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Big Boumi: 1923
... A closeup of the locomotive seen here yesterday in the Baltimore & Ohio rail yard during the Masonic convention in Washington, D.C. The big engine wears the livery of "Boumi Temple," a Baltimore Shrine lodge. 5x7 glass negative. View full size. Over a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/20/2014 - 7:30am -

"Past and present in locomotives. Eckington Yards, June 4, 1923." A closeup of the locomotive seen here yesterday in the Baltimore & Ohio rail yard during the Masonic convention in Washington, D.C. The big engine wears the livery of "Boumi Temple," a Baltimore Shrine lodge. 5x7 glass negative. View full size. Over a BarrelThe barrel more likely contained water for the boiler. There may have been a small box for coal, but small and early locos didn't stray too far from a source of fuel. Water was a bigger concern, so it was almost always carried on the engine or in the tender. EL-3?By all accounts that is exactly a variation of the EL-3, except for that forward stack, which doesn't seem typical for the class. Amazing march of progressThe smaller locomotive is very interesting to see in detail. It says it was built in 1832; that makes it one of the earliest steam engines to run on rails in the country. But it was not the first; that honor corresponded to another 0-4-0 locomotive known as "Stourbridge Lion", which was built in 1828 and was imported from Britain. This is a very, very early design concept. A vertical boiler, two vertical cylinders, moving beams and shafts, inside "crankshaft" style axles -- this thing, in its time, was capable of pulling one or two small cars for short distances and at a very low speed, but it must have been an impressive sight to behold! I wonder if they took more pictures of that old locomotive. EL-1B&O 7100 was an EL-1 class 2-8-8-0 Mallet compound, built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1916 - the EL-1 classification is legible on the builder's plate in the full size view. Subsequent EL-2, EL-3 and EL-5 class locomotives were very similar. Most were converted to simple articulateds starting in 1927. More On These LocomotivesThe 7100 is class EL-1, built by Baldwin in 1916. The little engine is the Atlantic, but it really isn't the Atlantic. The original Atlantic was built in 1832, taken out of service in 1835 and scrapped. This locomotive was originally named the Andrew Jackson. These engines were called grasshoppers in early parlance because of their drive mechanism, and the Atlantic was the first of them. The A. Jackson was the only one left by the 1890s, when B&O wanted to send an early locomotive to the world's Columbian Exhibition, so they turned the Jackson into the first grasshopper, the Atlantic. It now resides in the B&O museum. The original Atlantic was built in 1832, of 2-2-0 wheel arrangement, and weighed 6.5 tons. The is an 0-4-0 built in February of 1836. (Source: B&O Power, Sagle and Staufer, 1964) Shriners and MasonsJust some clarification from one who has traveled east, and also travelled over the hot sands. Masons belong to Lodges. Shriners belong to Temples. All Shriners are Masons, but all Masons are not Shriners. These cars and locomotives hauled Shriners to a convention of some sort. No, we do not and never have secretly or openly ruled the world. Single smokestackThes engines were Mallet-system compounds when built, with a single blastpipe and smokestack. When they were converted to single-expansion engines they were fitted with dual blastpipes and stacks: http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/bo7120s.jpg Fuel barrelI assume that the barrel was filled with coal for the vertical boiler. I wonder where the engineer stood to operate this engine, it was probably dangerous as all hell with the exposed operating mechanism. The Pioneer The wooden passenger car in the middle right edge of the photo is a replica of the 'Pioneer'. From the B&O website: "When the B&O began operation in 1830, its trains were pulled by horses. Constructed by Richard Imlay, the "Pioneer" was the first passenger car on the Baltimore & Ohio and was one of the first passenger cars produced in the United States. The "Pioneer" carried the B&O board of directors on the railroad's first run to Ellicott Mills on May 22, 1830. In 1836, the B&O stopped using horses to pull trains, but kept horses in its stables at Mt. Clare until the 1880s to pull cars through the city. The original "Pioneer" was scrapped at an unknown date. A replica was constructed by the railroad in 1892 for the World's Columbian Exposition. It was also displayed at the 1927 Fair of the Iron Horse." Another replica of the Pioneer is on display at the B&O Railroad Museum: Ellicott City Station. The station is the oldest surviving railroad station in the US. www.ecborail.org (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads)
Multi-Story Dwelling: 1910
... Corte Madera. [And in Larkspur, a giant oak in West Baltimore, just down from Magnolia. -tterrace. Sequester? Man, things ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/04/2013 - 12:41pm -

Salem, Massachusetts, circa 1910. "Nathaniel Hawthorne house." Abode of the author of 19th-century blockbusters The Scarlet Letter and House of the Seven Gables, last seen here. Note the glass insulators in the tree being used as a utility pole. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Good eyeThe first thing I look for when I see trees and neighborhood street scenes on Shorpy are just what Dave mentioned. Here is a piece from my insulator collection that clearly illustrates the long-term condition. Unnecessary ObstaclesFirst time I can recall seeing trees in the roadway instead of behind the curb although tterrace will recall a mature tree smack in the middle of the roadway in Corte Madera. [And in Larkspur, a giant oak in West Baltimore, just down from Magnolia. -tterrace. Sequester?Man, things must be tight when you have to hang your electric lines in trees. Short runWhatever vehicle is behind those shed doors isn't going very far. Spooky place...until you notice the socks hanging on the clothesline in the yard. Eighteenth century homes in Charleston, SC, were built sideways to the street because property taxes under the British were based on the length of the frontage. Could that have been the same in 18th C Salem? Salem is wonderfulMulti story . . . heh heh . . . I had an unplanned 30 minute sojourn in Salem last July, driving around in circles, looking for the highway back to New York. Just that little time was enough to remind me what a magnificent little town Salem is. So full of history and character. Those infamous witches are the LEAST of it. There's Chestnut Street, even without the chestnut trees, possibly the most elegant street in America. But to me the coolest thing in Salem is the Peabody Museum, where Salem's famous China trade Clipper captains brought the many exotic treasures they found in the Orient. Some fabulous stuff there. That whole corner of Massachusetts is a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful place to visit. (The Gallery, DPC, Salem)
Gloria Victis: 1903
Baltimore circa 1903. "Confederate Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Mount Royal ... sod around the new statue. -Dave] (The Gallery, Baltimore, Civil War, DPC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/26/2017 - 2:24pm -

Baltimore circa 1903. "Confederate Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Mount Royal Avenue." Sculptor Frederic Ruckstull's allegorical bronze "Spirit of the Confederacy," whose Latin inscription means "Glory to the Vanquished." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. 114 Years LaterAll the trees make it hard to see what the surrounding area looks like. Odd railing systemThis looks like kind of an inappropriate railing around, what I would think, was an important monument. It looks like it was sloppily enlarged. [It's a temporary enclosure to protect the freshly-laid sod around the new statue. -Dave] (The Gallery, Baltimore, Civil War, DPC)
Television Screen: 1950
... test pattern. At first I thought this was because WJZ is a Baltimore station, but in 1950, it was the ABC flagship station in New York. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/16/2013 - 9:26am -

July 12, 1950. "Hilda Kassell, East 53rd Street, New York City. Father reading newspaper, two children viewing television." The test-pattern tone is especially hypnotic this morning. Photo by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Multiple photosOther Gottscho-Schleisner photos relating to Hilda Kassell can be found online. There's one from about this same time showing her nursing her baby in front of this window, one from 1948 of what I would presume was her former residence at 50 East 10th Street, and an undated interior view of what may be her country house in Croton, New York. As there also are some references to photos by her, my best guess is that she worked for Gottscho-Schleisner or at least was associated with the company in some way. Hence their interest in her domestic life. [Hilda Kassell was the designer whose business commissioned these photos. The people in them are models; the grander homes are those of her clients. -Dave] Test Pattern IndianWe got our first TV in 1951 when I was 3 or 4 years old. I remember spending a lot of time staring at the Test Pattern Indian, and even at that early age wondering what the hell an Indian was doing in our TV, and when was he going to DO something. Maybe I really WAS hypnotized by the tone. I Would Title This "Waiting for Howdy Doody" It's all relativeCompared to nothing-zip-nada, a test pattern was interesting, if only because it indicated that the set was ready to erupt into entertainment when programming began (usually, late afternoon). And it was our technological friend, enabling the painstaking setting of horizontal and vertical hold, contrast, brightness, and whatever quality brings about absence of "snow," all before Buffalo Bob and Howdy appeared. Did everyonehave a ship and brass baby shoes on top of the TV in the early 50's? I know we did. Good QuestionWonder why the Indian head shot was used. It seems fairly universal, but why? [A story about the original artwork and its survival is here. -tterrace] Thanks, wonder why the fellow in '38 made that choice. Just because? Line definition quality? Thanks again. Attention SpanAnd so it begins. The dumbing down of our children. There really is nothing on TVIn this case, not only are the kids staring at a test pattern, they're staring at a fuzzy test pattern. At first I thought this was because WJZ is a Baltimore station, but in 1950, it was the ABC flagship station in New York. Blank StaresThere's nothing quite like pretending to read the morning paper while the kids pretend to watch TV. $419.95Looks like a Zenith, Lexington model without cabinet doors. Cost is four weeks pay for the average factory worker in 1950. [It's an Olympic. -tterrace] Olympic Radio & Televisionwas a trademark of Hamilton Radio Corp., established NYC 1941. Hamilton purchased the Olympic trademark from American Bosch Radio the same year. In 1956 Olympic Radio & Television was still operating as a division of Unitronics Corp. of Long Island City. It probably disappeared the following year when Unitronics was absorbed by Siegler, which then merged with Lear Inc. Step UpOlympic was a recognized radio brand in the 1960s. Its TV line was strictly promotional. The attached ad shows a Radio/TV/Phono combo that probably sold in the $300-$400 price range. A comparable Magnavox unit sold for 2 to 3 times as much. Sitting that CloseI was a child in the late 1960s. Whenever I would watch television my parents always supervised me because they wanted to ensure that I didn't sit too close to the set. They were convinced sitting too close to the television would cause me to develope leukemia or it would ruin my eyesight. The first thought I had, when I looked at this photograph was the sound of my mother's voice "Don't sit so close to the TV!" By the time I was 16 years old, I did have to start wearing glasses which gave my parents an "I told you so." moment. They were convinced that my lazy eye was a result of sitting too close to the tv when I watched Captain Kangaroo as a four year old. The Ultimate Home Theatre!It's got both a small screen AND a big screen (for Dad to hide behind)! Subway foldDad - or the model playing dad - is probably a regular subway rider. That's the NY subway fold that I learned from my father. When you're on a crowded train, there isn't room to open the paper all the way. So you fold the pages in half lengthwise. PatternI hated daytime TV in the '50s. You'd be home sick from school and all that was on would be soaps and Queen for a Day. You'd be lying there bored to death with onions that your Mom put in your socks, I have no idea what they were supposed to cure but Mom must have known. (The Gallery, Gottscho-Schleisner, Kids, NYC, TV)
Colonial House Cafe: 1906
... while these are carbon arc lamps, I remember gas lights in Baltimore in the mid 50's on Old York Road in Govans. I don't know why they ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 4:22pm -

Continuing our tour of Salem, Massachusetts, circa 1906. "Colonial House." Next door to a nickelodeon advertising "moving pictures and illustrated songs." 6½ x 8½ inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Your "wheel"That's what people of that era called a bicycle. Historic BuildingBehind the power pole appears to be a plaque on the wall that resembles one from the National Register of Historic Places. Does this place still exist? Does anyone know what that is about? Moving PicturesIncredible! A true nickelodeon there on the left. Of course, Edison's name would be to the immediate left of the theater. No AC in this town -- yet.Viewing all the overhead wires, it's obvious this place is still using direct current for electrical distribution. Long live Tesla. Back door manI wonder what's going on in the alley behind the alehouse? Kimball Bros. Stone; An Illustrated Magazine, 1898 Kimball Brothers, W.A. and C.J. Kimball have started marble and granite works at Salem, Mass. Salem ObserverNo one at the upper windows that I could find, but in finest Shorpy tradition, one of the patrons of the Colonial House bar looks out at the camera, bowler firmly in place. Definitely a transitional period. All those electric wires, but the pipes for gas distribution are still in place, and it appears that the street light is gas, with its flexible hose running down to the side of the building and convenient handle and line to lower it for lighting. That pole is leaning under its unbalanced load. Perhaps it will be replaced when the city puts up electric street lights. [The street light is electric -- a carbon arc lamp. - Dave] Two things I've never seen beforeSquare and hexagonal telephone poles. Telephone poleActually a square pole with a chamfer at each edge would be an octagon. I would guess that the city would have gotten these from a railroad tie manufacturer perhaps? Nice touch!I really like that American eagle posted on top of the circular widow's walk. Hi-def brings it out nicely. Also note the station clock [Seth Thomas?] on the wall behind the left hand window of the ground floor. BTW, while these are carbon arc lamps, I remember gas lights in Baltimore in the mid 50's on Old York Road in Govans. I don't know why they lasted there so late. Pickman-Derby-Rogers-Brookhouse MansionThe photo records the late days of a once-famous Salem mansion, built in 1764 at the corner of Washington and Lynde streets for Benjamin Pickman Jr. In 1786 the house was purchased by Elias Hasket Derby, who commissioned Samuel McIntire to remodel it in the fashionable Federal style. Among other changes, McIntire added the wood frame entrance facade on Washington street and the octagonal cupola on the roof, from which Derby could see merchant ships returning to Salem. In 1797 McIntire built Derby an even grander mansion which still stands. The house seen here was heavily remodeled in the 1880s as a commercial block, and was demolished in 1915 to make way for the Masonic Temple that still occupies the site at 70 Washington Street. McIntire's cupola was saved and moved to the garden of the Essex Institute, which still owns it. A more detailed story, "Lost Treasures," can be found here. Here's a painting of the house as it looked circa 1815, now in the collection of the Detroit Institute of the Arts. Boot scraperOn the stage-left side of the Colonial House entrance, is that an iron shoe scraper? If not, whatsit? So reassuringto see that the Schlitz beer sign was in existence 105 years ago. Washington Street PlaqueThe plaque still exists and is still in relatively the same location as in this photo. Situated near 70 Washington Street it reads: "Nearly opposite this spot stood in the middle of the street a building devoted from 1677 until 1718 to municipal and judicial uses. In it in 1692 were tried and condemned for witchcraft most of the nineteen persons who suffered death on the gallows. Giles Corey was here put to trial on the same charge and refusing to plea was taken away and pressed to death. In January 1693, twenty-one persons were tried here for witchcraft of whom eighteen were acquitted and three condemned, but later set free together with about 150 accused persons in a general delivery which occurred in May. The original courthouse was torn down in 1760." (The Gallery, DPC, Salem)
The Firs: 1901
Circa 1901. "The Firs -- New Baltimore, Michigan, from west." Our fourth look at this summer resort, where ... concerning delisting The Firs Historic District, New Baltimore. Page eight contains four pictures of the building prior to ... the Hatheway House, located at 36240 24 Mile Road in New Baltimore. The Firs, originally called the Hatheway House, was a brick ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/21/2014 - 10:16am -

Circa 1901. "The Firs -- New Baltimore, Michigan, from west." Our fourth look at this summer resort, where two ladies are setting out in the surrey with the fringe on top. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Corbels and mortar scars and moreI wonder if the mortar scars are left from scaffolding. I've seen buildings where scaffolding was inserted as the walls were built; when it was removed there would be holes, which sometimes were just left and sometimes were filled in but still could be seen if you look closely. The corbeling to support the brackets is very unusual, but nice. It makes you aware that they're supposed to be supporting a load. I count three types of window tops: stone lintels on the far left, segmental arches in the wall facing us over the porch, and segmental arches with flat tops in the ell. The diamond panes look later than 1860, and there also seems to be a bit of window arch above the porch roof (it probably lit a stair landing), so I'm guessing that the wing was built later. Prior to demolitionI have just found this document concerning delisting The Firs Historic District, New Baltimore. Page eight contains four pictures of the building prior to demolition in 2005. A Fine, Sunny DayThe isinglass curtains won't need to be rolled right down. Demolished in 2005From Michigan.gov The Firs, also known as the Hatheway House, located at 36240 24 Mile Road in New Baltimore. The Firs, originally called the Hatheway House, was a brick Italianate house constructed circa 1860 by Gilbert Hatheway. Corbels and mortar scarsI'm not sure I've ever seen brick ledges like that, apparently made just for the corbels, but these certainly are nice enough corbels to deserve such treatment. Does anyone know, or have a guess as to what those apparent mortar repairs would be from? There appear to be a pair at the top edge of each window, and a row along the porch wall. Corbel treatmentI think the brick ledge is pure architectural design. I don't think I've seen that either but the widow's walk shows them as they usually occur. You'd think the standing water on the ledge would be hard on the wood. SurreyThe wheels are yellow, the upholstery brown; the dashboard's genuine leather. Other photosThis forum has some pictures of the house, apparently just before it was torn down in 2005. But, what is this...?I'm with "Wiggy" on the scaffolding supports for sure. I have done major restorations on many houses in Norfolk dating back to the late 1800's and have seen these "fill-in repairs" quite often. However, i have not seen this style of brick supports for the corbels. They certainly work well structurally and look great... But, as "Paul A" pondered, the wood, would take a soaking bath unless the masons put a bevel of mud on the top edge out of sight, but anyway,... What is this crazy crooked patch? This is a photo of the new addition to the building.Pictured standing is Abby K. Tillotson, proprietress of the house. In the buggy are her sister and mother. The portion of the building in the foreground is the new addition that Abby had built to expand it into the resort called "The Firs". The original part of the building was build sometime prior to the civil war. Our best guess based on what we know is in the mid 1850's. This photo was taken July, 1901. [There was no photo attached to your post. -tterrace] (The Gallery, DPC, Horses)
Hamburgers 5 Cents: 1941
... Little Tavern Shops, a number of which were located in the Baltimore-Washington area. When I was a little boy, my grandfather frequently ... was one of my favorite restaurants in the early 50s in Baltimore. The good news was one could get two burgers and a coke for the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/05/2012 - 4:13pm -

October 1941. An exterior view of the White Tower (called "White Tavern" in the LOC captions) restaurant in Amsterdam, New York. View full size. Medium format nitrate negative by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration. White TowerWas this the forerunner of White Castle? [According to Wikipedia, White Tower was a copycat competitor established a few years after White Castle. Another article here. - Dave] White TowerAnother copycat chain was the Little Tavern Shops, a number of which were located in the Baltimore-Washington area. When I was a little boy, my grandfather frequently took me to the one in Laurel, Maryland. See it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/earlg/369898420/ The one in College Park, Maryland, just off the main campus of the University of Maryland, is still there, although it's a different business now. Amsterdam was another sad victim of urban renewal. Its downtown was almost entirely destroyed by a limited access road connecting it with the New York State Thruway, and a massive redesign of the inner city streetscape. The block pictured here was probably demolished. 25 Cent LunchThe White Tower was one of my favorite restaurants in the early 50s in Baltimore. The good news was one could get two burgers and a coke for the sum of 25 cents while on the flip side was that it only took two or three bites per burger however I felt like a big shot as I would sit at the picture window and watch the passing parade on Erdman Avenue. These restaurants were all over Baltimore and were also quite popular as a 2 a.m. stop after the bars closed and the munchies were on you. Art DecoPlease tell me that beautiful Art Deco building is still there. By the way, Amsterdam is Kirk Douglas's home town. Amsterdam NYMost of downtown Amsterdam's a ghost town. A good size chunk of it was demolished to build a big mall, which is now 90% empty. Sad, really... Urban renewal at its worst. What a coinkydinkYou can actually buy one of these buildings for a dollar (limited time offer - exp 7/31/08): Ohio Preservation Alliance. (The Gallery, Eateries & Bars, John Collier)
Christmas Stockings: 1950
... be visiting my aunt and uncle’s house just outside of Baltimore during Christmas. Elvis will be on the record player and there will ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/22/2022 - 12:28pm -

November 11, 1950. New York. "Gimbel Brothers department store. Interior. Raymond Loewy Associates, architect." 4x5 inch acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size.   A street floor named desire         Ah for the infinite loveliness of Gimbels. We're the most enticing, most alluring street floor that ever walked the ways of beauty. So captivating are we, you just can't resist us. Our walls are delicately tinted. Our counters are sleek. If we were a bell, we would tinkle. We're all this, and more, because Raymond Loewy, genius at transforming an ugly duckling into a raving beauty, has given us his magic touch. And the best part is, this beauty of ours will be a joy forever. Our loveliness will never pass into nothingness. Why? Because those sweet, sweet bargains and those low, low price tags keep coming and coming and coming ... (NYT ad, Feb. 1951) Lingerie on 6, wife-beaters on 7 "Does Macy's tell Gimbels?"I first heard that now antiquated line on "I Love Lucy". Lucy and Ethel bought identical dresses at the competing stories. The witticism was so familiar that Gimbels used it in a 1953 ad. The New York Gimbels opened in 1910, a block south of Macy's in the Herald Square shopping area. It was the company's third flagship after Milwaukee (glimpsed earlier on Shorpy) and Philadelphia. Light 'em up!By 9:30 a.m., the floor of Gimbel Brothers Department Store will be covered in cigarette butts. By the early 1960s I'll be visiting my aunt and uncle’s house just outside of Baltimore during Christmas. Elvis will be on the record player and there will be a fake Christmas tree set up, kinda like the ones at Gimbel's, but covered with angel hair and a revolving color wheel on the floor to the right of the tree. Oh yeah, and there'll cigarette smoke hovering in the air. The Martians have landed... in small ships on the ceiling. This seems like a compromise redo (new fixtures and lights, while retaining the basic shell, perhaps befitting their image as the runner-up. Or maybe not: IIRC it didn't look much different 30+ years later when it closed — an unexpectedly elegant looking store. Later that same centuryThe lone and level sands stretch far away. Out of the WayIn the awkward space underneath the escalator's angle was the Stamp & Coin Department. It not only sold collecting supplies but also had actual old stamps and coins for sale. This was a franchise operation that, at its height in the early 1960s, had 38 locations in department stores nationwide. These hobby nooks are all closed now, but they sure sparked the imagination of young boys (and sometimes girls). If you want to read the historyNice summary on Wikipedia. There's a part about the New York City flagship store that stands out because, as today, people will ruin what was intended to be a benefit, "When this building opened, on September 29, 1910, a major selling point was its many doors leading to the Herald Square New York City Subway station. Due to such easy access, by the time Gimbels closed in 1986, this store had the highest rate of 'shrinkage,' or shoplifting losses, in the world." Of course, that's not what caused Gimbels to close, but it didn't help. (The Gallery, Christmas, Gottscho-Schleisner, NYC, Stores & Markets)
Tasty Tom: 1922
... Maddox or Miss Allen, other unknowns. The Baltimore Sun, December 3, 1922. At the White House the turkey was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/22/2012 - 9:55am -

November 1922. Washington, D.C. "White House turkey 'Supreme 3' with unidentified people." Glimpsed here yesterday along with much informative commentary. Happy Thanksgiving from Shorpy! View full size. A gaiter, perhaps? Right above her shoes - it looks like there's some kind of strappy thing going up her leg but it doesn't look like part of the shoe and I can't figure out what it could be. A gaiter, perhaps? Though that doesn't really seem to go with the rest of her bling. Turkey ClubA semi-informed guess of the people, from left-to-right: Congressman Frederick Britten, Marie Maddox or Elsie Allen, unknown woman, Senator William B. McKinley, Miss Maddox or Miss Allen, other unknowns. The Baltimore Sun, December 3, 1922. At the White House the turkey was received by Senator McKinley and Representative Fred A. Britten of Illinois: Pyke Johnson, secretary of the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce; Secretary of Agriculture Wallace and George Christian, secretary to President Harding. The entire party, including the drivers and Misses Marie Maddox and Elsie Allen, representing the Harding Girls' Club, then went into the Office of President Harding, where the Chief Executive thanked them for their efforts and extended his greetings to the Harding Girls' Club. Thanks Shorpy!We had a group of Male Turkeys come visit us here in Northern CA. We fed them natural Sunflower Seeds and after awhile they would come up to us for the seeds absolutely without fear. Sadly, they moved-on. We hope we filled their bellies for the winter and we look forward to February when they spread their feathers, while doing a complicated mating dance to attract a mate. Hope you all enjoyed your Turkey today. Appreciation and Thanks to Shorpy Owners for their kindness of sharing this wonderful site. I'll bet every one of thosepictured knew how to at least hold a turkey back then, and probably most of them could butcher it pretty easily, too. Today, we don't interact with our future food at all, and certainly don't want to, either. My grandparents raised fowl and butchered them when needed. I can't do so and prefer not to, anyway. And don't ask me to hold one either. When Turkeys were TurkeysNo mega-farms producing ghost white turkeys year round in 1922. The turkey and the lady in profile seem to have conspired to dress the same for the photograph. How many of you are old enough to remember your mother picking out the stray pin feathers of a store bought bird with a pair of tweezers to get Old Tom ready for the oven? So *that's * the size of a real turkey breastTurkeys for the supermarkets have such inflated breasts that they fall over when they walk. Of course, that might just be that they are extremely stupid, and thus have difficulty walking. I worked at a turkey farm as extra help before Thanksgiving when I was in high school, and we had to chase the turkeys into their sheds every time it rained. Why? Because the turkeys were so clueless that when they felt the rain hitting them, they'd look up to see what it was, and a few would drown every storm. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Thanksgiving)
Dodgeball: 1943
... 1943. "Middle River, a small crossroads in the vicinity of Baltimore, Maryland. Farm Security Administration housing project (later ... some were still in use into the 1970s. (The Gallery, Baltimore, John Collier, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/07/2016 - 12:15pm -

August 1943. "Middle River, a small crossroads in the vicinity of Baltimore, Maryland. Farm Security Administration housing project (later administered by the National Housing Agency) for Glenn L. Martin aircraft workers. Play period for children attending Bible class." Medium format negative by John Collier for the Office of War Information. View full size. Stout Expansible TrailerPatent applied for in 1936 by William Stout, but not manufactured until wartime housing problems created the necessity. Due to material rationing, they had substandard wiring and plumbing. Reportedly some were still in use into the 1970s. (The Gallery, Baltimore, John Collier, Kids)
Saturday Noon: 1910
... referred to the poor Southern whites who migrated into Baltimore around this time as "lintheads." I suspect he didn't coin that ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/30/2008 - 3:35pm -

November 1910. Huntsville, Alabama. "Closing hour, Saturday noon, at Dallas Mill. Every child in photo, so far as I was able to ascertain, works in that mill. When I questioned some of the youngest boys as to their ages, they said they were 12, and then other boys said they were lying. (Which sentiment I agreed with.)" Photograph and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. LintI guess it wasn't worth the effort to try and get the lint off their clothes. They didn't have been those rolling lint brushes with their sticky surfaces to make the task easier. Then again, they had more on their minds. YikesLooks like a pretty tough crowd. Some Look HappyA lot of people are commenting that these boys look "tough" or old beyond their years. I think they just look like average boys! Some of them are even happy-looking, if not smiling! Boys to MenThese "kids" are prematurely men. Their hardscrabble faces mirror the toughness of their times. When I look at these pictures and then look at my high school students, what a shock! I've been showing some of these pics to said students to inform them of how good they've got it. Although with the economy in the dumper, they may have to repeat history. Tough CrowdThese guys look like they could beat up my honor roll student. HeartbreakingNot a single boy's face doesn't look hardened in that image. It's haunting. Typo?"Which sentiment I agreed with." I think he's saying that he agrees with the boys who accused the other boys of lying about their ages... but that's a really weird way to put it. Was he quoted incorrectly or did Hines just speak strangely? [It's short for "which was a sentiment I agreed with." A standard locution, not "weird." - Dave] That ain't bubblegumMethinks I spot the telltale bulge of chewing tobacco in at least one cheek, maybe more. Of course, unlike kids today who would use the stuff to appear tough, I suspect these kids really were tough and this was just something they liked to do. No poseurs here. HatsWhat's all over their hats? or am I just seeing the photo age? [It's lint from the cotton mill. - Dave] It's a hard knock life...Very old looking kids in this pic. Look at the second boy from the left in the light colored coat, 40 year old face on a 10 year old body. With that hat looks like a premonition of his role in WWI which is only 7 years away. Mill BoysI know more than one kid who would much rather go to work at a job like this than go to school. Blood BrothersI LOVE Shorpy and cannot ignore it, almost hourly I have to have another look. In group shots, I enjoy trying to pick out family traits in the kids and it is quite apparent that the front row, second, third and fourth from the right, appear to be three brothers with the middle one being the bossy one, scolding the youngest who is stuffing something in his pocket. My mom was born that year and life was tough. Once you could walk and talk, you had to do something useful. Also, corporal punishment was meted out routinely, psychology was a smack delivered immediately. One can see these kids understood their responsibility to be a contributing member of the family, not just another mouth to feed. The person on the extreme right looks to me like a girl, with more delicate features, smaller hands, a girlie blouse and hat. Of course he may have had to wear "hand-me-downs" and had only older sisters which was quite humiliating. No joy, no Christmas "wish list" for these kids. Thanks Shorpy for the frequent reality checks on how lucky we are today. LintheadsH.L. Mencken referred to the poor Southern whites who migrated into Baltimore around this time as "lintheads." I suspect he didn't coin that nickname but that it reflected the prejudices of the time. (The Gallery, Factories, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Suburban Buick: 1957
... '54 we had when I was 6. We drove it across country from Baltimore in 1957 to our new home in California. Later traded it in on a 1960 ... 
 
Posted by Vintagetvs - 01/12/2017 - 8:44pm -

A 1957 Buick, houses in colors not seen anymore, and lots of antennas. A 35mm Kodachrome slide I found somewhere. View full size. New FrontierI can just hear Donald Fagen's song New Frontier playing when I look at this Kodachrome slide. All made of ticky-tackyThere's a pink one, and a green one... Factory Air-Conditioningis an option on this Special by the presence of the stainless steel outlets in the middle of the dash pad--also new was an enlarged 364 V-8 with a slightly reduced 250 horsepower in this base, but still beautifully trimmed out, model. Conical antennasLook like Florida houses. Those are conical TV antennas. Low gain, wide band inexpensive antennas very popular in the '50s before UHF stations became common. As a kid I made money putting those up for neighbors. TV forecast: snow 24/7Nothing to miss about the reception from those antennas. MatchThe top of the car and the house Beautiful Three toned BuickCar color matches the house yet. Unbelievable. A Buick FamilyIt's like the '54 we had when I was 6. We drove it across country from Baltimore in 1957 to our new home in California. Later traded it in on a 1960 Olds wagon. http://www.1960oldsmobile.com/wp-content/gallery/featured-member-jason-n... Both great cars for a kid to bounce around in! Looks Like CAThe lack of gutters and the orange license plate looks like CA (Black plates were introduced around 1963.) Considering GM's marketing strategy of moving from Chevrolet to Pontiac to Oldsmobile and ultimately to Cadillac, this house looks too modest for a Buick driver. Maybe the landlord has stopped by to collect the rent. I was 15And I could name any car from any distance. Little Pink Houses... and Buicks, for you and me. Gold PlatedI don't think it's California. The plates are red on yellow. Could be New Mexico? Great find. [The red fringing is a scanning artifact. The plates are black on yellow. -tterrace] Those old style antennasIt's interesting to see the old stacked conical and dipole rooftop TV antennas, instead of the later horizontal log-periodic ones. And I like the wood on the garage door, and the front of the house near the front door. Redwood? The Buick looks like a Special two-door hardtop, and the colors look like Shell Beige (Code P) over Dover White (Code C). Hat tip: Paintref.com. House ColorsSorry, but if you think houses aren't painted sherbet pink and green anymore, you haven't been to San Francisco. Tim Burton's inspirationThis scene looks like it's right out of Edward Scissorhands. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Off the Deep End: 1961
Somewhere in Baltimore. "Janet diving, 1961." 35mm Kodachrome by Janet and Kermy's parents, ... on the street, right in front of you. (Kodachromes, Baltimore, Kermy Kodachromes, Swimming) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/25/2019 - 2:08pm -

Somewhere in Baltimore. "Janet diving, 1961." 35mm Kodachrome by Janet and Kermy's parents, from a collection of slides found on eBay. View full size. Kermy KodachromesThis photo reminds me of how much I love this series, which stretches back seven years. I reviewed them all again just now and enjoyed them all over. It’s been a while since we’ve had a new one, but I don’t mind. After not seeing someone for a long time, well, there they are, all of a sudden, on the street, right in front of you. (Kodachromes, Baltimore, Kermy Kodachromes, Swimming)
Family Cow: 1901
Circa 1901. "Family cow -- The Firs, New Baltimore, Michigan." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing ... as a "family" cow. Hatheway House One of New Baltimore's most prominent citizens, Gilbert Hatheway, built this mansion in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/24/2017 - 3:08pm -

Circa 1901. "Family cow -- The Firs, New Baltimore, Michigan." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Not Bob Dylan's Guernsey cowHer colour pretty well rules out many of the milking breeds as this girl's ancestors, and the horns rule out most of the rest. I believe we have an example of the Milking Shorthorn, once quite common as a "family" cow. Hatheway HouseOne of New Baltimore's most prominent citizens, Gilbert Hatheway, built this mansion in 1860... After the home left the Hatheway family, it was used as a bed and breakfast known as "The Firs". The house lasted until 2005. (The Gallery, Animals, DPC)
Iron Horse: 1923
... train comes into the city, whether from the Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Ohio, the Southern, the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/31/2012 - 2:56pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1923. "Bethlehem Steel -- Washington Terminal Co." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. USRA switcherThis is a USRA (United States Railroad Administration) standard design from World War I. Still available as a model. Really CleanDid they give the turntable operators shack a coat of paint just for this photo? The gravel area in the foreground looks to have been groomed for the photo too. In today's world I would expect to see a lot of clutter and trash. [It looks fresh because it's new. - Dave] Word ChoicesWhat's an "iron" horse doing in a steelyard? [The yard is Union Station in Washington. - Dave] Dressed for the job!Love how the fireman is dressed with overalls and and a bowtie! People took their jobs seriously back then. Spot the signExcellent venue to advertise Coca-Cola! Spinning on the big wheelLove the train photos - thanks Dave. Did a little looking around - this is probably one of 255 0-6-0 switcher locomotives built to USRA specifications starting in 1916. Washington Terminal received three. The man in the loco driving seat is most likely not the engineer, but the hostler who moved locomotives at roundhouse turntables. Looks like a roundhouseDo railroads still use those? Can't say as I've ever seen one. [A roundhouse is a building. This is a turntable -- what would be in a roundhouse. - Dave] Ah! I have a turntable in the entertainment room but I can't fit a steam engine on it. It only plays records. Anyone remember what a 'record' is? Bethlehem is the brandThis is obviously a shiny, new turntable; it doesn't show any dirt, let alone grease or rust.The pit looks like newly-cured concrete. WT's number 34 may well be the first hog to ride this table. This table is electric powered; note the power source above the center of the bridge. The mechanism is under the operator's cabin. Washington Terminal has had at least two turntables in modern times, and I'm trying to figure out which this is. One was located at Ivy City, site of WT's engine facility; the second is almost under the station trainshed. I'm betting this is the latter, though it looks quite different without the former Railroad Express building which would be along the background today. Oh, this is likely a Bethlehem Steel turntable, and Washington Terminal is today operated by Amtrak. [Washington Terminal was the company that owned and operated Union Station. Bethlehem Steel was the client that commissioned the photo. - Dave] Put them on the pitTurntables have long been a thing of the past, as is the routine need to turn an engine. As a practical matter, steam locomotives usually only ran nose first, which frequently required a locomotive to be "turned" before being sent down the main. (An exception was the B & O practice of running their locomotives backward through tunnels out east, to spare the head-end crew the effects of breathing trapped engine smoke.) Most power consists today have engines on each end facing opposite directions, so no matter what the assignment, a controlling engine will be "first out," pointed forward. In the rare event a engine needs to be turned, they're usually passed through a wye. Not insideDave, the turntable wouldn't be inside the roundhouse. Picture a roundhouse as part of a circle (an arc at the perimeter of a circle). The turntable would be located at the center point of the circle. [In other words, "in the roundhouse." The same way football players play "in a stadium." The roundhouse includes the turntable, which can be covered or not. - Dave] Washington Terminal OperationsI would guess this photo was taken at the Ivy City yards looking eastward. The rise in the background could either be Brentwood or Mt. Olivet. Dave, not all turntables were located inside roundhouses. Often the roundhouse circled around the turntable but the turntable itself was not covered. An example is the still-functioning roundhouse and turntable at the Steamtown National Historic Site, Scranton Pa. [The turntable is in the roundhouse. The roundhouse goes around the turntable. Moving right along. - Dave] Was this a turntable solely for "heading" engines or is the photo taken after the first stage of a construction project which would see a new roundhouse and radiating tracks added around this turntable? Washington Post, Jan 13, 1947. ‘Fire-Knocker Horses’ Have Hefty Job at D.C. Roundhouse. The Washington Terminal roundhouse here abounds in “fire-knocker horses,” and if you find that confusing, you should visit the place. Located near 12th and New York ave. ne., it is a lustly, bustling, smoke-ridden place where whistles hoot and the smell and sound of railroading is in the air. With the greatest of ease they are currently giving some 200 locomotives a “going over” daily, and during the holiday season the upper the ante by about 40. That means they are often shunting the big engines out every few minutes, ready to highball over the hills and far away. Boucher Explains ‘Huffin’ and Puffin’’ Edward F. Boucher, who bosses the place, a railroader for 42 years, and there since the place opened on November 11, 1907, yesterday explained what the Huffin’ and Puffin’ was all about. First you must realize that when a train comes into the city, whether from the Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Ohio, the Southern, the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac of the Chesapeake & Ohio, after the passengers are unloaded, the engineer still has a few chores to do. And, incidently, he isn't really an engineer, says Boucher, but an “engiineman,” pronounced “in-jine-man,” not to be confused with either the “inside” or “outside hosteler.” The big locomotive rolls from Union Station northwards, passing through the “T street coach yards” to the “Ivy City Engine House Yards,” near the roundhouse. First Stop is at Inspection Pits First stop is at the “inspection pits” where four inspectors clamber aboard. The “in-jine-man,” fills out a form telling any defects he may know about which developed during his trip, then he checks out. As required by law, the inspectors mark other items that need to be fixed on the same form. Boucher says that almost all the locomotives need some “running repairs” when they come in, tightening up and so on. Others need major overhauls from time to time. With an “outside hosteler” at the throttle, the engine moves from the inspection pits down to the “fire tracks” where the “fire knocker horses” take over. These oddly named men, in the case of steam engines, “clean or draw” the fire. When a fire is “drawn” it is “knocked out,” and when it is “cleaned,” it is about the same as cleaning your own furnace. Horses Put on Coal by Gravity All this goes on over what is called the “ash pits.” Next stop is the “coal wharf,” where the “fire knocker horses” put on an average of six of seven tons of coal aboard the locomotive by a gravity device which does the job in about five minutes. The “coal wharf” itself holds 1200 tons. The tanks are willed with water, anywhere from 8000 to 20,000 gallons, and the locomotive then moves to the turn-table where an “inside hosteler” takes over to move into one of the “engine pits” in an engine house. Actually there are two turn-tables, each 100 feet long and capable of supporting 300 tons, which take the locomotive aboard and spin it in the direction necessary for it to enter the proper “engine pit” in the roundhouse. 25 Engine Pits in Each Roundhouse The roundhouse itself is divided into two parts, the East roundhouse and the West roundhouse, each with 25 engine pits. Around 400 men, representing every trade and some special ones, like a “rod cup man,” work there. Inside the roundhouse the giant engines are very much like an automobile over a grease-pit. There they are lubricated and repairs are made. Once repaired and marked up as “ready for a run,” the engine moves out of the roundhouse, on to the turntable, where it is “headed” and placed on a “ready track,” from which it goes back up the yards to where its train is being made up. Electric trains follow the same general principles. However, because they may operate from either end, there is no need for them to visit the roundhouse, except in the case of major repairs. Still goin' 'round!I work at the Morris Park facility of the Long Island RR. The place dates to the late 1800's and yes we still have a turntable and a roundhouse, both in regular use. Lots of PRR influence in this TT. There are lots of Pennsylvania Railroad influence on this brand new turntable. Notice the PRR standard 2 pipe railing stanchions, and the power arch. I love the PRR standard yard lamps with the ? shaped mounts. The switcher may be USRA but it has a PRR headlight and tender lamp. Maybe someone can research this and see if it was carried on the PRR roster as a leased unit. Not surprising. The PRR was one of the owning roads that shared the WT. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Railroads)
R.R. Control Tower: 1940
... DuBois was a significant maintenance point for the Baltimore & Ohio (ex-Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh), with a roundhouse, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/18/2018 - 12:48pm -

September 1940. "Mr. T.J. Long, president of the Tri-County Farmers Co-op Market in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, at his work in a railroad tower near Du Bois." Medium format acetate negative by Jack Delano. View full size. Re: Everything Old is New AgainI'm imagining that the pouch is divided; new fuses go in the left compartment, and old ones in the right. Question then is why don't the old ones just go in the trash? New and Old; and MoreOnce upon a time, fuses could be repaired. The case could be opened and the internal element (sometimes a thin wire, sometimes a stamped piece of metal) could be replaced. Thus, you would have to save the 'old' fuses. Interesting that there are two interlocking machines here. The obvious one in the foreground is a mechanical interlocking machine, where the switches and signals were mechanically connected to the levers. The power to operate the equipment was provided by the towerman's arms - hence the colloquial term "armstrong machine". The five levers leaning out (to the right) are lock levers, painted blue, which lock switches. Before throwing the switch, the lock lever has to be returned to the "normal" position, in line with the other levers. The other interlocking machine is just visible at the left, in the large wooden box. It is a General Railway Signal power machine, where the switches and signals are operated by electric motors (in this case). The levers are still mechanically locked between each other, but the use of external power made the levers much easier to operate. In a few instances, electric and mechanical machines were mechanically interconnected, but not in this case. Those Locked BoxesThose are electrical switches, actuated by the huge levers, used to control signals or other devices, but not the track switches. The levers to the right are used by the Operator (that's his job title) to set up or take down routes of trains though the Junction. One lever controls one track switch or signal. A system of sliding bars and levers under the floor interconnects these levers and prevents the operator from setting up conflicting routes through the junction, and only after setting up a clear route could the levers which controlled the signals for that route be actuated. A system of rods an levers, up to a mile long, connected to each track switch to one of the levers at the operators disposal. These required great force to be moved - more than available from the battery powered electric motors of the time. Signals didn't require so much power to operate, and could be battery powered, thus the locked boxes on the "locking frame" to control signals. The locks were removed only by maintainers, not by the operator. His Last SeptemberMr. Thomas Jackson Long, as of the 1940 census, was a 56-year-old railroad telegraph operator living in Sandy Township with his wife and two adult children. Sadly, he died three months after this photo was taken, shot in a hunting accident. Dust and Old PaintI'm old enough to remember workplaces like this when I was a kid and tagged along with my dad. Those windows in Winter let in cold air like you would not believe, but couldn't have shades as that obstructed the view. The tower I remember was on stilts to facilitate looking way up and down the tracks, and seeing the color of the track signals. Wind whistled around its uninsulated walls. There was a pot-bellied stove that burned coal. The place was swept sometimes but still had decades of accumulated dust. Paint was a yellow-brown color made browner by dirt. In other offices the paint was battleship grey. The fellow who sat in the observation office most often was peculiar and I wasn't supposed to be left alone with him. When I was told that it terrified me and I avoided looking at him. Maybe that's why I remember it so well. New Fuses for old circuitsThe old fuses were to fit the old fuseholders, which are the porcelain blocks just to the right of the "New Old Fuses" container. The fuses are the long slender porcelain tubes, two of which are clipped into each block. I remember seeing these on old telephone lightning arrestors. Conspicuous by their absence are the spares; there are none in the box. Everything Old is New AgainThe pouch on the wall labeled "New Old Fuses" is intriguing. One wonders if there is a similar one out of frame labeled "Old New Fuses". B&O facilitiesDuBois was a significant maintenance point for the Baltimore & Ohio (ex-Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh), with a roundhouse, engine repair shop capable of heavy overhauls, and car repair shop. The town also served as a division point, as well as a connection to the New York Central & Hudson River. Quiet PleaseKeep it down out there! Our Block Operator may be copying an important message from up or down the line. By the look of things with six telegraph sounders at his desk, a phone and "patch" panels and one lone telegraph key, at times Mr. Long can be a busy man. Renewable FusesNot all fuses are one use only. Some are cylinders that can be opened, and a new fusible link or wire installed, inside the original unit. I would suggest that is a possible explanation for the "new and old" fuse container. There were probably a few blown fuses in the old section ready for renewing. You can read about it here. If you remember the Beatles song "When I'm Sixty-four", one of the lyrics is: "I could be handy mending a fuse when your lights have gone." England and Australia used renewable porcelain fuses in older homes, and they could be "mended" by threading the correct amperage fuse wire through them. New Old FusesThe fusible links in some barrel type fuses can be replaced by unscrewing the end caps, removing the blown parts, putting in a new link, and replacing the end caps. This may be the situation here. Old fuses could be new again.The cartridge fuses like those to the left of the clock were not disposable. The end caps where removable to facilitate replacing the fusible link inside. I've seen really big ones that would take two hands to pick up. LocksWonder why those boxes on the left are locked? Does he have to unlock them to switch the switches each time? Some things old can be renewedThose "old" fuses may have renewable links. I remember seeing some of those years ago. Restoration & RepurposingIt's nice to see some effort to preserve railroad towers. I'll have to swing by North Judson to see if their efforts were realized. http://www.grassellitower.com/towers.htm Then, if I ever get back to Milwaukee, I'd like to take a look at this sturdy "tiny house" conversion: https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2017/08/24/house-confidential-tiny-railroad-t... Locked BoxesThe boxes on the left house electric locks. They mechanically lock the levers depending on electrical circuits, such as track circuits used to detect the presence of a train. These locks are safety critical, and so must be kept secure from unauthorized access -- hence the locks. Only signal maintainers would have a key; the towerman would not be able to release the locks and cause an unsafe condition. Restricted AccessThe padlocks on the the switch machine ensure that only authorized switch and signal maintainers have access to the internal mechanism for maintenance purposes. Note that there also "car seals" applied in addition to the padlocks. This is an additional "tamper-evident" security measure. Yes, this compartmentalization is something on a par with ballistic missile systems. These switch control mechanisms are that important. Lightning arrester Surge protectors were also referred to as lightning arresters. That's what I see under the two bells behind him. I also think the two glass covers in the left of the photo are some sort of protection as well. I picked several porcelain GE ones while insulator hunting in Kansas several years ago. (Technology, The Gallery, Jack Delano, Railroads)
Auto Wreck: 1923
... May be Fatal Mrs. Dorothy Holland, 20 years old, of Baltimore, Md., stopping at 1420 Harvard street northwest, lies in Georgetown ... Her sister, Mrs Myrtle Griffith, 1602 Gorsuch avenue, Baltimore, was summoned here last night by the local authorities. When the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/13/2014 - 10:00am -

        A larger, more detailed version of a photo we first posted six years ago, with the details supplied by Shorpy member Stanton Square, accompanied by a "new" image here. Washington, D.C. A curious photograph titled "Auto wreck. 7/30/23." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. 1923 WreckI have seen this photograph published before, in a book by Robert Reed. Unfortunately, I can't for the life of me remember the title. Perhaps someone here knows what I'm writing about? Rock Creek ParkwayThat was the year construction started on Rock Creek Parkway, and the water suggests that this car strayed off the parkway a bit. [That, and the three trees he knocked over on the way in. Would be interesting to see if someone near Rock Creek Park could locate the spot. - Dave] Chain Bridge WreckI've been searching the Washington Post archives trying to find the back-stories for some of the photographs on Shorpy. See, for example, https://www.shorpy.com/node/3318 https://www.shorpy.com/node/3152 https://www.shorpy.com/node/2706 I've found an account of a July 30, 1923, wreck at Chain Bridge whose description seems to fit this photo. The story is surprisingly familiar - young kids party all night, wreck the car and then tell a fanciful story to the investigating police ------------------------------------- Washington Post: July 31, 1923 Plunge Over Bank at Chain Bridge in Auto May be Fatal Mrs. Dorothy Holland, 20 years old, of Baltimore, Md., stopping at 1420 Harvard street northwest, lies in Georgetown University Hospital suffering from internal hemorrhages as a result of an automobile in which she was riding going over a 30-foot embankment near the Virginia end of the Chain bridge at 6 o'clock yesterday morning. Detective Sergeants H.M. Jett and Joseph Connors worked on the case more then fifteen hours in establishing the woman's real identity. Physicians at the hospital hold little hope for Mrs. Holland's recovery. Her sister, Mrs Myrtle Griffith, 1602 Gorsuch avenue, Baltimore, was summoned here last night by the local authorities. When the machine, a touring car, traveling at an estimated 70 miles an hour going in the direction of Virginia, left the road and crashing through a fence dropped to the jagged rocks below three other persons were in the car besides Mrs. Holland. Two escaped with minor injuries while the driver of the machine, whose identity the police have been unable to establish, escaped injury. The other occupants of the machine were Mrs. Edna Metos, 24 years old, with whom Mrs. Holland stopped, and Bernard Shrove, of 56 Foxhall road, northwest. Mrs. Metos, was injured about the head and suffered shock. Shreve suffered a sprained ankle. While police believe that Mrs. Metos was driving the machine at the time of the accident, both she and Mrs. Holland declare that a man whose name they do not know was the operator of the machine. According to the police, the accident was the result of an all-night party that began at 1 o'clock yesterday morning. It was learned that the party went to the vicinity of the Chain bridge and were sitting on the bridge listening to music from a nearby camp. Frank Haggerty, said to be a novelty salesman, and stopping at the Sterling hotel, but according to the police, also rooming at the Harvard street address, one of the party, left the machine when Shreve crossed the bridge riding a bicycle. Haggerty, according to Shreve, asked him to let him ride the bicycle. When Haggerty started riding toward the District side of the bridge, Shreve said that the woman invited him to take a ride. They got in the machine and after going to the District side double back on their tracks and, traveling at a terrific rate of speed, started toward Virginia. Shreve told Detectives Jett and Connors that a woman was driving the machine when it crashed over the embankment. Passing autoists brought the injured to Georgetown hospital. Following an early investigation, Haggerty was taken into custody by police of the Seventh precinct and at a late hour last night was still held on an investigation charge. Deputy Sheriff C.C. Clements, of Arlington county, last night requested the local authorities that if Mrs. Holland died from her injuries to arrest Mrs Metos and hold her for the Virginia authorities. [Excellent work, PER, and much appreciated. Maybe you can figure out who the Edwards boy was. As well as Mr. McDevitt. - Dave] HoweverThe damage to the car and the relatively minor injuries suffered by its other occupants argue against the "estimated 70 miles an hour" speed. Always suspect --Those novelty salesmen. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Oyster Alley: 1922
... the Chesapeake - probably supplying oyster depots in both Baltimore and Washington. UPDATE: Link to 2001 NYT article by Mark ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 10:18pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Wearley's front." Exterior of the oyster bar seen in the previous post. This stretch of 12th Street N.W. seems to have been something of a seafood hot spot. At the right we see a sliver of the enormous Raleigh Hotel. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Raleigh HotelA recent profile of the hotel here. The differencebetween an oyster depot and an oyster house is the baggage clam! Weser's OystersThe establishment to the left is Weser's Oyster Depot. Prior to Howe's, #423 was Hogan's Oyster Depot. Wearley's (established 1898 by Oscar B. Wearley) later moved to 418 12th. In 1950 another move to 516 N. Capitol Street, where it survived until the 1960s. Does anyone know the distinction between an Oyster Depot and an Oyster House? Washington Post, Feb 20, 1907 Edward Weser Dies of Old Age. Edward Weser, eighty-three years old, died yesterday morning at this home, 441 Seventh Street southwest. Death was caused by a complication of diseases due to old age. He was a native of Germany, but came to the United Sates when a boy. He was for several years a maker and seller of sulphur matches. In 1858 he established an oyster house at Twelfth and E streets, the management of which he continued until his death. He is survived by his wife and three daughters, Mrs. Annie Gordon, Mrs. Barbara Swing, and Mrs. A.J. Comiskey, and two sons, C.H. Weser and Joseph B. Weser. 1887 Boyd's directory of the District of Columbia 1908, Washington Times At a theatre near you!Dorothy Dalton in The Siren's Call. Here's what she looked like. Has anyone ever seen it? Larry, Moe, & Curly (or was it Shemp?)Might this be the place where the stooges had such trouble eating a simple bowl of soup? "Old Fashion"Isn't it interesting and telling that "Old Fashion" could be used in 1922 to distinguish one establishment from two adjacent businesses that all seem to sell the same basic product. Re: Why Oysters?Anyone with the time and inclination to learn about oysters ought to read Mark Kurlansky's book The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell. In part, the prevalence of oyster houses reflects the prevalence of the oyster itself. Europe's oyster beds had long been depleted from over-fishing and destruction of beds. In contrast, the waters of east coast (especially around New York Harbor) were bounteous. At one time, the fledgeling U.S.A. produced 88% of the world's oyster production. As a result oysters provided a cheap source of protein for people of all economic classes. In the 20th century, urban pollution (largely sewage and run-off) lowered the water quality and destroyed many of the oyster beds. Incidentally, when this photo was made, my ancestors were dredging oysters in the Chesapeake - probably supplying oyster depots in both Baltimore and Washington. UPDATE: Link to 2001 NYT article by Mark Kurlansky: "CITY LORE; When the Oyster Was Their World" The world would be my oysterif I could rent that room on the top floor! Ornamental crustaceansGotta love those lobster decorations on the balcony railing above Wearley's. Gayety, Palace, and MetropolitanThe posters in front of Howe's advertise shows at three theaters that we've seen before on Shorpy: Gayety: https://www.shorpy.com/node/6455 Palace: https://www.shorpy.com/node/5844 (in comments) Metropolitan: https://www.shorpy.com/node/5539 OystercentrismMuch like today, blame New York for the trend. They became very popular there in the 19th century. Cheap from beginning to end, you could get them on most streets and they fed the working class. As immigrants poured in and the shift moved, they took their appetite with them and the oyster moved inland thanks to the burgeoning railroads that could deliver them. Soft ClamsI know what soft shell crabs are but what is a soft clam? Why Oysters?This may have been discussed before, but can anyone shed light on the appetite for oysters in America in the late 19th to early 20th centuries? I've seen pictures of small Midwestern and western towns with only a handful of businesses, and an "Oysters" sign among them. It seems folks couldn't go more than a day or two without eating an oyster. [Fast-forward 100 years. Substitute "Starbucks" for "oysters." - Dave] Weser descendants thank youAs descendants of Edward Weser and Joseph B. Weser, we thank you for this posting. (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Natl Photo)
Over the Edge: 1923
...      Mrs. Dorothy Holland, 20 years old, of Baltimore, lies in Georgetown University Hospital suffering from internal ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/13/2014 - 9:59am -

       Mrs. Dorothy Holland, 20 years old, of Baltimore, lies in Georgetown University Hospital suffering from internal hemorrhages as a result of an automobile in which she was riding going over a 30-foot embankment near the Virginia end of the Chain bridge at 6 o'clock yesterday morning. ... According to the police, the accident was the result of an all-night party that began at 1 o'clock yesterday morning ... "Auto wreck -- July 30, 1923." Last seen here six years ago in this post. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Stephens carThe spare tire cover seems to indicate that it's a Stephens. The S on the inside of the door hints this way also. I'll betThe jazz was hot at that party, though! Ouch!The broken steering wheel spokes and the rigid steering column could ruin your day very quickly on the ride down that embankment. Collapsible steering column standards wouldn't be mandated in the U.S. until 1968 - forty-five years after this accident. Stephens Salient SixFrom the book Minneapolis-Moline Farm Tractors by Chester Peterson, Jr. and Rod Beemer, MBI Publishing Company, Osceola, WI, Page 10 "George W. Stephens became president and controlling owner of MPC [Moline Plow Company] in 1882. Under his leadership, the company entered the automobile business in 1915, when it began building commercial bodies to go on Ford chassis. In 1916 the Stephens Motor Works at Freeport, Illinois, began production of MPC's passenger cars. "The company's automobiles were named The Stephens Six and initially came in two models: the Model 65, which was a five-passenger touring design, and the Model 60, a roadster. In 1918 the new overhead valve six was introduced as the Salient Six and it, too, came in two styles: the three-passenger roadster, Model 70, and the Model 75, a five-passenger touring car. "The Stephens Salient Six engine had been produced by Root & Vandervoort Company (R&V) of Moline, Illinois, since its first use in 1918. The MPC purchased the engine business of R&V late in 1920. At that time Moline was taking about 80 percent of this engine production for its tractors and Stephens autos. "The medium-priced Stephens automobiles had much finer body work than was ordinarily seen in the trade. Between 1918 and 1924 several additional models were introduced. Yet on July 23, 1924, the company announced that it would cease production of the Stephens automobile. Total production of the Stephens auto is placed at approximately 30,0000 of which only 20 examples are known to exist." Separately, the Chain Bridge, which the car was traveling upon, was the seventh bridge built in the same location. The first bridge collapsed; the second burned after six months; the third was destroyed by flood; the fourth was removed to build a new bridge; the fifth also collapsed; and the sixth was swept away during a flood. This seventh bridge lasted from 1874 - 1939. The current bridge is the eighth one built, but it is built upon the piers erected in the 1870s. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Corner Time: 1910
... Company slogan. The company was located in Detroit at 111 Baltimore Avenue, it also occupied other premises during its tenure in the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/04/2022 - 7:44pm -

Detroit circa 1910. "Ford sales office (Boulevard Building), Griswold and Congress streets." Headquarters of the Edward Ford Plate Glass Co. 8x10 inch glass negative. View full size. FrustratingI suppose we'll never know what happened. [Digging a hole. - Dave] There's been an accident ...... it appears. Or perhaps a sudden illness. In any case, someone is in trouble and depending on the kindness of strangers. [They're working on a track switch. - Dave] I'm glad to know that nobody's hurt or ill. You must be confusedThe Ford Building is still going strong. This year, it will celebrate 114 years of saying, "Not that Ford, the other one". Plenty of windows to advertise their product. Wide AngleIf you move your eyeball close to the picture, the perspective starts to look normal. As always in close work, it helps to be nearsighted. "Speed Buggy"Speedster, Runabout, Torpedo-Roadster, Raceabout? I admit defeat in my quest to positively identify the rakish automobile parked at the curb, from my perspective it steals the scene entirely. I'm looking forward to someone providing some information regarding the vehicle Marque and Model, "with references to accurately corroborate". In the meantime, my bet is on it being a 1909-10 Brush Runabout Model C or D. "Everyman's Car", as per the Brush Runabout Company slogan. The company was located in Detroit at 111 Baltimore Avenue, it also occupied other premises during its tenure in the city. All you could ever want to know concerning this interesting company and its products is linked below. Being right or wrong in my guess doesn't matter, I've had a very enjoyable couple of hours researching and reading about the car and its marvelous accomplishments. Thank you Shorpy. https://brushownersregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/The-Brush-Run... Baker ElectricWould the 1st car on the left side be a Baker Electric? Nice and verticalThat's as fine an example as I've ever seen of the effective use of a large format view camera with adjustable planes. OooCouple of neat vehicles there. Nice sporty roadster on the right. The last in the group of 3 on the left has me scratching my head. It's got the shortest chassis I've ever seen. And it's kinda tall too. The perspective correction of this pic is pretty strong. Makes my eyes pop. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Periodical Room: 1953
... three of them said thanks but no thanks. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Education, Schools, Gottscho-Schleisner) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/22/2016 - 8:54pm -

April 24, 1953. "Goucher College, Towson, Maryland. Library, periodical room. Moore & Hutchins, client." Just the place to peruse the latest issue of Speculum. Large-format acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner Inc. View full size. Classic MCMThe slat bench, coffee table is a classic piece and pretty collectible to aficionados of the period. Looks like my collegeI wouldn't be surprised if most of these furnishings were still in use thirty or forty years later, albeit with less floor space in between the shelves. And the surface-mount fluorescent fixtures with the egg-crate baffles remind me of many an exam, when the loud sixty-hertz buzz was most distracting. Modern fluorescent ballasts operate at frequencies beyond the range of human hearing, a development most welcome. Hard SurfacesPerfect for maintaining the level of quiet needed in a library. It looks a bit different nowThe Athenaeum was awarded Library Journal's top award for New Landmark Libraries in 2012. Ah Those Goucher Ladies!I batted 100 % with those Goucher ladies in the late 50's. I asked three of them out and all three of them said thanks but no thanks. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Education, Schools, Gottscho-Schleisner)
Quartermaster Corps: 1865
... Maryland they were held up for a day by Union troops from Baltimore under Gen. Lew Wallace (who later wrote Ben-Hur). Wallace lost the ... for his effort because his orders had been to defend Baltimore! Only later was it recognized that he had saved Washington. When ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/11/2012 - 10:34pm -

April 1865. "Washington, District of Columbia. Group of Quartermaster Corps employees." I detect a pattern here, and it's checks. Wet plate glass negative. Civil War glass negative collection, Library of Congress. View full size. 3rd from the right, front rowI'm just guessing but he looks like a bit of a scallywag. 1. A scamp; rascal 2. A deceitful and unreliable scoundrel 3. One who is playfully mischievous. There are other definitions of Scallywag but these are the ones I'm going with. Three dozen different peopleEach one of these fellas has a distinctive look and attitude. A few of note: checked vest, a quarter of the way in from the left, in front, who took obvious pains to comb his hair and who poses like Napoleon, with forearm horizontal against chest, hand disappearing into the garment; blurry face beside him, the only one in the bunch to polish his shoes, with his right foot set forward to display the footware; wild-haired cigar chomper in the middle, rear, who has wandered off a pirate ship into the Civil War; and the tallest man, far right, standing at attention, as one should for a photograph. Before there was HalliburtonNo uniformed personnel shown. I wonder how much of the Corps was manned by civilians during the war? Oh, you guys!You guys are a regular laugh riot! C'mon now, knock it off. I mean it! You are breaking me up! Camp FollowersMost military support personnel in that era were civilians, employed by the Army but not considered "soldiers" or entitled to wear uniforms. The Civil War marks a point in the evolution of militaries in that respect. In earlier eras support was provided by "camp followers", people whose only connection with the Army was that they followed it around and were available when the troops needed to buy food or other services -- including things like borrowing money to support further operations. Camp followers were generally disrespected, because the concept of "logistics" hadn't been invented. Armies were expected to steal food and other necessities as they passed through an area. The notion that support should be official and systematic didn't become general until technology started making the camp follower system insufficient. The innovation (like a lot of changes in military structure) traces to the Thirty Years War. Civil War armies had camp followers too, but their function was reduced to something like the modern stereotype, i.e. mostly prostitutes and con men. General Joseph Hooker was known to be particularly solicitous of the camp followers, thus the use of the word for a prostitute -- "Who are those women?" [grin] They're Hooker's." The men in this picture aren't camp followers. They were hired and paid by the Army, or the War Department, to provide logistic support; they just weren't considered "soldiers". After the Civil War the system evolved further, until most support personnel were official, uniformed, integral parts of the Army. By WWII almost all support was integrated, and camp followers disappeared. Recently that trend has reversed, with many support functions provided by civilian contractors, but camp followers as such have not reappeared. They probably won't. Modern armies move too fast for them to keep up. Civil War generals would be mightily puzzled by the notion that, e.g., gate guards should be civilians, but motor pool mechanics should be in uniform. [The tracing of the term "hooker" to General Hooker is suspect, to say the least. There are a number of instances on record of use of the term earlier, for example. - tterrace] Sure -- but the pre-existing meaning made the exchange a joke, a play on the good General's name, and all the funnier because Gen. Hooker really was solicitous of the camp followers, thinking them an important part of the army's support (besides his, umm, personal interest). That turned an obscure usage into a common one. Glaring boldly at the futureI love the lanky fellow over on the middle-ish right. He is just barely fitting into that waistcoat, and he has gone to pains to be friendly and put his arm on the shoulder of his comrade on the left, necessitating that he duck down a bit. One senses he might be used to ducking down, going through doorways and in chatting the ladies. Also I must say the fine head of hair on the well dressed gentleman in the middle front puts a special longing on me. He is a fortunate fellow to have such a good head of hair. He looks honest, hardworking and reliable. And finally, I love the fellow at the far left with the big mustache who glares at the camera with the ultimate scowl, as if to say "A pox upon you people of the future, ogling us and wondering what our lives are like." His scowl is so forthright! Hidden handI believe that Napoleon hand in vest pose is a Freemason gesture. Our Checkered PastSorry about this, but apparently dead men DO wear plaid. Civilians who fought and help save WashingtonThe Quartermaster employees were civilians, but they had been pressed into armed service only 9 months before this photo was taken when Confederate General Jubal Early and perhaps as many as 20,000 troops attacked Washington from the north, having come down through Maryland. Washington was only very lightly defended at the time; most of the Union troops who had been defending the city had been sent south for Grant's siege of Richmond. When Early's forces came down from Hagerstown, Maryland they were held up for a day by Union troops from Baltimore under Gen. Lew Wallace (who later wrote Ben-Hur). Wallace lost the Battle of the Monocacy, just south of Frederick, Maryland, but by delaying Early he managed to give the defenders of Washington time to mobilize the Quartermaster's civilian employees and the "Invalid Corps," who were injured or sick troops recuperating in Washington. Wallace's efforts also gave them time to bring back some of the regular troops who had been sent south. Wallace was court-martialed for his effort because his orders had been to defend Baltimore! Only later was it recognized that he had saved Washington. When Early arrived, the forts defending Washington were lightly defended, but his men were worn out from marching for miles during one of the hottest July periods on record. So he decided to wait until the next day before mounting a major attack on Fort Stevens. The defenders showed up in force over night, and when Early saw them the next morning he gave up mounting a full attack. After a day of skirmishing, his troops withdrew at night. The next morning the Union defenders discovered the Confederates had abandoned the field in front of Fort Stevens, but they mounted only an ineffective effort to keep them from getting away through Montgomery County, Maryland and across the Potomac river into Virginia. In fact, Mary Lincoln complained to the Secretary of War that she and a bunch of women could have done a better job of stopping Early from getting away. Early's attack was the only time a Confederate army entered the District of Columbia during the Civil War and it may have been the only time a sitting American President came under enemy fire. Lincoln went out to Fort Stevens to survey the scene and was narrowly missed by a Confederate sharpshooter, who did hit the person next to Lincoln. At that point someone, by some accounts later Supreme Court Justice Oliver W. Holmes, yelled "Get down, you fool!" at Lincoln. Lincoln got down. There is a soldierThere is a soldier standing fourth from the left. He is wearing an Army issued four-button "sack" or fatigue coat (dark blue in reality), military trousers (sky blue in reality) and is holding a civilian hat (a common habit of US volunteers). He Army issue bootees (or "brogans) are falling apart. This was a common occurrence in the field--sometimes with in six weeks of their being issued. Perhaps he stopped by to get a new pair. By April 1865 the younger men may have realized they were not going to be drafted, or perhaps the older ones may have been discharged veterans. (The Gallery, Civil War, D.C.)
Tyke on Trike: 1915
... family traces its American roots back to Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland. George Thomas Marye Sr. went west to California in 1849, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:33pm -

"Helen Marye." Circa 1915 in Washington. Future socialite Helen was daughter of George Marye, ambassador to Russia. Harris & Ewing Collection. View full size. Me 100 years earlierIf this girl had red hair, I would swear it was me. How scary is that? What a dollShe is a real cutie. Also that trike is stupendous! Wonder if those tires are solid rubber. Helen Martha Marye Thomas, 1906-1970The Marye family traces its American roots back to Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland. George Thomas Marye Sr. went west to California in 1849, where he made his fortune in real estate, banking, and business in San Francisco and later in Virginia City, Nevada. His son George Thomas Marye Jr. (1846-1933) carried on his father's business concerns, and in 1914 was appointed the United States Ambassador to Russia by President Wilson. Accompanied by his wife Mary Alice Doyle Marye (1870-1946), George was one of the last two foreigners decorated by Czar Nicholas II with the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. While in Russia, Mary worked with the Red Cross war relief effort, aiding refugees from Poland and war-torn Russia. The Maryes left Russia in 1916 because of George's health, shortly before the Russian Revolution. Helen Martha Marye Thomas (1906-1970), the daughter of George and Mary, grew up in Washington, D.C., and Burlingame, California, and was a skilled equestrienne. She was married to William Daniel Thomas Jr., a Naval Commander, and had one daughter, Marye Helen Thomas. After her divorce in 1938 she began looking for a ranch to purchase in Nevada and located a piece of property in Wadsworth on the Truckee River. Helen bought the ranch from Joe Gardella in 1939 and added to the house and buildings on the property. She named the ranch the S Bar S; it was the scene of extensive entertainment and a base of operations for many civic activities. The S Bar S Ranch was deeded to the University of Nevada's College of Agriculture in 1970 to serve as a field laboratory. Helen's longtime friend Phyliss Walsh (1897-1985) helped manage the ranch. Together they were active in founding and running such organizations as the American Women's Voluntary Services, the Nevada Silver Centennial Committee and the Virginia City Trust Foundation. Helen Marye Thomas died March 24, 1970. AdorableEverything about this picture delights me -- the curls in her hair, her adorable face, the boots, the dress, the tricycle! I hope she had lots of playmates and fun throughout her life (the article on her life makes it sound that she did). Life changeSo Helen divorced her husband and bought a ranch with her "long time friend" Miss Phyliss Walsh. Interesting. I like it. S Bar SI lived on the S Bar S in the late 50s or early 60s when I was 11 or 12. Had lots of fun on that ranch and would like to live there again. We lived in the little three-room house to the right as you go to the barn. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Kids)
Too Much Fun: 1905
... An observation tower, the Bostock trained animal show, a Baltimore Fire cyclorama, the General Bumps ride, a miniature railway, Will ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/05/2012 - 1:49pm -

New York circa 1905. "Dreamland Park at Coney Island." Among the amusements to be sampled: An observation tower, the Bostock trained animal show, a Baltimore Fire cyclorama, the General Bumps ride, a miniature railway, Will Conklin's Illusions, the Temple of Mirth and Hooligan's Dream. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Oil burnersThese were oil burning steam locomotives. The Miniature Railroad was built by the Cagney Brothers in 1904 to replace an earlier version that was lost in a November, 1903 fire. It made a circuit of the park running underneath the promenade. The locomotives, which could pull three of the two-passenger cars, were built by the Cagney Brothers' Miniature Railway Company in New York. Their ad below is from the February 7, 1903 issue of The Billboard. An earlier Shorpy post with a closeup of one of the locomotives has more information here, and a 1903 Edison silent movie of Coney Island before the fire (found here) shows the train emerging out from under the promenade at the 7:44 minute mark. You Can't Miss MeI'll be the one wearing a mustache a hat and a dark suit. The cops must have had an awful time with witness descriptions of the perps back then. Where to look first?There are so many wonderful aspects to this picture, I hardly know what to take in first. I love the "Temple of Mirth" (Can you imagine "mirth" being used on a ride today? How many folks even know what it means anymore?) I also love the "Hooligan's Dream" (but ditto on the meaning being mostly lost on 21st century folk). What REALLY intrigues me however, is what the people in the forefront are looking at instead of the elephants right behind them, which I would be fascinated by. Surely elephants weren't a commonplace sight. [Happy Hooligan, whose image is in the circle on the sign, was an extremely popular comic strip character of the time. - tterrace] Soon to be gone - againDreamland was rebuilt in early 1904 after a disastrous fire destroyed it in November, 1903. Six years after this picture was taken this scene was again destroyed by fire. It made news even in far away Australia where, two days later, the tragedy was reported by The Argus newspaper. FIRE AT CONEY ISLAND. AMUSEMENT PALACE DESTROYED. DAMAGE 3,000,000 DOLLARS. NEW YORK, May 27. A destructive fire occurred yesterday at Dreamland, one of the great amusement resorts at Coney Island, New York. The damage is estimated at 3,000,000 dol. The menagerie was destroyed, 50 wild animals being cremated. The adjoining place of entertainment, Luna park, was saved. [Dreamland and Luna Park practically constitute Coney Island, which is the greatest resort of its kind in the world. The resources of inventors are taxed to provide new thrills, with the result that each season finds some ingenious novelty installed for the New York clerk and shop-girl. Dreamland contains dozens of forms of entertainment. The visitor may travel by captive airship, or glide at fearful speed down the chute, through a cascade of real water. He may "loop the loop" in a car, or travel in a small chariot over an undulating sea of metal, the waves of which are caused by machinery below. The "Rocky Road to Dublin, " a fearful switchback apparatus, and "General Bumps," involving a hazardous slide down a polished wooden surface, are among the joys of the place; while those who desire to visit other lands may take a trip to the North Pole or the wilds of Central Africa with equal ease and cheapness.] A more complete newspaper story with pictures of the aftermath can be found here, and a few more pictures can be seen here and here. The steam locomotivehas been hooked up to some pretty fancy oversized cars, and can you believe observing HYENAS for 25 cents, forget lions and panthers, they've got HYENAS ! Bostock's Wild Animal Exhibition Broadway Magazine, April 1905. Although Coney Island has improved greatly in the character of its shows within the last few years, the same atmosphere of careless holiday-making prevails, and you always have a feeling of jolly irresponsibility as you go from one place of amusement to another. Bostock's wild animal exhibition in “Dreamland,” is again a prominent feature of the summer. The animals are interesting, whether in their dens or in the arena, while the trainers who put the savage creatures through performances in the large steel cage are as impressive as ever. There was one act I saw at Bostock's lately which struck me as particularly good. A young lady in short skirts, who was announced as “La Belle Selika,” skipped into the cage with seven—I think it was seven—lionesses. She made them get up, reluctantly, upon pedestals in different parts of the cage. Then, as the orchestra struck up the music of the “Pretty Maidens,” in “Florodora,” she danced, teasing the animals by pointing her slippers at them one after another, and retreating just far enough to escape the angry paws darted at her each time. They seemed eager to tear her to pieces. She pirouetted about the creatures, always close to them, but just far enough away to avoid being clawed, until at last she struck an attitude immediately in front of the most savage of her pets and smiled in response to the applause, while the lioness growled. It was decidedly the prettiest act I ever saw in connection with trained wild animals, and it looked fearfully dangerous, whether it was so actually or not Live Steam?I would assume that that little locomotive was actually a steam powered kerosene burner... does anyone know? UPDATE: The kerosene assumption was (wrongly) made because I couldn't imagine firing a firebox that small with coal to maintain a working head of steam - Ausonius. Pigmy Locomotive While the Cagney Bros. operated many miniature railway concessions, the actual builder of this engine was the McGarigle Machine Co, of Niagara Falls, NY. Tobbacconist, is there something in the photo that indicates oil as the fuel source? The following article states the originals were built with a 10 inch firebox burning anthracite. I think this engine is coal fired. In 1905, coal was still a widely available and familiar fuel. Also, the trousers on the engineer appear rather well coated in coal dust. [Additional information and photos.] The Railway Age, July 1, 1898. A Pigmy Locomotive. What is claimed to be the smallest locomotive ever made for drawing passenger cars has been made for the Miniature Railroad company by Thomas E. McGarigle of Niagara Falls. This steam railroad is to be operated at the Trans-Mississippi Exposition in Omaha, Neb., and, in all, six locomotives are to be built for the company under the present contract. It is possible they will be used at other resorts, such as Coney Island, Atlantic City, Deal Beach, Washington Heights and Niagara Falls. … The height of the locomotive from the top of the stack to the rail is 25 inches, and the gauge is 12½ inches. The cylinders are 2x4 inches. The boiler is 1½ horse power, made of steel, and is tested to 300 pounds pressure, and will hold 24 gallons of water. … The firebox is 10 by 10 inches. The weight of this little engine is about 600 pounds, and it will run on a rail three-quarters of an inch square. Hard coal will be used as fuel. The capacity of the locomotive is 10 cars, each containing two persons, or about 4,000 pounds. The locomotive is equipped with sandbox, bell, etc., and has a steam brake between the drivers. One man, whose position will be on a seat in the tender, operates the engine. The scale on which the locomotive was built is about one-seventh that of one of the New York Central's largest engines, and as it stands in the shop it has a very businesslike appearance, as shown by the illustration. Live Steam Model FuelsThere`s no guarantee or requirement that this locomotive is oil fueled. Even today Live Steam enthusiasts operating large scale locomotives are running with a variety of fuels. Propane is popular as is oil or kerosene. However coal is still the most popular fuel for ridable trains like this and can be used at gauges as small as 1.26 inches. So unless there were other considerations, like local laws, there`s a high likelihood that this engine was coal fired. All in the FamilyYes, a great number of the 'Cagneys' (as they were known) were built in the Niagara shop of Thomas and Peter McGarigle; however, since their sister Winifred married Timothy Cagney, it was considered to be all in the family. Peter—an engineer—was mostly likely the one who designed the first of the miniature locomotives, ostensibly in 1885. In the early 1890s Timothy and his brothers David and John, were running a ticket brokerage company known as Cagney Bros. in New York, but by 1898 decided to fully concentrate on marketing the McGarigle locomotives and so incorporated The Miniature Railway Company, of Jersey City. For years the two businesses were nearly indistinguishable from one another, and were in fact interchangeable as far as miniature railways were concerned, as they worked together on various projects. In 1903 the Cagney Bros. Co. was ensconced in the Planter's Hotel in St. Louis—there to build the eight mile miniature railroad that would run through the grounds of the St. Louis Purchase Exposition (the 1904 World's Fair). Timothy Cagney was listed as President, and Peter McGarigle as Chief Engineer. While the Cagney Brothers' Miniature Railway Company was selling the vast majority of the McGarigle railroad oriented output, the Niagara firm was still peddling their own product as late as 1915 when they made a proposition to the City of San Francisco to operate a miniature railway in the park. By the 1920s however, the Cagney Bros. had absorbed the miniature railway portion of the McGarigle Machine Company, and McGarigle's—once also known for their gasoline marine engines—appears to have been reduced to being an automotive machine shop. The locomotive building operation was now referred to as "the Cagney Brothers' Amusement Company Niagara Falls plant." By the 1940s the late Timothy Cagney—and not Peter McGarigle—was being given credit as the inventor. According to one report, two of Cagney's "best known installations were two gold-plated trains with steam locomotives built for the King of Siam, and the 'Trip Around the World' exhibit at the New York World's Fair of 1939 and 1940." As for the oil burner reference, it's from a list of Coney Island rides and shows complied by Kingsborough Community College Professor Emeritus (and former Brooklyn Borough Historian, director and archivist) John Manbeck. He complied a vast collection of Coney Island ephemera that has since been donated to the Brooklyn College Library. On his list of rides and shows is this entry: A Miniature Railroad built by the Cagney Brothers made a circuit of park beneath the promenade. Each of its three small cars, pulled by a small oil-burning steam locomotive, held two passengers. I do not know what his original source was (but I'll try to find out); however, while the vast majority of the McGarigle/Cagney locomotives were coal-fired, it makes sense that these would be oil-fired as it would have virtually eliminated the fear of sparks from the smoke stack—especially so soon after the disastrous 1903 fire. (The Gallery, Coney Island, DPC, Railroads)
The Pop Shop: 1941
October 1941. New Baltimore on the Hudson, New York. "Store on the Hudson." Held together by pop ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/28/2012 - 2:15pm -

October 1941. New Baltimore on the Hudson, New York. "Store on the Hudson." Held together by pop signs. My favorite is the one for Nehi -- nothing goes with grape soda like a sexy pair of gams! Photo by John Collier. View full size. It's still standingMinus all the signs but still there. The electrical conduit is still attached to its neighbor after all these years but no longer connected. [It's definitely in the same place. - Dave] The enclosed front area seems to have been added since the picture was taken, the original structure was a straight drop from the roof to the ground, this would also explain where the windows went. [It's a different structure. The old one abutted the building next door; as mentioned in the comment above, you can see the ghost of its roof line - which is different than that of the present building - on the brick wall. - tterrace] You're right! I hadn't noticed that detail. It must have been done a long time ago since the new structure looks rather old itself. Perhaps the original fell down when they pulled out the nails to remove the signs. ThirstyNow I am craving a grape Nehi! Best cold drink in the world to me as a little girl. Orange. Ame in second. Good memories. NehiI finally "got" the sign. Who can explain it? Dem bonesYou can see in the modern photo a ghost of the old roofline. Not much more than the bones left of the original structure, if that. Nehi againOrange was the flavor to kill for. Pop PunNehi is knee-high, obviously, though it never would have occurred to me, the logo having disappeared as far as I can remember. There would be so many other choices, but it was a modest time. Knee HighI'm impressed with you folks! I could have puzzled over that sign for months without catching onto that visual pun. I guess the Hire's "It Tastes So Good" slogan is more my speed! Let's go to the tapeCoke 5, Pepsi 1. Only in a Wide Open TownI have monitored the Shorpy photos of "mom and pop corner stores" for years hoping to see a Nehi sign with "THE LEG". Leave it to New York to permit such a racy sign. Most of the southern state Nehi distributors probably chose to offer a toned down sign with just Nehi or Nehi and a bottle. The movie "A Christmas Story" was based upon several short stories by Jean Shepard which included the one where Ralphie's dad won a major prize (the Leg Lamp) in a drawn out puzzle contest. My wife and I are the proud owners of an antique Nehi store cooler with THE LEG which bears an uncanny resemblance to the Leg Lamp in the movie. Nehi GrapeSpent 3rd thru 8th grades in North Carolina in the mid-50s, and Nehi Grape was simply IT: the best flavor this kid can remember. BeautifulEven in its deplorable 1941 condition this building has its own appeal, especially in the bay windows and very handsome roof gable design, both obviously made long ago with a sensitive eye for details. Though functional, its replacement lacks a soul. Grape NehiGrape Nehi was of course the favourite beverage of Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly on the TV series M*A*S*H. For those of us who grew up in Canada or other areas where the product wasn't sold and indeed was not virtually but totally unknown, this beverage sounded extremely exotic, perhaps something from an obscure company in rural Kansas or something. The truth it seems is far more prosaic. So much soda, so many debatesIn Montana in the 1950s, it was Nesbitt's orange, Hires root beer, and definitely grape NEHI. Probably a regional thing. I think NEHI also had a killer cream soda and a strawberry soda as well. (The Gallery, John Collier, Stores & Markets)
Smoke on the Water: 1910
... farther right is the Easton, built of steel in 1898 at Baltimore, Maryland, by Reeder & Company for service on Chesapeake Bay. She ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 6:44pm -

Duluth, Minnesota, circa 1905-1910. "Duluth from the Incline Railway." Another of the eerily depopulated hive-of-industry scenes that seemed to be a specialty of Detroit the Publishing Co. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Chamber of Commerce Kelley North Western Fuel Co. Peerless Laundry R.B. Knox & Co. Stone Ordean Wells Co. Wholesale Grocers, Manufacturers & Importers. Eerily depopulated?I think of it as charmingly high in buildings-to-people ratio. My vision of a prosperous future is lots of built square feet per person. My vision of Blade Runner hell is lots of people per built square foot: "hive of humanity." It's all goneReplaced by the convention center and playfront/bayfront parks. The finger of land betwixt the channel and the lake is still residential though. And tell that kid in the doorway of the house at bottom left to quit staring at me. I spy someoneNot quite depopulated -- there's a figure standing in the side doorway of that ramshakle house in the left foreground. By the way, what is up with the brick flues poking through the house's roof? It looks like every other brick is missing. DepopulatedGuess if you choose your angle so you don't photograph any streets it get easier to not show people. Also helps when folks aren't out on their porches. Too cold to go outThis is Duluth, after all. Where are the Trees?Interesting (and sad) to see Park Point so devoid of trees. It's hard to imagine what it would have been like back then, given its current state of tall pines, and lush, abundant plant life. It should also be noted that most of these buildings are still standing. Unlike other downtown areas of Minnesota, Duluth's original buildings didn't get mowed-down in favor of new, shiny ones. The city really retains some of its original character (good AND bad. But mostly Good). Pop. 1I spy one person, I think, in the side doorway of the house at bottom left. For some reason, I find it amusing that 1910 Duluth had Turkish Baths. Seems so cosmopolitan for the Iron Range. The Two Passenger VesselsThe vessel to the far left, mostly obscured by the warehouse of the Stone Ordean Wells Company, is the Newsboy, a 104-foot wooden passenger steamer built 1889 by F. W. Wheeler & Company originally for service on Saginaw Bay. By 1902 she had migrated to the Zenith City and ran excursions inland on the St. Louis River to the picnic grounds at Fond du Lac. She ended her career on Lake Ontario, abandoned near Belleville, Ontario, in 1913. The larger steamer farther right is the Easton, built of steel in 1898 at Baltimore, Maryland, by Reeder & Company for service on Chesapeake Bay. She was brought to Lake Michigan in 1901 to carry passengers and fruit between Southwestern Michigan and Chicago. In 1903 she began service for the White Line Transportation Company, connecting Duluth with north shore Lake Superior ports, eventually being owned, as shown here, by the A. Booth Packing Company, supplying Booth's various Lake Superior fishing operations and transporting fish back to Duluth. In 1917 she was sold to the French government and taken across the Atlantic, converted to the naval patrol vessel Apache. In 1926 she was sold into civilian use and reconverted to a passenger and cargo steamer, renamed Le Sahel and operating out of Tunisia. She was broken up in 1938 at Bizerte, Tunisia, marking the end of a particularly peripatetic career. Railroad DepotThe railroad depot in the center of the field is still there and now houses an excellent railroad museum. 3 Homes in the foregroundDrove by these houses today, 2 of the 3 houses in the foreground are still there, the middle wooden is gone. You can see them here via Google Street View: http://goo.gl/GQNqa3 (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC, Duluth, Railroads)
Our Town: 1905
... St. Paul street we have The California Wine House, The Baltimore Lunch Room and the Pittsburgh Hotel. California Wine Wow. A ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 6:10pm -

Circa 1905. "Seventh Street at Cedar, St. Paul, Minnesota." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. All Over the MapOn this St. Paul street we have The California Wine House, The Baltimore Lunch Room and the Pittsburgh Hotel. California WineWow. A California Wine House in 1905. Napa Valley, I'm sure -- my mother was born in St. Helena and my grandmother was the cook in the St. Helena High School at this time. Other commenters have noted the near-absence of women in some pictures of this era. Another thing that strikes me in these pictures is the almost total absence of people smoking in public. This, of course, changed after the increase in tobacco usage after WWI. Keep it up; these pictures put flesh on the bones of history. Vanishing PointI haz it. Lunch RoomThe "Lunch Room" shown here is the first I have seen of this term since my father-in-law died. The detail in these photos is absolutely great. I can study then for hours and still not see it all. Keep up the great work. AhemI believe it's just as possible that Sonoma wines were represented in the shop, as that's where the California wine industry started. Just sayin. Rip Van WinkleThis photo has a giant Rip Van Winkle sign and the next one is of an actor whose most famous role was Rip Van Winkle. Intentional Shorpy shenanigans or pure happenstance? [Shorpy is all about thematic unity. - Dave] ClocksI love the clocks that look like giant pocket watches. They aren't synchronized but pretty close! [Those are painted signs. Right twice a day! - Dave] Plenty of GalsThere seems to be a good representation of the fairer sex in this photo. I count at least 22. Given that relatively few women worked (outside the home) at this time, that's a good number. Miss Percy HaswellWhat role could she have been playing in "Rip Van Winkle"? Certainly not the lead! She was described by one contemporaneous writer as "so blonde, so blue-eyed, with voice so throaty sweet. She was a lass from Austin, Texas, but to me she seemed to belong to some other world altogether." Looking west on 7thThe building on the left, Stein and Co., would be replaced in the 1950s by a new W.T. Grant store. Farther down the street, on the right, is the Emporium department store. It would later relocate down the street, on the left, to occupy an entire block between Robert and Jackson streets. (The Gallery, DPC, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Carrel of the Belles: 1953
... engage me to the print of all things. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Education, Schools, Gottscho-Schleisner) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/22/2016 - 8:53pm -

April 24, 1953. "Towson, Maryland. Goucher College, Library interior III. Moore & Hutchins, client." Acetate negative by Gottscho-Schleisner. View full size. Analytical Chemistry, Volume 2I had to look inside one of those books, so I picked one at random. Nine inch floor tilesPopular for decades and most likely these are green. The lighting looks perfect for reading and staying awake. In Praise of BooksWhen I was in the university back in the late 1960's, the study 'carrels' were a very important part of my education. They were quiet, surrounded by books and not internet no social media no nothing other that the 'mind books study' and the thing that still stays with me….the smell of a book. This day and age of media with Ibooks is sooo sterile and I still prefer a printed book over the e version…why? I still to this date look to buying a book and flip its pages to smell…yes smell. To my there is nothing like the smell of the print and paper of a book to engage me to the print of all things. (The Gallery, Baltimore, Education, Schools, Gottscho-Schleisner)
Halloween Hobo: 1957
Baltimore, Oct. 31, 1957. "Carol Lee, Ray Steward, Howard H." A seasonal scene ... sister and those magical Halloween nights of the 50's (Baltimore, Halloween, Kermy Kodachromes) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/30/2013 - 12:21pm -

Baltimore, Oct. 31, 1957. "Carol Lee, Ray Steward, Howard H." A seasonal scene from the Janet & Kermy Kodachromes. Happy Halloween! View full size. Hobos, bums and runawaysAs a kid, this is the type of stuff we would assemble to wear on Halloween night, mostly from the castoffs of our dads and grandfathers (which doesn't say much for their taste in clothing) and the three occupations listed in my comment title were the most common getups for most middle-class, small-town youngsters out trick or treating. In fact, we often would wait until "after supper" to even decide what we were going to wear and then just go with it. We'd wear masks that obscured our vision so we couldn't see well and giant grandpa shoes that were falling off our feet, making us trip, and yes, we usually did hurt ourselves falling off a curb or coming down porch steps in the dark. Currently my grandkids have planned for weeks exactly how they will dress and Mom ordered elaborate "theater quality" costumes for them that would be suitable for use in stage productions. Standards have changed over the generations, but I believe we had just as much fun, or even more, than the lavishly attired, pre-planned extravaganzas seen today which are very imaginative and clever, but ours were free. Happy Halloween to all. I rememberThose kraft paper trick-or-treat bags. Drag it on the ground like that, kid, & your Halloween will be a disaster. Howard H.Has the hands of a working man, including part of his middle finger missing on the right hand. Burnt Cork Or An Old MopAs OTY mentioned there was a time when the costume was a lot cheaper than the amount of goodies collected. My older sister was in charge of my get up each year and it was always either a hobo or a girl. Some burnt cork rubbed on the face plus an old flannel shirt, holey jeans, a railroad engineer's cap and a bandana filled with newspaper tied to a stick would suffice for the hobo. The hobo would only take a few minutes to put together but when I was to be a girl and she a hobo there was much more time involved and I learned at a very early age why girls take longer to get dressed than guys. She would painstakingly paint my face with rouge, lipstick, eyebrow liner and mascara. Next she would go through her old clothes to find a training bra plus skirt and blouse that would complete the picture. With a clean dry mop plopped on my head or a silk kerchief tied under my chin I would sally forth to see what I could gather Back then guys who dressed as girls were not subjected to homophobic slurs and the parents would not fret that this would change the gender identification of their sons dressed as their daughters. I grew up a heterosexual male with fond memories of my sister and those magical Halloween nights of the 50's (Baltimore, Halloween, Kermy Kodachromes)
Watch Your Step: 1928
... five by the Monon Railroad, three by Santa Fe, six by the Baltimore & Ohio, and two unknown. Here is a current photo of the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/12/2020 - 9:50pm -

February 1928. Washington, D.C., or vicinity. "Southern Railway, interior of car." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Excellent hearingSomehow the guy on the left grew another ear. [Oops. Fixed! - Dave] Not a salesman in the group"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine ... A salesman has got to dream, boy." -- Death of a Salesman ALL POINTS BULLETINDC Police looking for a three eared cigar smoker with gassed back hair who is likely to watch his step. Smokers?At least 3 unlit and unbit cigars and one unlit cigarette. Just they're being polite with the fairer sex in attendance. Travel in styleThe name on the door, “Mt Vernon,” is the car name. The large windows on the door and to either side of it suggest this was a “solarium car” designed to combine sunny seating space with light food service and probably sleeping accommodations. I can’t say for certain, but probably a Pullman car, operated in those days by the Pullman Company but run as an integral part of trains operated by railroads like the Southern. Pardon me BoyThe guy on the right foreground: "Track 29, hey can I give you a shine?" Attend to those shoes Mr.! Everyone else in the car has seen to theirs. Boy-Girl-Boy-GirlI vaguely recall that arrangement from elementary school, when it seemed like a strategy to minimize horseplay. Smoking car?I see three men holding cigars. But what exactly is the man at bottom right holding? It appears white and tubular. [They called them "cigarettes." - Dave] Surprise, surpriseThese prosperous-looking folks clearly have no inkling of the national economic and social meltdown waiting to spring on them late the following year. They probably thought that unforeseen catastrophes were a thing of the past. A Philip Morris momentCigars Cigarettes Extra Ear?? Latest scoreLeft-over-right 5, right-over-left 2. Three Years LaterLooks like some of the participants of Shorpy’s Office Xmas Party: 1925, cigar and all! Ex-XmasersI am pretty sure some of these people were at the Office Christmas Party. Sister CarsOur Mount Vernon car in the photo and the Kitchi Gammi Club Car are sisters. The Kitchi Gammi is an observation lounge sleeper accommodating 12 guests and a crew member in five sections, a master bedroom, and a crew bedroom. It can seat 20 people during the day in the sections and comfortable observation lounge. The car is equipped with a full service kitchen and features a large stainless steel shower in one of the two restrooms. Built in 1923 for Pullman Company nationwide service, the Kitchi Gammi Club is now owned by Virginia Rail Investment Corporation. It was built in July 1923 as part of a group of lounge observation cars, of which four were purchased by the Pennsylvania Railroad, five by the Monon Railroad, three by Santa Fe, six by the Baltimore & Ohio, and two unknown. Here is a current photo of the interior from the same vantage point as the original. Liberty MagazineFebruary 4, 1928 -- Vol. 5, No. 5 Commuters 1928It looks like the woman on the left, the one who obviously caught her neighbor's attention, is a smoker herself, as she is holding a cigarette, as well! I wonder if they are commuting to work, as there is no sight of luggage. And yes, I also thought they remind of the iconic 1925 Christmas photo! (The Gallery, D.C., Railroads)
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