade.'" Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. I know they are poor...but don't they ever wash their childrens' clothes? The Apprentice: 1911This is Joe Manning, of the Lewis Hine Project. I just did two hours of searching every data source I could find. Cora and her husband, Henry, are listed in the 1910 census, living in Biloxi. He is a fisherman, she an "oyster opener." Their surname is spelled Croslen. But there is no Alma living with them. In fact, they are listed as never having had any children. Cora and Henry disappear into thin air after 1910. And Alma does not show up in a single data base, ever. Whatever happened to them? We may never know. A load of laundryI invite anyone to wash a week's worth of laundry by hand, with only washtubs and a scrubbing board and maybe a hand-cranked wringer, with what water you could carry from the pump two buckets at a time and heat on your wood stove, and with -- if you were lucky enough to afford it -- a bar of Octagon soap which you've flaked with a kitchen knife. Apprentice: 1911Joe Manning again. This is shaping up to be quite a story. Two days ago, I received an email from a Shorpy reader. “I looked at the 1910 census record for the Croslins and saw that a neighbor, age 3, was named Alma. Her mother was also an oyster opener. Parents given as Peter and Angelina Alvells. In the 1920 census, Peter and Angelina ALVES, with Alma, are still there. In 1930, Peter is gone but Alma Olier and her husband live with Angelina Alves. Alma and Angelina work for a seafood company. Hope this helps in your search. –Sharon” Boy, did it ever help! Within a few minutes, I had found Alma Alves Olier in the Social Security Death Index. She died in Biloxi in 1987. Before the day was over, I had tracked down Alma’s youngest son and talked to his wife for a few minutes. After I hung up, I went to my computer to print a copy of the photo, so I could mail it out to them. When I did, I accidentally found another photo of Alma, this time with some of her brothers and sisters, identified as the Peter Elvis (obviously Alves) family. Both photos went out in the mail this morning. So the woman in the first photo, Cora, was a neighbor, not Alma’s mother. It makes sense. From the moment I saw the photo, I wondered why she and Alma didn’t look the slightest bit alike. See the other photo and what I have posted so far at: www.sevensteeples.com/almaalves1.html A long lifeWow, Joe, that's great to learn! It sounds as though little Alma didn't have the easiest of lives -- but she had a family and lived into her eightieth year. We can hope she had her fair share of satisfaction as well as struggle. Rest in peace, Alma. Curious about the locationPerhaps Mr. Manning can help with this one (BTW, I adore Mr Hine's work. As a student at the University of Southern Mississippi, I worked some with Dr. Deanne Nuwer, who wrote a series of articles about Lewis Hine and his photographs of coastal seafood plants.) As a coast rat, I'm intensely curious: Is there any indication of the location of this photo (ie: street address)? The Barataria plant was at the foot of Reynoir Street, and many of the "barracks-style" houses were on Callivet. However, I don't think they had fences. Thanks for any info, and thanks for posting this one close to Katrina's anniversary. Re: The LocationThe 1910 census indicates that Alma lived in a labor camp on East Beach Street, no house number given. Alma Alves, The Apprentice: 1911“It was hard times back then. That house they were living in looks like a rundown shack. I’d seen some of those shacks down in Biloxi when I was a kid. You could see through the walls when you went in them.” –Joseph Olier, son of Alma Alves (not Croslen) This is Joe Manning again, of the Lewis Hine Project. I interviewed Alma's son and daughter-in-law. Alma's life was a struggle, but she raised a nice family who loved her, and she lived a long life. You can my story of Alma at: http://morningsonmaplestreet.com/2015/01/18/alma-alves/ Alma AlvesWell, I just read through the series of comments following the original photo. All I can say is what I've said before: Shorpy fans are the best! Thank you all and thank you, Dave, for giving us this forum.Happy holidays. Makes It WorthwhileThanks to Joe for this follow-up report. I appreciate his efforts and his keeping Shorpy informed. Learning about these folks is the payback for having to read some of the, shall we say, less than sensitive comments that show up occasionally. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Underground Railroad: 1943
January 1943. "Chicago, Ill. A Baltimore & Ohio Railroad train about to depart from Union Station via the ... The train is in Chicago. The caption on the train says "Baltimore and Ohio" and we are told that the train is running along the "Alton Road to Saint Louis." Is it going to Baltimore, Ohio, or St. Louis and what is it doing in Chicago? ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/03/2013 - 11:52am -

January 1943. "Chicago, Ill. A Baltimore & Ohio Railroad train about to depart from Union Station via the Alton Road to Saint Louis." The streamliner Abraham Lincoln. Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size. Great PhotoAn excellent photo. Trouble is that the B&O used Chicago Grand Central station until it was torn down, then they switched to Union Station. I'm confused hereOkay, this may be a dumb question but I don't know much about trains so that's my excuse. The train is in Chicago. The caption on the train says "Baltimore and Ohio" and we are told that the train is running along the "Alton Road to Saint Louis." Is it going to Baltimore, Ohio, or St. Louis and what is it doing in Chicago? ["Baltimore & Ohio Railroad" is the name of the company, founded in 1827. -tterrace] Seventy years later The view is the same except for the rolling stock. B&O at Union StationBaltimore and Ohio acquired control of the Chicago and Alton RR in 1930, and renamed it the Alton Railroad. The B&O retained control of the ARR until 1943 when it regained its independence. The Alton RR disappeared again in 1947 with its merger into the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio RR Syatem. C&A trains into Chicago used Union Station, along with the PRR, CB&Q and the Milwaukee Road. B&O Main line trains to the East Coast continued to use Grand Central Station while they had control of the Alton, hence the photograph of the Abraham Lincoln at Union Station. B&O owned/controlled the Altonuntil March 1943 when it regained it's independence after 12 years. That's why this train is leaving Chicago Union Station headed for St. Louis (using B&O equipment) on the Chicago & Alton Railroad rather than leaving Central Station where the other B&O trains terminated in this era. B&O had no trackage of it's own as a direct route Chicago to St. Louis. Today Amtrak is upgrading this line for 110 mph "Lincoln Service" Chicago to St. Louis. Jack DelanoMy hero! Another terrific train photo. Same train, different endHere's what the front end of the Abraham Lincoln looked like. Beautiful! According to Wikipedia, the train consisted of a baggage mail car, three coaches, a diner car, two parlor cars (see attached interior image), and the observation car we see in the photo at the end. A survivorThe Abraham Lincoln and its counterpart Ann Rutledge were mostly aluminum train sets originally ordered by the B&O. The rivets in the photo help identify them as aluminum; most lightweight cars were welded steel but aluminum welding techniques were not widely used until the mid-40's. Thus aluminum lightweights used the traditional riveted construction. The B&O initially trialed the aluminum sets on the Royal Blue between New York and Washington D.C., but found the ride to be too rough for their premier service. The train sets were sent to the Alton, where they served on the Chicago-St. Louis route through GM&O ownership and into the 60's. You can still go see the observation car in this photo, fully restored and complete with its drumhead sign, at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. Alton Aboard!To add possibly a little light to the subject, Alton, Illinois is a smallish town north of St. Louis, about eight miles up the Mississippi from its confluence with the Missouri. Without regard to the vicissitudes of track ownership, etc., you can trace the rail line north from Alton to Chicago, through towns such as Springfield and yes, **Lincoln**, Illinois, roughly along the path of Interstate 55. Likewise, heading south from Alton, you generally follow the path of the river (or at least, the Chain of Rocks Canal) crossing the river on the lower level of the 1909 Free Bridge (since 1942 called the MacArthur Bridge, as in, Douglas), and easing into the rail yards on the Missouri side. As an aside, the upper level of the MacArthur Bridge carried Route 66 for a time. Now it is closed to vehicular traffic. After much searchingthis train was royal blue and light grey in colour, the coaches were reworked heavy-weight older coaches instead of new aluminum cars being introduced. Lincoln ServiceInterestingly (or, perhaps, not) Amtrak's daily train between Chicago and St. Louis is called the Lincoln Service. Also survivingis the Locomotive from this train, #50, sans shovel nose. It is also at the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgilber0/3641221095/ Abraham Lincoln / Ann Rutledge Passenger TrainsOne train was aluminum and the other was Cor-Ten steel. (The Gallery, Chicago, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Meats Coke Fruits: 1942
... stores from the past As a kid growing up in 1950s Baltimore, the corner stores were part of daily life. Embedded in the corners ... and a pharmacy with an oldtime soda fountain. Today, Baltimore's corner stores have been replaced by liquor stores or simply ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/16/2017 - 2:54pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1942. "Car in front of Shulman's Market on N at Union Street S.W." 4x5 Kodachrome transparency by Louise Rosskam. View full size. Thanks for the color!Never mind the color naysayers. The color photos are amazing. Keep 'em coming! :-) colorized??I'm sorry, anyone thinking the color shots have been "colorized" must have issues with their vision. You do understand though, this is not 2042. I'm just sayin'...."Shorpy - The 100-Year-Old Photo Blog" and all...not that I mind the color or the more "recent" pictures. They are all fascinating. Long live Shorpy! Love the carAnother great picture. Interesting to see how worn the car is. By the way, do you have Prince Albert in a can? Then you better let him out! James clerk MaxwellI read an account that maxwell stumbled into and 'lost' an apparent color process. Sorry it's an unsourced and unqualified assertion; i cannot remember where i saw that.. :( but that there is surviving examples My God, I can't get over theMy God, I can't get over the quality of these....I don't think I've ever seen any color photos this old look as good as these do. If the year hadn't been posted, I would've thought these were taken on some recent movie set or whathaveyou. Absolutely gorgeous! Colors areColors are gorgeous! Interesting to see the graffiti scratched into the store window. A store in this same location today would likely have the same vandalism. Love Shorpy! An everyday stop for me now. GraffitiSomeone soaped the windows -- scribbled on them with a bar of soap. What kids did back before spray paint. And thanks -- Shorpy loves you too! What short memories we haveDoes anyone remember that The Wizard of Oz was released in 1939? The first movie shot in color was The Gulf Between (1917). Color Pictures in 1942At the date of this picture, color was widely available but was a premium process that was expensive. But if you've ever seen naval war footage of 1942 it's mostly in color because the Navy began using it, interestingly the Army in Europe didn't. Very nice sceneNice, very nice shot. It's amazing how the image is sharp. How is the photographer that took it? [Louise Rosskam died in 2003 at the age of 93 - Dave] N and Union: 1942Wonderful shot. Colourised? Colorized? I sincerely doubt that anyone has that degree of virtuosity, although Photoshop ace Tom Maroudas comes pretty close. (See http://precodecinema.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html and http://precodecinema.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html for details.) I remember reading an article by Andreas Feininger about the super qualities of Kodachrome when it was 10 ASA (ISO) and came in 8" X 10" format. Apparently, he took some Kodachrome pictures in that format back in 1937, and once developed he put them in a drawer in his darkroom where it was permanently dark and arid. In the '80s he was cleaning out his darkroom and found the perfectly preserved pictures is the same condition as they were over forty years before. The colours were vivid and the contrast had not changed. Amazing film. I hope that the digital medium can come within hailing distance of this marvelous film. (And as an advocate of digital, I am not holding my breath.) Soaped WindowsLooks like they "soaped" the car windows, too. Although it appears they used paraffin wax, not soap. It came in blocks and was used to seal the top of jams & jellies. Doesn't come off with water - you have to use gas or kerosene, or a razor blade. Kids caught doing this when I was young got the "pleasure" of removing it, too (not that I have any personal experience or anything... ;^) And is that a picture of Hitler in the window? The carThe car in this picture, a Model A Ford, is 10 to 12 years old. Old color photosThis is such a magnificent photograph. I remember, as a child, assuming the whole world was colorless, since all the"old" photos I saw were b/w. Here is a link to WW-I color photos, they are incredible. http://www.worldwaronecolorphotos.com/ The CarYou have the age right, make wrong. It's a 1931 Chevrolet. Wonderful shot, Shorpy! Pictures in the windowNot sure about old Adolph in the window of Shulman's Market, but I do recognize Il Duce - Benito Mussolini on the left side. Maybe and advertisement for some magazine or some sort of patriotic screed against the various "rats" the US was now at war with. Rationing stickerThe windshield has a gas rationing sticker, the letter "A" on the passenger side. That was the basic gas allowance, "B", "C", etc, allowed more gasoline to be purchased by the car owner. I believe the "A" allowance was 5 gallons a week and ration stamps were required. Colorized?Why would people think that these were colorized? seriously, how dumb can you get? XD So vibrant back then; I love the little boy just wandering about... So little has changed.It's amazing, some of DC still looks so close to this that I could almost imagine this photo being taken today. In fact, I'm almost up for going to that corner to see if those building still stand. Even the painted blue is the same color you see almost everywhere today. [Good luck finding that intersection. - Dave] Color Film from KodakKodak's new color film for home photographers was first displayed and demonstrated, but not sold, in the "Palace of Photography" at the 1935-1936 California Pacific International Exposition in San Diego. It went on the market the following year. More than 400 natural color film processes were patented, and many of them marketed to the public, from the 1890s through the early 1930s, before Kodachrome dominated the market with its superior quality and relative ease of processing at Kodak labs. New ExcitementSeeing these pictures of N and Union Streets has brought out a whole new range of excitement for my family. We were raised on N Street, at that corner, and spent all the wartime years living there, through all the blackouts and air raid drills, and day-to-day living. We got groceries at that store, played street football on that corner, played Kick the Can on those sidewalks, and lived harmoniously in the racially mixed neighborhood, not realizing at the time just how "rich" we really were. Thanks a million for producing those pictures. Love these Old DC photos. Love these Old DC photos. This one's getting close to the neighborhood of my great-great grandparents. They lived there in the 1870's - early 1900's. I'm looking for photos during that period in the vicinity of 1513 Half St., SW, 1506 First St., SW; 1342 & 1346 Half St. SE; 62 N. St., SE? My G-G-Grandmother, Mary E. Hunt and Sons Wallace and Newton Cornwell bought property between Half & 1st. Sts, and M & N Sts. SE. and had a brick making business there. My G-G grandparents James & Isabella Storey lived on the SW side of Half Sts. Their daughter Jane and Newton Cornwell married. They are my G-grandparents. We had know idea of them or where they lived until I recently started researching our family tree. Anyone who can help, my email is: ae-mitchell@hotmail.com. I love this site! Herb's MarketI was born in D.C. 1941 and grew up living over my dad's grocery store, a DGS: Herb's Market, 621 Seventh Street N.E., between F and G. Any photos around besides my few taken with my Brownie Hawkeye? Buddy Shulman, the owner of the store in the photograph, was a "cousin" of my mother, or a relative of Buddy's. Also, I think related to Max Shulman. AntennaIt looks like the bottom of what might be an antenna on the roof. The photo pre-dates TV, but I didn't think they used rooftop antennas for radio. Is that what it might be? Or is there something else more likely? [Rooftop radio antennas go back to the 1920s, with many examples here on Shorpy. -Dave] Corner stores from the pastAs a kid growing up in 1950s Baltimore, the corner stores were part of daily life. Embedded in the corners of block-long row houses, our stores were specialized: one provided groceries, another was a meat market; there was a bakery (oh, the smells!), and a pharmacy with an oldtime soda fountain. Today, Baltimore's corner stores have been replaced by liquor stores or simply abandoned -- along with many of the row houses. Many inner urban neighborhoods now complain of "food deserts". It was a different world then. Cheap rent & MeowYears ago when I was in college I rented an apartment above a store. I liked watching the world pass by below. Sometimes I could just stare out the window for thirty minutes, it made me feel like a cat. --great photo. God bless KodachromeI'm always amazed and impressed with the Kodachrome shots shown here at Shorpy. Especially the large format shots in 4x5 and 8x10" formats. Kodachrome was tough to work with given its low ASA/ISO speeds but the sharpness was second to none. The reason that Kodachrome colors are SO stable and don't fade with age is because it was a "dye-additive" film as opposed to films like Ektachrome which were "dye-subtractive". Simply put, Kodachrome's colors were put onto the film during processing and were extremely stable and not prone to fading. Go look at a 50 year old Ektachrome and you'll see the result of dyes fading. Union StreetUnion street is long gone. I found it on a map from 1893. The Car is Not a Model A FordI have been restoring a Model A Ford for 12 years now, with a lot of study of the years they were built 1928-'31, and I was at first taken in by the similarities, however 1. there is no gas tank filler cap (which should be in the center of the windshield on the metal cowling) 2. the cowling shape is '30-31 3. the headlights are '28-29 on a Model A. 4. the hood stamping looks different, and length appears longer than an "A". Even after this, I can't identify the car. Cars built during these years shared many similarities in design. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, D.C., Louise Rosskam, Stores & Markets)
Payday: 1905
Circa 1905. "Payday for the stevedores. Baltimore, Maryland." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing ... for the Di Giorgio Importing & Steamship Company of Baltimore, docking at Bowly’s Wharf. A portion of the cargo would be unloaded ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2013 - 9:44am -

Circa 1905. "Payday for the stevedores. Baltimore, Maryland." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Taken before Feb 7, 1904?The area to the north of the docks in the photo burned in the Great Fire of 1904, which occurred on February 7-8. The buildings in the background of the photo look like they were built in the 19th century and, thus, the photograph likely was taken before the Great Fire. DAY-OLooks like the banana boat came in, and some of the workers got a sample. The banana boatBodø is detailed in this article, near the bottom: "The steamship Bodø was variously described in period newspaper accounts as a United Fruit Company freighter and a Norwegian fruit freighter, but the flag on her funnel indicates that she was registered as an Italian merchant ship. In 1903 the Bodø was one of several ships transporting bananas from Jamaica and Cuba for the Di Giorgio Importing & Steamship Company of Baltimore, docking at Bowly’s Wharf. A portion of the cargo would be unloaded by stevedores on the dockside and sold directly to local wholesalers, while the larger portion was unloaded into Baltimore & Ohio Railroad boxcars on floats on the water side." Bodø's last voyageNew York Times story March 21, 1906. Banana Glut The Baltimore Sun, April 30, 1905. Big Receipts of Bananas Eight steamers arrived last week from Jamaica and Cuba with 142,668 bunches of bananas, which can safely be said to be the largest weekly receipts of that fruit since the inception of the business at this port. The following were the steamers that arrived, the number of bunches and the islands from which they brought the fruit: … Steamer Bodo, Banes, Cuba, 12,716 bunches. … The Bodo was launched 10 June 1894 as the Xenia for Bergh & Helland of Bergen, Norway, by A/S Bergens MV of Bergen. Sold in 1899 to A/S Vesteraalens D/S, Narvik, and renamed Bodo, she was chartered to Di Giorgio but remained under the Norwegian flag. The vessel's funnel marking is that of the Di Giorgio firm, intended to celebrate its Italian origins. The vessel's adventure off Long Island was not its last voyage. Over the next decades she sailed as Plentigen, Polar, Samos, and Ikaria, until broken up in 1928 in Greece. The conversationI look at the two men beneath the helm and imagine a chief mate or officer of the watch telling the head of the stevedores how he wants things loaded, or talking to his boatswain or junior officer teaching him how to properly load or discharge cargo, what to look out for, etc... so cool! (The Gallery, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Meet the Fokker: 1929
... the 'Universal Air Lines System' logo. The Baltimore Sun, September 22, 1929. Largest U.S. Land Plane Is Tested ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/06/2013 - 1:57pm -

Sept. 29, 1929. Washington, D.C. "Fokker F-32 transport plane at Bolling Field." Note unusual back-to-back engine arrangement (and mechanic stationed aft to keep people from being pureed). National Photo glass negative. View full size. Bolling Field Everything you wanted to know about Bolling Field: http://www.airfields-freeman.com/DC/Airfields_DC.htm Also note the building across the river is very near what is now Nationals Park and part of the Navy Yard . StreamlinedHow about that aerodynamic windshield?! Good thing speed and fuel consumption weren't an issue then. 124MThis aircraft was the first of the type built, constructor number 1201. It was also the first to crash, on 27 Nov 1929, just two months after this photo was taken. It crashed at Roosevelt Field while demonstrating a 3-engine takeoff. The second engine on the same side failed making it uncontrollable. There were only two injuries, no fatalities, but the craft was destroyed in the ensuing fire. This photo was taken only 16 days after the plane's first flight. Not the only design bugApart from the poor cooling on the rear engines, their props would also loose efficiency as they would turn in the wake of the forward prop and of all those struts. They would be quite noisy, too, for the same reason. And propellers turning undernath a wing (rather than in front of one) also tend to decrease overall lift, especially at low speed. Not to mention that they skew the spanwise lift distribution, which would increase drag again. But every design is a compromise. The designers had good reasons for what they did. - They needed four engines for their power and for redundancy. - Installing the 2 by 2 reduced adverse yaw if one engine failed. - The nacelles could be suspended close to the struts. - The engines were better accessible for maintenance. - A high wing gets the fuselage closer to the ground overall - a boon when airport facilities consist only of a stool or pedestal. - And so on. Look how close they get to the turning(!) prop. Eeeek!!! That's asking for trouble (of the spattering sort), even with the watchdog in the white overall. The Boeing 747 of its dayAlthough only ten were built and just two made it into scheduled service, the Fokker F-32 was the era’s largest successful passenger plane, with seats for 32 (including two under the cockpit). For 1930 it was quite advanced with two-way radio and two toilets. The push-me pull-me engine design (as such configurations were called later) was chosen to reduce drag from four engine nacelles to two. The rear engines however, as was mentioned, did not cool adequately and their propellers’ efficiency was affected seriously by the two up front. I said "successful" because in 1929 the Germans rolled out the massive, 12-engined Dornier DO-X, with the same push-me pull-me arrangement. Too many problems, however, kept it from the market. Universal Air LinesStill lives on, in a manner of speaking, as a predecessor of American Airlines. A four engine aircraftbuilt in Teterboro N.J. by Fokker America, not very successful from the engine placement, the rear engine could not be cooled properly, 10 were built, they cost $110,000 in 1929. Standard Fokker ConstructionNeat tandem rudder. You can see the cables for the rear control surfaces piercing the fuselage just behind the 'Universal Air Lines System' logo. The Baltimore Sun, September 22, 1929. Largest U.S. Land Plane Is Tested Thirty-Passenger Fokker One of the Five Ordered For Transcontinental Air Service. The largest commercial airplane ever built in American and the largest land plane in the world was tested publicly last week, with results highly gratifying to its designer, Anthony H.G. Fokker. This huge plane is the first of a group of five ordered by the Universal Aviation Corporation for use in its transcontinental services. It has accommodations for thirty passengers in day flights and for night flying can be converted into an aerial Pullman with berths for sixteen. Adequate facilities for the comfort of passengers in the way of lavatories, serving pantries and the like have been provided. From tip to tip of the wind the span is 99 feet, giving a wing area of 1,350 square feet. Its length is 69 feet 10 inches and its height is 16½ feet. The weight empty is 13,800 pounds; fully loaded, 22,500 pounds. The power plant consists of four air-cooled engines, each developing 525 horse power. The engines are arranged in tandem, fore and aft on each side of the cabin. For day flying the plane carries 400 gallons of fuel and 40 gallons of oil, giving it a range of 480 miles. As a night plane, the fuel capacity is 700 gallons, with the increased range to 850 miles. The crew consists of two pilots, a radio operator, one day steward and two night stewards. … In its general form of construction this plane, called the F-32, follows the standard Fokker methods. It has an all-wood veneer covered wing of the cantilever type, and all other structural parts of steel tubing. Windshields plus French FarmansThe forward-slanted windshield was fashionable for passenger aircraft in this era. The slanted winshield helped solve the problem of lighted control panel instruments reflecting off the normally backward-sloping windshield at night, but it turned out that the forward-sloping windshield would reflect ground lights instead, especially during landings. Eventually the drag factor and the introduction of tinted plexigas in the 1930s put paid to this idea of forward sloping windshields. As for the odd four-engine arrangement, the French were still using it with their massive Farman 220 series of airliners and bombers in the 1930s. One of them, the converted airliner "Jules Verne", was the first Allied bomber to bomb Berlin in 1940! When planes had mudflapsThose were the days! Seriously, though, some people thought it worth walking across a muddy field and through a prop wash (must have been fun in cold weather or rain), then putting up with what must have been an incredible vibration and din and a roller coaster ride for several hours. Big Boy!Here’s a look at how massive the F-32 was. In 1931, an earlier Fokker model, an F-10 Trimotor, crashed near Kansas City, Kansas, killing all eight people on board including Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne. One lucky Fokker...was the centerpiece of a Los Angeles filling station through the '30s. The F-32 was purchased from Western Air Express and painted in Mobilgas colors. Fuel islands were put under the broad wings. The ship lit up at night, and the gas monkeys could fire up the forward engines, to the delight of customers. Bob's Air Mail Service Station Tony Fokker's personal F-32, which he'd had kitted out as a plush flying home and office, wasn't so lucky. His business and the country's went to hell at about the same time, and he had to sell the plane. The fuselage ended up in West Virginia as a house trailer, and in the great Ohio Valley floods of 1937, even that was swept away. It's anybody's guess how long Bob's Air Mail plane could have lasted in the elements. The F-32s were all wood except for their chrome-moly fuselage framing. (edit: The plane was scrapped in 1939.) (The Gallery, Aviation, D.C., Natl Photo)
B&O: 1942
... 1942. "Richwood, West Virginia. An engineer on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad." 4x5 inch acetate negative by John Collier for the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/30/2022 - 10:18am -

September 1942. "Richwood, West Virginia. An engineer on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad." 4x5 inch acetate negative by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Springs and pulleys?That is the most unusual view of a locomotive I've ever seen! Looking up from beside the driving wheels, am I seeing leaf springs? I didn't know there were springs on locos! And what are the belt and pulleys for? It appears that the "2" in 4-6-2 has springs to keep it pressed onto the tracks. Can anyone explain? It's sheer weightkeeps it on the tracks. The springs do the same thing the springs in your car do. Don't know about the small pulleys though. Yes, springsAll wheels on railroad rolling stock have both springs and equalizers. The springs support all of the weight, and allow the wheels to follow small irregularities in the track. Equalization allow for larger irregularities in the track, and assures that the weight is properly distributed. In the picture, the lever which links the trailing axle spring to the springs on the driving wheels is partially visible at the far right. Levers are used so that the weight can be less on the trailing axle than on the drivers, for example. Dunno about the pulleysAll locomotives and all rolling stock have some sort of spring suspension, just like highway vehicles. That's no mystery. As for the pulleys? I dunno. It was common in the steam era for passenger cars to have a 32-volt DC generator belt-driven from one of the axles. This would charge a battery, so the lights wouldn't go out when the train stopped. This system was gradually replaced by head-end power, reaching completion in the 1970s, but cabeese continued to use it through the end of the caboose era. I say I dunno because locomotives got their very small electric power requirement (basically just a headlight and dashboard light) through small steam turbines, starting after 1900, when vibration-tolerant light bulbs were developed. Just like automobiles The pulley and belt are part of the power steering mechanism. Pulleys and BeltThe only purpose I can conceive for the pulley and belt would be, perhaps, for a speedometer. It's an arrangement I've not seen before on a steam locomotive. Edited 12/31/22 3:30 pm Yup! Found this, with a bicycle chain drive, in a 1941 steam locomotive parts catalog. Postulating a potential pulley purposeThe top pulley appears to be connected to a mechanism within a bracket-mounted box. A pipe passes behind this box, curves down and ends at some hardware located behind the driver, which may be a steam-operated sander. The box at the top may be a valve equipped with an overrunning clutch that opens when the drivers are reversed to provide traction sand behind the drivers instead of, or in addition to, ahead of the wheels. Or not. This is all just a guess as we mark time waiting for a comment from someone who knows what the heck he/she is talking about. Regardless, the whole setup looks to be very light-duty and unrailroady, as is the bare light bulb below the "P-3" label. Not likely to pass the hammer test. PulleysI surmise it's for a speedometer. Locomotive IDNo. 5123 was a Class P-3 4-6-2 locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1913. Only one 4-6-2, of more than 200 operated by the B&O, survives today. Here's another photo of this locomotive, taken in 1936. Springs on A Steam LocomotiveThis drawing shows how springing and equalization works on a steam locomotive to keep weight evenly distributed over irregularities in the track. Fireman or firemen?A engine that size is approaching, but doesn't exceed, the limits of what one good fireman can handle. Probably a bit over 4 tons per hour. On a passenger engine, such as this one, he was also keeping the floor swept, monitoring the water level in the boiler, and watching track conditions and signals ahead, among other things. Manual firingInfo on the B&O P-3 class is far and few between, did find that the locomotives had no mechanical stoker. Poor fireman who had to shovel in the tons and tons of coal by hand. I wonder if the B&O employed 2 firemen on this type of loco. Been There, Done ThatI've hand fired a steam locomotive of that size and type. Yeah, It's work, but one man can do it. (The Gallery, John Collier, Railroads)
The Oyster Wagon: 1905
Circa 1905. "Unloading oyster luggers at Baltimore." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. ... hat in public unless he is festooned with moustache." Baltimore Public Ordinance 23 of 1902. Arlo Guthrie? The guy in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 7:27pm -

Circa 1905. "Unloading oyster luggers at Baltimore." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Bowlerstache"No man shall wear a bowler hat in public unless he is festooned with moustache." Baltimore Public Ordinance 23 of 1902. Arlo Guthrie?The guy in the front of the picture looks like a young Arlo Guthrie. I've heard of Alice's Restaurant, but Alice's Oyster Bar? [I think it's Richard E. Grant. - tterrace] Those were the days,when oysters were the food of the masses. Pirates of the Chesapeake???Back in those days, nighttime rustling of oysters out in the Bay from beds planted by commecial interests was a popular form of illegal enterprise. As a merchant sailor from Michigan, my mother's father, according to stories he told his children, was part of that trade. The oyster policew were hot on his trail by 1890, so he fled north to New York State and became an insurance man and real estate operator...somewhat of a less exciting job. This is a terrific photo. Wilse Keaton?I think the guy front center looks like Buster Keaton. He has the right hat anyway. Also, front right is a telegraph boy. We have seen many pictures of child laborers with the photographer's seeming disapproval. What did telegraph boys grow up to do for work? $1 per bushelWhoever captioned this photo for the Detroit Publishing Co. did not know their boats. While luggers were common in the Gulf Coast oyster fisheries, on the Chesapeake the dredgers sailed in bugeyes, pungies and skipjacks. The location of the photo is Pratt street; in the background is Pier 1 and the Maryland Lime and Cement Co. Baltimore Sun, January 10, 1903. Many Oysters Brought In At Least 30,000 Bushels Arrive and More Coming. Fifty sailing vessels deeply laden with oysters anchored in the harbor Thursday. It is estimated they contain at least 30,000 bushels of oysters, representing a value of $30,000 or more. Another large fleet is reported bound up from the lower bay, and some of the captains who have had experience in such matters said yesterday that a glut may ensue. Yesterday along the wharves oysters were selling at prices ranging from 80 cents to $1.25 per bushel, according to size, quality and flavor. The demand was not unusually brisk, even for selects, and many captains who arrived early yesterday morning went to bed last night with their cargoes still unsold. Many of the vessels were consigned directly to the packing houses or are running under charter. Many other captains, however, depend solely on the market to dispose of their stock. Among some of these there was a feeling of uneasiness as the fleet continued to grow during the day. At 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon there were 27 deeply laden oysters freighters in Canton Hollow or tied up along the Canton docks, discharging. At Pratt street, between Bowley's wharf and Light street, 23 loaded craft were tied up waiting to unload. Capt. Allen P. Vane, of the schooner Margaret H. Vane, which arrived Tuesday, said yesterday that he passed a large fleet of loaded oyster boats in the lower bay, bound for this port. They were expected to arrive this morning, as the southwest wind must have brought them hurrying up the bay yesterday afternoon. The quantity of oysters now in port exceeds by far any previous day's record since the opening of the present season. Most of them are of fair quality from the York, Putuxent and Rappahannock rivers and from the Western Shore of the bay. Some are from Tangier and are very large. Very few are from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The packing houses there are said to be using all the stock taken in those waters. Practically no oysters are coming from the upper bay and the present season there is said to be a failure. Local packing houses are running with full forces and have no difficulty in securing working stock. The $1.25 quotations yesterday were for select stock from the rocks which can be utilized as barrel stock. The prevailing prices hovered about $1. Shucks!What you say when your oyster wagon tips over... Skipjacks and Buy BoatsThe boats with the masts raked sharply back are skipjacks and bugeys. They would dredge for oysters. Early bugeyes were made from hollowed out logs, like big canoes. The more modern skipjacks appeared late in the 19th century. Buy boats would go around and buy oysters directly from watermen at work on the bay and bring them into Baltimore and other ports to resell. The boats with the more vertical masts are likely buy boats, called luggers, I suppose, in different locales. A sharply raked mast is an advantage when pulling a dredge, but otherwise makes for difficult sailing. Here is a photo of a working skipjack or two that my father took at the Annapolis City Dock in October 1965. The Dock was full of working skipjacks at that time. A banana and oyster sandwichIn the distance is the USS Constellation moored at Pier One Pratt Street today. This is also the same area where Bananas to Baltimore was featured a while back on these pages. Dirty waterI always thought that the water would have been clean, but I daresay, it looked worse then! Oyster warsThe last person killed over oysters was in the 1950's. There are two excellent books about oystering and the attendant violence. "The Oyster Wars" by David Faulkner and "The Oyster Wars of the Chesapeake Bay" by John Wennersten. (If you're interested.) http://www.amazon.com/Oyster-Wars-David-Faulkner/dp/1601455313 http://www.amazon.com/Oyster-Wars-Chesapeake-Bay/dp/061518250X (The Gallery, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Cures Malaria: 1903
Maryland circa 1903. "Baltimore from Federal Hill." Along with a word from our sponsor. 8x10 inch ... London, and Paris. On February 7, 1904, as the Baltimore fire roared towards O’Neill’s store with flames licking the south ... and for the erecting of, a Cathedral Church in the City of Baltimore”. Also he gave his employees the opportunity to become stockholders ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 7:52pm -

Maryland circa 1903. "Baltimore from Federal Hill." Along with a word from our sponsor. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Cures by KillingCures Malaria by killing the mosquitoes. The smoke, that is. Then again, the fish may eat the mosquitoes before they can cause more malaria in the first place, thus reducing the need for the "White Pills". Tom O'Neill's bequestThomas O’Neill was indeed the person who made the Cathedral a reality but it was through a bequest, because when the church was dedicated in 1959, he had been dead for 50 years. I was fortunate enough to have been on the Cathedral’s 50th anniversary planning committee (I designed the anniversary logo), and one of the many things I researched was O’Neill’s story. At the age of 33, he went into a brief partnership to establish his own dry goods store at Charles and Lexington Streets, eventually buying out his partner and expanding his business to four adjoining buildings and nearly 500 employees, with branches in Dublin (he was an Irish immigrant), London, and Paris. On February 7, 1904, as the Baltimore fire roared towards O’Neill’s store with flames licking the south wall, the wind shifted and sent the holocaust eastward and his store escaped becoming one of the 1,300-plus buildings destroyed in a 75-block arc. Fire officials wanted to blow up his store to create a fire break if the winds changed, but he refused and, the legend goes, raced off to a Carmelite convent to enlist the nuns’ prayers (his sister was, well, a Sister there). Whether that story is true or not, his gratitude was real and his will contained this bequest: “All the balance of my estate (including, after the death of my said sisters and brothers, the sum so as aforesaid put aside by my trustees to pay the annuities above mentioned)…as a nucleus for, and for the erecting of, a Cathedral Church in the City of Baltimore”. Also he gave his employees the opportunity to become stockholders and joint owners of his business, with each worker who had two or more years of service gaining a sizable bonus. O'Neill was a trustee of St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys in Baltimore. One of its students, who entered the school in 1902 at age seven, spent 12 years there learning, among other things, how to play baseball. His name was George Herman Ruth, later known as "Babe". Burned UpMuch of what is seen here was burned in the Baltimore Fire of 1904. Directly above the "White Pills" sign is a tall white building, which I believe to be the Continental Trust Building. It became so hot in there during the fire, gratings in the elevator shafts melted. To its left is a Victorian office building with a mansard roof. This would be the Baltimore and Ohio RR offices, built in the 1870's and totally gutted in the '04 fire. The prominent mansard roof down the street to the left is Barnum's City Hotel, also lost in the fire. Both of these structures faced Baltimore Street, still a major east-west street. Along the waterfront are two Bay steamers of the Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Rwy tied up at their freight terminal. Most of these waterfront warehouses, many dating to the early days of the Republic, were burned out. At far left margin is the painted sign of O'Neill's Department Store. At the height of the fire, Mr. O'Neill is supposed to have prayed for the Lord to spare his store, and if He would, O'Neill would build Him a new Cathedral. The store survived, and true to his word, Mr. O'Neill built the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in the northern suburbs of town. Refrigerated boxcarsThe boxcar on the train ferry with "Fruit" and "Ventilated" on its side caught my attention. The answer to early refrigeration in transporting perishable goods was a long time coming. Here is what Wikipedia said: "In 1878 Swift hired engineer Andrew Chase to design a ventilated car that was well insulated, and positioned the ice in a compartment at the top of the car, allowing the chilled air to flow naturally downward. Chase's design proved to be a practical solution." Of course, Swift & Co went on to become very successful. Although I see it is now owned by a Brazilian company. Skeletal ConstructionThe skeleton of a building, to the left of City Hall and faded into the background, appears to be The Belvedere Hotel, built in 1903 and still standing today. Knabe HallNice to see Knabe Hall there. My first piano teacher (after I resumed lessons as an adult) had a Knabe concert grand that was built in the 1890s, and that was a beautiful instrument, on a par with Steinway. Now we knowThat may be where they invented fish oil pills. Two things supposedly good for your health packed in one. I'll have the fish, fillet or steak, and you may keep the pills. Thank you. Mosquito killerCures Malaria by killing the mosquitoes. The smoke, that is. The white liver pills caused smoke to come out that killed mosquitoes? Wow. I'll bet it was deadly to more than mosquitoes! Churches still standingToward the left, you can see the tall pointed steeple of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, completed in 1872 and the twin spires with onion shaped domes of the Basillica of the Assumption, completed in 1821. Both buildings are still standing and in use today. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Little Pete: 1921
... of hours spent at a municipal swimming pool in downtown Baltimore when I was seven years old: the juke box seemed permanently stuck on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/30/2014 - 11:13am -

    Pete Seeger, Champion of Folk Music and Social Change, Dies at 94 May 23, 1921. Washington, D.C. "Professor Charles Louis Seeger and family." Charles Seeger, wife Constance Edson Seeger and their 2-year-old son Pete, of future folkie fame. National Photo Co. Collection glass negative. View full size. Quit That!My mind persists in thinking Dad's got a laptop perched on top of a crate, though I know it ain't so. Pete's brothersWhatever happened to them? A Gifted Violinist Music and Musicians Constance Edson Seeger, of New York, a gifted violinist, and niece of Capt. Templin Potts, U.S.N., retired, of Washington, is visiting this city for two weeks with her husband, Prof. Charles Louis Seeger, a distinguished composer. Last night they gave a lecture and violin recital at the Arts club on "The Trend of Modern Music," illustrated by the playing of rare classical masterpieces and equally rare modern work - a vivid clash between seventeenth and twentieth century ideals. Washington Post, May 22, 1921 Still Going Strong...Pete, of course, is still going as strong as ever in his 90th year up in Beacon, NY, where he has lived for years and has been the driving force for the cleanup of the Hudson River, and the man behind the plan for the sloop Clearwater. I'll always remember his singing of Woodie Guthrie's "This Land" up at the Newport Folk Festival back in the mid-sixties. A related book recommendationI just finished the excellent "The Rest is Noise" by Alex Ross. The book discusses Charles Seeger at length and cites him as an influence on many better-known 20th century American composers. A fascinating read. Still SingingPete Seeger will turn 90 this May. No clue in this serene scene......to the wonderful and tempestuous folk singing career Pete Seeger would have as the Depression crucible forged his world view. As leader of legendary Weavers in the 1940s, and later, as the most extraordinary, if not most controversial, folk voice of the 1960s and beyond, Seeger has indeed rocked the world in his 90 years. GuantanameraI saw him at Yale one winter (mid 60's) where he pleased everyone by performing "Guantanamera" as a singalong. Before singing it he explained the lyrics and the story they told. Later on the tune became a hit on the folk charts by other artists. Must 've been doing something right (or left)My extreme right-wing father hated him. This was a man who, mind you, voted for George Wallace for president in 1968! The kindest (?) word he ever had for Pete Seeger was "commie." So a very happy 90th to this living American National Treasure, who irritated every troglodyte who so richly deserved it. How to become Pete SeegerThe story of the family touring the countryside by motor home is outlined in "How Can I Keep From Singing?" by David King Dunaway, as well as in "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?," the more recent autobiography (to be republished soon), and his "Incomplete Folksinger." According to the retelling, Charles and Constance wanted to bring "quality" music to the people, so they drove deep into the countryside put on little concerts along the way. Yet when they finished, the people would often say, "Wouldn't you like to hear some of OUR music? Charles realized that they had more to teach him than the reverse. The experience developed Charles' interest in ethnomusicology, his eventual career. Along the way he took teenage Peter to a folk festival in Asheville and the rest is history. The oldest son, Charles, a radio astronomer, died in 2002. The middle son, John, is a retired educator. Pete recently released the Grammy-winning CD "At 89" and is preparing for the annual Clearwater Festival, held along the banks of the Hudson. Woody Guthrie said of him, "Pete Seeger is the youngest man I ever knew." A TroglodyteI'm a life-long conservative who cast his first vote for Barry Goldwater in 1964, and I also voted for George Wallace in 1968. I knew Nixon was going to win, I just wanted him to know how many conservatives there were out here. (Not many at that time!) I also spent most of the "Sixties" in the military, fighting so that Pete's admirers could stay free to burn their draft cards. That said, I've got many of Pete's albums, most of Joanie Baez's and all of Arlo Guthrie's. On vinyl, of course. Politics is politics, but talent and good music transcends. Still can't forgive Jane Fonda, though. She got folks killed. After 50 years, an apology... in the news just this last month. The San Diego school district that sought to cancel an appearance nearly 50 years ago has issued an appology, and an invitiation to folk legend Pete Seeger. Good on 'ya, Pete. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/feb/12/pete-seeger-school-board-apo... Ansel Adams had the Zone System... I'm working on the points system. First I points it here, and then I points it there... Pete Seeger todayThis year's Clearwater Festival Great Hudson River Revival (Father's Day Weekend) will include a 90th birthday celebration and tribute for Pete Seeger. My daughter's photo of Pete playing his banjo was in last year's festival program. Pete's still going strong at almost 90.....Bless Him! Thank you for putting this photo up........AMAZING!!!! Love it. [I hope Pete sees it. I wonder if he knows about this photo. - Dave] Dear PeteI wrote a letter to Pete when I was 15 (I'm 37 now) asking him the best way to lengthen the neck on my banjo. He wrote back advising me not to try. A standard length banjo neck is better than a crappy long one. Good advice. Photo whereaboutsThe photo is likely in the Library of Congress' American Folklife Collection. [It's not. As noted in the caption, this photo in the National Photo Company Collection. It would have been taken by Herbert E. French or one of his photographers. - Dave] A few years ago the Seegers donated films, photos and other stuff to the collection. There are a couple of similar photos from this trip too. They all originated from the Seeger family. More info about Pete at the "Pete Seeger Appreciation Page." And more info about that fabulous, one-of-a-kind Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival also found by Googling. Thanks for bringing us this photo. A Big FanI'm a big Seeger fan. I especially like "Against the Wind" and "Night Moves." P.S.Old Pete had a strong and lasting influence on me, going back 40 yrs, both musically and politically. Thanks for this baby picture. Just love the Bohemianism of it. My dad, a West Pointer, hated him too, but loved my banjo playing. Re: A Big FanThat's Bob Seger, not Pete Seeger. [Up till now everyone got the joke. - Dave] So long, it's been good to know youInterviewed him about a dozen years ago. We talked about ferry service to Manhattan around the turn of the last century, between takes for a NY State film. I sent him a copy of a map I owned showing the numerous ferry lines. Got a handwritten note thanking me a few days later, signed "Pete" with a cartoon banjo next to it. We're Not All TrogsI am one of I hope more than a few West Pointers who found much to admire in Pete Seeger, including his gentle defiance of HUAC. His fidelity to his principles and his environmental activism -- the kind where you actually sometimes get your hands dirty -- placed this humble man on a pedestal far higher than any to which most public figures could ever aspire. When I went back on the faculty in the mid '70s, the Clearwater often birthed at WP's North Dock, and casual visitors were always welcomed aboard. Those who dropped by on the chance that Mr. Seeger would be present found that occasionally to be the case, and his cordiality belied any possibility that he harbored the same antipathy toward the military that many of them presumably harbored for him. I was never a folkie, however, probably the result of hours spent at a municipal swimming pool in downtown Baltimore when I was seven years old: the juke box seemed permanently stuck on "Goodnight, Irene." Thanks for re-posting thisAll politics aside, "songwriter and champion of folk music" says it all. R.I.P., Pete. RosebudJust imagine the excitement if someone should discover that little chair. Thanks, Pete. Grand Old ManAs much as I respected and admired Pete Seeger, I only saw him once in person, and it happened so quickly that it was over in a flash. There was a Maryland Historic Marker dedicated to Mother Jones on Riggs/Powdermill Road in Adelphi, Maryland. I was driving home one afternoon and glanced over to see a small group of people singing a song in front of the newly installed sign. Playing his old banjo, with its warning against hate, was Pete Seeger. There was nowhere to stop or turn in, so I just proceeded the half mile more to our (then) house. I believe his brother Mike worked or still works at the Library of Congress; one of my guitar-playing pals works or worked for him in audio archiving. I wore the grooves out out my Pete Seeger vinyl in the mid-1960s; there was magic in those tracks, and I so wanted to catch some of it. He taught us music can be a force for good, when courage matched conviction. Tom Paxton did a lovely tribute on DC radio WTOP this evening about his friend and our friend, Pete. Pete's older brothersPictured at right are Charles Seeger III, age 8 (born 10-10-1912 and died 8-26-2002 at 89), and John Seeger, age 7 (born 2-16-1914 and died 1-10-2010 at 95). Charles was a pioneer radio astronomer and professor at Cornell University. John was a teacher at the Dalton School in Manhattan and later principal of an Ivy League prep school, Fieldston Lower School in Riverdale, NY. One of a kindI firmly believed Pete Seeger would live forever. It's hard to imagine the world without him. Fortunately he left millions of fans who will keep his music - and his principles - alive. Goodnight IreneNo. 1 in 1950 and "On Top of Old Smoky", No. 1 in 1951, were my first exposures to popular music and I treasure the Decca 78 recordings with their backup by Gordon Jenkins Orchestra to this day! So Long It's Been Good To Know YahAs his spirit moved onto a plane of existence where men of good conscience and strong convictions go he was heard singing... So long, it's been good to know yuh; So long, it's been good to know yuh; So long, it's been good to know yuh. This dusty old dust is a-gettin' my home, And I got to be driftin' along. If there is a folk singer's heaven I'm sure Pete and Woody are having one heck of a good session and giving all Fascists the proverbial hell. So long Pete, it really was good to know a man who stood up for his beliefs and never did any violence toward those who opposed him. All he wanted to do was sing his songs. Check out his stand against the House Of UnAmerican Activities here Brother MichaelMike Seeger died in 2009. What a wonderful man. Now Pete is gone. I suppose there's a terrific hoedown in Heaven. Dad's laptopIt's a portable pump organ. Bye Pete RIPMet him once at a folk festival somewhere with my school. He spoke to our group and I remember being mesmerized by his genuine concern for everything good. Then I discovered his music and political social history. Very saddened when he left us. (The Gallery, Camping, D.C., Kids, Music, Natl Photo)
End of the Line: 1963
As a coda to the day's earlier Baltimore transit photos, we present "1963 -- Last streetcars in Balto." Kermy ... streetcars, including a restored PCC car painted in Baltimore Transit Company yellow. Better Than Carlin's Mountain ... was my life line as a preteen and teenager growing up in Baltimore. I used it to go downtown to see first run movies plus vaudeville at ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/30/2013 - 9:44pm -

As a coda to the day's earlier Baltimore transit photos, we present "1963 -- Last streetcars in Balto." Kermy and friend, along with Car 7109, in a pair of off-brand color slides. Who can locate the intersection? View full size. Still in Servicefor the #15 bus route. View Larger Map Good find!Janbear: You're a fast Googler! I knew that bus stop as soon as I saw the picture - I used take the #15 on my way to high school! PCC streetcarThe most successful streetcar/trolley design in the US, PCC cars ran in at least 26 North American cities. I rode one every day to school as a kid in Pittsburgh in the mid '60s. Balto to FriscoThe City of San Francisco bought, refurbished, and operates vintage streetcars, including a restored PCC car painted in Baltimore Transit Company yellow. Better Than Carlin's Mountain SpeedwayThe 15 streetcar line was my life line as a preteen and teenager growing up in Baltimore. I used it to go downtown to see first run movies plus vaudeville at the Hippodrome (The Three Stooges & Herb Shriner are two acts I remember), the main Pratt Library and Ford's Theater (not the infamous one) where I saw a young Andy Griffith in "No Time For Sergeants." As a car-less teenager it was the route to and from various date destinations. Yes Virgina there were nice looking cool girls in the late 50's who would date car-less boys and ride a streetcar to go see a movie or a rock & roll show. We never called them concerts. Concerts were at the staid Lyric and R&R shows were at the Coliseum along with NBA & BAA Basketball and Tuesday Night Wrestling with Antonio Rocca and Gorgeous George. When my sister moved to the wilds of Overlea/Fullerton I would take the 15 Overlea down to where the streetcar bends (the topic of this pic) and walk a mile or so to her new house. The best part came when the streetcar would crest the hill at Brendan Ave and fly down the hill to the bottom at Herring run and they coast back up the hill towards Parkside as gravity would exert its influence and slow down the car. If the operator was an adventurous sort he would never apply the brake and if the car was loaded what passed for warp speed would be achieved and the car would rock side to side to the glee of youngsters and consternation of the older folk. Balto BroadBaltimore streetcars ran on a 5' 4 1/2 " track gauge, wider than most cities which used standard gauge, 4' 8 1/2". Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New Orleans still run on 5' 2 1/2" track. Toronto, Canada, operates to this day on a unique 4' 10 7/8". Denver and Los Angeles city cars ran on narrow gauge, 3' 6". You can read more about it here. TTC PCCThe Toronto Transit Commission, which still runs streetcars, had PCC cars in regular service until 1995. People called them red rockets. I lived 2 minutes from thereThe streetcar is about to turn right (south) onto Belair Road and in the picture is parallel to Overlea Ave. Blast from the past!That is indeed the end of the line point on Belair Road in Overlea for old #15, which was the last streetcar line removed from service in Baltimore (if my memory serves me correctly). In the bottom photo, the grey stone building on the right is the old location of Della Rosa's restaurant, which has relocated elsewhere. I lived about a mile south of there on Rosemont Avenue and rode this every day while I was going to Baltimore City College in the 60's. (Baltimore, Kermy Kodachromes, Streetcars)
Convertible Bear: 1958
... 1958." Mr. Bear in a 1955 Oldsmobile Starfire, probably in Baltimore. From the Kermy & Janet collection of Kodachromes. View full ... View Larger Map Circus March Baltimore Sun, June 18, 1958. Parade Seen by 150,000 Circus ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/11/2013 - 3:12pm -

"Circus parade, 1958." Mr. Bear in a 1955 Oldsmobile Starfire, probably in Baltimore. From the Kermy & Janet collection of Kodachromes. View full size. Charles at East 31st StreetUsing the parade route posted by stanton_square I "drove" the route looking for the building they are standing in front of and came up with this possibility. It's not a perfect match, but the architecture is similar and I think I see one of those concrete balls behind the guy in the black shirt. There have probably been a few changes in the last 54 years also. View Larger Map View Larger Map Circus March Baltimore Sun, June 18, 1958. Parade Seen by 150,000 Circus March is City's First in 3 Decades Baltimore turned out for Barnum in a big way last night. … Tonight the circus, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, begins a five-day open-sky stand at Memorial Stadium with seven performances scheduled. … The thousands who fought some big traffic tie-ups to hurry to the curb with their kids last night were able to see: Eight good-sized tigers, pacing in or scowling from small cages, Twenty elephants, A little steam calliope on the back end of a pickup truck, A very leggy blonde performer in black mesh hose plus several other circus ladies of interest, riding in convertibles. … The parade started at Exeter Hall avenue and Loch Raven road, moved to Twenty-fifth street, then to Charles, up Charles to Thirty-third and wound up at the stadium. A most amazing photo"Convertible Bear: 1958" is truly the most incredible photo I've ever seen on Shorpy, and that's quite a statement. It's so unassuming but so terrific. The up-to-date modern sharpness of the wonderful convertible, with those wide, wide whitewalls, the cool casualness of the lady driver, who's apparently done this before, the nonchalant bear tamer and of course . . . what else is in the back seat, with no restraints, guards, guns or other safety measures?? Oh yes, it's a live bear. Have you seen that in a recent parade? Nope. And what are most folks in the crowd thinking? Ho-hum, interesting. Now, wonder what the next float will be? See what I mean? An absolutely incredible photo. RestrainedThe Bear does seem to have a muzzle on and there appears to be a chain running down from his neck. My Brother Had One of TheseHe bought it from the widow of an executive living near us in New Jersey and used it to travel between home in Chatham and Lafayette, Indiana where he attended Purdue University. He told me he recorded 120 MPH on the Ohio Turnpike one time returning for Thanksgiving. I was 6 years younger and thought this car was the greatest thing I had ever seen. [Darn, I thought you meant the bear. - tterrace] RE: A most amazing photoThere were a few in the crowd that didn't seem to have a "ho-hum" attitude. Check out the kids in the front row, just above where the car's hood ornament is located; they seem a bit nervous being that close to a real bear. One WondersGiven the fancy chauffeured ride, one wonders what type of bed that bear slept in ? Parade LocationExcellent detective 'footwork' by Vintagetvs to determine the location of the photo. Not much of the building is viewable in the original photo, but what can be seen matches quite well with the building on the SE corner of Charles and East 31st Street. The location also helps explain at least part of what makes this such an exceptional photo. The parade occurred on the evening of June 17th, 1958, and given the viewpoint, the setting sun would have been behind the photographer, bathing the street in warm glowing colors. (The Gallery, Animals, Baltimore, Kermy Kodachromes)
Yesterday's Headlines: 1941
... I worked in the office of a hot lead Hearst paper in Baltimore in the '70s. The building’s back stairs included a landing that ... Both The Printing Museum in Houston and the Baltimore Museum of Industry have full print shops on display, and if you hit ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/12/2018 - 9:30am -

June 1941. "Mr. Cary Williams, editor of the Greensboro Herald Journal, a newspaper in Greensboro, Georgia." Spitting hot lead at an ancient Linotype machine. Note the custom-fitted ergonomic back support and whittled-down chair. Medium format negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Amazing technologyIn the late 1970s I was studying graphic design, and our instructor took a group of us to the offices of Sunset Magazine to see a linotype in action. The publication was just weeks away from going computerized, but the operator put on quite a show for us. There's nothing like moving parts to make work seem entertaining. etaoin shrdluI still have-and use regularly-a Linotype machine. Also, the metal is melted and used at around 535 to 545 degrees. Less than that it won't melt properly, and much above that is when you are apt to get squirts. The aroma is uniqueI worked in the office of a hot lead Hearst paper in Baltimore in the '70s. The building’s back stairs included a landing that was open to the pressroom, and the odor of molten lead poured into stairwell. Nothing else smells quite like that. Shorpy brought it all back to me! Printer's DevilThis reminds me of one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes starring Burgess Meredith as the devil masquerading as a reporter who promises to salvage a failing newspaper in exchange for the editor's soul. LineageI believe Etaoin Shrdlu was Lorem Ipsum's grandpa. ETAOIN SHRDLUA well-known "phrase", but I followed Dave's LMGTFY link, and was surprised not to find the reference that first came to mind -- "Etaoin Shrdlu" is the title of a 1942 short story by Fredric Brown about a sentient Linotype machine. Etaoin shrdluIt had to be said. Huh?Over my head this morning. [Google it. - Dave] ProgressEarlier this week, I ran across a story of an 8 monitor, 18 million pixel custom workstation with a sling chair that is like a modern incarnation of Mr. Williams' rig. Hot LeadvilleIn Saguache, Colorado, there's a newspaper called the Saguache Crescent that is still produced daily on an old linotype machine. Ah, yesterdayIn the 1960s when the Comanche (Texas) Chief was still a hot-type operation, I used to hang out in their print shop, watching Bob Carpenter set type (he was good enough as a reporter AND printman that he would sometimes compose his articles directly on the lino) and Minor Taber and Woody Ormsby run the jobbing presses. If I hit at the right time on Thursday afternoon, I could watch the crew wind up the big rotary press to run the week's edition of the Chief; that was a special treat. A Blast from the PastWhen I was a high school senior in Chicago I took a print shop class, where we were taught to operate a Linotype machine just like this one. It always scared the hell out of me; we were warned that if we mistakenly left an open space in one of the lines of brass keys we were assembling, molten lead at 700 degrees Fahrenheit would "squirt" in our faces. Our machines were old and cranky, and I could rarely type out more than three lines before something would jam. Now I see them on display as museum pieces ... yikes! Spitting LinotypeI have a documentary on the Linotype. (www.linotypefilm.com) Apparently, experienced operators could hear a warning sound to back off quickly to avoid getting hit by a bit of hot lead. I got a chance in the 1960s to see a room full of them at the News Call Bulletin in San Francisco. You don't forget a mechanical wonder like that. Family TraditionCarey Jones Williams, April 6, 1901 - July 9, 1991 Carey (with an "e") later served on the University of Georgia Board of Regents. His son Carey Jr. is the current editor (and owner) of the Greensboro Herald Journal. Not dead yetThere's a movie: http://www.linotypefilm.com and the Linotype is so loved that there are at least two organizations in my immediate area (Waltham and Haverhill, Mass.) with one or two working units: https://www.charlesrivermuseum.org/ https://museumofprinting.org/collection/ I love old, well built, intricate and obsolete machinery. And Real Computers have switches and blinking lights. LinosaursBoth The Printing Museum in Houston and the Baltimore Museum of Industry have full print shops on display, and if you hit 'em on the right days a retired operator (from The Houston Chronicle or Baltimore Sun) will be there to make them sit up and talk for you. (Technology, The Gallery, Jack Delano, The Office)
One Second Fast: 1943
... young teenager, one of my uncles was a dispatcher for the Baltimore and Ohio. His little shack, laughingly called a "tower," was about 10 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 6:06pm -

March 1943. "Seligman, Arizona. Teletype operator in the telegraph office of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. The time here changes from Mountain to Pacific time." Medium-format safety negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Oh....for the InternetI actually ran a Teletype machine in the mid 1960s, pretty much the same as these. One of my first full time jobs. I worked as a timekeeper for a construction site here in Ontario and had to send daily weather reports to the head office in Winnipeg. It was weird because you were always ahead of the machine as you typed, and there was no spell checker either ... shoulders back and sit up straight. Seligman I beg to differ with the caption. I believe that the time in Seligman never changes at all. No more than a wide spot in the road, it had to have been the model for Radiator Springs in Disney's "Cars," bypassed by the interstate and frozen in time. It's like the flippin' Twilight Zone out there. My Rasta roommate and I endured a breakdown 50 miles from Seligman on a trip from Southern California to college in Flagstaff, AZ many years ago. It was circling buzzards (really), and inbred locals (at a remote gas pipeline station), (1) meth-addled trucker, and (2) tow-truck drivers sharing graphic blood and gore stories the whole way to town. Needless to say, Rasta Boy was terrified, and later asked me where I'd learned to "talk Hick." (I'm still not sayin'.) Where's WaldoThere are all sorts of hidden treasures lurking in this picture. I love the visor that is hung behind the Pacific clock. Looks like it's probably chilly outside, too, seeing this young girl's furry-collar coat hanging on the wall. Compared to what?That "One Second Fast" thing intrigues me. What would they be comparing that to? One second faster than what? Had the atomic clock been put into service by that point? Their timekeepingseems to be quite percise, but the filing system (stacked in the window) looks a lot like my office! Teletype Model 15Teletype Model 15. A closeup of the keyboard if you scroll down the page a bit. Back in the early 70s I had one of these machines hooked to my amateur radio and could send and receive teletype messages or "super low resolution" images formed by strategic placement of characters on the printer roll to make an image. Some of them were quite lengthy (banners) and took quite a while to receive or send. (Considerably slower than the slowest dialup connection). Quartz? I don't need no stinkin' quartz.One second? My overpriced Seiko isn't that accurate. Why one second fast? I see her coat hanging by the clocks. So she gets to go home a little early on company time? Next to the tracksNote the bay window so the operator could see down the tracks and hoop up orders to the train crew. That is a railroad car outside. SeligmanI've passed through Seligman on Highway 66 several times in the last 10 years. I was sad to learn that the Harvey House next to the train tracks was recently torn down. Staying at the Supai Motel and having a mediocre breakfast in the diner down the street is as close to time travel as I've experienced. Seligman history: http://www.seligmanhistory.com/index.html SeligmanI've been to Seligman, too. On a drive from Flagstaff to Vegas. It is the land that time forgot. I fully expected Rod Serling to come out with some kind of announcement. However, I did get some cool stuff in some of those shops. Just a secondThe idea was probably to glance at the time on the clock and by the time you typed in the time (about 1 second later) you would be as accurate as possible. Disregarding the question of "faster than what." One Second FastAccurate timekeeping was extremely important to railroads back in the day. Timepieces would be tested once a year, primarily pocket watches used by conductors and station personnel. I assume that the postings on the Seligman clocks were the result of some sort of test and this was used to indicate their accuracy rather than for a 1 second adjustment on train times. CalibrationIt's fairly common practice with delicate equipment to label or note an error, rather than trying to eliminate the error. When you open up the case and start turning screws or wiggling wires, you risk destroying the instrument. As long as the error is linear and predictable, it's less expensive to adjust your mind than to adjust the instrument. KeysThe keyboard of the Teletype seems to have a lot fewer keys that a standard typewriter (or computer). Can any former operators remember what the difference was? The clocksSince the clocks appear to have mercury compensated pendulums, they are probably free running - not slaved to a line master clock. One second no doubt refers to their 24 hour rate - they gain one second in 24 hrs. MaybeMaybe the clocks are one second fast for when the operator has to record the time. By the time she records the time of day, one second has elapsed and the other end of the telegraph line is getting a more accurate reading. RegardlessTimely accuracy not withstanding, those two clocks look like they belong in some fine residence or the lobby of a hotel somewhere. Not the least bit industrial in design! I shudder to think what they'd be worth today or how hard it might be to find one! Clock CalibrationAccording to a photo caption of similar clocks in the book Faces of Railroading, the clocks were calibrated by a daily telegraph signal from the U.S. Naval Observatory. 32 keysThere were 32 keys, 26 letters and some punctuation. A shift key was used for numbers, much like early manual typewriters. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleprinter Old time precision surprisesInteresting, I had not heard of the telegraph time signal. It's the telegraph equivalent of radio station WWVB used by my kitchen clock! Railroad AccuracyAs stated by Texcritic, timekeeping was critical for train operations. For example, a train order might direct one train to "wait at" a particular station until a specific time. This train order would also be directed to an opposing train who choose their meeting location based on this information. Conductors and engineers would be directed to check their watches with a standard clock at the beginning of each duty tour and no watch could be more than 30 seconds off the standard time. The clocks in the stations were checked at least once a day by a telegraphic signal from headquarters. TrainsHow fascinating! When I was a young teenager, one of my uncles was a dispatcher for the Baltimore and Ohio. His little shack, laughingly called a "tower," was about 10 by 10, and I recall his typewriter was all-caps, on which he typed the train orders and tied them in the "hoops" as mentioned elsewhere. There were three sets, and on a couple of occasions he let me hand them up. I had to stand on tiptoe as the steam loco passed and the trainman leaned far out to snag the order. Then, about mid-train, the conductor leaned out and got his, and finally the brakeman on the caboose got his. How long ago and far away! Seth Thomas.Cuando se tomó la fotografía los relojes ya eran bastante antiguos. Conservo, en buen uso, otro Seth Thomas que compró mi bisabuelo, algo menos sofisticado, pero que tiene la misma caja y los mismos adornos. He preparado una foto pero no sé como subirla... Good thinkingWonderful filing system! Can't think of a better place for that fire extinguisher... One Second FastThese signs were on all of the Santa Fe official clocks, if the clock got too far off of official time, the clockman would come in and fix the clock. Nobody but the clockman was allowed to adjust the official clock. LTRS and FIGSThe military still used these teletypes when I was in the Army in the 1970's. If I remember correctly, the "shift" keys operated differently from typewriters. Character codes were shared between letters and numbers/punctuation with preceding LTRS and FIGS codes to shift between them. That is, when the FIGS key was pressed, a FIGS codes was sent and all subsequent character codes were interpreted as numeric characters (figures) until the LTRS key was pressed. That would send a LTRS code and return the unit to alphabetic operation. Standard timeIt's because of railroads that we have time zones. Can you imagine trying to arrange a railway schedule when every town had its own time? VibroplexThat sure looks like a Vibroplex bug sitting on the table just over her right shoulder...a semi-automatic morse code generator. Love the coat hookI love how there is a nail in the wall for the coat hanger under the light switch. I can see her coming in in the morning, turning on the light, removing her coat and hanging it up there under the switch. Then turning it off at night. So practical. Not like today where light switches and coat closets are miles apart! There's a clock like that in SacramentoThere is a similar clock on display at the Calif. State RR Museum in Sacramento. It is a work of art. These would be worth a fortune today. Noisy MachinesIn 1967, I was in school learning how to use these Teletype machines. Talk about noisy! I was a fairly fast typist and the Teletype machine was a slow machine to type on, which was a bit frustrating when your fingers wanted to go faster than the machine did. These are ancient machines now but looking back to'67 I didn't have one thought to how old they were, I just didn't like all the noise and slowness of them. Thank God for progress!! Seth Thomas 19's Standard ClocksBob Wells, Watch & Clock Inspector for Santa Fe, told me back in 1970 about the two 19's in Seligman. It was a unique period for several years that you could purchase Santa Fe clocks; mainly Seth Thomas clocks such as a #19, Gallery, School House,#2 and a few E. Howards. All Santa Fe timepieces were called in and eventually displayed in a warehouse in the San Bernardino yard including the two from Seligman. What a sight that was; there were five #19's side by side for sale and most remained on the wall for a year waiting for a buyer. The #19's with the Montgomery Dials as pictured sold for $3500, a #2 for $350 a School House for $100. Some internet chatter says over 300 of 19's were purchased by Santa Fe. Bob Wells said it was around 15. It took me a year save $3500 to buy a #19 along with the one second sign just prior to Bob's retirement in '73 along with all Santa Fe Watch and Clock Inspectors thus ending an era. It arrived in a box car from Topeka. Bob and I drove his station wagon to the box car and then we drove to my house to set it up. Such service from a very nice man. He loved those 19's but was never able to afford one after retirement. We remained good friends and shop talked clocks until he passed away in the 80ies. Last October a Santa Fe ST 19 went up for auction and sold in the 100K range. I just hope the two in Seliman got their Finials straighten out as they are incorrectly placed. For 100K, you want it perfect. Two timesUntil 1950 Seligman was the west end of the Albuquerque Division and east end of the Arizona Division -- the former ran on Mountain Time and the latter on Pacific. When the west end of the Albuquerque Division moved west to Needles, the time change moved west too. And not just railroad time -- until the beginning of the war, road maps showed the time change at Seligman instead of at the state line as it is now. "1 Second Fast" means the time on the clock is one second ahead of the correct time -- nothing to do with the rate at which the clock gains time. The crews that use the clock to check their watches don't care about that; they just want to know what the correct time is at this moment. (Technology, The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Second Life: 1943
April 1943. Baltimore, Md. "Trolley of 1917 vintage. Many old cars have been reconditioned ... standing by the traffic signal. Built in 1891 - known as Baltimore's first skyscraper. Background cars 1940 Pontiac 1941 ... Alexander Brown & Sons Company Building at 135 East Baltimore Street, was built in 1901 and was one of the few buildings in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/30/2013 - 11:46pm -

April 1943. Baltimore, Md. "Trolley of 1917 vintage. Many old cars have been reconditioned because of wartime transportation pressure." Medium format negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. Other remarkable survivorsInteresting to see that every building in the picture survives. The block on the north side, unseen here, was completely demolished to accommodate a pair of exceedingly undistinguished '70s-'80s towers. Strangely IntactView Larger Map Everything old is new againIt has always made me chuckle then shake my head when I see a picture like this and think about how most cities, even of modest size had some type of trolly system. Then after the war they were torn up and replaced with buses. Now cities are spending billions of dollars to install modern environmentally green mass-transit systems. What my parents grew up calling a trolly. [Or, if they could spell, a trolley. - Dave] Also in RichmondRichmond, VA, was also using ancient streetcars during WW2 in addition to more-modern ones. Some were very large cars with a wooden body. Some were little 4-wheeled cars. DraftedServed in WWI, then called up to serve again in WWII. Everyone and everything had to do their part in the war effort. Women's Auxiliary Army CorpsYou can sign up on the 1st floor of The Equitable Bldg. It is located on Calvert, at the next corner behind the man standing by the traffic signal. Built in 1891 - known as Baltimore's first skyscraper. Background cars1940 Pontiac 1941 Studebaker SurvivorThe building at the left, known as the Alexander Brown & Sons Company Building at 135 East Baltimore Street, was built in 1901 and was one of the few buildings in the neighborhood to survive the great Baltimore Fire of 1904. The corner pilasters and other limestone details show spalling, which is popularly attributed to the heat of the fire. In 1906A trolley at the same intersection is on Shorpy here. Semi-ConvertibleBaltimore Transit Company owned 884 of these semi-convertible streetcars, built by Brill between 1905 and 1919. The cars were so named because the windows could be slid upwards into pockets in the roof during warm weather, making them effectively an open-sided car. No.5645 was the first car in a batch of 99 built in 1917, all of which were scrapped between 1947 and 1950 - relatively short lives for such durable vehicles. (The tramway museum I volunteer at has a similar car built by Brill in 1902, which ran for 50 years.) +71Below is the same view from July of 2014. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Marjory Collins, Streetcars, WW2)
Bean-Stringers: 1909
July 1909. Baltimore, Maryland. "Workers stringing beans in the J.S. Farrand Packing Co. ... string beans prior to cooking and canning. I live in Baltimore. The J.S. Farrand Co. was located in the Fells Point section of Baltimore City. I was unable to get a specific address. The Good Old Days ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2011 - 9:09pm -

July 1909. Baltimore, Maryland. "Workers stringing beans in the J.S. Farrand Packing Co. Those too small to work are held on laps of workers or stowed away in boxes." Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. No Strings AttachedWhat they are really doing is cutting/breaking off the pointed tips of the string beans prior to cooking and canning. I live in Baltimore. The J.S. Farrand Co. was located in the Fells Point section of Baltimore City. I was unable to get a specific address. The Good Old DaysWow. A hundred is not that long in the big scheme of things. Scenes like this help us remember that real human progress can and does happen from time to time. Hopefully the folks on Shorpy a hundred years from now will have some similar reminder to marvel at. Stringing, Snapping and ShellingOne of the things that went on when I was coming up in '50's was that moms would get green beans, snap beans, string beans, butter beans and field peas, either from the grocery or peddlers or a trip to the farm. Several neighbor ladies would sit on a porch in the cool of the evening and string and snap the beans or shell the butter beans and peas. And chat. The kids who were able and willing would help out. CheatedWhat?! Children were paid for this sort of thing? I feel cheated! I stringed bushels and bushels of green beans, shelled peas and snapped beans when I was a little girl for my Grandmother in the cool of the shade of her back porch. Oh, I take that back. The homemade pie and ice cream I was rewarded with after my diligent bean efforts was priceless. HappySome of those kids look happy, and it's probably not just for the camera. I work in a court. Everyone looks miserable all the time. Maybe I should bring in beans to string, or maybe we're all just too spoiled today. Well, no maybe about it. Cannery LocaleThe Baltimore City Directory for 1909 says: "Farren, J. S. & Co., Inc., ft of Wolfe" So presumably that would be at the junction of Wolfe and Fell? Beats coal mining.This looks like fun compared to the poor kids working the coal mines. Plus, if you ever get a little hungry ... My grandma made me do itIn the home canning season in the 40's, I did a bushel or so. Not hard work but boring and harder to do if they were not fresh. Hard to break a limp bean. Stringing green beansWith modern varieties of "string beans: such as Blue Lake, you almost never find any strings in the shells, but I have broken the beans in half, actually threaded them on strings or threads,and hung them up to dry for use later in the year. They taste quite good and somewhat different when re-hydrated and cooked. Goin' to Work with MommyI wonder if maybe some of the kids felt special that they got to go to work with their parents. Obviously it wasn't hugely exciting, but I always felt important if my mom or dad ever had to bring me to work with them. [A lot of the tots with crate-cribs were little brothers and sisters. - Dave] Great memories over a bowl of beans. I too was called into service as a child to help snap bushels and bushels of green beans, and shell peas. I don't know about you all but I miss my grandmother and her porch. I sure miss the food she would turn out from that little tiny kitchen. I miss the cool of the evening and the shade of her back porch in the summer. Learned all about the neighbors and every member of my own family. Somewhat biased from time to time but never mean-spirited. Just girl talk over a bowl of beans. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Beauty Contest: 1922
... of the judges, is a member of Hochchild Kohn & Co. of Baltimore, Md. He was appointed to select the winner of the beauty contest ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/09/2018 - 4:38pm -

"Washington Tidal Basin Beauty Contest -- August 5, 1922." Misses Eva Fridell, 17, and Anna Niebel. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Political PowerIt is amazing how quickly women's bathing attire became so much smaller after they got the vote. Our beauty on the lefthas got the "babyface knees" almost perfect Looks like the wrong one wonassuming that size, in silver cups, matters. The one on the right is a beauty. We've seen these two before: https://www.shorpy.com/node/356 If they were the winners,what did the losers look like. The one on the right looks particularly sinister, I certainly wouldn't like to meet her on a dark night! Thelma and LouiseSeems like the one on the left probably wrestled that cup away from somebody. And the one on the right looks like she's a street brawler. Ah yes, leave it to Shorpy to find the first two lady wrastlers and foist them on us as beauty queens! LovelyWow. There's just something enchanting about the women in the 1920s-era beauty contest photos you post. Maybe it's because they were so naturally beautiful without all the beauty aids and plastic surgery women have access to today. I WonderIf anybody else showed up for the contest. The one on the right is OK, but the one on the left looks, um, rather plain (I'm trying to be polite!) YikesI've often had the thought that the 1970s had the worst style and taste in American history, but nah. Nothing will ever beat the 1920s. I'm thinking of why the port side wonLooks like a red haired lady with beautiful freckles and naturally long hair. The very attractive lass with the dark hair has her hair bobbed. I'm sure the judges considered that no real lady would bob their hair. I prefer both. Both of these ladies are lovely.Although I have to admit that I never knew Joan Cusak was so old. Left GirlHmm, Maogwai Cat has made me reconsider my opinion of the girl on the left. If she had red hair and green eyes (her eyes seem lightly colored in this picture), she would be striking. In this case, the B&W photo giving her such a lifeless coloring does her no favors, along with the angle of her head. But I still stand by that the styles of the 1920s were a low point. They are both winners!Especially if you look at it full size. And even more if they were wearing something else. Oddly, red hair has not always been considered attractive. "Red-headed stepchild" was an insult in more than one way. [Indeed they were -- Eva won the beauty prize and Anna won for best costume. - Dave] A Girl With CurlsWashington Post, August 6, 1922. TITIAN-HAIRED GIRL WINS BEAUTY PRIZE Judges Rule None in Tidal Basin Contest Excelled Miss Fridell In Pulchritude. SIXTY IN GRAND PARADE Miss Niebel Again Awarded First Honors for Best Bathing Suit Shown at Beach.         The old-fashioned titian-haired beauty, without the modern make-up, returned to popularity yesterday by winning the fourth annual beauty contest at the Tidal Basin. A girl with curls, of athletic type and wearing the normal style of bathing suit, Miss Eva Fridell, a 17-year-old Business High school student, took the capital prize, a large silver loving cup. She wore a yellow bathing suit with narrow black stripes around it. Not only is she a regular patron of the beach, but one of the expert divers and swimmers.         Miss Fridell, whose complexion needed no paint or powder, quickly caught the eye of the judges, Al. J. Frey, Isaac Gans and Arthur Leslie Smith. The winner lives with her parents at 611 Ninth street northeast. Going Back to High School.         Last spring she graduated from a two-year course at Business High school, but expects to return in the fall to complete a four-year course.         The winner of the style show at the beach a few months ago, Miss Anna Niebel, of 1370 Harvard street northwest, again came out as the winner of the best costume for beauty, design and durability. Miss Niebel was awarded a silver loving cup for the suit she wore, which was all blue rubber, with several white stripes at intervals.         Second prize for the beauty was awarded to Miss Gay Gately, of 1402 Massachusetts avenue southeast. Miss Iola Swinnerton, of 3125 Mount Pleasant street northwest, was awarded second prize for costumes. Both were given engraved gold medals. Nine Chosen From Sixty.         Of the 60 girls entered in the contest, nine were picked out to appear before the judges. These were Gay Gateley, Norine Fords, Mae Poole Allen, Eva Fridell, Edith and Aileen Bergstrum, Anna Niebel, Dorothy Parker and Iola Swinnerton.         The participants were paraded before the judges several times before the winners were chosen. Al. J. Frey, chairman of the judges, is a member of Hochchild Kohn & Co. of Baltimore, Md. He was appointed to select the winner of the beauty contest conducted at Palm Beach, Fla., last winter. The winner of this contest received a check for $1,000 as first prize. YellowThis is interesting for colourisers. The article states that Miss Fridell had a yellow suit with black trimmings. In monochrome the yellow appears quite dark - a common feature (see the picture I colourised of Civil War veterans a while back). It's easy to assume that yellow in black and white looks pale - but it isn't always so. And this is an excellent example. Orthochromatic FilmPanchromatic film was not invented until the thirties and was first used for the movies. Othochromatic film is most sensitive to blue light. That's why the silent films have such high contrast and the mid 30s and later "talkies" look so much different with their extensive grey tones. Panchromatic film did not get wide use until almost WWII. [This was photographed on a glass plate, not film. Panchromatic emulsion for plates first became available in the early 1900s, though they did not come into common usage until the 1920s. Kodak released their first panchromatic film stock in 1913, though it was intended for use in additive-color motion-picture photography. Their regular panchromatic film came in 1922; the first feature film to be shot entirely with it was that year's The Headless Horseman. - tterrace] I know, I should have said emulsion. Othochromatic film or emulsion was not in general use until WWII. Even Weston used Orthochromic film in a box camera for his photos. What you see is mostly his darkroom work when you view his photographs. In color... and if you want to see how I think it looked in colour: https://www.shorpy.com/node/12695 UncomfortableI have been trying to picture what a rubber bathing suit would be like, and it sounds miserable, but so does a wool bathing suit, like Ms. Fridell is wearing! (The Gallery, Bizarre, D.C., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls, Swimming)
Ruins of the City: 1904
"Baltimore Fire of 1904. Electric Railway Powerhouse." Out third view from the ... and car barn of the San Francisco cable car system. Did Baltimore have cable cars at this time? Powerhouse I think those are the ... the hoses borrowed from other cities coudn't be coupled to Baltimore's water supply. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Fires, Floods etc., Natl ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/23/2012 - 6:43pm -

"Baltimore Fire of 1904. Electric Railway Powerhouse." Out third view from the Great Fire. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Surreal.It looks like a scene from "Metropolis." Wonderful!That has to be my favorite Shorpy find yet! What a great photo! Filed under favoritesThird and BEST in this set of photos! It first made me think of The Twilight Zone episode "Time Enough At Last". Those beams are just shredded! Stalingrad..........with Derby hats! Outstanding photograph. Are there more in this series? Historical disaster photos are fascinating. [Yes, many more. - Dave] End of the LineThe very large wheels shown here appear similar to those used to pull the cables at the powerhouse and car barn of the San Francisco cable car system. Did Baltimore have cable cars at this time? PowerhouseI think those are the flywheels for the generators. They probably would have been using electric motors for the trolleys. 05Why does the man's shirt say "05"? [Class of 1905. - Dave] Re: 05My guess is that Mr 05 was part of a fire brigade, hence the number on his sweater. Firefighters from more than 38 cities came to help with the fire, which consumed more than 70 blocks in roughly 30 hours. Unfortunately, this was before the days of standardization, and many of the hoses borrowed from other cities coudn't be coupled to Baltimore's water supply. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Fires, Floods etc., Natl Photo)
Market Day: 1905
Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1905. "Lexington Market." Yes, they have bananas. ... the image was being made. Citrus Pyramids Baltimore Sun, June 2, 1907. Lexington Market Has World-Wide Fame ... berries stripped from a holly bush. (The Gallery, Baltimore, DPC, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/31/2013 - 12:18pm -

Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1905. "Lexington Market." Yes, they have bananas. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Bad ScanThis is clearly a bad scan of a relatively sharp photograph. Too bad, because there's a lot going on here. [The scan is fine. The camera was moved during the exposure. If the problem was with the scan, the dust specks and writing on the negative would also be doubled. And, technically speaking, these negatives are not "scanned" -- they're imaged in one big data-gulp. - Dave] Wow!This is one of the earliest 3D images I have seen! WWooww!!For the first time, I wish I hadn't viewed full sized! I need a little tonic for this double vision! Earthquake handsLooks like every single part of the photo has slightly doubled image. It's broad daylight and no sign of ghosts for long exposure. Camera shake? Before Polock Johnny'sWowzers. Lexington Market is still there in a newer (urban redevelopment?) building. Still lots of fun to stop there when attending an O's game. And get a "Super Polock" at Polock Johnny's, one great Polish sausage! SeasickI pity the person who scanned that image. And the person who kicked the tripod when the image was being made. Citrus Pyramids Baltimore Sun, June 2, 1907. Lexington Market Has World-Wide Fame … There is no portion of Lexington Market that is not a scene of color and form to delight the soul of an artist. The flower and fruit stands that begin long before the market proper is reached are an invitation in themselves whose allurement cannot be escaped. At present season one threads his way marketward through veritable hedgerows of daises that can be bought for a song. Interspersed with their golden eyes and white petals are fragrant clusters of pink and purple sweetpeas, and back of these again are potted plants, fern and palm and all sorts of gay blossomings for window, garden or lawn. Mingled with the scent of flowers comes the fragrance of tropical fruits—oranges piled high in golden pyramids, grapefruit in paler tints, the ruddy tones of pineapples from overseas and whole harvests of pungent lemons. The belated apple and forward peach unite the limits of the fruit season and cranberries flaunt their exquisite tints like Christmas berries stripped from a holly bush. (The Gallery, Baltimore, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Tales of the City: 1924
... quarters in the new structure. 1315-1317 F St. : Baltimore Sun Building Contemporary Photo Washington Post, Apr 9, 1903 The Baltimore Sun building, 1315 and 1317 F street was sold yesterday afternoon at ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:15pm -

Today we're leaving the office and taking the streetcar downtown for some shopping. From 1924, "F Street N.W. from 14th Street." View full size. Swastika Truck IIPossibly made by Detroit's K.R.I.T. Motor Co. [Looks more like an electric truck. Maybe a Walker Electric. There's no radiator. - Dave] Arthur Burt Co.I found these three early 1920 ads for the Arthur Burt Co., in the Washington Post. Lisle ribbed hose, of fine texture, for women and juniors: black, white, brown, elk, gray and navy blue. Just right. Shoes and hose of today, Arthur Burt Co., 1343 F. Dependable military footwear, "Nature-Shape" school shoes. The "Tuiriwun," a slipper in black satin or patent leather that is correct for both evening and street wear and, consequently, much in demand. $9.00. Arthur Burt Co. The BartholdiHey, it's the Bartholdi Cafe, offering seafood and shore dinners, inviting ladies and gentlemen, and open Sundays. I learned this stuff from a billboard next to the Texaco station. I wondered what the "ladies and gentlemen" on the sign meant - no rowdies and ruffians, no wenches of questionable virtue? A 2005 Washingtonian article mentioned the Bartholdi (it was characterized as "early 20th century" seafood, apparently not the best). Truck SwastikaThat truck pulling out near the guy crossing the trolley tracks has a swastika on it. Was there an automotive company that used that emblem before it was abused by the Nazis? [Use of the swastika as a decorative motif or commercial insignia goes back long before the National Socialist Party adopted it as an emblem. - Dave] Health Week starts April 28 1343 F St.: Arthur Burt Co. Footwear for "society affairs," afternoon or evening. 1341 F St.: Bartholdi Cafe Washington Post, May 30, 1923: Advertisement This if the first holiday since we've extended our service to include the ladies. Bring them in and let them enjoy the Bartholdi famous shore dinner or a selection of the Sea Food delicacies served our way. 1339 F St.: H.W. Topham Trunks, suitcases, traveling bags, hot boxes, etc. 1337 F St.: Watters Sterling Boot Shops "The kind of shoes you want at the price you want to pay" 1333 F St.: Adams Building Washington Post, Apr 27, 1924 Health Week Campaign Gets Start Tomorrow "Health Week" starts tomorrow. Agencies participating took possession of the old Y.W.C.A. home, at 1333 F street northwest, to install free exhibits and motion pictures, which will run through the entire week. A large sign advising "Keep the Well Person Well" and "Get the Sick Person Well" placards the building, which is open from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. 1331 F St.: Meyer's Shop "Everything for well dressed Man and Boy" - Rogers Peet Clothing 1329 F St.: Franklin & Co. Opticians 1319-1321 F St.: Interstate Building The Young Men's Shop on ground floor Washington Post, Jan 9, 1912 Plans for the construction of a ten-story office building on F street ... When completed the new building will have cost approximately $600,000. The Interstate Commerce Commission, it is expected, will lease quarters in the new structure. 1315-1317 F St.: Baltimore Sun Building Contemporary Photo Washington Post, Apr 9, 1903 The Baltimore Sun building, 1315 and 1317 F street was sold yesterday afternoon at public auction to Walter Abell.....The Sun building is perhaps one of the best known office buildings in Washington and one of the most substantial in the country. ... It was built in 1887, the jubilee year of the Baltimore Sun by the founder of the paper, Mr. A. S. Abell, ... Washington Post, Jul 12, 1987 The oldest standing skyscraper in America - maybe the first --an exquisite nine-story example of eclectic Victorian architecture, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Although New York and Chicago are normally associated with skyscrapers, the oldest example is in neither city but rather in Washington -- the Sun Building at 1317 F St. NW. ... Now restored to its original elegance, the Sun Building gives a hint of what Washington was like before the homogenizing influence of post-World War II architecture began erasing the city's history. Built by A.S. Abell, publisher of The Baltimore Sun, it originally served as a home for the newspaper's Washington bureau. Upon its completion in 1887, The Baltimore Sun Hershel Shanks, a lawyer and part owner of the Sun Building, is editor and publisher of the Biblical Archaeology Review. declared the building "the most imposing private structure in the national capital." Safety LastDig the scaffolding set up with no safety barrier or safety roof, only a few paper signs stuck to it that probably say "Watch out for stuff falling on your head," or possibly something more appropriate for the period, like "Mind the head." Hey, there was a cop standing on the corner in the Patent Office photo too. At least this street is safe from horse thieves. It looks like a breezy day.It looks like a breezy day. See how the coats and awnings are billowed? WowGreat shot. The crispness and detail in these old photos is still startling. Frederic Auguste BartholdiHotel Bartholdi appeared in the Metropolitan Life 1908 Shorpy photo. In this one he's a Cafe for Ladies & Gentlemen. He was the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty. It's 1924 and there are no horses in this picture. Were they banned from these streets? Checker CabsBoth of the two-tone taxis are Checkers, made by the Checker Cab Manufacturing Co. of Kalamazoo, as is the taxi in the extreme lower left hand corner. By 1924 Checker was building 4,000 40 hp cars a year at an average selling price of about $2350. The bus's power polesThe bus's power poles are down. It must convert to gas power when overhead power lines aren't available. [That's a streetcar, not a bus. Downtown, where there were no overhead power lines, the electrical supply was under the street. More info in the comments here and here. - Dave] TrolleyI notice there are no overhead wires for the streetcar. Apparently it was powered from a third rail on the ground. Seems pretty risky on a public street. [The power supply is underground. Not a rail, and not risky. - Dave] Third rail again?Oh Dave, you have the patience of a saint. How many times must one answer the same questions regarding streetcar power. I think its overly due time for some default link to background information regarding streetcar engineering in the District of Columbia. A few of the previous explanatory postings on Shorpy: [1,2,3] StreetcarFor those interested, the streetcar pictured in this scene is Washington Railway and Electric Company car number 602. Built in 1912 by J.G. Brill Company of Philadelphia it was delivered on September 21 of that year. In 1912 this streetcar cost $6016.17. In 1933 the Capital Traction Company took over streetcar operations in Washington DC and WRECo 602 became Capital Traction Co. car 836. In 1935, 836 was assigned to the Brightwood Division. By 1939, it was assigned to the Navy Yard Division, and in 1942 to the Benning Division. The centre door meant that 836 required two-man operation - a driver, and a conductor - and by the 1940s these older, slower cars were also creating bottlenecks as the newer, faster cars lined up behind them. 836 along with the remaining centre door cars were retired in 1944 and scrapped the following year. With the retirement of these cars retired the last of Washington DC streetcar conductors, as now all the cars were one-man operation. Not only were the cars faster, they were now cheaper to operate. One centre door streetcar, CTC 884 former WRECo. 650, is currently held by the National Capital Trolley Museum in Wheaton MD. It is currently unrestored as far as I know. See it soon for the museum is closing December 1 due to construction of the Intercounty Connector, and it is not scheduled to reopen until next summer. Sources cited: Peter C. Kohler, "Capital Transit, Washington's Street Cars The Final Era: 1933-1962" Bonifant MD: National Capital Trolley Museum, 2001. National Capital Trolley Museum: http://www.dctrolley.org/ Streetcars & Hobble SkirtsThanks James for all the information about car #602. In the photo, it appears that the lower step folds up while the car is in motion. Washington Post, Mar 20, 1923 Order Low-Step Cars W.R.&E. Officials Accede to Demand of Women Fifty are Now Being Built The women of Washington have won a victory in their demand for street cars with lower steps. The Washington Railway and Electric Company has placed an order for 50 new cars with the J.C. Brill Company, of Philadelphia, specifying particularly that the cars be constructed with low steps. The operation of the new style cars throughout the city undoubtedly will meet with the hearty approval of the women, who have been making a strenuous fight for more than two years to abolish the high steps. The new cars are being built as rapidly as possible, and the first shipment is expected to arrive here about April 15. The cars are what are known as the Narragansett type, being semi-convertible from closed to open, of double truck, and capable of comfortably seating 80 passengers. The seats will run crosswise, and the exterior will be painted yellow. It is announced by an official of the company that the cars will be constructed with two steps, affording easy ingress and exit from the vehicle. Upon just what lines the new cars will be operated the officials have not decided yet. A number of the cars, it is understood, will be placed on the Georgetown and Mt. Pleasant lines to replace those recently destroyed in the fire at the car barn at Thirteenth and D streets northeast, in which 80 cars were burned. "We have ordered that the new cars be constructed with unusually low steps," said an official of the Washington Railway and Electric Company, yesterday, "as we realize that the plea of women patrons, who ask for lower car steps, is justifiable. The new cars will be constructed, in so far as the steps are concerned, to meet the approval of the women. Later in the year we will either order additional cars of the low step type, or remodel the cars now in service to comply with the request of our women patrons." Washington Post, Apr 26, 1923 New Car Tested Here Hobble Skirts No Barrier to Improved W.R.&E. Vehicle "Wearers of the hobble skirts," said W.F. Ham, vice president of the Washington Railway and Electric Company, "will have no difficulty in boarding our new car, which we have just tried out for the first time. It has so many features that are new that we are delighted with it. During its trial trip yesterday afternoon, it carried no one but the officials of the company, but within a few days, we will run it in with our regular service, and then ask the passengers for their opinions. If they are favorable, undoubtedly we shall add a great many more of such cars to our rolling stock." Bartholdi HotelMy family owned the Bartholdi Hotel. My great-grandmother was Theresa Bartholdi. There is an old family tale that Vincent Sardi of Sardi's Steak House was a cook for the Bartholdi and met his wife who was a maid there. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo, Streetcars)
Dr. Buzzkill: 1925
... her mother's store. U. S. Commissioner Supplee in Baltimore yesterday dismissed the case against Miss Canada with a withering ... * * A MODERN INSTANCE A story of real life down in Baltimore is worth telling in tabloid form. Told with the usual ... by slicing the following extract from the special Baltimore despatch: "I told her I loved her and asked her to marry me," ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 6:30pm -

September 5, 1925. Washington, D.C. "W.A. Green, Chief Prohibition Inspector." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Major GreenThis is Maj. Walton Atwater Green, former Army officer who seems to have had some role in the formation of the military police in France during World War I. You can find quite a few references to him in the news and society pages of the mid-20s and 1930s. The male MedusaA formidable gaze, to be sure. Who knows? He might have been a real sweetheart, but I'm not sure I would get close enough to find out. The Double Stink-Eye!Snidely Whiplash believed he had gotten away with his little ruse with a simple mustache trim. Not for long. Serious, yesBut the bowtie says "party!" Marty Feldman EyesCould they both be glass? "Hey Wally, you've got some snew there on your right shoulder." "What's snew?" "Not too much Wally, what's snew with you?" A little off the top, Andy?Floyd the Barber. Bling Bling!Call me a cynic, but that watch looks very gold, very thin, very stylish and very expensive to be on the wrist of a humble public servant in 1925. I confess! I confess! Just stop staring at me!He can smash an entire roomful of bootleg hootch WITH HIS MIND. Emulsion gremlins telling us the truthI think some smart mold spores tagged this plate. The first few dots across the desk spell in Morse: DTs Eh, he ain't so badjust the way his face is put together, everybody has to make a living. Great title, Dave, you've set the bar high for Twenty Ten. Previous jobAuditor for the I.R.S. This guybeats out the Franciscan brothers from eighth grade as scaring me the most! What? What did I do?As I looked at this photo, I had an immediate and overwhelming sense of guilt - like I must have done something very wrong, and Mr. Green knows about it. Those eyes... burning ... my ... soul! (slump) Hey Lucy!We've found the Anti-Gale Gordon! I WonderIf the good Doctor could be a distant relative of Tom Selleck; or the inspiration for that mustache (but with a smile!) He does look like the perfect man for the perfect job! The Evils of the Demon RumHe looks like he could use a drink! This guylooks like he needs a beer. Seriously. Now. Before something bad happens. There's a man who could use a good stiff drink!Good thing he can get into the evidence locker! Future father-in-lawImagine dating this mans daughter... VERY serious, strict, about as fun as a funeral. Oh, and no liquid sunshine either. This man needs... a drink. ScaryTalk about a look that could kill at a thousand paces. A toastI hope Mr. Green will join me in saluting the XXI Amendment to the Constitution. Cheers! The G-ManIf looks could kill! Mean looking dudeYou would have to be to take charge of that agency. The most corrupt US government department ever. Looks like he's got a bear of a hangoverHand so unsteady he got ink all over his paper. "Seen the papers today, Williams?"I wonder whether Mr. Green had been reading articles in the nation's papers the day before the photo was taken, regarding an extraordinary case. These three extracts are lengthy, but worth reading because of the story itself, and for the editorial comment on prohibition laws. * * * WON LOVE OF GIRL AND THEN ARRESTED HER Dry Officer Is Rebuked For Securing Evidence in Such a Manner Washington, Sept. 4. - Should dry agents woo and win the love of pretty daughters to get evidence against their mothers? Lincoln C. Andrews, prohibition generalissimo, today puckered his brow over that perplexing problem. He gave no information of his decision. The question grew out of the case of John T. Williams, married rum sleuth, who won the love of Miss Sally Canada, 19, daughter of the postmistress at Glen Echo, Md., then arrested her and raided her mother's store. U. S. Commissioner Supplee in Baltimore yesterday dismissed the case against Miss Canada with a withering denunciation of Williams and his methods of enforcing prohibition. Harry M. Luckett, chief of Washington dry agents, came to the defense of Williams today, but did not defend his novel scheme for securing evidence. He denied that he told Williams to get evidence "at any cost." Prohibition Commissioner Haynes declined to make any verbal comment on the case, but his gestures were eloquent. Asked if he were interested in love-making methods to get evidence, Haynes threw up his arms and walked away. "It was the dirtiest trick a man ever played on a girl," was the comment of Sally Canada. The pretty girl then described how Williams dropped into the little store and finally succeeded in making a date. He was a fast worked and gave Sally such a good time that she fell in love with him. One night, Williams asked her to buy some liquor for him and took her to a place near her home, she said. Williams drank most of the liquor on the spot, she added. Later, she added, he asked her to get more liquor which she did and hid it in her ward. Williams called for the liquor with his wife and when it was delivered arrested the girl and raided her store. In flaying Williams, Commissioner Supplee said it cost $500 to get a $3 pint of liquor. * * * A MODERN INSTANCE A story of real life down in Baltimore is worth telling in tabloid form. Told with the usual circumstantiality in a 1925 novel, it would bld mark the utmost extreme of fantasticality. Flashed on the cinema screen it would be called the grotesque hallucination of some poor scenario writer. But it is a true story none the less, and the essential part of it appears in the records of a United States Commissioner's office. Our readers can draw from the narrative what moral they please. At any rate, it is worth repeated as—well, as a modern instance. Down in a Maryland town bearing the romantic name of Glen Echo lives a nineteen-year-old girl and a High School graduate, one Sally Canada, with ehr mother, who keeps a country store and the post office. For some reason not fully disclosed, Mrs. Canada's little store incurred the suspicions of the Prohibition agent in the district. He accordingly summoned an official trysty on his staff whose name is John T. Williams. It is Williams who figures as the hero of the story, for want of a better one - a melancholy want in this romance. The regional Prohibition chief, as it appears from the records, ordered Williams "to go the limit on making a case against the Canadas," mother and daughter. How well Williams obeyed this injunction will appear below, though we may anticipate by saying that he must have had in mind this passage from the "Merchant of Venice": "The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard, but I will better the instruction." We shall see that even the "limit" may be paradoxically exceeded. To make a long story short, let it be stated at once that Williams, after introducing himself as an acquaintance of a friend of the Canada family, began courting the girl, motoring with her to various summer resorts and entertaining her in the customary ways. We continue this narrative by slicing the following extract from the special Baltimore despatch: "I told her I loved her and asked her to marry me," testified Williams, who said the courtship lasted from June 28 to July 28. The girl, he said, on the night of July 27, sold him a pint of liquor for $3. It was then that he made the complaint and caused the postoffice to be raided. After hearing the stories of Williams, Miss Canada, and her mother, Commissioner Supplee declared: "This girl was taken on automobile trips and taken to dinner and parties. Williams made love to her and won his way into her confidence. I consider this a plain case of trapping. If the Volstead act depends on such methods as this for enforcement, I think it is a pity that we have it and similar laws on the statute books. "I do not believe Miss Canada or her mother ever sold liquor or possessed liquor. The pint used as evidence was secured by Miss Canada for Williams after he won her confidence." The story, though not occupying very much space, is a pretty complete one as it stands. On the whole, it does not call for extended comment in any decent community, even in this new and wonderful era of Volsteadian enterprise. It seems necessary, however, after repeating the main details, to substitute for Williams, as the hero of the story, that United States Commissioner with the unromantic name of Supplee. More power to his strong elbow and his honorable manhood! This example of rascality and treachery in the name of law enforcement is exceptional only in the almost unbelievable measure of its turpitude. Less shameful methods of the same general stamp are employed every day. The effect of the new dispensation is to put a sort of official premium upon practices which every right-minded man and woman detested before the Eighteenth Amendment was adopted. One can imagine nothing more contemptible than officers of the law who, not content with snooping and spying, glory in their successful stratagems to tempt people to violate the law. We do not believe that the decent public opinion of the United States, which is still presumably predominant, will permanently endure that particular kind of official knavery. * * * ... "It was the dirtiest trick a man ever played on a girl," she said. And it is. And Williams should be forced to pay some sort of a penalty for that trick, and if it was a man "higher up" in the dry force, he, too, should pay. A girl's love should not be tampered with. The trouble with divorce courts today lies in the fact that love is being taken entirely too lightly, not always by the man, of course, because both are to blame in many cases. But for the mere matter of adding a few hundred dollars to the United States treasury, no man should be permitted to mask a misdemeanor of the sort committed by this dry agent under the cloak of his official duties. In the first place, the daughter was not committing the crime. It was her mother. Yet she was the subject of an unjust farce, the unhappy medium of an unscrupulous man's deception and trickery. Possibly her entire life has been blighted for the sake of procuring a little bootleg liquor. Is that justice? The sooner all justice is carried out for the sake of justice, the better the citizens of this nation will come to regard the countless number of statutes which have been enacted. But it should always be remembered, that the happiness and rights of every man and every woman and every child should not be tampered with or distorted in order to gain some petty objective. Best Kicker EVER!This kicker "Dr. Buzzkill" is one of the funniest things I have EVER read! Thanks for the laugh. Also, does anyone else think actor Hugh Laurie ('House') is *made* for this role? Inspector Hard StareOne would probably need a couple of drinks after being inspected by this guy. Mr. NiceguyUnasked-for advice: Lighten up. Shoveling against the tideNothing like trying to put a Genie back in the bottle! 8 more years of trying... Tough audience hereI wonder how many of them would survive being exhibited in 85 years time in today's environment and fashions. I certainly know my family has some pictures of me from the 1970s tucked away which would result in instant retribution if they were publicly shown. Walton Atwater GreenThis is indeed Maj. Walton Atwater Green, an Army officer in WWI who subsequently had several interesting careers -- publisher of the Boston Journal, a novelist, and for a time Chief Prohibition Inspector. He was also my grandfather, though we never met. Nice to see his face here. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Portraits)
Party Balloons: 1939
Baltimore, Maryland, April 1939. "Sign on Baltimore Street." 35mm negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Resettlement ... This kind of sign can still be seen in some sections of Baltimore. Probably for different products, though. And for higher prices. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2011 - 9:10pm -

Baltimore, Maryland, April 1939. "Sign on Baltimore Street." 35mm negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Still CurrentThis kind of sign can still be seen in some sections of Baltimore. Probably for different products, though. And for higher prices. Dated no lessNever seen balloons dated before. Can see where it would be a selling point though. "Every one stamped, dated & air tested"Stamped? Was that so you could drop one in the mail? Nice signOne of my grandfather's friends was a sign painter. I remember lots of colorful hand painted signs as a kid a various gatherings. You don't see them any more in this day of color printers. "Balloons"Government tested balloons? I'm wondering if this was actually the sort of product that was "intended for the prevention of disease only"! Sounds fishy to me too.I can't see any reason to 'date' or 'air test' typical latex party supplies. This has to be a euphemism for phophylactics. Thanks!Ha ha! Thanks for cheering me up, that's funny! Party of TwoI think this party involved a rather small crowd. QuestionsHow do you stamp, date and air test a liquid? Liquid latex is usually painted on the body. [You're getting warm. - Dave] Who would ask for a gross?I suppose the equivalent today would be the 12 year old boy who asks the pharmacist where he can find the extra-large? Oh how I want to comment on Dave's "You're getting warm" comment. I shall refrain. A Gross Time"A fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff," as Slim Pickens said in Dr. Strangelove. Eww, 144I know they didn't have TV, but there were other things to do in 1939. Why would you need a GROSS? GleetI'd much rather buy a few of these balloons than take the "Three Days Cure for Men" that was featured here a few weeks ago! https://www.shorpy.com/node/8596 Not sure what it says about me... that my eyes went right past the "liquid latex" (teehee) to settle on the Kewpie dolls in the background! (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Baltimore, Stores & Markets)
Three Indians: 1915
... Washington Men Will Cover the First Lap, From This City to Baltimore -- Expect to Make Cross-Continent Run in 119 Hours -- Secretary of ... motorcycles. These men will carry the message from here to Baltimore, where another team will take it up and carry it over the second lap ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 11:57am -

Washington, D.C., July 1915. "Motorcycle team, relay to Frisco." Frank S. Long, F.L. Leishear (whose Indian store we saw here) and Josiah McL. Seabrook. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. California, screamin'They sure did take a circuitous route (NYC and then way up to Albany). The stretch from Reno down into Sacramento must have kept the lads awake with fear if that lap's bikes had no front brakes either. The first time I drove from Reno to Sacramento - and this was on a road they could not dream of, I-80 - one item that caught my eye was a sign, "Caution. Downgrades next 40 miles." Light fantasticThe one smart enough to put the light on his bike will win it for them. Gold mineThe guys from "Pickers" must be drooling. Maybe they could find out who these men are and see if their families have these bikes behind the barn. Safety first!At least for the fellow with the tossled hair. He has on his protective gloves! Rudimentary brakes.Emergency stops much have been pretty exciting on those old bikes- I don't think they even had front brakes. No stoppies for them! Nice!I've been sitting here soaking up this picture. Just fabulous! Great shot, great clothes, great bikes! Wish I could go for a ride with them. Thanks again Dave. Handsome BravesBeautiful bikes! These have many, many similarities to this amazingly restored model, snapped last spring in Charlotte, North Carolina. They may be a bit newer, with kick starter, no leg-power pedals, skirted fender, hand-grip clutch, an electric headlamp on the rear bike (as opposed to Prest-o-Lite [acetylene]), and "soft-tail" rear suspension. I guess any of this could have been optional equipment. DatingI believe that the date of this photo is probably 1916 and not 1926. The Indians pictured appear to be 1915 models. I believe that 1915 was the last year of the inlet over exhaust engine (which these bikes have)and the first year of the kick starter. [You are close -- the year is 1915. - Dave] World's Fastest IndianWhen you see these bikes it really is incredible that Burt Munro took a similar model, a 1920 Scout, modified it and drove it to several land speed records. In 1967, with his engine punched out to 58 cu.in. (950cc) he set a class record of 183.586 mph. To qualify he made a one-way run of 190.07 mph, the fastest ever officially recorded speed on an Indian. The hogs of their dayLaugh at the funny horn if you like, but those bikes are Indian "standards" with 1,000-cc engines. Too bad they didn't add front brakes until 1928. Murder Inc.Maybe these fellas were part of the traveling team of hit-men for Murder Inc. They sure look like they want to kill something. a-OO-gah!Although the braking wouldn't be the greatest, at least they'd be able to clear a path with a mighty squeeze of the horn. Silent RIt was Shorpy that taught me that these are "Motocycles." 119 Hours to FriscoWashington Post, July 18, 1915. RELAY RACE TOMORROW Motorcyclists to Carry Message From Capital to Pacific. START FROM WHITE HOUSE Three Washington Men Will Cover the First Lap, From This City to Baltimore -- Expect to Make Cross-Continent Run in 119 Hours -- Secretary of War to Start Riders. With all arrangements for the transcontinental motorcycle relay race completed, the riders for the first lap of the long journey await the starter's word. The start will be made from the White House at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. They will carry a message from the President to the officials of the Panama-Pacific exposition at San Francisco. The Washington team, which will cover the first lap, will be composed of Frank S. Long, F.L. Leishear, and J. McL. Seabrook, mounted on Indian motorcycles. These men will carry the message from here to Baltimore, where another team will take it up and carry it over the second lap which ends in Philadelphia. From there the route across county is via New York, Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Chicago, Davenport, Des Moines, Omaha, Cheyenne, Salt Lake City, Reno and Sacramento to San Francisco. Fast Time Is Scheduled. On account of the absence of the President, the message will be handed to the riders by Secretary of War Garrison. It is due on the Pacific coast 119 hours after leaving Washington. The riders in the Eastern part of the country will have little difficulty in keeping up with the schedule on account of the good roads, but some of the Western relays are more than 200 miles in length. The longest lap will be between Elko and Fenley, Nev. This stretch is 274 miles long. One of the purposes of this relay is to demonstrate the utility of the motorcycle for military use. The relay is intended to show that the motorcycle is capable of delivering messages under all conditions of road and weather. There will not be one minute from the time the message leaves Washington until it is delivered to the officials of the exposition that it is not moving, day and night, rain or shine. The motorcyclists of this country have been as one volunteering their services as dispatch bearers, and it has been a task for John L. Donovan, chairman of the competition committee of the Federation of American Motorcyclists and manager of the relay, to select the riders. HornyThe furthestmost bike from us has an electric horn, but the others have the bulb variety; I'm guessing it was an optional extra or later add-on. Also interesting to note that heavy cardigans seemed to be the outer garment of choice for moto-cyclists at this time. I wonder when and why the black leather jacket took over. Front SuspensionIt's called a trailing link suspension as the arm pivots ahead of the axel axle. Not too common at all. I believe some early BMWs used this type for awhile as well. In All It's Its GloryHere is a picture of a restored bike that is exactly like the ones in the picture. Note the kick start is on the left side and there is no gear shift to the left of the tank. Apparently slightly later models had the space occupied by the kick start mechanism replaced with a transmission that included a gear shift from it to the left side of the gas tank. Front SuspensionThe Indian front suspension was designed so there was caster to the wheels. According to the old guys I knew 60 years ago, this caster made for very secure handling and less tendency to high speed wobble. You haven't lived until you have experienced a case of high speed wobble!!! UnpunctualThe messages were delivered 36 hours late according to the article below from The Salt Lake Tribune from July 26, 1915. Research indicates that the riders were trying to show that taking a dispatch on a motorcycle across the country would be faster than placing the same message on a train. As originally scheduled, the race would have gone through Sacramento during the national Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM) convention in Sacramento, but this did not happen because of the belated arrival of the dispatch rider. The FAM was the organization behind the race. All riders were asked to conduct a rehearsal ride on July 11th. The purpose of riding in teams of three was to ensure that if something happened to the primary rider or his motorcycle another rider would be immediately available to continue the mission to San Francisco. Of the three riders pictured here, Seabrook punctured a tire before reaching Baltimore, and he dropped out; Long ran into a pile of rocks in Baltimore, and he was injured; so Leishear became the only man to make it to the first transfer point. By Bryan, Ohio, near the Indiana border, the racers were five and a half hours late because of rains and bad roads. By the time the riders reached Chicago they were 12 hours behind schedule. Some time was made up on the way to Moline, Illinois as the deficit was reduced to just eight and a half hours upon arriving there, and seven hours at Des Moines, Iowa. In Nebraska the lead rider had an accident, but the other riders were far behind him. Consequently, by Rock Springs, Wyoming the riders were 19 hours behind their scheduled arrival, and at Ogden, Utah 18 hours overdue. I did not find where the other 18 hours were lost, but many sources mention the 36 hour late arrival. The official route, dates, and times as originally scheduled were shown in the Ogden Standard (Ogden, Utah) on July 17, 1915. Note the earlier start time than what actually took place. July 19: 6:00 AM, Washington. D.C. to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Poughkeepsie, Albany, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester to: July 20: 12:45 AM, Buffalo, New York to Erie, Cleveland, Toledo, Bryan, South Bend, Chicago, Sterling, Davenport to: July 21: 3:15 AM, Victor, Iowa to Walnut, Omaha, Columbus, Kearney, North Platte, Julesburg to: July 22: 3:15 AM, Cheyenne, Wyoming to Pine Ridge Station, Rawlins, Rock Springs, Evanston, Salt Lake City, Ogden to: July 23: 12:45 AM, Kelton, Utah to Cobre, Elko, Rye Patch Station, Battle Mountain, Tenley, Reno, Colfax, Sacramento, Tracy, to San Francisco. (The Gallery, D.C., Motorcycles, Natl Photo, Sports)
Train Wreck: 1922
... death yesterday afternoon when two freight trains of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company crashed in a head-on collision near Laurel, Md. David Ramsey, one of the engineers, was taken to a Baltimore hospital suffering from a broken leg. The others escaped injury by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2012 - 11:11pm -

Laurel, Maryland. July 31, 1922. "Two B&O freights wrecked in head-on crash at Laurel switch." National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. CREWS ESCAPE BY JUMPINGWashington Post, August 1, 1922. 2 FREIGHTS CRASH AT LAUREL SWITCH Both Engines and 4 Cars Demolished When B&O Trains Meet in Head-On Collision. CREWS ESCAPE BY JUMPING Leg of Engineer Ramsey Broken, 50 Yards of Track Torn Up, Tie-Up Lasts Hours.         Six men narrowly escaped death yesterday afternoon when two freight trains of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company crashed in a head-on collision near Laurel, Md. David Ramsey, one of the engineers, was taken to a Baltimore hospital suffering from a broken leg. The others escaped injury by jumping just before the crash.         Both engines and four freight cars were demolished and the passenger and freight service of the railroad company was tied up for several hours while wrecking crews removed the debris. Commuters between Washington and Baltimore who were unable to obtain a lift from passing automobiles were forced to walk to their destination. Meet at Open Switch.         The accident occurred at a crossways near Laurel, where the east and westbound freights met in an open switch. The train crews had hardly jumped to the ground when the heavily loaded freight cars crashed into one another, the eastbound engine being hurled 25 feet in the air.         Wrecking crews were quickly sent to the scene, and emergency telephone connections established with the train dispatcher's office at Baltimore. Passenger Trains Diverted.         Passenger trains of the Baltimore and Ohio were sent out over the tracks of the Pennsylvania road to Overton, Md., then to the main line of the Baltimore and Ohio.         Officials of the railroad at the scene of the wreck refused to place responsibility for the accident, and busied themselves at once to clear away and repair the 50 yards of track torn up by the collision. Grand Funk RailroadPics like this always remind me of those 70's album covers. The term"my bad" was coined at that very moment. I do believeThat this situation was called a ‘’cornfield meet.’’ The great train wreckThe most interesting aspect of the wreck, to me, is the way it was covered in the local newspaper, the Laurel Leader. Not at all. The next issue after the accident, on 8/04/22, included front page stories of a collision of two ships near Seattle and the arrest on murder charges of a number of Prohibition agents in Texas, but nary a word on an accident in the back yard. The paper seems, back in the day, to have had almost no local reporting presence, relying on wire services and pre-packaged feature material. (It has much more local focus today, even though it's now published in nearby Columbia.) Even more oddly, perhaps, I don't find any mention of the wreck in the Baltimore Sun (published, after all, in the B&O's home town). (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads)
The Calvert: 1906
Baltimore circa 1906. "The Calvert Building, Fayette and St. Paul Streets." ... Guarantee Company and when Charles Lindbergh flew over Baltimore in 1927, she went to the roof to see Lindy and the Spirit of St. Louis. (The Gallery, Baltimore, DPC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/02/2022 - 5:14pm -

Baltimore circa 1906. "The Calvert Building, Fayette and St. Paul Streets." Completed in 1901; demolished in 1971. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. 70 years is actually a long timeI've always been mystified by how skyscrapers, so grand and sturdy, seem to nearly always last well less than a century. (My own house was built in 1912, so it is now 110 years old ... and is more valuable than ever!) I understand that skyscrapers are "business," and that business isn't big on appreciating that which is "old" -- not like how religious temples and cathedrals are treated (or houses in desirable neighborhoods). But, still: this one only lasted 70 years! So I looked it up: "what is the average lifespan of a skyscraper?" The answer: 41 years. Yikes. Almost goneThe Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. Courthouse is still there. You just see the corner of it on the far left of the photo. Hold onto your hats!It's pretty windy out there! While its neighbors survivedThis is the corner where the Calvert Building once stood. The Calvert may have stood for only 70 years, but the two buildings to the left of it in the 1906 photograph are still there. Check the band of Greek meandering on the building furthest left (across the street from the Calvert), and the stonework and number of stories on the building next door. Room With a VauxOn a clear day, from a central room on a top floor of the Calvert, one could catch a glimpse of the Olmsted. Mom was spotting Lindy from the roof My mother (nee Catherine Streb) worked there at the Maryland Title Guarantee Company and when Charles Lindbergh flew over Baltimore in 1927, she went to the roof to see Lindy and the Spirit of St. Louis. (The Gallery, Baltimore, DPC)
Mr. Peanut: 1943
April 1943. "Baltimore, Maryland -- peanut stand." Medium format nitrate negative by Marjory ... taken on the North East corner of the intersection of E. Baltimore St. & Holliday St. Much has changed. But the tall building on ... some Civil Defense function. Hey Get Your Hot Nuts Baltimore and Peanuts have a history with me. I'm a Baltimore native who as ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/21/2017 - 7:08am -

April 1943. "Baltimore, Maryland -- peanut stand." Medium format nitrate negative by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. A day in the life of a peanut vendor.A very interesting picture of how things were. It shows all the little things needed to make it through the day. From the box of wood scraps for the roaster to the chair and newspaper for when thing got slow to the lantern for night visibility and a bag of peanuts waiting to be roasted. I also see a broom for keeping the area clean and the city off his back. Modifications appear to have been done as he found scraps of wood. SpeakersI wonder what was the purpose of the array of speakers mounted high on the utility pole on the corner. Wartime public address system? Air raid signal? Location, Location, LocationThe photo was taken on the North East corner of the intersection of E. Baltimore St. & Holliday St. Much has changed. But the tall building on the left in the photo still stands. Re: SpeakersI seem to recall speakers like that in 'B' movies of the 1950s, being used to warn the public to take cover from the Space Aliens or Mutant Critter. So probably they did originally have some Civil Defense function. Hey Get Your Hot NutsBaltimore and Peanuts have a history with me. I'm a Baltimore native who as a young child (1950's) would go with my mother as she paid our utility bill at the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Building at 39 West Lexington Street. The highlight for me was that this little patch of Charm City was also occupied by a Planter's Peanut Man in full peanut costume who gave away peanuts. It didn't even matter to him if you came back for seconds or thirds which I always did and of course I had Mom get a handful too. There was handicapped man one would see at various places downtown who was a veteran of WWII who traveled on a skate board with his legs under him and sold 5 cent bags of peanuts. Another place to visit and enjoy the great smell that made your mouth water was the Geppi roasted peanut stand in the Lexington Market. And last but not least was the peanut vendor who stood near Blaze Starr's Two O'Clock Club on the infamous Baltimore Strip selling his peanuts with a sing song ditty .. " Hey get your hot nuts. Get'em from the peanut man." (The Gallery, Baltimore, Marjory Collins)
Urban Eskimos: 1961
"Snow igloo, 1961." Somewhere in Baltimore near Kermy and Janet's house. Note the variety of lunch-carriers. ... as an extra data point, last night I happened to be in Baltimore and saw quite a few men walking around in shorts, in 19-degree F ... and off. February Having grown up in the Washington/Baltimore area during the 60s, I can say that the amount of snow on the ground ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/22/2013 - 5:10pm -

"Snow igloo, 1961." Somewhere in Baltimore near Kermy and Janet's house. Note the variety of lunch-carriers. 35mm Kodachrome. View full size. Off-center compositionPossibly the result of parallax problems from a rangefinder-type camera or just an off-centered photographer. Aladdin "Buccaneer" LunchboxCame out around 1957. Bare legsAs a Canadian, I must ask: What's with the bare legs in winter? Oh, Grow Up!Good illustration of human growth patterns. Girls get their height spurt at 10-12 years, boys at 12-14. Typical grammar school 6-7th grade observation. Re bare legsDavidK, as a Minnesotan, I wore snow pants until I started junior high and then we would not be caught dead wearing them to school. We could only wear dresses to school. Yes, I remember standing at the bus stop with freezing legs in 1961. Dummies! Ha ha But why bare?I can understand, pattyanne, why a teen would want to ditch the puffy snowpants (my own pre-teen resents having to wear them, but that's the price of being allowed to play outside at recess during the winter) -- still, why not wear leotards or stockings or leggings? I can't get over these girls with their bare legs in sub-freezing temperatures. Loose Leaf TabsMy lunch always went to school in a brown paper with me walking it there but what caught my eye here was the red loose leaf tab. You'd buy the 3-hole oak tag dividers and each one was "tabbed" with a different-color plastic gizmo. You'd insert a paper strip that had a school class subject written on it and you'd flip that tab in class to get to that class's work. Red always seemed to be the top tab. I was 13 in 1961 and back then nobody on Long Island knew what a school bus or "free" school lunch was. Boot removal@wxman1: The way to take those boots off without having your shoes come off with them is to put plastic bread bags over your shoes before putting on the boots. Preferably Wonder Bread. Rubber BootsAll of them are wearing the rubber winter footwear popular in those days. Looks like the boy is wearing the same kind I remember wearing to school. They were all black and had a half dozen metal clasps. They were also impossible to take off without leaving your shoe inside. My lunch bucket I am 61 years old and remember having that lunch bucket. There is some sort of underwater shark scene on the bottom if memory serves me. My younger brother had a rectangular cowboy themed bucket. I think it may have been a "Gunsmoke" or maybe "Wyatt Earp" theme. WOW...Look at that igloo or snowfort behind them. Isn't that what it is? It's huge! We used to dream of such big snow forts, but it never snowed enough where we lived. Right to bare legs....Just as an extra data point, last night I happened to be in Baltimore and saw quite a few men walking around in shorts, in 19-degree F temperature with 20 mph wind. Personally, I put it down to insanity. ImpedimentaI attended K-1 in balmy Cleveland, Ohio, (rode the streetcar there, too, though that's another story), an experience that taught me I'd rather steal for a living than teach elementary school. Our teachers seemed to spend most of their time getting us out of our snowsuits and galoshes, then back in for recess, than out, then back in to go home, etc. Add the trauma of the occasional lost mitten or the kid who, after having been made into a reasonable facsimile of the little brother in "A Christmas Story," announced an urgent need to go to the bathroom, and one wonders why the suicide rate for lower-elementary-grade teachers in the Snow Belt is not much higher. Shoe KeepersI remember those rubber boots with clasps too. I also remember wearing bread bags over my shoes to make it easier to get the darned things on and off. FebruaryHaving grown up in the Washington/Baltimore area during the 60s, I can say that the amount of snow on the ground is a bit unusual. After a scan of snow depth records for 1961, I would guess that this photo was taken on February 4th or 5th. There was a storm on the 4th that dumped about 10" of snow (which had a few inches on it beforehand). The temperature was also right near freezing which is why the snow looks so clumpy and "packable". Great snow for building forts, igloos, snowballs and, of course, snowmen. Addendum: After realizing that I never looked at a calendar, I have realized the the 4th and 5th were Saturday and Sunday. So this picture must have been on Monday the 6th. Flip top PurseThe girl on the right is carrying a brown purse. I don't know what they were actually called (and their popularity was short lived) but they closed by flipping the two halves of the top over each other. My older sister had a red one that I coveted beyond description. Wonder what ever happened to it. No Pants AllowedI'm about of the age of the kids in the photo, and I well-remember walking to school with neighborhood girls in skirts, dead of winter. Reason wasn't because the girls were dumb or trying to be more feminine. In our case it was because schools (well, our system anyway) didn't allow girls to wear pants. Ever. No Pants Ever! is RightGary Hoff is correct. I was in 3rd grade when we moved from West Virginia to Baltimore in January 1962. My mother sent me to school in snow pants (worn under my skirt so they could be slipped off when I got to school). I was informed - archly - that We Don't Do That Here. Bare legs and bread bagsMy elementary school didn't allow girls to wear pants, either, but there's no way I would've walked to school with bare legs in sub-zero temperatures. I had no less than a dozen pairs of tights in groovy '60s colors. I have to admit I'm disappointed to learn that the bread bag trick was so well-known, though. I thought my mother invented it. Wonder yearsWe used Wonder Bread bags, too! I'd forgotten that - amazing how clearly it all comes back. In Ohio, going to school with bare legs in the winter would have been considered slightly indecent. I wore bulky tights that, in those days before spandex, always seemed to be sagging halfway down to my knees. I spent half my day surreptitiously yanking them up. End Of An EraWe didn't have any rules about girls wearing slacks or jeans in elementary school, but when I entered high school they had a dress code that banned slacks, pants and (especially) jeans for girls. This was in 1970 and just about every girl in the place wore mini-skirts. As you may guess this provided an impressionable freshman with quite an education, particularly on some of the staircases. However I happen to live in Saskatoon, And if you think Baltimore is cold in the winter, well as the man said you ain't seen nothin' yet. By January of 1971 the dress code had changed to allow slacks and pants for girls (but not jeans until about May). Either complaints about high school girls coming home with frozen legs, or the realization that mini-skirts were a greater "distraction" to the teenaged male population of the school system than the dreaded slacks or even jeans caused the school board to change the dress code. Dress CodeI was in junior high when the school board changed the dress code to allow girls to wear pants. The school board may have changed its dress code, but my parents did not! Dresses were still mandatory for a few years until my incessant whining wore my parents down. Tough girlsSame as when I was in school- early '60s- no pants for girls. I figured it was because girls were tough! But in hot weather girls had the advantage- cool with bare legs while we boys had to wear long pants. A lot of silly rules back then. Probably not enough rules now. Young DebutanteThe girl in the middle is holding a lunch pail shaped like a wicker basket with a handle at the center. It has a pink ribbon threaded through it and one word, "Debutante" in lacy handwriting. A friend of mine has one of these lunch pails, which she uses for an emergency sewing kit for the girls at--where else--the National Debutante Cotillion. (Kermy Kodachromes)
Super Carrier Christmas: 1957
... the Kermy and Janet Kodachromes, taken at their house in Baltimore. Gifts include a Revell model aircraft carrier and something called ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/07/2013 - 9:43am -

"Christmas 1957" is the label on this slide from the Kermy and Janet Kodachromes, taken at their house in Baltimore. Gifts include a Revell model aircraft carrier and something called the Shopping Center Game. View full size. Fun for ALL Non-Toxicsays one gift, and I wonder if he really completed that aircraft carrier with its 23,000 parts. Revell aircraft carrier modelSome time in the mid-sixties, I put together an aircraft carrier model like that, though not so large. The icing on the cake was gluing the dozens of tiny aircraft to the deck. (I had two younger brothers, so everything had to be glued down.) Loot aplentyThe two additional Revell boxes promise many happy hours inhaling glue fumes. And a pair of spiffy red boots in the bargain! Shopping Center gameI bought that at an estate sale a couple years back. There are some pictures of it here. U.S.S ForrestalI built the U.S.S. Forrestal a few years later, about 1961. I still have a few of the aircraft from the deck. 1 co-workers brother was killed in the tragic Forrestal fire in 1967. Patrick Wentzel Parkersburg, WV More than an inhalant hazardThat glue would make a crater in the dining room table (whilst assembling a Lockheed Constellation). Followed by a brief lecture from my father. I suspect that he was not without sin. BTW, I crewed in Neptunes. I never knew that they made a model of that critter. A product of the Burbank Iron Works. One point two million rivets in tight formation. b-ballWe had that basketball game-- the ball was a ping pong ball, if I recall correctly, and it shot off the cardboard floor of the game via a lever....fun!! The helicopter that wasn'tHiding underneath the Forrestal box is another for a Piasecki H-16 Transporter helicopter. The model never made it to full production after the second prototype crashed during evaluation by the Air Force. Unfortunately, I can't see enough of the third box to identify the model. B-24 LiberatorThe Revell model under the carrier B-24The third model is a B-24 Liberator. I remember building that same model carrieras well as the helicopter kit beneath it. Brings back vivid memories of those days, with scattered kit parts and the pungent smell of Revell glue (readily sold to kids back then) permeating my bedroom. How I never got high, nor developed an affinity for that glue stuff, amazes me to this day. The chemicals probably killed off a few brain cells along the way, but boy, those kits were fun and launched your imagination! The third modelis the box scale (about 1/92 in this case) Revell B-24 Liberator. I have lusted mightily for that one for some years. Ah, nostalgia! All these kits command prices far in excess of what Kermy's folks had to lay out. One dealer (known for high prices) lists the Forrestal at over $200. Nostalgia at a price. Revell models on the sceneThere are a total of five Revell model boxes visible here. The other model kit hiding below the USS Forrestal carrier kit's box is a B-24 Liberator. There's the Piasecki H-16 helicopter kit and behind the boy there's a couple more models: an A3D Skywarrior model on top and a P2V-7 Neptune model below it. Images of all these boxes can be found here. Kermyalways got the coolest stuff for Christmas! The bookis Sand Dune Pony by Troy Nesbit. Lucky Kermy!Not only did Kermy (who appears to be a year or so older than I am) get some nifty gifts, I envied anyone who could put those models together nicely. God knows I tried, but my models looked thrown together. That's because they were; I wanted to do them in an hour. Some of my friends would have great model airplanes hanging on fishing line from their bedroom ceilings; that was so cool!!! I remember reading the Sand Dune Pony book, though I preferred the Hardy Boys or Tom Swift, Junior. Kermy's shirt is pretty stylin', too! That lucky old Kermy!!! My ForrestalCame 2 years and one week later, I think, on my 10th birthday. You Rang My BellIn the pile on the right I see Miss Frances and her bell on a box of something good from Ding Dong School, a popular TV program when I was a lad in the 1950s. I will readily admit I was bigger fan of Winky Dink and Buffalo Bob who was great fun with his buddy Howdy Doody. Sticking PointI built that B-24 model sometime in the '50s. Revell kits had great detail and lots of little parts. But the most difficult part was keeping the glue from fogging the clear plastic pieces. I was seldom successful at that. Painstakingy painting the pilot was a useless effort when the canopy became a blurry mess. Composite CarrierI too had an aircraft carrier kit; mine was the USS Bon Homme Richard. I kept it for many years and modified it often by adding various vehicles and armaments from other models. Miss Revlon!!!!I would have sold my then five-year-old soul for that platinum-pony-tailed Miss Revlon doll lying atop her box beside the red boots. Kool KermyWith his button down collar AND blue suede shoes Kermy must have been stylin' in '57! FIVE Models for Christmas! Jackpot!I remember building my very first Revell model kit, carefully, lovingly gluing ever tiny piece in place, patiently waiting for it to dry. Then it occurred to me: "Oh, you paint it first . . ." U.S.S. ForrestalI know that girls aren't supposed to be interested in model kits, but as a kid, I was. I bought the U.S.S. Forrestal kit and put it together. I've often wondered what my mother did with it when we moved? A Betsy McCall dollis lurking in the background on the right. Partially hidden by the tree and the basketball game is a rather substantial collection of magazines, newspapers, and phone book or two. Could this indicate an early effort at recycling in '57? [Not if it was like the typical accumulations that could be found at this time around our house 3000 miles to the west. Like ours, it appears to contain at least one mail-order catalog (Wards in our case). Quite possibly Kermy, like me, would eventually have to be torn away from his toys, kicking and screaming, to deal with it. -tterrace] ValuesThe value of mint, unopened model kits can be amazing. If I'd known, I would have bought two of each kit I ever built, but, sadly, only realized this fact 65 years too late. A company called Pocher made 1/8 scale, museum quality models of famous cars; their sealed, unopened kits are like finding gold and they were expensive new. A Model ChildI had that Forrestal and many others by Revell and AirFix. The few I took to decorate my first college apartment are all that remained, after, much to my dismay, my parents gave away the rest from my old room at home. If they weren't turning over in their graves from the recent earthquakes directly under the cemetery where they're buried, they certainly would be anyway--to know I've spent a good part of my inheritance from them paying $200 a whack to replace those models. Figured I'd put them together on snowy winter evenings of my second childhood (and it's snowing right now). What I hadn't figured on is old eyes. They're all still in their boxes. Nevertheless, they make me happy. Kodachrome, enough said!I love this image! Ok first off its a Kodachrome, enough said. But I love the tinsel on the tree. Yes real tinsel that you cannot get anymore. Secondly look at the those glass beads on the tree, we have strands of those on our dinning room tree which has all vintage glass figural ornaments of all different sizes, shapes and colors. Now for the toys! As a boy I would have loved for that ship. I can remember Christmas morning in the late 1970's opening my presents from Santa. I was so excited to find an X-Wing Fighter, Tie Fighter and so forth. I have been capturing our family memories on slide film for years and continue to do so to tis day. I will continue to do so until there is no slide film left on the planet and then I will quietly put my camera away. I attached a photo taken on Christmas Eve in 2006 of our boys. Every Christmas Eve the Elves make deliveries of treats to the neighbors. That B-24!First model I ever built was that same B-24, summer of 1955, when I was 8. I learned the hard way that you REALLY have to refer to the directions when you build those babies. It came out a total mess. I spent THOUSANDS of happy hours as a kid building models by Revell, Aurora, Lindbergh Line, etc., etc. Another thing kids of today seem to have missed out on. U.S.S. Forrestal in Cannes, FranceU.S.S. Forrestal (and Saratoga) were part of the Sixth Fleet. As a child I used to visit the French Rivièra, around Christmas and New Year during several years in the late fifties and early sixties of the former century. The visit of the Sixth Fleet used to be one of the highlights for me and my brother in those days. One of our favourite tours was "rounding" the aircraft carrier by pedalo! During Christmas and New Year there used to be a fair in Cannes, I joined many a ride with an American Navy Sailor in the autoscooter: they liked to share the ride with a young European boy, and we liked to get it for free from an American Sailor. You may have a look at: A few mementos of Forrestal times . . . (Boats & Bridges, Christmas, Kermy Kodachromes)
Bethlehem-Fairfield: 1943
May 1943. "Bethlehem-Fairfield shipyards, Baltimore. 'Liberty ship' cargo transports." Photo by Arthur Siegel, Office of ... even managed to establish a world shipbuilding record. Baltimore workers had built 5,187,600 tons of shipping. They had constructed ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/19/2013 - 11:24am -

May 1943. "Bethlehem-Fairfield shipyards, Baltimore. 'Liberty ship' cargo transports." Photo by Arthur Siegel, Office of War Information. View full size. A Sleeping Dragon WakesAs Admiral Yamamoto, who had studied at Harvard and spent many years in the US, put it after Pearl Harbor, "We have awakened a sleeping dragon." This one shipyard at its peak in late 1943, employed 46,700 workers, including 6,000 African-Americans, who worked around the clock. From the yard's opening in 1941 until its last ship, the Atlantic City Victory, slid down its ways in October 1945, the yard delivered more vessels than any other American shipyard, and even managed to establish a world shipbuilding record. Baltimore workers had built 5,187,600 tons of shipping. They had constructed during the duration of the war, 384 Liberty ships, 94 Victories and 30 LSTs. Impressive American mightAny Nazi or Japanese leaders seeing this image of U.S. strength on the job should have shuddered, knowing what American man-power and woman-power could produce at a place such as this. The average Liberty ship could be built in 42 days, but the record was less than five days. They were correctly called "ugly ducklings" and sometimes were places of danger, but Liberty ships literally carried the freight between fighting arenas and were a prime reason we won World War II. Doing the jobI'm afraid we may have now forgotten what photos like this show: how an amazingly complex activity can be planned, organized, carried out, and managed entirely by human beings without computers or computer networks. It was done using paper, pencils, wallboards, typewriters, carbon paper, telephones, radios, regular mail, and teletype machines. Many of the people involved likely did not have a high school education; few had a college degree. They did it with about 20% of the population, those in prime working age and in the best health, gone into the military. And they pretty much did not see it as extraordinary -- though it most, most certainly was. Shipbuilding Assembly Line Baltimore Sun, September 21, 1945. Bethlehem-Fairfield's Great Building Record The Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, whose war work was brought to a close on Wednesday when four Victory ships slid down the ways, has the distinction of having built more ships during the emergency building program than any other shipyard in the world. That ought to correct any possible impression made by the ballyhoo over the shipyards on the West Coast that they and they alone did the job. Bethlehem-Fairfield has won half a dozen pennants, including the Gold Wreath Pennant, highest award of the United States Maritime Commission. And, in addition to the distinction mentioned above, there were other impressive reasons why those awards were merited. Bethlehem-Fairfield started virtually from scratch. There were only four ways on the site when the program began. In short order they were increased to sixteen. Bethlehem-Fairfield converted shipbuilding into an assembly-line process. No sooner was a ship launched than workman stepped forward to lay the keel for another. Building time for Liberty ship was cut from 150 days to nineteen. Bethlehem-Fairfield in its four busy years built and launched a total of 508 ships, of which 384 were Libertys, 94 Victories and 30 landing craft. It delivered 100 Libertys in the time allotted for 50. The 508 ships totaled 5,187,800 tons, or ten per cent of the deadweight tonnage of the American merchant marine built in the emergency period. At its peak Bethlehem-Fairfield employed 46,700 persons, so that the industrial community was a city in itself. How well it built is proved by the fact that not one of its ships ever broke in half when it went to sea, a circumstance not unknown to ships from some other yards. Kaiser Yards in Richmond, CAWhen my father finished his sea duty tour in the Armed Guard he was assigned to San Francisco as an Assistant Port Director. One of his jobs was to inspect and sign for ships built by Kaiser in Richmond California on the Sacramento River. He said that Kaiser produced and he signed for 5 Liberty ships and 2 tankers per week in that one shipyard. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, WW2)
Foreign Fruits: 1905
Circa 1905. "The Basin -- Baltimore, Maryland." Panorama made from three 8x10 inch glass negatives. ... Ship & Engine Building Company at Philadelphia for the Baltimore & Philadelphia Steamboat Company (the "Ericsson Line"), founded ... killing the barge's three crewmen. The following year Baltimore's Harbor Towing Corporation bought the hull and rebuilt it as the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/12/2017 - 11:25pm -

Circa 1905. "The Basin -- Baltimore, Maryland." Panorama made from three 8x10 inch glass negatives. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. All gone nowThe steamship company was headquartered in the Inner Harbor on Light St., so I suppose that's what we're looking at. Sure looks different today, though--pretty much everything that existed back then is gone, at least on this side of the harbor. Federal Hill is on the other side, and that's largely the same as it would have been then. So many menAnd not a single woman? I'd imagine that there are few more gender-segregated spaces in the turn-of-the-century urban landscape than the wharfside. It's a joy to look at all the little interactions - clustered conversations, side-by-side tête-à-têtes, collective inspection of goods. Magnificent! Over a Century AgoNot really that long as history measures things, but lots is different! Oyster dredging fleet is almost all bugeyes, not skipjacks like the few survivors in existence now (even fewer of them actually dredge); steamboats carry passengers to Philadelphia and New York; all the transportation of cargoes from the docks inland is horse and cart. Where is this "basin?" Same as today's Inner Harbor? The steamship in the backgroundis the iron-hulled Anthony Groves, Jr., launched 18 February 1893 and christened by the namesake's granddaughter, Louisa Groves. It was built by the Hillman Ship & Engine Building Company at Philadelphia for the Baltimore & Philadelphia Steamboat Company (the "Ericsson Line"), founded by Groves, and at the time was the largest vessel operating on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal at 210 feet in length and a gross tonnage of 605 tons. The Depression took its toll on the B&PSBCo and the vessel was reduced to a barge and converted to a gasoline tanker in 1933 for the Chesapeake Oil Transport Company, Inc. Its career almost ended in tragedy when the Groves exploded on Chesapeake Bay in tow of the tug Frances on 6 April 1936, killing the barge's three crewmen. The following year Baltimore's Harbor Towing Corporation bought the hull and rebuilt it as the tank barge Tarco No. 1 to transport tar to Philadelphia from Baltimore. It was broken up in 1947 at Baltimore by the Boston Metals Company. The Basin = Inner HarborThere was a long discussion about location on an earlier version of this photo. In the end we concluded that Light Street ran between the Fountain Hotel and F. Border's Son, both of which face onto Pratt Street, so definitely Inner Harbor. Pratt, Calvert and CheapsideThe street between the Fountain Hotel and Border's is Calvert. A December 23, 1905, F. Border's Son ad in the Fruit Trade Journal and Produce Record places the location at Pratt, Calvert and Cheapside (the latter no longer exists). Light Street doesn't end at Inner Harbor, but runs along the west side of it and continues through South Baltimore. (Panoramas, Baltimore, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Reliable Hams: 1943
April 1943. "Baltimore, Maryland. Street under viaduct." Where the manufacturing is ... address of Kinghan's Reliable Hams at 355 Guilford Ave. in Baltimore. That location is now a parking garage: View Larger ... was originally a Streetcar Barn (13 and 15 lines) for the Baltimore Transit Company at North Avenue and Belair Road. View ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/19/2014 - 11:00am -

April 1943. "Baltimore, Maryland. Street under viaduct." Where the manufacturing is Dependable and the hams are Reliable. Photo by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. ArtThat's what it is. LocationAn article found online put the address of Kinghan's Reliable Hams at 355 Guilford Ave. in Baltimore. That location is now a parking garage: View Larger Map Reliable HamsThe only kind I buy. I hate hams that are always in the shop for repair. Must be these guys: Observation PlatformAnyone know the purpose of the sturdy observation platform? Is there a nice view from that location? Some other purpose? Artisanal HamsCured on our exclusive rooftop sun deck. Control TowerI'm guessing the platform above the Reliable Ham factory is a control tower. You know--for when pigs fly. Art it isIn fact, it is a stunning composition, by an obviously gifted photographer. It reminds me of the Mark Twain quote, "Fiction is obliged to stick to the possibilities. Truth isn't." Platform useThat platform looks like a location for a rooftop tank of some sort like a water tank for fire sprinkler systems. The TowerThe photo was taken in the dark days of WWII, and the wooden structure looks much newer than everything else around it. I wonder if the srtucture was a Civil Defense spotting tower for use by an Air Raid Warden? Possible Platform PurposeIt's the right size for a water tank. History of KinganWhile most of us can remember the great meatpackers of the past, Swift, Armour, Cudahy, Hormel, Kingan was name name I did not know. Yet it was one of the top 10 meatpackers. The PlatformGiven the year, the platform would be the perfect spot for the men and women of the Civil Defense to keep watch for enemy aircraft. Here's Another OneAs soon as I saw the platform I remembered a similar platform not far from my childhood home. I know for certain (cuz Momma told me) it was used for aircraft spotting during WWII. The large buiding below our platform was originally a Streetcar Barn (13 and 15 lines) for the Baltimore Transit Company at North Avenue and Belair Road. View Larger Map (The Gallery, Baltimore, Marjory Collins, Stores & Markets)
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