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Bethesda Fountain: 1975
Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, New York City, Winter 1975. Film was 220 roll ... 
 
Posted by Greycat - 03/23/2011 - 10:36am -

Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, New York City, Winter 1975. Film was 220 roll film loaded in a Bronica (6 x 6 format). View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Bethesda Birthday: 1971
My boyhood friend Andrew's birthday party circa 1975. That's me second from the left. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery) ... 
 
Posted by Walter - 08/17/2012 - 8:09pm -

My boyhood friend Andrew's birthday party circa 1975. That's me second from the left. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Angel of the Waters: 1901
New York, 1901. "Central Park -- Bethesda Terrace and Fountain." Starring "Angel of the Waters," a winged bronze ... In the 1930s, there were many more people in the park. Bethesda Fountain - 2002 I was in NYC in 2002 in October. The fountain was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/15/2019 - 1:57pm -

New York, 1901. "Central Park -- Bethesda Terrace and Fountain." Starring "Angel of the Waters," a winged bronze by Emma Stebbins dedicated in 1873. Panorama made from two 8x10 inch glass negatives. Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. The case of the missing stairs?The view to-day: A fountain of knowledgeHard to believe that just past the treeline in the background lies Fifth Avenue and the mansions of the rich and famous. In 1901, some construction along the Avenue would have reached north of the 70s, but there would still be vacant lots to be filled in. 1935 I was there!It was a common walk on Sunday. In the 1930s, there were many more people in the park. Bethesda Fountain - 2002I was in NYC in 2002 in October. The fountain was drained for the winter (and the Rockefeller Center skating rink was open) but it was 70F on a Sunday so people thronged the park to enjoy the day. Angels In AmericaI believe this was the centerpiece of Tony Kushner's play and the HBO miniseries. Still a beautyThis is a place I used to ride past on my bicycle every day, and still go to as often as possible. The trees and the foliage have certainly grown over the years, and the number of people on the plaza is usually significantly more than seen here, but the place itself remains essentially unchanged. It is still a place of repose, rest, and enjoyment in the middle of NYC, and remains one of the most dramatically beautiful pieces of urban park design anywhere. (Panoramas, Dogs, DPC, Landscapes, NYC)
Betty Crockers: 1935
Bethesda, Maryland. "Cooking class, Chevy Chase High School, 1935." 5x7 safety ... used to be a place where steel was made. B-CC: Bethesda Chevy Chase I went to B-CC High School.. they have upgraded the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/10/2012 - 12:32am -

Bethesda, Maryland. "Cooking class, Chevy Chase High School, 1935." 5x7 safety negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size. The StoveCan you zoom in on the stove brand at all? I just find this photo fascinating. [The one on the left is an "Insulated Glenwood" gas range. The wringer washer and mangle ironer are Apex brand. - Dave] Serious BusinessThese are so no-nonsense cooks at work! FHODFuture Homemakers of the Damned -- they are so not impressed with getting their picture taken. ModernI've read comments before about how modern some people look in older pictures. I must say, almost all of these girls, given a change of clothes, I could see at the mall today. Actually, what IS with their dresses? They're so similar but not exact... Wish I'd been more domesticFor someone who spends all her time and money on things to make her home beautiful, I'm sure one terrible homemaker. My mother hated the PTA (cult for the passionless) and 1950s fashion (for the repressed). And loved people like Gloria Steinem. My sis and I could've learned a thing or two from this Home Ec crew. Love it. This whole site is a treasure. http://hoveyvintage.blogspot.com What's that machine?What's the woman on the right with her back towards us doing? Electric towel dryer? Dough Presser? And is the machine on the far right a clothes washer or dish washer? It WOULD take a woman from the 1930's to explain these things to me! [Electric ironer and wringer washer. - Dave] Wringer WasherI remember those when I was a little boy in the early 60's..... yes, they were still around then. Through the WringerWe had one in the basement of the house my parents rented in about 1974. My sister and brothers told me it would suck my hand in and eat me if I got too close. MangleIn England, the two wringers on a washing machine were called a mangle, but in America the two-roller ironing machine took the same name. Ironrite ?It looks Like an Ironrite ironing machine to me. [Apex. - Dave] FuturamaIt will get better someday, ladies, I promise. There are microwaves on the horizon, steam irons, smooth cooktops, food processors, and top loading six-cycle washers to look forward to. My mom thought it'd eat her too!My grandmother used a wringer washer till she died, which was just last year. Yes, they still sell them; she had to buy a new one just a few years ago! Wringer WasherJust who sells Wringer Washers today? I've never seen any at Sears or other appliance stores. New WringerWringer Washer for sale. Yours for only $899, plus shipping and freight. Made in Saudi Arabia. WringersDuring 1981-84 when I was in grad school in Pittsburgh new Bendix wringer washers could be bought in local appliance shops. Of course Pittsburgh used to be a place where steel was made. B-CC: Bethesda Chevy ChaseI went to B-CC High School.. they have upgraded the home ec facilities since then www.gwadzilla.blogspot.com (The Gallery, Education, Schools, Kitchens etc., Natl Photo)
Lust Girls: 1919
... are still around, including the big Art Deco palace in Bethesda. [Sidney, not Sydney. - Dave] On the right "Why does ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/27/2012 - 12:25pm -

Washington, D.C., 1919. "Sidney Lust girls." Chorus girls at Sidney Lust's Leader Theater. View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. Unflattering emulsionLooks like typical orthochromatic photographic emulsion hand swarthiness to me. I'll let others comment on some of the more obvious details. Still with the stockings?Not much left to the imagination in this photo!! Oh, baby!! Oh la la!! Which is strange considering these ladies are both 115 years old today. But STILL with those dumb, rolled up stockings!! What are they trying to hide? Their ankles? It's Showtime!Ahem. This photo brought to mind these song lyrics: I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts (they’re lovely) There they are all standing in a row (one, two, three, four) Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head (and bigger) Give them a twist, a flick of the wrist That’s what the showman said. Familiar face?Why does the lady on the right look familiar? This photo proves I was bornThis photo proves I was born in the wrong decade. About 60 years too late. Post more in this series. Not every day......you get a theater owner with a stage name. Lust, huh? Yeah, I bet there was. More likely their feet got cold.I suspect the rolled-up thing is to make them grip better to the calves. Remember that socks of the era wouldn't have had elastic, and they look fine/silky; probably didn't grip all that well, and would keep falling down. Betty BoopThat hair curl on the forehead of the first girl, you don't see that much today. Lust GirlsPeople in ninety years (or fewer...or now...) will be looking at the exposed bra strap fad popularized by "Sex and the City" the same way. Heck, if you showed this picture to either of the Lust Girls ten years after it was taken, she probably would have said, "Oh, for heaven's sake, I can't believe we thought that looked good!" And the girl on the right rather looks like Maggie Gyllenhaal. Who bears an uncanny resemblance to nearly every young woman of that era. What A DragI don't think this time there will be any comments on who is really a woman and who is in drag in this photo like similar shots from this series. Was this even legal back then?This picture looks like the kind of thing that would have earned the photographer a trip to the pokey. Wowzers! Rolled StockingsRemember the old ragtime song, Five Foot Two? Until Shorpy came along, I never understood the line about "turned down hose." (Turned up nose, turned down hose, never had any other beaus...) This was the height of fashion in flapper society. It's the REAL thing!I will say this about that. These were truly natural women, there were no implants, there was no botox, what you see is what you get. It is quite refreshing to see physical reality in this era of plastic, silicone, liposuction and dermabrasion and yet they obviously were not anorexic or bulimic as they both have some food in their tummies. Pretty hot babes if you ask me. Lust girlsI'm wearing the same thing right now! About SydneyAs far as I know, that was his real name. He had a chain of theaters in the DC area, including several drive-ins, that lasted into the 1970s. By then he'd been dead for 20 years. Ironically, in their decline they did start showing softcore stuff. A couple of them are still around, including the big Art Deco palace in Bethesda. [Sidney, not Sydney. - Dave] On the right"Why does the lady on the right look familiar?" Considering the year of the photo, it must be Joan Collins. SuitsI wonder what those suits are made of? They seem to be too elastic and clingy to be wool or cotton. BodysuitsThey're probably a fine-knit wool blend of some sort. The suits probably weren't anywhere near so sheer or transparent under normal lighting, this looks like the flash effect that still catches starlets "commando" in red carpet paparazzi pictures today. I'm sure he was alive in 1973!In 1973 I worked on the Wheaton High School newspaper and I got our sponsor, a poor first year teacher named Larry Lasky in no end of trouble when I interviewed Sidney Lust (or someone who claimed to be him) for the newspaper and actually got printed. A Baptist minister on the school board didn't like the interview at all! The girl on the rightI think the girl on the right looks like Rizzo from "Grease." Apart from that, I agree that the natural beauty on these photos is refreshing, I doubt you can see any photo on a magazine today as natural as this (not to talk about Photoshopping). Sidney LustI knew Lust's grandson, who was also in the theatre business. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Pretty Girls)
Nighthawk: 1943
... a late lunch one Saturday and happened upon McDonnell's Bethesda location. Lunch was fine, but what I recall most is our surprise appetizer. Being Southerners (yes, Bethesda is below the Mason-Dixon, but it seems MD has more in common with its ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/17/2012 - 10:24pm -

April 1943. Washington, D.C. "Girl sitting alone in the Sea Grill waiting for a pickup. 'I come in here pretty often, sometimes alone, mostly with another girl, we drink beer, and talk, and of course we keep our eyes open -- you'd be surprised at how often nice lonesome soldiers ask Sue, the waitress, to introduce them to us.' " Medium-format nitrate negative by Esther Bubley for the OWI. View full size. "Edward, this is Esther""Miss Bubley, I like what you do with light and shadow." "Mr. Hopper, I love the way you show the isolation of the human condition." Sea GrillAccording to their web site the Sea Grill Restaurant of 1943 was at 1221 E Street NW. Now on Kentlands Boulevard in Gaithersburg. I'll bet she paints her toenailsToo many years ago when I was a pre-teen, my grandmother was horrified that I wore polish on my toenails. "Dear, only hussies and party girls paint their toenails -- you don't want people thinking badly of you, do you?" I didn't know what she meant by "party girl," but it sounded okay to me at the time. The Big SleepWow, very Phillip Marlowe like! What is that on the table?Beer, matches, salt & pepper, ashtray. But what is that clear caterpillar tractor thing on the table? And it looks like she has an envelope to deliver, noir indeed. [It's a cigarette case. - Dave] Don't Look Now, Sister...... but there's a man behind you! WW2I hope that in time she found love and marriage. In the factory where I worked in WW2 there was a very nice looking young woman who would leave work, stop at a bar, pick up a servicemen and take him home for the night. In time she met and married one of the company engineers. It happens. Looking for LoveDuring WWII many women felt alone and looked for company, as the song goes, "in all the wrong places." Some got hurt, some came out unscathed and some actually found the companionship they sought. The District had many more single girls than most other cities and this photo highlights the poignancy and desperation of a lonely young woman. [Not all that lonely. Before long she'd met this nice young corporal. - Dave] Lunch that sticksDuring my years as a Montgomery County resident (early-mid '90s), my then partner and I were looking for a late lunch one Saturday and happened upon McDonnell's Bethesda location. Lunch was fine, but what I recall most is our surprise appetizer. Being Southerners (yes, Bethesda is below the Mason-Dixon, but it seems MD has more in common with its neighbors to the north), we were confused when the server brought us sticky buns as a free and unsolicited appetizer. I never did figure out what sticky buns had to do with lunch, or seafood for that matter. And the plot thickens...She works at the War Office during the day. Her younger brother is being held captive by the SS. She is waiting to pass the documents concerning Operation Pointblank in the envelope to the man in the window (who is making sure the coast is clear before he comes into the restaurant) in exchange for her brother's release. Work it girl.Elizabeth Short's friend, in an interview she gave after the Black Dahlia murder, said that the pair used to do the same thing. When they were broke they would, go out, flirt a little and a man would then buy them dinner. I think it was not uncommon practice during the war, like many young women having to share one apartment, etc. People were more trusting, I guess, or maybe it was just if a man bought them dinner the guy was expected to only be hoping for a second date. Nowadays, I would not even have my pocketbook so far from me. BrrrrrWho is the Mysterious Face in the Window? Goodnight Mrs. CalabashLooks like Jimmy Durante peeping in the window behind her. Long, cold, night.What a dark and lonely picture. Very 40's noir. I wonder if she's still there ? Lonely Spinsteror Femme Fatale? SurprisedI'd be surprised only if the nice, lonesome soldiers DIDN'T ask Sue the waitress for an introduction. So, how did the nasty servicemen behave? Hope that's not her father glaring in on her, over her head. He doesn't look approvingly upon this scene. Meryl StreepIs that you? What an atmospheric photo.What an atmospheric photo. That guy behind the blinds is creepy! "Tang o' the Sea" 1930 1943 From Any Angle......she's gorgeous. The guy checking her out through the window would no doubt agree. Freddy Krueger in the windowMy first look at this fascinating photo zeroed in on the no-goodnik in the window who seems very suspicious. When I read the comments, they are intriguing, but I personally do not believe "lonely" people get dressed up and go out to socialize (else they would not be lonely). A lonely person would be like the introverted Laura in Tennessee Williams "The Glass Menagerie" who stays home with her mother every night and collects crystal animals with which she is obssessed. Just because a person in alone does not mean they are lonely. That is the end of my theory regarding this wonderfully inspiring picture. Excuse me while I go and rearrange my Pez Dispensers. Ahem.Someone really should pick up that crumpled napkin. Spooky Beautiful girl. But what's with the incredibly spooky dude peering in the window right behind her head? I hope she got home safe that night. Very much like Hopper. . . and made only a year apart. Both are works of art. Esther Bubley is underrated. NoirI was fixing to say this looked like a still from a Noir film, and then I saw the man in the window. There's a story for a great pulp novel hiding in this picture. What a dame.She's a tough cookie, and could size you up in two seconds. Check out the creepy guy looking through the blinds. Wow I was so taken by the way this shot is lit and composed that the first couple of times I looked at it I completely missed the man looking in the window. It's a great shot. I can hear the musicClassic Film Noir... with the mystery killer lurking behind the blinds! The world's oldest profession?Not sure how many of you have seen Sands of Iwo Jima, but in it John Wayne's character meets a girl very much like this in a bar. He goes home with her, but nothing much happens when he discovers she has a baby in the next room. I always assumed she was a paid professional, and assumed the same thing when I saw this photo. It looks like I'm the only one, though. Stop objectifying Shorpy women!Yes, but wow, a great pair of gams! Putting out for the war effortWhenI was a kid, my father, an 8AF B17 pilot, made this remark on several occasions when he and his two brothers had had a couple when they took my cousins and me camping. Otherwise a great photograph. Dave,I now assign my Intro and Advanced photography classes to look at Shorpy's. Have also hipped the History of Photography instructor to Shorpy's. A great site, thanks a million for doing this. [I am always tickled when people call Shorpy "Shorpy's." Like we're the corner bar or a diner. Maybe I should start calling everyone "hon." - Dave] Fantastic NoirI'm waiting for Robert Mitchum to come by and clock the character in the window and save her! Lonely Working Girl or Tough Paloma?I'd go with lonely working girl. Fresh out of high school in Wichita, my mom went to live with an aunt in San Diego in 1943, and worked for the telephone company (where she eventually met my dad in 1945, back from the war in Europe). She often talked of double-dating sailors or marines with an office girlfriend, and going to dances or on long bike rides around San Diego on their one day off. She was 18 and shy and had never had time for fun on her parents' farm. For all the noir cynicism, and the factually lurid stuff that did go on during the war, most young women and young men that the war threw together were and remained quite innocent in their behavior, at least by later standards. So, did my mom, uh, you-know, with anybody? She never said, but if she did, why the heck not? Beer On TapDo joints still use that sign? I'm an innocent lad, so I don't know. Waiting for Guy NoirShe was tall and dark and so beautiful you wanted to just give her all your money right way and skip the preliminaries What's in your envelope?Delta3 is the closest to the "truth." That envelope holds the secret to life, the universe and everything. Poor guy in the windowWas probably just walking by on a dark night, not expecting to see a photographer in a well lighted bar. He probably has no idea that many decades later people are calling him a stalker. Hey Lady!Try the Snapper Turtle Soup. Ask them to put the sherry in it. And definitely have the rum buns. Hic! Lonely& people in company are not necessarily not lonely. I zeroed in on the crumpled napkin on the bench before I ever saw the guy in the window. Photographer's eye. The guy in the windowdoesn't strike me as particularly creepy. He looks to me more like he was walking by and glanced in the window as he passed--if the picture had been taken a second earlier or later, the camera would have just caught his ear and the back of his head. Anyway, it's a lovely, evocative picture. How Did They Do It?I struggle to get candid shots like this with my compact digital camera or DSLR. Somehow, when people know they are being photographed it shows on their face. How did a guy with a camera the size of a cinder block and a flash the size of a frying pan get such a natural look? I can only imagine that he was there for a while and possibly pretending to fiddle with the camera so she didn't know the shot was coming. [Esther Bubley, the "guy with the camera," often used floodlights. Which she seems to have employed here. - Dave] (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Esther Bubley, WW2)
Do Not Disturb: 1923
... 1891 Death: January 1973 Last residence: 20014 (Bethesda, Maryland) SSN issued: District of Columbia Look at Alice's ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/04/2012 - 2:43pm -

February 27, 1923. "Miss Alice Reighly, 1409 Harvard Street, president of Anti-Flirt Club, which has just been organized in Washington, D.C., and will launch an 'Anti-Flirt Week' beginning March 4. The club is composed of young women and girls who have been embarrassed by men in automobiles and on street corners." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. The Ten RulesThe code of guidance for the Anti-Flirt Club, as published in The Post, Feb 28, 1923: Don't flirt: those who flirt in haste oft repent in leisure. Don't accept rides from flirting motorists - they don't invite you in to save you a walk. Don't use your eyes for ogling - they were made for worthier purposes. Don't go out with men you don't know - they may be married, and you may be in for a hair-pulling match. Don't wink - a flutter of one eye may cause a tear in the other. Don't smile at flirtatious strangers- save them for people you know. Don't annex all the men you can get - by flirting with many you may lose out on the one. Don't fall for the slick, dandified cake eater - the unpolished gold of a real man is worth more than the gloss of a lounge lizard. Don't let elderly men with an eye to a flirtation pat you on the shoulder and take a fatherly interest in you. Those are usually the kind who want to forget they are fathers. Don't ignore the man you are sure of while you flirt with another. When you return to the first one you may find him gone. The Ten CommandmentsOh, the guidelines are *hilarious* -- but the fact is that most of this is true, if not a little exaggerated. Still, I'm snickering over the "slick, dandified cake eater," and wondering how one would KNOW him! I mean, if he eats cupcakes or doughnuts, is he all right? Those ten rules are a hoot ...... but I don't think Miss Reighly had much to worry about in the arena of flirting. Sheesh! AliceI think she's pretty wonderful. I used this photo as a basis for a digital painting. Alice Reighly 1891-1973Per US census and Social Security Death Index, Alice was born in Wisconsin, in 1891. She apparently never married, since she died as Alice Reighly, in Washington, DC, in January of 1973. She was 81. Wink WinkSadly, I knew there would be rude comments about Miss Reighly's appearance. Orthodontics didn't really exist back then. She obviously has a sense of humor, as she is winking and thus breaking one of the "rules." How about a close-up, Alice? Ouch! Rule 9I think rule 9 is age discrimination and politically incorrect. Innocent GirlsBecause women NEVER flirt for their own purposes. Old EnoughI'm old enough and have seen enough to know that the crass coarseness that passes for much of "contemporary lifestyle" vindicates Alice's perspective. Suuure...I'm not buyin' it for a minute. I bet she quite liked to pet. Where Do I Start?Wow, if this one doesn't have at least twenty comments by tomorrow I'll be surprised. What a gem... "Lounge Lizard"I'm a little surprised to see that that term goes back as far as 1923! [The expression seems to have originated circa 1917. - Dave] And I'm Old EnoughI'm old enough to realize that in some ways we have come a long way from where we were. Take a look at any episode of the old game show "What's My Line?" sometime. Any time an attractive woman comes on stage she is greeted with a cacophony of wolf whistles from the studio audience. Can you imagine that happening today? And that's just a symptom of the way that women were treated forty and fifty years ago. Off hand I might be more inclined to accept the "crass coarseness that passes for much of 'contemporary lifestyle.'" Anti-Valentine's Day cardThis would make a great image for a card on Valentine's Day, from one single gal to another, say. It's WorkingApparently she's practicing her "anti-flirt" smile. Words Of WisdomTen excellent points, worthy of heeding today still. Gotta agree with LocktownDog, though, not sure that she was necessarily at risk. The Anti-Plaque Club might be more appropriate. You ... you ... cake eater!The term "cake eater" implied rich snobs who ate cake while most had only bread. Older Italian immigrants used it to describe Americans who were unfamiliar with their ethnic Italian ways. Today the pampered "only child" in China is sometimes referred to as a cake eater. There may be other meanings. Flirting by another nameWell, LocktownDog, I think that "flirting" in this case is really a soft name for what we might call "sexual harassment". And--as a homely-esque woman myself--I can tell you that if men are in the mood to yell at me from car windows, the state of my dental work is of no interest to them. I have the requisite number of limbs, am not fat, and have hair that is not grey. To those Lotharios of the side street, I'm good to go! Alice ReighlyWhat records indicate that she was married, that her husband died at age 79, and that they were living in Florida? I could find nothing about this in the usual sources. MethinksThe lady doth protest too much. The Eyes of AliceALICE REIGHLY Birth: August 26, 1891 Death: January 1973 Last residence: 20014 (Bethesda, Maryland) SSN issued: District of Columbia Look at Alice's eyes. You can tell she was a hoot. You can see a healthy sense of humor and she has the look of a nurse or a schoolteacher. Some of the earlier comments here were obviously from sore loser, lounge lizard, dandified cake-eaters whose slick, Lothariosish attentions the gentle lady would have surely spurned. Secretly pro-flirt?Something about Alice's expression makes me think she was actually a major flirt. She obviously has no embarrassment about her teeth, as she's flashing a huge grin in both photos. I bet she was a kick to hang out with. More Alice Miss Reighly (Reighley in some records) married and lived to be 81 years old. Her husband died at age 79. They were living in Florida. Cake EatersMy hometown and our neighboring town had a fun rivalry in the mid 60's. Frankfort, a town with many Italian families, had an abundance of pizzerias. They were known as "Pizza Eaters." My town had an abundance of bakeries, leading us to be called "Cake Eaters." I now live 150 miles away, but there is a Frankfort native I see every once in a while and we greet each other by the respective "eater" name. Pro-FlirtIf my wife followed these rules I never would have met her and made her my mountain bride! Here's to rule-breakers and risk-takers. Rule 6On rule 6...she fails dismally. Her smile is WAY too irresistible. She's not the prettiest woman in the world, but that smile could seduce anyone. For this, I am delighted to say that she has failed. And that is a compliment! Anti-Flirt Clubwould be a great name for a band. The first ruleof Anti-Flirt Club is you do not talk about Anti-Flirt Club. Alice, 17 years laterAccording to the 1940 census, Miss Reighly was still a miss seventeen years after her moment of fame. She was renting in the Woodley Park neighborhood, working as a cashier at a cinema, and giving her age as 52. (The Gallery, Curiosities, D.C., Natl Photo)
Union Station: 1943
... was on my path to Union Station to catch the Red Line to Bethesda. The recent posting "Battle Stations" appears to have been shot from ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 12:56pm -

Washington, 1943. A study in contrasts at Union Station. View full size. 4x5 Kodachrome transparencies, photographer unknown. Office of War Information. Miss KodachromeThe ladies sure liked their lipstick RED then eh? Again, I cannot believe the crisp vividness of Kodachrome transparencies. A 1943 movie on TV will look like a century ago, and this looks like yesterday. You could count the pebbles in the pavement. A Bit ConfusedI have to admit I am a bit confused. Is this two different photos taken years apart? If so then i have a real problem with the shadows on the wall across from where both people are sitting. Strikes me as photoshop had something to do with this. Plus, and this too seems odd but nothing of the surrounding area has changed? I am a bit skeptical. [I'm confused, too. About why you are confused. Why would you ask if these photos are supposed to have been taken years apart? They were taken in 1943, as stated in the caption. On the same day. - Dave] Side by SideI agree, I love this very much, and the crispness of it, ahhh, it just leaves me haunted. It's as if, when things were black and white and "dated" looking, they could still be haunted and "distant," but they were easier to keep in the past. Whereas with these images, yes, it's haunting, it's like being there *now*. As for the "contrast," obvious things aside, doesn't the little girl have personality? Any more of these?You can see the same car parked beyond the stone wall in the background of both photos, so I'm guessing these images were taken on the same day. I wonder if there are any more? It appears the photographer was taking candid shots of people who didn't know they were being photographed as they sat on that wall, so why would he/she stop at two? (Unless the photographer's intent was to specifically show the "contrast" between these two people.) [There are more from the same general location. These people would have known their pictures were being taken, what with the big camera and tripod a few feet away. The little girl is shown in three different poses. - Dave] The look of the dayA costumer could easily copy her outfit, a hairstylist could create the hairstyle, and a makeup artist could reproduce the cosmetic style. The biggest obstacle is actually the eyebrows - eyebrow style in women changes from decade to decade, and it's the rare model who will allow a photographer to reshape her browline. Twin CityI'm always fascinated by the comments, often provoked by Kodachrome color, that the picture looks like it could be "yesterday," or today. Granted, the color is impressive, and the details are sharp. But - and I would love to see an experiment along these lines - how close could we come to duplicating a shot like this (say, the adult woman) today? Assuming the buildings are still there, and look much the same; catch the weather and light the same way, and assume we get a similar looking model, and carefully dress her to look like this; using professional technology, could a photographer make a picture taken today look like this? I have a sneaking suspicion each age and era has its own "look", and it's impossible to fully re-create it. Union Station todayIt would be possible to re-create this photo, though some of the features have changed. Google does not offer a "streetview" of this location (national security?), but if you look at the satellite view of the point where E Street NE and Massachusetts Ave. and Columbus Circle converge - just north of the Capitol, you can get an idea of the photo's location. It appears that a parking lot (natch) is now situated where the lady and the girl are posed in the photo. Perhaps Columbus Circle has been enlarged since the photo was taken - this is a busy intersection today. About a block away - southwest down E Street - are two good Irish pubs side by side. Irish seven-course gourmet dinner? A six-pack and a baked potato! Goober Pea KodachromeKodachrome is wonderful stuff, but Kodak is gradually curtailing its manufacture. It is getting difficult to find processors for it. Mama is indeed taking our Kodachrome away and it will be a great loss. Looking at these images makes me want to throw rocks at digital cameras. Re-creating the Look of the DayI agree, Charlene. Hollywood movies SEEM to re-create the past regularly, but they rarely do it exactly. Their purpose is entertainment, not historical education. An example being westerns made in the fifties. The men sported 50's American ducktail haircuts, and the women had fifties make-up. In the sixties, the men finally got some longer hair, but the women had those huge "sixties" false eylashes. The result? You can tell the decade a western was made, even if they all are supposed to be set in the mid to late 1800s. Today, they do tend to be more subdued in westerns, but they still make concessions to modern tastes. That's what I love about this site. For us history lovers, we are getting the real thing. Almost as good as time travel! Actually, Charlene...I just saw the movie "Chinatown" again, recently, and Faye Dunaway sported a very authentic thirties pencilled-in eyebrow line. I loved the "look" in that film Union Station From AboveUnion Station from above. Click to pan (Google Maps). Union Station LadiesThe Location for these pictures has not changed. I work across the street from this location. It is the little park adjacent to the Russell Senate Office building. Still looks essentially the same, except the street lights are gone. Same aggregate concrete floor. They are sitting on the wall next to the steps leading down to North Capitol Street. The woman is facing west toward the Teamsters building. Strikingly clear day, no jet contrails spoling the view. I tell you what, I will bring in my camera and recreate this view for you. The look of the dayI could never watch the Korean War show "M*A*S*H" because Alan Alda had a 1970's haircut. Similarly, in the otherwise excellent movie "The Last Picture Show," set in 1951, Jeff Bridges' character is seen near the end in his Class A uniform visiting Anarene just after Army basic training, sporting hair much longer than a 1951 soldier ever would have had (especially one just out of basic). Argh. Ruins it. How hard is it to give a guy an authentic haircut? Washington ReduxThanks, Anonymous Tipster - I would love to see the photo re-shot. I used to know this area well, too. It was on my path to Union Station to catch the Red Line to Bethesda. The recent posting "Battle Stations" appears to have been shot from the same plaza/park. Goober Pea The Old LookInterestingly to me, when it comes to trying to re-create the look and feel of another time, it's high-end fashion photography that routinely, and lovingly, does this. I would even go further and say it's specifically gay men in fashion who truly adore and appreciate old photos and styles, and are attentive to subtle details in fashion, or eyebrows, or heels, very precise as to the 'when' something was chic. But as someone said, and I've independently looked into, Kodachrome is shutting down. The one place to get it developed is in Scandinavia! And that's just for the moment, til it becomes a loss. It's a very hard look to replicate, that Kodachrome vibrancy. (I'm "Miss Kodachrome" commenter 1) Re: The Old LookUnless I've missed something, only Kodachrome 25 and 200 have been discontinued, and Duane's in Kansas still processes Kodachrome 64. In any event, the Kodachrome in all these 4x5s is a lot different than today's film. The present emulsion is a lot more accurate than the pre-1961 film, which was slow (ASA 10) and featured bright reds and blues, so the film everyone's been mourning in these comments has been gone over 45 years. I think what catches the eye here is the tremendous detail captured in the large format. I used to go out photographing with a friend with Kodak Elite in both my Nikon and his 4x5 view camera. We would photograph the same scenes, but it was no contest. His transparencies were amazing, and would blow mine away. The look of todayIn response to everyone who wondered if such a photo could be taken today, I would suggest that a women sitting outside Union Station in that particular pose nowadays would be reading a text message on her cell phone or Blackberry. The look of TodayI agree that Kodachrome is a wonder film, but don't discount the size of the negative (120 or 4x5) and the quality of the lenses. I use a Mamiya RB67 with fuji chromes and the images just pop out and poke your eyeballs. Get out there and shoot some film folks! 50 Years from now, perhaps our pics will be posted on Shorpy. Union StationI commute via Union Station daily, Irish pubs there are just like Ruby Tuesdays, more like a bar than a restaurant. No seven course gourmet dinner. My first date with my wife was this Irish pub. Obviously not identicalThese amateur photoanalysts must be blind. The background is obviously not identical -- the rightmost flag is waving and is in different positions between the two photos. (More questionable is the digital "213" on the edges. But that's outside the area of the film itself.) [The 213 frame number ("digital" only in the sense that it's composed of digits), made with a pin register, will be familiar to anyone who works with old large-format Kodachromes. The backgrounds aren't "identical" (and who said they were?) because these are two different photographs. The point is that they were taken the same day. Which we know because of the cars in the background. - Dave] Union Station TodayIn addition to other differences noted by others, the grassy area between the woman and Union Station is now lined by trees that have grown up so that the view of Union Station is not nearly as clear and direct anymore. Also, Columbus Circle is now lined with the flags of all 50 states plus territories. This is a great historical photo. 67 years laterI located the same exact spot where this picture was taken, and took another picture of what it looks like today. What's interesting is that the lamp posts are still in their exact same locations -- Even the two-headed lamp post off in the distance. The view of Union Station is pretty much obscured by trees now, but you can still make out the rooftop. Click to enlarge.
Daddy's Boy: 1933
... Jr., portrait." The Ahearns lived at 7324 Hampden Lane in Bethesda, Maryland. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full ... to Georgetown Preparatory School, 10900 Rockville Pike, N. Bethesda, MD 20853. The nanny Interesting how the nanny (I assume) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 1:01pm -

1933. "Vincent P. Ahearn Jr., portrait." The Ahearns lived at 7324 Hampden Lane in Bethesda, Maryland. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Threads of historyInteresting puzzle, Google shows that Mr. Vincent P. Ahearn Sr., was honored at a road construction industry function in October 2004, however his name is not listed in the obit. Father & Son apparently worked in the same industry, unfortunately the son had a short retirement stepping down from his post as President of the National Aggregates Association in July of 1994. RIP. [Vincent Sr. wouldn't have been listed as a survivor in his son's obituary because he'd been dead for decades. The 2004 dinner honored America's top 100 construction professionals of the 20th century -- most of them posthumously. - Dave] How About Daddy?Dave, did you run into Daddy Ahearn's picture, or any other pictures of the family? [There are 10 photos, including the two we've posted so far, made in 1933 and 1939. But none of Dad. - Dave] 1932-1995: SuddenlyAs an A'Hearn I find this (and the previous Ahearn) picture of great interest. Could we be related? It is incredible to see a baby picture of Vincent Jr. in one browser tab and simultaneously read his obituary in another. From the Washington Post, Oct. 29, 1995: Vincent Paul Ahearn, Jr. Suddenly on October 26, 1995. Vincent P. Ahearn, Jr., of Leisure World and Ocean City, MD; beloved husband of Ethelee Hughes Nalls Ahearn; father of Jeanie G. Ahearn, Sue Ahearn, Victor [sic] Paul Ahearn III, Mary Belle Toubman, Peter L. Ahearn; stepfather of Michael A. Nalls Jr. and John P. Nalls. Also survived by 10 grandchildren. Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Blvd. West, Silver Spring, Md., on Sunday 3 to 5 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Grace Church, 15661 Norbeck Blvd., Leisure World, Silver Spring, on Monday, October 30 at 10:30 a.m. Entombment Calvary Cemetery, Nashville, TN. Please omit flowers. Memorials to Georgetown Preparatory School, 10900 Rockville Pike, N. Bethesda, MD 20853. The nannyInteresting how the nanny (I assume) sort of fades into invisibility, even in the comments. [In 1933, she would have been called the maid. - Dave] NashvilleI'm interested to see that Vincent Jr. is buried in Calvary Cemetery here in Nashville. Calvary is a very old cemetery with elaborate markers and tombs. Since his obit doesn't appear to show any Nashville connections, I wonder why Calvary was chosen as his burial place. Nashville connectionThere is at least one connection to Nashville, which appeared in his mother's obituary. It was the home of Vincent Jr.'s aunt on his mother's side, according to his mother's obituary. This is a comment Dave posted at the other Ahearn photo: Washington Post, Jan. 25, 1969 AHEARN, MARY BELLE On Thursday, January 23, 1969, Mary Belle Ahearn of 8024 Hampden Lane, Bethesda, Md., beloved wife of Vincent P. Ahearn Sr., mother of Mrs. Richard H. Walsh, Mrs. Roland H. Berger Jr. of Camp Hill, Pa., and Vincent P. Ahearn Jr.; sister of Mrs. Nonnie C. Geary of Nashville, and Mrs. Edward Brunn Bruner of Dallas. Also survived by 14 grandchildren. Services Saturday, January 25 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Bethesda, where Requiem Mass will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Interment private. Please omit flowers. ClarificationMany of the names are incorrect in the obituaries. Vince had family ties to Nashville; both of his families were from that area, It was his request that his remains rest in Calvary Cemetery. A cousin who is more like a sister lives in Mt. Juliet. Please feel free to contact me if I can give you further information. My familyVince is entombed in Calvary Cemetery, in Nashville, where most of our family is buried (Geary and Ahearn). The woman in this photo did work for my aunt Mary Belle Ahearn (Aunt Belle) for many years, but my aunt never considered her a nanny or a maid -- she was a dear, trusted friend and confidant in a time when women could hardly find jobs in the marketplace, especially women of color, so they usually hired out as "domestics." Maggie was well paid and loved by the whole family. The misspelled names in Mary Belle Ahearn's obit are those of my mother, the late Mrs. Edward (Aline Geary) Brunner, and my aunt, Nonie Geary. Both of Vince's parents were born, raised, and attended schools in Nashville. My NameSorry, I forgot to put my name on the comment titled MY FAMILY. I am Sally Wyly Plemons, the only child of Aline Geary Wyly Brunner, and Vince's cousin. [What was Maggie's full name? - Dave] A great sense of humorI worked for your dad, Mr. Ahearn, as a cpa auditor from 1978-1981 at NSAA and NRMCA in Silver Spring. I remember his wonderful sense of humor after all these 35 years. He was a warm and kind person. (The Gallery, Harris + Ewing, Kids, Portraits)
After the Earthquake: 1906
... ago. Once again, Dave you leave me speechless. Walter in Bethesda, MD Good Timing Dave, you've done it again! There was a 5.9 ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 4:40pm -

"Market Street toward ferry." San Francisco after the earthquake and fire of April 18, 1906. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Thanks...Just experienced my first Earthquake just over an hour ago. Once again, Dave you leave me speechless. Walter in Bethesda, MD Good TimingDave, you've done it again! There was a 5.9 tremor in Va. today and we felt it on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay. So, earthquakes will be the topic of discussion for a while. Quick WorkWow, you practically beat Reuters to the punch. 100-year photo blog indeed!Just arrived home after my building was closed following today's earthquake. Turned on my internet, and what do I see? AmazingEven in the aftermath of this great tragedy, everyone is as fully and fashionably dressed as they must have been before April 18th. I would expect that at least some of the people in the photograph were made homeless by the earthquake and fire, but you would never know it to look at them. Ironic timing is ironicWas this photo already chosen for today? Fortunately, DC doesn't look this way nowI don't know if this photo is a coincidence coming so soon after the Magnitude 5.9 earthquake that rattled Virginia, DC, Maryland and all the way up to New York City. Fortunately, we didn't get this kind of damage!! This just in...Very timely. The earth movedfor me! Unfortunately, I was home alone. I'm 35 miles S.E.of Washington, so a bit closer to the epicenter than D.C. My behind started moving as my chair followed the floor movement, them my whole body followed as the movements became stronger. The desk then started shaking, moving my PC case and monitor. My first thought was that there was some some structural collapse in my home, then I realized it was a quake. Lasted about 40 seconds, then slowly subsided. A quick survey showed no damage, power, phone, and DSL service all normal. That's a pretty short skyline.I can only imagine what was going through the minds of those folks as they survey the damage. The Ole Man PurseWhen will the ole man purse be back in style, I wonder. This Just In As WellFrom The Gothamist, a little while ago. [UPDATE] 5.9 Magnitude Earthquake In Virginia Rattles Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens The FDNY and the US Geological Survey has confirmed a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in central Virginia. Residents of Manhattan and Brooklyn have reported feeling the earthquake Oh, well foundPuts things in perspective a bit. It Would SeemIt appears that no matter what the occasion, the San Franciscans of 1906 got gussied up before going out. Get a load of those ladies' hats. Just Sayin'After their homes and business's have been devastated, the men still wear hats, collars, ties and suits. The ladies never go out in public unless well groomed. Definitely saying something about the quality of the general mass but not the underbelly that also existed then. First EarthquakeHow ironic that on the day you publish this photo, we in the mountains of Pa. experienced the first earthquake any of us can remember. Trolley wiresSince there are now trolley wires over the cable car tracks, the date is later than just the day after the earthquake. Fashion PlateWhere did that cool looking dude get his fresh boutonniere and clean pocket hanky? San Francisco where is Clark Gable? Previously on ShorpyMany are familiar with the famous 13-minute film of Market Street shot from the front of a trolley car as it rolled toward the Ferry Building on a busy afternoon in San Francisco. Although the footage has long been dated by LOC curators to circa September 1905, extensive new research by David Kiehn, historian for the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum in Fremont, CA, has established that this footage was probably shot by the Miles Brothers film company on or near April 12, 1906, scarcely a week before the earthquake and fire. The footage was only shipped by rail to New York for processing and distribution on April 17, and the Miles Brothers studio was destroyed a few hours later. The San Francisco Chronicle has details of Kiehn's discoveries. The San Francisco Museum & Historical Society is sponsoring a lecture by Mr. Kiehn about his findings on Sept. 21. The Underbelly SpeaksAs part of the Underbelly, or the Great Unwashed, as we are sometimes called, I'd just like to go on record as saying that, in case of earthquake, hurricane, rapture or other major disruption of life, I have prepared an outfit consisting of tattered Chuck Taylors, raggedy cut offs and a tie dyed T-shirt. I'm gonna hit the streets in style. There's no there thereThe gent with the fresh boutonniere and clean pocket hanky likely got them in Oakland. The folks on the left hand side of the photo are walking up Market Street from the Ferry Building in the background, indicating they're returning to San Francisco, not fleeing from the now extinguished fires. Likely they had evacuated to Oakland or elsewhere and are now returning to see what's left of their homes and businesses. Ferries shuttling between San Francisco and Oakland and Marin served as the city's lifeline for days after the quake and fire. I'll bet most of the returnees in this view ended up camping in Golden Gate Park. A Trip Down Market StreetLook at this movie of a cable car going the same direction on Market Street just days before the Earthquake. (The Gallery, DPC, Fires, Floods etc., San Francisco)
Flowers for Rose: 1950
... Wednesday, May 10, 1950, at her home 8403 Irvington ave., Bethesda, Md., ROSE BELL HURLBURT TORR, beloved wife of the late Charles ... mother of Dorothy and Ruth Torr. Remains resting at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Funeral Home of Robert A. Pumphrey, Bethesda, Md., where ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/15/2013 - 2:51pm -

May 1950. Washington, D.C. "Miss Dorothy Torr [client]. Funeral flowers." Rose Bell Torr in repose. Safety negative by Theodor Horydczak. View full size. Pumphrey Funeral Home Washington Post, May 12, 1950. In Memoriam Torr, Rose Bell Hurlburt, On Wednesday, May 10, 1950, at her home 8403 Irvington ave., Bethesda, Md., ROSE BELL HURLBURT TORR, beloved wife of the late Charles Stevens Torr and mother of Dorothy and Ruth Torr. Remains resting at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Funeral Home of Robert A. Pumphrey, Bethesda, Md., where services will be held Saturday May 13, at 2 p.m. Internment Forest Oak Cemetery, Gaithersburg, Md. Meeting my relativesIn the early 1900's my youthful grandparents came to the USA from Poland. They left their own parents, siblings and other family members, never to see them again and with no pictures to look at, I could only imagine what they looked like. But as these relatives started to die off, 'death pictures' were sent in the mail to my grandfather very similar to this but nowhere near as elaborate. He would show us the pictures of his "old country" loved ones in their coffins We were not frightened since, as kids we went to a lot of funerals when children did not require a constant flow of drinks, snacks and electronics to keep them entertained, just told to sit down and shut up. In those days, people who were quite poor could not afford to have pictures made as we do today, but would try to have a "last photo" as described, as a keepsake. When I was older and heard about the tradition of death masks, I was glad we did not have any of those hanging around the house, although many people did have them made including Abe Lincoln, Napoleon, Beethoven, Ben Franklin, Nikola Tesla, even Alfred Hitchcock among others. It all started even before the time of Tutankhamen. Even 63 years laterMost wakes down in Louisiana look exactly like this. Although photographing the deceased in the casket was normal well into the 1930s, for the most part it died out. [So to speak. -Dave] Check the pipes!Are those just shadows on the ceiling, or did the mourners stage a smoke-in, or do we have a plumbing problem? A rosefor a Rose. Embarrassed to admit this, but a friend recently emailed me a photo of his deceased mother. So I would have to say this practice continues, although much to my distaste. May I add, I prefer the before photos rather than the after to remember someone. VideotapingAlthough i haven't seen anyone take photographs of the deceased, i have been to funerals where people have been videotaping the entire thing! Photos or Video?I work at a funeral home. I only know of one circumstance (since I started working there) where a family member has taken video of the funeral service. As a general rule, we tend to not encourage photography or videotaping at the funeral home. Most families don't ask anyway. The casket, in this photo, seems very fancy. Today's prices for a casket like that would make one pass out. RE: Check the pipes!Based on the uniformity of the dark patches on the ceiling, I'd say it was the lights reflecting through the cut glass pieces in the ornamental fixture. Dark ShadowsI wonder if those dark spots might not be paint roller marks. They show up under the right light conditions. I've noticed the same thing on my own living room ceiling. Funeral photosMiss Rose Bell Torr looks pretty old and probably had a good life. Her relative gave her a beautiful sendoff, and who wouldn't want to remember that. I wish photos had been taken for my three family members who died. [Rose was a Mrs. - Dave] Oh. Well, than maybe not. Some ChangesHaving worked part-time for a funeral home (had two girls to put through college), I see some things missing in this picture that have become part of today's funeral home chapel. Modern chapels have a pink colored spotlight on the ceiling, pointing down towards the deceased person's face. Its purpose is to assist in making the deceased person's face look more rosy (lifelike) in coloring. Also, kneelers are usually placed directly in front of the casket, so that mourners are able to kneel down to pray. Also, florists now usually provide wire stands for the flowers sprays that are attached to the accordion-like devices on the right side of the picture. These devices are now usually to hold collages with pictures. And YES, families still do request private time to take photos of the deceased to send to those who cannot come in person to the wake. Research on Rose and familyThanks to stanton_square's posting of Rose's obituary, I'm able to find the following: Rose was born either in 1872 or 1873 in Nova Scotia. She emigrated to the US sometime in 1879 at the age of six. In the 1900 Census, Charles and Ruth lived in Lynn, Massachusetts. Charles is listed as having been born in Massachusetts. In the 1920 Census, Charles and Ruth lived in Ramsey, Minnesota. In the 1930 Census, they were living in Hennepin, Minnesota. They had three children: Dorothy, Roland and Ruth, all born in Massachusetts. Charles is listed as a Stationary Engineer at General Electric. Lastly, the Pumphrey Funeral Home in Bethesda, Maryland, is still there. http://www.pumphreyfuneralhome.com (D.C., Theodor Horydczak)
Mother: 1933
... January 23, 1969, Mary Belle Ahearn of 8024 Hampden Lane, Bethesda, Md., beloved wife of Vincent P. Ahearn Sr., mother of Mrs. Richard H. ... January 25 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Bethesda, where Requiem Mass will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Interment private. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/23/2012 - 11:36am -

1933. "Mrs. Vincent P. Ahearn, portrait." Mr. Ahearn was executive secretary of the Industrial Sand Association. Harris & Ewing Collection. View full size. UndepressedThe Depression is not touching them. Good GriefIt's Charlie Brown! PlaytimeIndustrial Sand Association! No doubt these charming rug-rats had the best sandbox in the city. AwwwwwAngelic, every one of them. Poisin'There is a calm poise to this mother and her children; they seem guileless. Perhaps Lewis Hine's children were actually more equipped for the turmoil of the outside world than this family. I wonder...If there was a "Sand Advisory Board"? No Joy for the MissusOnly one (slight) smile out of the four. I'm sure that's due to Mom not having an identity. When I was about 9 years old (mid 1950s), my mother got her picture in the local paper, being saluted for Community Chest work. I asked why she was listed in the caption as "Mrs. Harold E. Moore" instead of her own name. She replied simply, "That's the proper way to identify someone's wife." I told her she got gypped, and that I never wanted to be a girl. Parents, I guess, are used to this. I found it to be the same at school. I was known as "Justin's father." Only rarely was this convention abandoned. I do recall one parent who was referred to as "Cindy's Hot Mom." (Probably only by the dads). Beloved WifeWashington Post, Jan. 25, 1969 AHEARN, MARY BELLE On Thursday, January 23, 1969, Mary Belle Ahearn of 8024 Hampden Lane, Bethesda, Md., beloved wife of Vincent P. Ahearn Sr., mother of Mrs. Richard H. Walsh, Mrs. Roland H. Berger Jr. of Camp Hill, Pa., and Vincent P. Ahearn Jr.; sister of Mrs. Nonnie C. Geary of Nashville, and Mrs. Edward Brunn Bruner of Dallas. Also survived by 14 grandchildren. Services Saturday, January 25 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Bethesda, where Requiem Mass will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Interment private. Please omit flowers. Early cloningAre the girls' names "Mini-Me I" and "Mini-Me II"? Hits and Mrs.I understand what prompted Tom's rage. I stand by my point that reducing someone's identity to their name is a strange measure (and, though I think he was joking on this score, that their mother's "lack of identity" is not the reason the kids look serious!) Also, I don't know the etiquette for actually calling someone by their married name to their face, but as for written addresses, it's still common practice to use "Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Smith," (unless the woman has kept her maiden name, in which case it would be "Mr. Thomas Smith and Ms. Jane Andrews".) Using "Mrs. Joyce Smith" would usually imply that the woman was widowed, or perhaps divorced (although "Ms. Joyce Smith" would be more standard for a divorcee.) So I don't anticipate too many double-takes. Anyway, use whatever name you wish. I just think it's a stretch to assume that women are automatically unhappy just because they share their husband's name. I have to read a lot of history where current ideas are projected backwards, often unfairly. Sort of a pet peeve of mine, so I apologize for the rant. Re: No JoyYes, I'm sure that's why they're not smiling. Ever try to get a three-year-old and an eight-month-old to smile when they're not in the mood? I think it's a remarkable portrait that they managed to get all the kids sitting still and looking at the camera. They probably wouldn't have taken 300 shots like they would today. It's a lovely family, and if you base someone's identity on their name, well, that's as strange of measure as any I've ever heard. You're entitled to be outraged on behalf of women who share their husband's names if you want to spend your energy on it, and if a woman chooses not to do so, then I think that's a matter between her and her husband. But not all women view this as some horrible symbol of masculine hegemony. When I get married, I'll be proud to share my husband's name as a symbol of of our partnership. I sincerely doubt that my "identity" will suddenly vanish and I'll become a cipher because my last name changes--just as I'm sure that this woman's did not. Maybe she was very happy to be Mrs. Ahearn, and maybe not, but at any rate, her feelings on the subject were probably unrelated to her last name. It's a slippery slope to judge people of the past with modern-day attitudes and ideas. They did not necessarily hold the same values as you do, and that does not automatically make them simple, oppressive neanderthals. Name ChangeCatherine, I'm pretty sure Tom was referring to the custom of a wife adopting not only her husband's surname, but of being addressed by his given name as well (i.e., if the First Lady called herself "Mrs. Barack Obama" instead of "Michelle Obama"). My grandmother's generation was the last one to do so as a matter of course, so if you do choose to revive the custom at some future date, be prepared for some double-takes. Brigadier Sir Charles Arthur Strong, Mrs.Yes, I'm pretty sure he was joking about the name affecting her mood (hence, nothing to "stand by"), and I'm also pretty sure there was no "rage" anywhere, either. More to the point, we weren't talking about the couple being addressed together, but of the wife being addressed by (or addressing herself by) her husband's given name when she's on her own. So your 2009 Christmas card having "Mr. and Mrs. John Smith" on the envelope might not be extraordinary (although in all but the most formal, conservative circles "John and Mary Smith" would be more likely), but if you show up solo to a parent-teacher conference and say, "Hi, I'm Mrs. John Smith," your kid's Kindergarten teacher is going to get nostalgic for the smell of Granny's lavender scented lace hankies. No one has mentioned itWhat a striking woman Mrs. Ahearn was, and what a pleasant, placid face she has. She radiates love and patience. I'm sure she was a most beloved wife and mommy. True Grithttp://www.sand.org/ When you hear the word sand, you may think of a child's sand box or an ocean beach. Yet we depend on industrial sand for many uses. ... (The Gallery, Harris + Ewing, Portraits)
Hot Shoppe: 1941
... caption under this picture! I was born and raised in the Bethesda, MD area and Hot Shoppe was big part of my childhood memories. ... Rings and a chocolate shake at the drive-in Hot Shoppe in Bethesda, MD.on East-West Highway. Buckysmom! That Hot Shoppe you ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/24/2012 - 9:27am -

December 1941. Washington, D.C. "Hot Shoppe restaurant." Medium-format nitrate negative by John Collier. View full size. From Hot Shoppes to Marriott The Hot Shoppe restaurants were the beginning of the Marriott hotel chain. Surprised!I was so surprised when I saw the caption under this picture! I was born and raised in the Bethesda, MD area and Hot Shoppe was big part of my childhood memories. However, the Hot Shoppe I knew was a drive-in where you put your order in a little speaker and they bought the food out to you. It was the favorite hang out for the teenagers from the 50s to the 70s. I never knew it as a go-in-and-sit-down restaurant! Just goes to show you can still learn about what you think you are already familiar with. What time do you get off work?Is what I'd be asking the waitress next to that empty coffee pot. Loyal LifersI remember, as a kid growing up in the DC area, seeing little old ladies in white smocks holding down jobs in the Hot Shoppes, Fannie Mae Candies, and the like. As a demographic, they were de rigueur up until about 1980. Perhaps some of them are seen here in their youth. I'm realizing that some spent their entire career doing this work. Hot Shoppe In Temple Hills, MarylandWe had an office near a shopping center in Temple Hills, Maryland, and it had a Hot Shoppe restaurant until the early 1990s; it wasn't a drive through. It may have been one of the last of the chain's eateries. ReheatedHot Shoppes was the foundation of the Marriott family hospitality empire, which grew from a single storefront restaurant opened at 14th Street and Park Road NW by J. Willard Marriott in 1927. The large chain of Hot Shoppes closed in 1999. However, the Marriott family announced last year that a Hot Shoppes would open in the new Marriott Marquis hotel now under construction next to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Opening planned for 2014. ClassicsMighty Mo, Onion Rings and a chocolate shake at the drive-in Hot Shoppe in Bethesda, MD.on East-West Highway. Buckysmom!That Hot Shoppe you remember is the one I was thinking about. During the 50s, it was 'home turf' for the kids from BCC, just up East-West Highway, and you did not go there on a weekend and show any other high school colors. It was like a seqment of 'Grease'! It's gone now, sadly No women allowed?The only women in the photo are waitresses. Where did women eat, Schrafts? Women tooHey shmolitz, I see at least two women on the customer side! When Dad Met Mom....Not really, but Dad would take Mom to Hot Shoppes, every evening at 6. It was in a shopping center in Temple Hills, this was late 70s early 80s. Dad would give the waitresses a hard time about their cinnamon rolls, when he came in they would be stale, so he would holler out for them to put fresh rolls out. Mom said she felt embarrassed....Dad didn't pull his punches. (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, John Collier)
Miriam: 1924
... Board of Realtors, died of cancer Sunday at her home in Bethesda. Mrs. Wolf began her real estate career in 1957. At the time of ... Sykesville, Md., John, of Baltimore, and Christopher, of Bethesda; and one grandchild. My mother as a young girl My ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 4:32pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1924. "Miriam Auerbach." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. R.P. Andrews Paper Co.The company was at 727 Thirteenth Street NW. The only thing of note I could find is that Louis F. Valentine, the company's Secretary-Treasurer, and his wife were killed in the collapse of the Knickerbocker Theater on January 30, 1922. Her life storyPattyanne, I agree. I too wonder what their lives were like. I finally joined Shorpy today because of this story. I have been enjoying this web site for a long time. ThanksI always wonder what lives people in these pics led. Always curious!! To put a name to a facebrings a new dimension to these wonderful photos. I always feel rather sad when Googling doesn't find just a bit of information to make the subject more "real." CoincidenceMy maternal grandmother's maiden name was Wolf. My mother had a cousin named Miriam Wolf. However, she was a radio performer -- an actor on the radio show "Let's Pretend," usually playing a witch. My mother also had a cousin who married a man named Legum. They lived in Norfolk. Miriam Auerbach Wolf, 1912-1978Washington Post, April 18, 1978. Miriam A. Wolf, 65;                'Million Dollar' Realtor Miriam Auerbach Wolf, 65, a retired real estate executive and the first woman to become a life member of the "Million-Dollar Sales Club" of the Washington Board of Realtors, died of cancer Sunday at her home in Bethesda. Mrs. Wolf began her real estate career in 1957. At the time of her retirement in 1976 for reasons of health, she was associate manager for Legum & Berber. She was the recipient of several awards from the Board of Realtors for her residential transactions. In addition to her business activities, Mrs. Wolf was founding president of the Montgomery County chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women. She was also the first president of the Montgomery County Thrift Shop, the proceeds of which benefit various charities. During the Eisenhower Administration she served on the advisory committee of the President's Council on the Handicapped. Mrs. Wolf was born in Washington and graduated from the old Central High School. She was a French teacher at Georgetown Day School in the 1950s before beginning her real estate work. Survivors include her husband, Alexander Wolf Jr.; three sons, Alexander III of Sykesville, Md., John, of Baltimore, and Christopher, of Bethesda; and one grandchild. My mother as a young girlMy first-cousin-once-removed Henry Brylawski (age 96) let me know that this picture was posted on the site, and I am so grateful to have this image of my mother as a 12 year old. What a beauty! Her granddaughter, also named Miriam (age 17), inherited her beauty. [Thank you for writing! It's always interesting to hear from descendants or acquaintances of the people depicted in these photos. Can you tell us anything about the circumstances of this particular picture? Also what about the Auerbach family -- was it connected with the Joseph Auerbach clothing store on Pennsylvania Avenue? - Dave] Reconstructing the narrativeLooks like Miriam won some sort of award having to do with a charity drive sponsored by Andrews Paper. Maybe she collected the most donations. Johnny, Chris and JuniorIt's interesting that she was involved in Jewish charities, but obviously went in the polar opposite direction of any Hebraic traditions when naming her three sons. The children of the original wave of Jewish immigrants were evidently anxious to assimilate and blend into American society. Working HandsI would like to know what this child did to have such hard working hands at the age of 12. This is wonderful to read a bit of history of the photo subject AND have comments from family members. Kirby KrackleI love the speckling of the negative, it adds a sort of visual energy to the picture. It looks like the chalice is erupting with mystical energy --how Jack Kirby would depict energy in comic books. The "Kirby Krackle," they call it. A beautiful pictureof a beautiful girl who became a lovely woman. I'm so glad that her son found this picture here today. I love seeing the pictures of Washington on Shorpy because I feel like I'm seeing a snapshot of the city my parents grew up in. It makes me feel closer to them in a strange way. I can only imagine how he felt when he saw this photo of his mother. I was wondering if she was related to basketball icon Red Auerbach, who my dad's basketball coach at Roosevelt High School in DC in the early 1940s. (The Gallery, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo, Portraits)
Cecilia O'Dea: 1922
... music teacher, died of pneumonia June 13 at her home in Bethesda. Mrs. Krogmann, who played the piano and organ, performed and ... was a member of St. Jane de Chantal Catholic Church in Bethesda. Her husband, Rudolph Krogmann, died in 1962. She is survived ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/09/2008 - 8:41pm -

"Miss Cecelia [Cecilia] O'Dea, 1922." Cecelia, who played the piano and sang, had her name in the pages of the Washington Post maybe a dozen times, usually as an accompanist or soloist at recitals and such. Now, 80 years later, here's her picture. Take it away, Cecelia. National Photo Collection glass negative. View full size. Oh you kid!She's the cat's pajamas, hubba hubba and 23 Skidoo! Does she have a sister? Patron SaintSt. Cecilia, in the Catholic tradition at least, is the patron saint of music and musicians. Clearly Miss O'Dea's parents had some plans for her from the start. This picture breaks my heart.God bless her. CeceliaCecelia looks so uncomfortable having her photo taken. The slump of her shoulders and the trepidation in her eyes belie her accomplishments. Perhaps she doesn't realize that her strength and talent will last, and it is actually a blessing that she is not burdened by a physical beauty that will fade with the years. She reminds me of the remarkable Eudora Welty. I bet when she smiles her whole face lights up. She has laugh wrinkles. Cecilia O'Dea Krogmann, 1896-1991Washington Post, 15 June 1991 CECILIA O'DEA KROGMANN, Musician Cecilia O'Dea Krogmann, 94, a musician and music teacher, died of pneumonia June 13 at her home in Bethesda. Mrs. Krogmann, who played the piano and organ, performed and taught here for more than 70 years. Her early work was with the Radcliffe Chautauqua in the mid-Atlantic states and the Hendley Casper [Hendley-Kaspar] School of Music in Washington. During the 1920s she was an accompanist for silent movies in the theaters of downtown Washington. She later taught privately and played in churches. From 1941 to 1962, she also was a clerical worker for agencies of the federal government, including the Office of Censorship, the Veterans Administration and the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. Mrs. Krogmann was born in Washington and attended Notre Dame Academy. She taught for the Douglas Hyde Society at the Gaelic School and at the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute, both in Washington. From 1972 to 1984, she was a chapel organist at Suburban Hospital. Mrs. Krogmann was a member of St. Jane de Chantal Catholic Church in Bethesda. Her husband, Rudolph Krogmann, died in 1962. She is survived by two children, Cecilia Rounds of Bethesda and Dr. David Krogmann of West Lafayette, Ind., 10 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. (The Gallery, Natl Photo, Portraits)
Woman's Bureau: 1922
... decisions, decisions. Nearby Places Greetings from Bethesda, Maryland, one of those "nearby places." Which unfortunately can now ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 11:17pm -

November 1922. Washington, D.C. "Woman's Bureau, Metropolitan Police Dep't. Telephone calls bring prompt attention." National Photo Co. View full size. Cold OfficeI just noticed that she is on the exterior side of that double hung window. That really makes this office uninviting! Behind BarCan't decide if that bar is to keep her in or others out. In either case, it appears one would have to crawl under it. At least she has the keys. Hey! Fish!If this was NY's 12th Precinct, I would expect Wojo and Fish were out on a call. Obviously they modeled the set of "Barney Miller" on this. ErgonomicsThat particular arrangement is my personal idea of hell. So spatious and invitingNo expense was spared to accommodate the WB. [It was an extra-spatial kind of spatiousness. - Dave] Nothin' like a hairnetTo take away any semblance of sex appeal. Call indicator boxI have an oak call box in my kitchen the same as the one to the right of the light fixture; it was once used to summon the servants to different rooms by pushing doorbell buttons. The DC police must have used this one as an intercom of some kind. Washington "And Nearby Places"What a quaint expression, that! Not a negative commentDingy, and a lot of it doesn't seem the fault of an old negative. Cell, PhoneIf this is typical of an office in the DC Police Department, I'd hate to see what the cells in the DC Jail looked like. One Ringy Dingy, Two Ringy DingyIs this the party to whom I am speaking? 911 What's your emergency?We'll have a car out there sometime this week. Hello CentralGive me Dr. Jazz. Ruth Buzzi the elderly Lily Tomlin?The large purse is absent! Giant fingerprint faux finishMaybe Martha Stewart will have a special on how to achieve that in your own police station. Also, funny how this photo makes even the pencil sharpener look old-fashioned, even though hand-cranked ones are still fairly common. Everything within easy reach... except the pencil sharpener! That chair will swivel so she can easily use the books on the other table, and the typewriter is well out of the way of the writing surfaces. I've worked in worse. Security Fire AlarmI love the little iron hammer on the short chain. Break the glass to get to the fire alarm button. If a prankster sounds the alarm, just follow the blood trail. If the fire is real, well, decisions, decisions. Nearby PlacesGreetings from Bethesda, Maryland, one of those "nearby places." Which unfortunately can now take an hour or more to drive to during rush hour from downtown D.C. Guess it's not as nearby as it used to be! The dark side of the BureauMs. Mina Van Winkle, director of the D.C. Police Women's Bureau, provided this explanation to an audience in Boston in 1920: The Bureau was organized to enforce "the District's war-time legislation," but "proved so valuable as an emergency measure that it has been made permanent." In 1928 Ms. Van Winkle told a reporter that "Washington is the mecca for all psychopathic women of the nation." The feature story explained that one of the Bureau's functions was protecting lawmakers "from psychopathic women who flock to the city while Congress is in session with wild and utterly unfounded tales of wrongs done them by prominent men. ... Due to the vigilance of the policewomen, the government officials and other well-known Washingtonians accused of serious misdemeanors often do not even know they have been involved," because the Bureau's policewomen intercept such women, sending some to "some insane asylum" and others home to their husbands, fathers, or brothers. Depressing dimensionsWhen your office is taller than it is wide, that's not good. Fish on bun, Jello and milkShe must not have been paid much. From the looks of that sassy hairnet, she had to moonlight as a cafeteria lady. What, no spittoon?Not fair. Immaculate PerceptionOf course, this young lady's hairnet was quite common in those days. The cleansers and hair treatments of the day were unsophisticated, which made hairstyling a challenge. Mass production made the fine mesh solution to runaway or frizzy hair available to all women, at a cost most could afford. The hairnets were sold at accessory stores in individual boxes and put out on display, along with the fine gloves and stockings. A great many women, from Bonnie Parker to Eleanor Roosevelt, wore hairnets when they were considered a neat, clean, and feminine beauty product. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, The Office)
American Dreamer: 1942
... by TV and X-Box. Steel casements Our house in Bethesda, circa 1939/40, had steel windows like that. Nice train set, American ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/27/2013 - 3:35pm -

June 1942. "Greenbelt, Maryland. Child's bedroom in which a 13-year-old boy has rigged up model trains and a chemical laboratory." Johnny's next project: Discover girls. Photo by Marjory Collins for the Office of War Information. View full size. Girls Have Cooties!Who needs girls? He's got a) a cool model railroad layout, b) a chemistry set, c) a pirate poster, and d) a radio. And is that a railroad lantern rigged up as a reading lamp? Enjoy your bachelorhood while you can, Opie lookalike! Also: Those windows sure look newer than 1942. I didn't realize they had modern crank-out sashes like that back then. SighLook at that beautiful model train in all its HO gauge splendor! Back in the days when metal cars were modeled in metal and wood in wood. No fakey plastic here. The latest and bestGreenbelt was a New Deal planned community that would have been only a few years old at the time of this picture. Chances are good that the houses would have had the newest technologies and accessories, such as the crank-out windows. As-best-os I can tellAs best as I can tell, that's an asbestos flame spreader/heat dissapator on the top of the lab tripod. I remember dozens of those from my high school and college chemestry classes, but I'm sure they're prohibited today. Brilliance guaranteedJudging by this boy's interesting variety of toys, I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that he became a very smart, sharp, well-informed adult with knowledge in many different subjects, plus he was not addicted to electronic video games to distract him from real life. Windows 41The house I grew up in when I was a kid was built in 1941. The original windows had a "crank out" design very similar to those shown in this image Interesting Train SetIn the 50s, I had a Lionel set and in the 60s switched to HO. This train looks to be somewhere in between size wise. I'm not a model train expert. Maybe someone else can enlighten me. Rainy childhood days long pastThis strikes a chord as I remember these days; listening to the radio - Car race.. Baseball game - playing quietly in my bedroom.. Model trains, etc. But not for kids today, for them, this was all to be replaced by TV and X-Box. Steel casementsOur house in Bethesda, circa 1939/40, had steel windows like that. Nice train set, American Flyer, HO gauge? Has to be a good sized room to get all his stuff in there. A.C. Gilbert – prewar HO gauge An impressive setup for the time. I believe that the train set was manufactured by A. C. Gilbert (American Flyer) in HO gauge. The engine was modeled after the New York Central J3 Hudson. Greenbelt BoyI lived in Greenbelt from 1948 to 1951, and I had a bedroom that looked just like that, although I lived in the so-called "defense housing," that was built, I believe, right after the war. And I also had an electric train then. Greenbelt HousesExterior view from 1936. Later designs had a pitched roof. Click to enlarge. Hard to gaugeThe size looks to me like the "S" Gauge that I grew up with, but at least one source I found said that American Flyer (AC Gilbert) did not bring out the "S" gauge until 1946. It really looks too big for HO, too small for "O" (also Lionel O gauge as far as I know were all three rail systems). Anybody to resolve the question? [American Flyer was selling 3/16" (1:64, or S-scale) trains in the 1930s. Below, an ad for AF 3/16" scale trains from 1942. - Dave] Gauge vs. ScaleDoctorK is correct about Gilbert American flyer being 3/16" S-scale and Dave's posted ad references prewar 3/16" scale trains that ran on O-Gauge Track. The train set pictured is in fact HO gauge by Gilbert. Gilbert, after purchasing the American Flyer brand, sold trains that were 3/16" to the foot scale but ran on O-Gauge (1/4" to the foot) track prior to WWII. Following the war the track became S-Gauge 3/16" Scale. Gilbert was also a pioneer of early HO Gauge 1:87 scale or roughly 1/8" to the foot scale or "Half O" thus "HO" (what is shown in the photo). There was also 00 gauge common at this time, which Lionel was marketing as a competitor to HO. Same setup, 70 years laterClearly a budding terrorist: A bomb-making laboratory and a model of critical domestic infrastructure! Bring in SWAT, Hazmat, and the FBI. Short-track to Gitmo! The Kid Is SeriousAs a model railroader and National Model Railroad Association member, I'm impressed. This kid has talent. He's not into "tinplate" -- what we refer to trains made primarily as toys, like Lionel, versus scale modeling like the kid has here. Those are some nice building kits he's assembled. The track looks like it might be handlaid, because they didn't make "snap track" back then. And he wisely chose HO two-rail, a better system for scale track than Lionel's 3-rail and a much finer appearance than most commercial ready to use track that wouldn't be at least that nice until the 1970s. I love it, especially having spent a few nights as a houseguest in one of those Greenbelt townhomes. Serious, yes, but ...Probably not hand-laid track. Looks like commercial turnouts and sectional track - note the screws at fixed intervals. Properly He QuippedThe handy ladder just outside the window should make getting to his next discovery a lot easier. Gilbert HO scaleHere is a website that has old Gilbert train catalogs: http://www.rfgco.com/americanflyertrainscatalogs/catalogs.html The prewar HO scale did have built-in roadbeds for the track, similar to today's Bachmann EZ Track. It also looks like the track was screwed or bolted to the wooden table. Not a ladderThe crank-out windows are both open. Only the one on the right is visible in the picture. See the picture posted earlier in this thread for a view of the closed windows from the outside. American FlyerLittle doubt the trains are Gilbert American Flyer HO scale, early variety with metal roadbed and metal cars. The coupler on the caboose (and the caboose type) also is a match. (The Gallery, Kids, Marjory Collins, Railroads)
The Car Bar: 1925
... anyway. Later The Hersons owned Manhattan Auto in Bethesda, where in the 1950s, you could go and ogle the spiffy Jaguars, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 2:17am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1925. "Northeast Auto Exchange, H Street." My favorite kind of National Photo photo, something that might be called unintentional-slice-of-life. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. One for the road"Alcohol for Automobiles" -- I'm assuming it's engine-related, and not driver-related! Well, I triedAll I get at "www.d.c.comm" is "server not found." Shucks. MethanolMethanol, or as they also called it wood alcohol or methyl alcohol, was used as an antifreeze to keep the engine coolant from cracking the block in cold weather. [A potent poison as well. - Dave] Morris HersonI wonder if that is M. Herson in the coveralls. According to the census, Morris Herson was born in Russia and immigrated to the States in 1895. Washington Post, Jun 4, 1929 Morris Herson, 44, is Dead. Morris Herson, 44 years old, an automobile dealer, died at his residence at 514 F street northeast. He is survived by the widow and three children. ContinuitySee the name M. Herson in the window? Now Herson's Honda in Rockville, Maryland. And Now ...The 'hood had a smidge more charm back in the day. If it still existed, 62 H Street NE would be somewhere under this overpass near Union Station. View Larger Map Coulda used these guys a couple years agoThe shift linkage of my car broke in the parking garage beneath the office building that now stands where this garage once was. On second thought, they probably didn't carry any VW parts anyway. LaterThe Hersons owned Manhattan Auto in Bethesda, where in the 1950s, you could go and ogle the spiffy Jaguars, Porsches, and various other future classics then go across the street to Giffords for a really classic banana split! That's why they're called "the good old days"! Turning left.When I was a kid, in the 60's before turn signals were common on motorcycles, we all signaled our left turns with a gesture identical to this fellow's. Alcohol for AutomobilesMethanol (wood alcohol) was used as an antifreeze for the car cooling system, but it gradually boiled off and had to be replaced. There were testing devices, similar to the bulb-type battery testers, that could be used to tell when the alcohol needed to be topped off in your radiator in order to remain effective. Eventually wood alcohol was replaced by "permanent" antifreeze, usually made with ethylene glycol. This is normally dyed fluorescent green, and is what comes to mind when we think of the term "antifreeze" today. Both types of antifreeze are poisonous. As a big bonus, the ethylene glycol based antifreeze also facilitates the cooling function of the radiator. Those of us over a certain age will remember car radiators "boiling over" when driving in hot weather or climbing mountains. Those days are long gone, thanks in part to modern antifreeze/coolant! To remember which alcohol is the drinkable kind[A potent poison as well. - Dave] To remember which alcohol is the drinkable kind: "Ethyl can't drink methyl." Hersons of InterestSurprisingly, at least to me, the later Manhattan Auto Inc. and still-existing dealerships, were formed by a completely different Herson family: three Lithuanian brothers who emigrated circa 1914. Robert Herson (1892-1975), founder of Herson Auto Parts & Glass. David L. Herson (1896-1959), president and owner of Manhattan Auto Inc. Nathan Herson (1906-1971), president of Herson's Auto stores in Washington and Rockville. The Herson familyMorris was my uncle. David Herson was my father. Morris' sons were Mitchell, who became a dealer for Kaiser Frazer, and Abe, who worked with my father and later me at Manhattan Imported Cars. Abe was head of Jaguar service in the sixties and later was a Jaguar salesperson at Manhattan in Rockville. Nathan Herson, another uncle, was the Herson of Herson's Honda, not Morris. Nathan's son Gerald is the current CEO of Herson's Honda and Mitsubishi, both in Rockville. ResultsIsn't it interesting how my memory of Manhatten Auto could bring such results. All appreciated; good memories of Manhatten Auto on Wisconsin Avenue and of Mr. Mann who worked there. Thanks to J. Herson, as well. This is one of the joys of Shorpy; a comment can be expanded or corrected by others. So it is often a valuable learning experience. [Today's lesson: There's no "e" in "Manhattan." - Dave] A strong personIs Morris Herson, if that is indeed him in the coveralls. He looks like he could have bench pressed that car in his prime. Five decades laterHere's a sidelong view of that building (looking almost due east along H St.) in the late 1950s. In 1974, it would be demolished for construction of the overpass rerouting traffic over the Union Station tracks. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
Ballpark Figure: 1924
... is a High School a half mile away named after this man. Bethesda, Maryland. Batter up! All aboard! The Big Train is rolling on ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/07/2010 - 6:31pm -

November 12, 1924. "Statues of Walter Johnson at Dunbar studio." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Now and thenPre-bobblehead Original HOFerWalter Johnson compiled a record of 417-279. This looks like a statue for each of his 110 shutouts. Plurality of OpinionThis is great for those sportscasters who insist on making people plural -- "back in the days of the Walter Johnsons, and the Christy Mathewsons ... " There they are, the Walter Johnsons! Imagine thatTop row, 2nd full bust from the left looks startlingly like John Waters. Amazing work. ProximityAs I type this at work, there is a High School a half mile away named after this man. Bethesda, Maryland. Batter up!All aboard! The Big Train is rolling on ... PricelessMan, what I'd give to have a Walter Johnson statue today. Or was it Samuel Johnson? Or Walter Pidgeon? It was one of them. Better than bobbleheads!Would love to add one of these Big Train statues to my baseball memorabilia collection. eBay maybe? Swish!J is for Johnson The Big Train in his prime Was so fast he could throw Three strikes at a time. -- Ogden Nash My dad saw Johnson pitch and always spoke with awe of his fastball. CollectibilityI was wondering how many of these statues exist today. A quick search on ebay yielded only a photo of Dunbar presenting one of the statues to President Coolidge in 1924 and a photo of Walter Johnson posing for the artist. Shades of XianAn army of pitchers waiting for the command to play ball. U.S.J. DunbarUlric Stonewall Jackson Dunbar was the owner of the studio, and the sculptor behind all these statues of Walter Johnson. To judge from his press coverage, he seems to have been in much demand at the time, with some of his statues placed in the U.S. Capitol. His studio was at 1517 H Street NW. Wonderful CastsThese are probably plaster casts of sculptures that Dunbar executed for various clients or perhaps as studies for bronzes. There's a Thomas Edison (well, looks like him) on the far left of the shelf, then farther to the right a couple of Indians, and then a formal portrait that must date from a few decades earlier, judging from the dress and facial hair of the subject. Dunbar did excellent marble busts, notably one of Martin Van Buren, as well as larger bronzes. Ballpark FarkFarked again! (The Gallery, Farked, Natl Photo, Sports)
Old-Timer: 1915
... the screen door. Cabin John The Cabin John area of Bethesda, which includes the Glen Echo Amusement Park, got its name from a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 11:04am -

There's no caption information for this circa 1915 photo taken in or around Washington, D.C. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Open HouseI love the screen door....I would like to go in and take a look around! Re: Roof PatchesIt looks more like the patches are tar paper or canvas, something much more flexible than metal. And the stuff hanging down in front of the window might be twine or wire and the remnants of some climbing plant. [As we can see below, he had a vine growing on a chickenwire trellis. And what looks like a bird nest at the top. - Dave] Back to BasicsThis is a house in its most pure and basic form. No pretense of design and intended to last no longer than its occupant. The presumed owner/builder's comportment suggests a timeworn familiarity of the place I find endearing. Wish I knew more of his story. Roof PatchesIn response to the first of "Couple Things:" the roof of hand-split wooden shingles (white oak was popular for this use) has some badly torn-up sections, and the area right over the window has been patched with small sheets of scrap metal. But before the patch was made, rain got into the end-grain of the board-and-batten pine siding, mold has set in, and that area under the eave will never see mold-reducing sunlight. But the dignity of the man, even living in this hovel, is remarkable. And the details of the area around the cabin take me back to my Great-Grandmother's home way down in Grayson County, Va (southwest corner of the state).Fine choice, Dave. Thank you. What's in the tub?Covered with a bit of old rug, tied with rope, weighted down with rocks- what's in there? Sauerkraut? Moonshine? Weasels? The expression on his face makes me think I wouldn't have dared to ask. HatI hope is that the hat was waterproof and he wore it both in and out of the house. Last Year's BeansLooks like he was growing some beans or peas in front of that window. Or maybe even flowers. It looks like he has the remains of a garden in front of the house. You kids......get offa my lawn! The old guyMan, that dude looks like he could have been born around 1850. Probably a Civil War vet. Couple things1. What's going on in front of/above the window? 2. I love how even a hovel like this has some cool detailing on the screen door. Cabin JohnThe Cabin John area of Bethesda, which includes the Glen Echo Amusement Park, got its name from a fellow named John who lived in a cabin in the area. I just wonder if this is that John and that's his Cabin! [Wikipedia sez: The community name is a corruption of its original name of "Captain John's Mills." - Dave] Standing CorrectedThanks for the close-up; it looked like rotting siding to me. Now, what kind of bird builds that sort of nest? Barn swallows, as I recall, build in eaves and such, but their nests tend to be much tidier than this, but.... I love this photoWow. I'm by no means a photographer, but I know what I like. This photo has so much detail and beautiful contrast. I love the dignified manner in which this man is posing. There's obvious financial hardship here, but he's got his nice hat on and has buttoned up his coat. Very impressive indeed. NIMBYThe irony of the reader comments lauding this old gent's dignity (and I love this photo too) is that most of us would be upset to have a neighbor like this today. Take away the "Ken Burns effect" of black and white and antiquity, add some plastic trash cans in place of the barrels and you have the making of a zoning or covenant dispute. I think you're on to somethingHe's definitely got something going on in that covered up bucket. Check out the seemingly empty barrel. While everything else around the place is falling apart, he took the effort to make sure the barrel was level. See, at the bottom, he put chips of stone under it to keep it steady. What... could he be brewing? CisternThe roof gutter ends above the barrel. My grandfather, born 1911, remembers collecting rainwater off the roof. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing)
The Lettermen: 1915
... Shorpy post Letterbox: 1912 . The center of Bethesda, Maryland has a short Waverly Street but the area is so redeveloped ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/11/2014 - 11:26am -

Circa 1915. "Mailman and truck," location unknown. Collection times 6:15 a.m. to noon. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. H-pattern gearshiftThe lever closest to the driver is almost certainly for shifting gears. At its base is a gate mechanism with two arched parallel slots with a path between them at the halfway point. This to to enforce the H-pattern. Why two levers?I was surprised to see the mailman has a driver. What are the two levers for by his right knee. One looks like a parking brake. What's the other one for? Where is it today?That delivery truck, so beautiful! As late as the 1970s, in Queens NY City, we had a cast iron mailbox like this mounted on a cement pole. When the lid flapped closed it did so with a dull THUD. Not Entirely UnknownWell we do know it's at the intersection of Waverly Place and some other road, surely some intrepid individual can put match it to a city. Mail PeriodThere's that obligatory period again. Right after mail. Re: Why two levers?The other may be to disengage the transmission and/or to switch from forward to reverse. Right-hand-drive vehicleThe mailbox says US mail so we know it is the United States at least. Why then is it the truck right-hand-drive? Is it so the driver is closer to the edge of the road so he can put stuff in some letterboxes without leaving his seat? [All U.S. mail delivery vehicles are right-hand drive for that very reason. -tterrace] Re: Right-Hand Drivetterrace is correct about USPS delivery vehicles still being right-hand drive. However, in c.1915, many, if not most, US-built commercial trucks were right-hand drive, regardless of application. I don't know why trucks were often right-hand drive when passenger cars had already become uniformly left-hand drive in the U.S. It seems that by the end of WWI, American trucks had mostly become left-hand drive. Sorting?Wonder if the mailman has a driver in order that he can perform sorting or other similar tasks as he is being chauffeured about on his route. Scenically, I noted that the lampposts are equipped with the "arms" on which the "Old Lamplighter" would rest his ladder when tending the lamps. Photo op does make more sense, tterrace. Semper vigilans! Playing post officeThere's no telling what the purpose of this photo is, so it may not fully reflect real postal operations. One guess is that it was to illustrate the Post Office Department's use of motorized vehicles, and the idea was to make the shot more interesting by having a larger cast and more action, as it were. Normally there'd be no reason for postal employees to be traveling in pairs. Anyway, in actual practice, the only reason a carrier would service a collection box of that size would be to remove the outgoing mail, and any processing, including sorting, would be done back at the post office, not in the truck. St. Louis?Due to the victorian homes, I cross searched victorian homes with Waverly Place and came up with a bit of St. Louis history. [The National Photo Company operated in just the Washington, D.C. area, though. -tterrace] Motorized Postal ServiceI fall in with tterrace and think this might have been a photo op showcasing the motorization of the postal force; it coincides with the retirement of the last postal horses in Washington. The letterbox being emptied appears similar to the drop-bottom design patented by Dr. S. Clifford Cox of Washington, DC. More info at previous Shorpy post Letterbox: 1912. The center of Bethesda, Maryland has a short Waverly Street but the area is so redeveloped that Google Maps doesn't yield any obvious matches. Washington Post, June 6, 1915. Motors Only to Carry Mail Last Horse Soon to Be Dropped From Service Here. The horseless age is not a dream of the distant future. At least, it is not in so far as Uncle Sam's Washington mail service is concerned. Within the next 90 days, it develops from an announcement yesterday, the last “Old Dobbin” on the city postoffice force will be thrown into the discard and the service will be placed entirely on a motor basis. Only sixteen horses have survived the rapid motorization of the service so far, and those are slated to go. The complete motorization of the service was brought measurably nearer last week when the horse-driven collection wagons in use of in the eastern section of the city were superseded by automobiles. Right-hand drive: deliberate, or default?Although Americans have driven on the right-hand side of the road since at least the 1790s, Henry Ford was the first person to persuasively argue the case for a driver sitting on the left, in 1908. Even in 1915, most vehicles (including this non-Ford) by default had the controls on the right, and the USPS (like many fleet owners) had not yet learned the wisdom of limiting the number of different makes and models in service. But it seems that in 1954, Popular Mechanics felt their readers would find a right-hand drive mail truck (the Jeep many of us recall from our youth) a "Continental" novelty. I was wondering why the USPS website had such a large gap in their collection of historical mail vehicles. Oh, of course. Depression budget cuts, followed by wartime rationing. It seems that in the interim, the Ford Model A was the postal truck of choice. Anybody in the DC area (hint, hint) care to walk or take the Metro to the National Postal Museum and tell me if this one is right-hand drive? Why mailmen driveThe driving letter carrier (aka "mailman") is largely a post-WWII development. Prior to that, carriers mostly walked, except in rural areas. Vehicles were mostly used to transport mail between postal stations, deliver parcel post and carrier relay mail - segments of the carriers' load placed in special boxes (the ones marked "not for deposit of mail") to access as they progressed along the route. After the war, the growth of suburbia and the increasing volume of mail made this system increasingly impractical; having the carriers take all their own mail, including parcel post, was more efficient. The carriers you see walking today are using the park-and-loop method; rather than driving to each address, they'll park, take a satchel of several blocks' worth of mail and follow a circular path from the truck and back, then drive to the next point and repeat the process. Right-Hand Drive"[All U.S. mail delivery vehicles are right-hand drive for that very reason. -tterrace]" Not all. I had an ex-Postal Delivery Jeep (1968 Kaiser DJ-5) with a steering wheel on the left side. A limited number of them were made in this fashion for Postal Inspectors, mechanics and supervisors. Of course, the primary heat outlets were STILL on the right side for my non-existent passenger. But it was the best $750 I ever spent on a car. However, you're right in that all Mail Delivery trucks had right-hand drive. MilwaukeeThis exact picture is shown in the book Motorized Mail by James H. Bruns and published by the Smithsonian Institution in 1997. The caption states the following on page 83 (paragraphing added). "In 1911, the Post Office Department tested 'drop bottom' mailboxes in 20 cities, including Milwaukee, Wisconsin where this half-ton Johnson Service Co. 'light delivery wagon' was used for collections. The Milwaukee made vehicle was powered by a four-cylinder, 35-hp gasoline engine. "The idea for drop bottom boxes came from David C. Owens, Milwaukee's postmaster. 'The idea appealed to me,' Owens said, 'when I first became postmaster and being formerly in the coal business, where drop bottom cars have become generally used, I thought the same principle could be applied to the mailbox. In this way, the carrier can empty a dozen or more boxes in the same time as he could empty one by the old method of reaching in and hauling the mail out by hand.' "This type of box was basically the same as the others then in use, except that instead of removing mail from the front or side, these had a hinged bottom that would automatically dump all the contents into the carrier's sack as soon as it was unlocked. The first 500 drop bottom boxes were manufactured in Milwaukee by the A.O. Smith Co." The Johnson Service Co. made a variety of steam and gas vehicles from 1901 to 1912. "Johnson" is Professor Warren S. Johnson (1847 - 1911) of the State Normal School, now the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater, who received a patent for the first electric room thermostat. His company, which began in 1885, survives today and is now known as Johnson Controls. Since 1978 the firm has again been involved with automobiles - first with making batteries and gradually adding the ability to make all of the interior parts of a vehicle. You may have seen Johnson's handiwork when visiting Philadelphia. His pneumatic time system was installed in the Philadelphia City Hall Clock in 1898 (started Jan 1, 1899). The Floral Clock at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (St. Louis World's Fair) of 1904 also used his invention (the clock works still exist). Noon? Or later?Even though it does look like "12:00 P.M." in the photo, I wonder if it isn't a blurry 10:00 P.M. instead. A few things occur to me. One is that the Post Office used to collect mail typically throughout the day, with both morning and afternoon (and sometimes evening) collection times. Another is that the lower part of the placard is divided into two sections, which may be an early version of the two-column A.M./P.M. format that the Post Office used for many years. If so, what we're seeing are two morning times and two afternoon/evening times. Also, it's a fairly modern thing to refer to noon as "12:00 P.M." In 1915 they would have (correctly) said "12:00 Noon." [The card says "12:00 P.M." - Dave] So it does! And the two sections at the bottom of the placard are Sunday and holiday collection times. Thanks for the detail. Thing is, if Sunday collections were at 8:20 A.M. and 9:45 P.M. and holiday collections were at 9:30 A.M. and 9:25 P.M., then "12:00 P.M." almost certainly means midnight. Probably a limitation of having "A.M." and "P.M." preprinted on the placard. Location Found! Just came across this image. I thought the street sign said Waverly Pl, which is on the lower east side of Milwaukee. Drove around street view until I came across the intersection of Waverly Pl and Juneau Ave. This is looking east down Juneau. The peaked roof building in the background is the key. This neighborhood still has a number of beautiful mansion-quality homes, but so many have fallen to the wrecking ball in favor of parking lots and faceless apartment buildings. Oh, to travel time. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Natl Photo)
Raleigh Haberdasher: 1925
... and Taylor in Virginia and trained for that position in Bethesda. I was managing Raleigh's in 1968 when the riots broke out. Everything ... 
 
Posted by Ken - 08/29/2012 - 8:47pm -

The display window of Raleigh Haberdasher in Washington, D.C., c. 1925. From the National Photo Company collection. View full size hatsSome fiiine lookin hats. Display of hatsNot only fine looking hats but the display itself tells a story. Today we show off the item for sale but seem to forget to complement it with all the 'extras' you see in this photo. It suggests work, play, comfort and style. I wonder if it would have the same affect in color or in person. I remember that building onI remember that building on F Street, it has been torn down. Re: Display of hatsI think a walk through the retail district of any major city would tell you that elaborate window displays are still going strong. All the major department stores employ full-time window dressers in their flagship stores. MillineryToday one may view fine window displays, it is true. However, it is doubtful that a classic display of headwear can be found in the display window of any major department or speciality store in the U.S. The golden age of style long ago passed into the murk of low riders, tank tops, and the entitled generation(s). A sensibility for dressing well, no matter what your social milieu, has been lost in this nation. Raleigh HaberdasherI retrieved a RH hanger from this my in-law's house that we were cleaning out and thought I would "Google it" to see what turned up. Great picture! When did this place close?Because I have a hat from there, a Knox twenty. Was searching for this store to date my hat, and Shorpy came up (one of my favorite sites!). Classic Window DisplayIt is still possible to find well-executed display windows in many places but the artistry required to do this work is in short supply. The inspired display artist is a dying breed. HaberdashererI used to be the assistant manager of that store and did most of the window dressing. I was replacing a man who was a legend in the hat business. Mr. Bill Hickman was the finest hat men I've ever met. We worked with many celebrities as well as the Johnsons, Hubert Humphrey, Sinatra, Presidents of various countries. I had managed a store for Lord and Taylor in Virginia and trained for that position in Bethesda. I was managing Raleigh's in 1968 when the riots broke out. Everything was burned and gutted all around us on both sides and across the street. I had pictures of Martin Luther King blown up to poster size with peace medallion hanging from the top and survived without so much as a cracked glass. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
The Rest of the Store(s)
... Silver Spring, Strosniders still has thriving locations in Bethesda (Arlington Road & Bradley) and Potomac Village. Woodmoor ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/18/2013 - 6:13pm -

Continuation of the scene last glimpsed here, with the Acme supermarket at right. Silver Spring, Maryland, circa 1948. "Acme Market. Four Corners -- Woodmoor Shopping Center, Colesville Pike and Old Bladensburg Road. Schreier & Patterson, architects." Photo by Theodor Horydczak. View full size. Three grocery stores?This second photo appears to have a DCS (?) Supermarket at the far left end, another small, unsigned grocery store in the middle, with two men standing in front, plus our Acme Supermarket on the right. Did that small plaza really have three places selling food items? If so, at least parking was probably always available nearby for each. FinsThe Cadillac on the right is gorgeous. And at least its owner washes it! 1949 CadillacThe Cadillac on the right is a new 1949 Series 61 coupe, so it must be late 1948 or spring 1949. '49 is fineGreat looking '49 Cadillac fastback -- a car is a car, but that is a RIDE! Blast from the PastHave been exchanging email with my sibs over the Acme photos. We grew up in the Four Corners area, ca. 1947--1962 for me. We used to walk past the Acme twice a day, along what was then University Boulevard, to and from St. Bernadette's school (right or to the east). The "Hardware-Auto Supplies" was (by the fifties) Strosnider's Hardware. I don't remember what most of the other merchants became, but.... The "Groceries" became a savings and loan, where I had my first savings account (which paid more interest--4%--in the mid-fifties than you can get now!). The dark area to the left of "Groceries" was an arcade. Through the arcade on the left was a barber shop and a realty office. On the right was a stair up to the second level, which housed the library, where I spent many an hour. (In later years, the library relocated all the way to the left of the strip.) Also on the right of the arcade was a TV repair shop, where I had many a tube tested. Bowled ThereThere was a bowling alley downstairs at Woodmoor. It was duckpins of course; even after Fontana's opened around the corner I don't think there were tenpins in that neighborhood until the mid 60's. Dr. Thibodeaux had his office there for a long time, too. The Most PowerfulCar in the lot sits proudly by itself! The 1949 Cadillac, in a world still being propelled by flat head six and straight eight puddle jumpers with a maximum horsepower of maybe 120, the brand new 160 horsepower overhead valve V-8 sitting in the second year of the 1948 body, is the wave of the future and the 50's! With its four-speed Hydra-Matic, it can literally peel out of the lot and leave any of the other cars in its dust! When the accelerator is floored, the rear end squats down and the front end rises up with it beautiful hood goddess leading the way! Still there and much improved The one thing you can not do now is park your Caddy on the shoulder of what is now University Blvd. Also the center of the photo is what is under the Woodmoor sign today. And if that Hardware store would later be Strosnider's Hardware they live on in downtown Silver Spring. The Arcade is still there it leads to a parking lot in the back. The modern viewI'm pretty sure this is the correct view, today. Interesting to see the contours of the buildings maintained when they built the 2nd floor. View Larger Map Even More WoodmoorWoodmoor Shopping Center was developed by Standen and Chester Keller who later developed Beltway Plaza and what would be known as Hechinger Plaza. The flagpole rises over the area's first Post Office, which moved to larger nearby quarters in August 1961. To its left was the Woodmoor Bakery. A bakery fire in the '60s leveled part of the strip, but second story offices were added during reconstruction. In addition to their hardware store, Strosnider's also originally ran the 5 & 10, but Strosnider son-in-law Larry Olsen would assume the business; moving it into the old P.O. site. The original 5 & 10 site then became China House Restaurant. Only phase one of the shopping center is visible in this photo. In the '50s, the strip expanded northward (left) bringing a Peoples Drug Store, Liquor and Gift Stores, the Woodmoor Lanes, a Suburban Trust bank and a larger Montgomery County Library. The downstairs duckpin alley that Lewisdale John remembers closed suddenly and was replaced for a while by Slot Car Racing. Ultimately, the cozy cellar became the permanent home of the Silver Spring Stage players. Instant recognitionI recognized Woodmoor instantly, for in spite of many changes of stores the buildings look very much as they did forty years ago, modulo some careful renovation. The florist on the corner (which I think, from this shot, replaced part of the Acme) still even has its original neon sign on the roof. Woodmoor DeliThe store with the Groceries sign is the old Woodmoor Deli. It was run by two WWII vets - one of which sported a tattoo of a Hula girl captioned New Guinea 1944. I bought my first six pack of beer there long before I should have been allowed to. That Cadillacmay be a '48. All of the Caddy pics I can find online show only the '48s with a single backup light, although some '48s also had two. [1948 Cadillacs had three chrome "whiskers" under each taillamp. - Dave] The 1948 Series 61 Sedanet didn't: note also the single backup light. 2 grocery stores and a deliThere was the Acme Supermarket, the Federal Market and in between (where you see the Groceries sign) was the Woodmoor Deli. The Deli was owned and operated by two WWIi vets - Fred and George I believe. George was a big man and sported a faded tattoo of a Hula Girl captioned "new Guinean 1943). I bought my first 6 pack in that Deli and though it was not my name, George called me "Marty" for years due to a name printed on an old uniform shirt I wore while pumping gas at the ESSO. BowlingThe basement duckpin lanes at Woodmoor didn't have automatic machines, but pin spotters who jumped down and reset the pins manually. Fontana's at University and Carroll had two levels - one tenpin and one duckpin; went to many a birthday party there. In addition to Silver Spring, Strosniders still has thriving locations in Bethesda (Arlington Road & Bradley) and Potomac Village. Woodmoor SupermarketI lived in the neighborhood behind the Woodmoor Shopping Center, on St. Lawrence Street, for just over a year in the mid 2000s. I bought a ton of wine at the Woodmoor Supermarket/Beer and Wine store. While my wine was usually of the boxed variety, that little store had an impressive beer and wine selection back then. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Stores & Markets, Theodor Horydczak)
Hot Shoppes Hotties: 1941
... in the DC area. Our company had a meeting last week at the Bethesda North Marriott and prior to the meeting I had a Marriott Burger with ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/09/2014 - 2:25pm -

December 1941. Washington, D.C. "Girls in Hot Shoppes restaurant." Medium format negative by John Collier, Office of War Information. View full size. Those PinsI suspect the gal in the center has a boyfriend in uniform. BeholderI always hated those restaurant napkin holders. It was a problem getting just one to come out and if I did, it was usually torn. Hot Shoppes Fare Still AvailableThose who grew up enjoying the Hot Shoppes burgers will be happy to know that they're available at at least some of the Marriott hotels in the DC area. Our company had a meeting last week at the Bethesda North Marriott and prior to the meeting I had a Marriott Burger with fries. Delicious. The Mighty Mo burger is also available. Seventy three years laterThe same salt & pepper shakers, and the same napkin dispensers, down the road at my local Coney Island. The ash trays, not so much. Dressed to the nines, back in the day Presumably these young women were ice skating in those same outfits; doubtless they wear hats and white gloves when shopping at Hecht's or Woodie's as well. Now, here in California, I cannot get organizations that help the homeless re-enter the job market to accept like-new and still fashionable suits and ties, lest their charges intimidate their prospective, jeans-clad employers. From the boy's table...Must have been some skating party! https://www.shorpy.com/node/14769 Ice SkatingAt the rink on Connecticut Avenue NW, now the local ABC TV studios. This Hot Shoppes, complete with drive-in, was across the Avenue. I've dined there often, back in the day. Chevy Chase Ice PalaceA nice history of the building since its construction in 1938 here. EmblematicThe military insignia are a bit indistinct in the photo, but the girl at center seems to wearing three different officers' insignia on the front of her sweater: a "US" collar tab, the winged propellor of the Air Corps, and the crossed rifles of the Infantry. In addition, she's got at least one enlisted man's round lapel insignia on her turtleneck. Maybe two. She's either a patriotic collector of uniform items, or she's very popular among the various branches of service. Deco GadgetOn the wall. Thermostat or jukebox remote? And yes Mr. Mel I remember those napkin holders. But they were still better that what you get today, which is a napkin wrapped around your silverware and that's it. You have to ask for another as if they're made of silk. [The coinbox was seen here earlier. -tterrace] Former Ice Palace demolishedThe former Chevy Chase Ice Palace, immediately across the street from this Hot Shoppes location was just demolished in January according to the Ghosts of DC blog. (The Gallery, D.C., Eateries & Bars, John Collier)
Blair House: 1920
... was merged with the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. Walter Reed Army Hospital was closed and the old Walter Reed ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/01/2013 - 4:14am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "7221 Blair Road." Someone's at the door. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Progress?Spacious front lawn with concrete walkway replaced with concave gravel driveway populated with weeds here and there. Improvement? Don't think so. And it's for sale, tooIt's a small realtors' "for sale" sign to be sure. They probably didn't want to bring too much attention or offend the neighbors. Wonder what the sale price was in 1920 for this "ample two-story home, good windows (some with screens) and cross-ventilation, breezy shaded front porch, mature plantings, nice lawn and in friendly neighborhood close to paved road." Not all changes are goodIt's too bad that the sweeping sidewalk is gone, and shame on whomever replaced the twin single-hung windows in the dormer with a single horizontal sliding window. Old, Simple & EffectiveMy grandparents had the same cloth awnings on the windows, and over the porch. You cranked them up and down by hand with a long metal pole. It was amazing how much cooler the porch got when the awning was down. 1925 or laterOn Zillow it states that the year built is 1925. Bedrooms: 4 beds Bathrooms: 2 baths Single Family: 2,347 sq ft Lot: 16,176 sq ft Year Built: 1925 Heating Type: Forced air Still There!With a few changes, but still very recognizable. American IconIt's a foursquare! This house is for saleThe house is for sale, and the negative's mold makes it look like the interior hasn't been dusted for years, there is snow or huge pollen blowing about, and an eerie glow hovers above. It's gonna be a hard sale! Owner leaving city.From June 13, 1920, edition of The Washington Times. Takoma Park 7221 Blair Road Price reduced $2000 Immediate possession Owner leaving city. Will sell this beautiful home at a sacrifice in order to make a quick sale. House contains 8 rooms, sleeping porch, breakfast porch and attractive bathroom; entire house is screened including the sleeping porch; hardwood floors; hot-water heat; electric lights; awnings; garage harmonizing with house. And unfortunately, when you bring up this page from archives, you also see real estate listings for "coloreds" :( Near Walter Reed Army HospitalJust a very few blocks' walk to the Walter Reed Army Hospital. That must increase the value of houses in the neighborhood. Not Near Walter Reed Any MoreWith the coming of BRAC, the Walter Reed Army Hospital was merged with the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. Walter Reed Army Hospital was closed and the old Walter Reed site in D.C. will be redeveloped. Also, concerning the date in Zillow, if D.C. tax records are like those in nearby Montgomery County, Maryland, the built dates on properties built in the 1930s and before are often wildly inaccurate. It is not unusual to see newspaper ads for house complete with photos years before the tax records say the houses were built. In other cases tax records have build dates years before the subdivisions were established. We Love Our Foursquare!We live in the historic district of Hyattsville, Maryland; adjacent to Takoma Park. We're a couple of miles inside the Washington, DC, Beltway and a couple of miles from the District line. There are many of these American foursquare homes in this district. Our home is one of a row of five Sears kit homes on this side of our street built in 1926. The Fullerton model sold then, delivered in two railroad cars, for $2,243. They're going for $250K and above now, depending on condition and upgrades. Interestingly enough, the story is that in another one of these foursquare homes two blocks from our house, Jim Henson lived when he was attending nearby Northwestern High School. He created his first Muppets for the local Wilkins Coffee company's TV commercials while living there. You can find some of those commercials on YouTube. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
Carbon Copies: 1935
"Bethesda, Maryland. Chevy Chase School, 1935." We backspace to another typing ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 4:35pm -

"Bethesda, Maryland. Chevy Chase School, 1935." We backspace to another typing class. National Photo Company Collection safety negative. View full size. Underwood MemoriesThe mix of machines (Royal, L.C. Smith and Underwood) reminds me of my first typewriter, a 1945 Underwood that weighed as much as a car battery. Although I never had formal training I could go pretty fast, only to find I could type even faster on an IBM Selectric III, the greatest typewriter ever made. A lot of a typist's time with the old manuals was spent pushing the keys that long way down to raise the typebar to strike the ribbon. With the Selectric, the key travel was maybe a quarter of the manual and I could make that "golf ball" typing element fly down the line. I'm using a NOS IBM PS/2 keyboard now, very similar to the Selectric of yore. Weekend UpdateHi. We're Chevy Chase students ... and you're not! 70 wpmMy mother learned to type at about this time. She worked as a secretary for many years and I still marvel when remembering her typing at about 60 to 70 words a minute on one of those monsters. Although she would agree with A. Tipster about the Selectric. Manual typewritersMy mom was a legal secretary in the late '50s/early '60s and spent a lot of time on manual typewriters. To this day, she wears out computer keyboards astonishingly fast and I've always assumed it must be because her "touch" is so strong. Silly observationWonderful photos. Funny, Its difficult to find fat people in old photos, everybody looks slim and healthy... Today it seem impossible to take a pic in any academy or school without fat people in it.. Not SillyI typed so long on manuals that my forearm muscles were the strongest and biggest except for my leg muscles. Sort of Popeye style. Flinging that carriage back every few seconds really helped. Good training -- with no mistakes allowed and 5 carbons, you learned to get it right the first time. I can still do 100 wpm. The More Things Change....The more things change, the more they stay the same. We had about the same boy-girl ratio in typing class when I took it in 1981 and 1982. Personal computers were just coming on the scene and typing (we'd never heard of "keyboarding") skills were still seen as being of little use for males. We had a 50-50 mix of manual and electrics and we'd all switch every six weeks. It made for some comical moments. People used to the manuals found just resting their hands on the keyboard of the electric would send that little speedball flying across the platen. And people coming from the electrics would hit the keys and often find that they hadn't hit it quite hard enough, or they had managed to jam the keys together. I miss the manuals. It was sort of nice to "bounce" on the keys a bit while thinking. And there was something very satisfying about reaching up and whacking the carriage return lever. I've often wished someone would make a modern keyboard that instead of an ENTER key had a good old-fashioned manual typewriter carriage return lever to slap. Another silly observationIt looks like each row of desks has a particular brand of typewriter, with all five of the major manufacturers covered. Along with the Royals, L.C. Smiths, and Remingtons in the center of the photo, I spy Woodstocks on the far left and what I believe are Underwoods on the right. I bet the teachers had the students change rows at intervals to allow them to get the feel of each kind of machine. (Somewhat related: I've sat in front of a few of those, and my favorite is the Royal.) (The Gallery, Education, Schools, Natl Photo)
Radiators R Us: 1920
... in Roslyn, one on Washington Blvd. in Clarendon, one in Bethesda, and one in Falls Church, in addition to the Brightwood Garage in DC. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 10:28pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Wittstatt radiator shop, 13th Street N.W." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. Wittstatt's 2009The company is still around but has changed its name and location. The Web site carries the Wittstatt name. It's now Virginia Auto Service, in Falls Church. They're still doing radiators! http://www.vaautorepaircenter.com/services.nxg Wow, free airand those radiators on the left look like Model T Ford, be nice to have those tucked away for the superannuation fund! [The shop specialized in Emco brand replacement radiators, "guaranteed for Fords." - Dave] Where the air is freeIs Whittsatt a word or a family name? Great repair shop photo. I love the stacks of identical radiators. [Wittstatt, not Whittsatt. Edward L. Wittstatt, who had 10 more years to live. - Dave] Mr. Davis and the MarinesWhatever happened to Mr. Davis, I wonder? It looks like someone tried to paint him out of the picture, literally. I also wonder if that lone piddlin' garage bay was shared by the radiator shop and the Marine Quartermaster's Department. Those would be some pretty cramped quarters just for the radiator shop, let alone to be shared. But I don't see any other bays, not in this photo anyway. Cool!(Well, what else can you say about a display of radiators?!) 13th StreetI was just in DC last weekend, and walked down 13th NW many times...I don't think this building exists anymore, and was likely wiped out to create the Ronald Reagan Building. [This part of Washington was cleared in the 1920s and '30s to make way for government development in the Federal Triangle, long before the Reagan Building went up. This stretch of 13th Street no longer exists. - Dave] Cool, Man!Statistically, only the Ford Model Ts would have the demand for 75 radiators. Those are aftermarket replacements for 1917 models and up, sans the Ford logo. [As noted below, the shop specialized in Emco replacement radiators for Fords. - Dave] The darker ones in front of the door are from larger trucks. The ones at the far right look like honeycomb-style jobs-- great coolers, expensive, difficult to repair, and found mainly on high-end cars. Deja GuangzhouThis photo reminded me of many of the businesses I saw in China when I was last there in 2000, guys assembling windows or appliances or furniture on the sidewalk outside a storefront. The most interesting were the photo-etching artists, who used a tiny hammer and chisel to reproduce Westerners' photos on small marble plaques. I had always thought those things were machine-made. In many ways China's economoy and society parallels that of ours 100 years ago. Fill in the blankThe blank space over the door is just begging for someone to finish the slogan. "Wittstatt -- Best Place in Town to Take a Leak" Our family business!My dad, Ralph Wainwright, was a co-owner of Wittstatt's for decades. The business was sold to a man named James Ewin when Mr. Wittstatt died, and my dad went to work there as a mechanic when he was just 16. This was when the garage was on 14th Street in the 1930's. Dad was good at what he did and Mr. Ewin made him a partner in the business. They also owned shops in Roslyn, one on Washington Blvd. in Clarendon, one in Bethesda, and one in Falls Church, in addition to the Brightwood Garage in DC. I spent a lot of time as a kid in the 50's hanging around the tanks where radiators were cleaned! (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
A Tale of Two Charlies: 1925
... of Washington, D.C., died Sept. 23 at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda of respiratory failure. Born in Staunton, Va., Mr. Smoot moved to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 7:22pm -

Washington, D.C., 1925. "Charles Widmayer, Margaret Monk and Charles Smoot." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size. ObitN.Y. Times, Sept. 22, 1991 Charles Edward Widmayer, a founder of Editorial Projects for Education, which published the weekly Chronicle of Higher Education, and for 30 years the editor of the Dartmouth College Alumni Magazine, died Thursday at Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon, N.H. He was 83 years old. He died from acute respiratory failure, the family said. Mr. Widmayer, a native of Washington, graduated cum laude from Dartmouth in 1930. After a year's graduate study at Harvard, he returned to Dartmouth and Hanover, N.H., where he lived for the rest of his life. He taught English at Dartmouth in 1932-33 and served as director of athletic publicity in 1933-1934. He joined the staff of the Dartmouth Alumni magazine in 1933. In 1957, he became a founding member of Editorial Projects. Surviving are his wife, Alene G. Potter Widmayer, to whom he had been married for 53 years, and two sons, Frederick P. and Martin G. Widmayer. Her PrinceMargaret is quite attractive, given the lack of modern makeup, and seems to be wearing a sort of knowing smirk. Mr. Smoot is rather dashing in a wealthy sort of way. But Margaret is leaning toward Mr. Widmayer, isn't she. Hmmmm. I agreewith Nate. There is definitely some body language going on there. Besides Mr. Smoot got really carried away with the Pomade in his hair. That Privileged LookCharles Smoot has all the grooming and the patrician features of a young Joe Kennedy, older brother and once Presidential hopeful of brother John Kennedy. Central High StudentsThese three were all Central High students when pictured here. I have yet to find the common thread that links them all. [As in aside, my first association with the name Smoot is not the Smoot-Hawley act (a.k.a. Hoot-Smalley) but rather the non-standard unit of measure for the length of the Harvard Bridge connecting Cambridge to Boston: 364.4 Smoots. One Smoot equating to 67 inches.] Washington Post, Nov 15, 1925 Central Quill Clique Opens Year's Meetings The first meeting of the Quill Clique, Central's honorary publications society, was held recently at the home of Miss Alla Rogers, last year's editor of the review. This year's officers are Charles E. Widmayer, president; Miss Elizabeth Howard Wright, vice president; J. Canfield Marsh, recording secretary; Miss Margaret Moreland, corresponding secretary, and Charles Smoot, treasurer. Is he in the other Smoot picture?Charlie Smoot looks like the little boy in the shot called "Meet the Smoots." I suspect he's the youngest child, on the far right. [He's a bit young to be the boy in the 1910 photo. Charlie was a student (and cheerleader) at Central High when this photo was made in 1925. Senator Smoot, whose sons were Harold, Harlowe and Ernest (probably the boy in the sailor suit), did have a grandson named Charles, born around 1917. - Dave] Oh, she is cute.But I'll tell you what: It may be stylish and trendy, but that hairstyle does not work with that shape of face.I'm reminded of the stylist who invented the Jennifer Aniston hairstyle and who was politely furious at its fame; she said people were wearing it who just plain shouldn't. 364.4 smootsThe smoot is a unit of measure at MIT, tracing back to a 1958 fraternity prank whereby one Oliver Smoot was repeatedly laid down on a bridge to measure its length. Bill Maher '25Charlie on the left is a dead ringer. Bona dragThey all look very nicely dressed and elegant, the 20s were really a high point in fashion, very timeless. What they are wearing wouldn't look too much out of place even today. Also, the young men's suits are really nicely tailored, and the young woman is elegant without being gaudy. Charles E. Smoot 1908-1999The Washington Post - Oct 1, 1999 Charles Effinger Smoot, 91, a former assistant general counsel of the Federal Communications Commission and co-founder of the Ski Club of Washington, D.C., died Sept. 23 at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda of respiratory failure. Born in Staunton, Va., Mr. Smoot moved to the District in 1917 and lived in Washington until shortly before his death. He graduated from Central High School in 1926 and for the next decade worked for the Agriculture and Interior Departments. (The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo, Portraits)
Well Connected: 1920
... office for its time, but just down Georgia Avenue was the Bethesda office which had a switchboard that looked very much like this one. I ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/01/2012 - 10:14am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Daniels and Navy telephone exchange." Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy. National Photo glass negative. View full size. Operator, May I Help You?That phrase is what we would have to say to cuatomers. This was my very first "real" job when I graduated from High School in 1975. The switchboard looked exactly the same as this one with just as many operators. It was a fun job working the old switchboards but not too long after I was with the phone company, they started moving everything over to computer and it became dull and boring, so I quit. I regret leaving, but eventually all this would become dinosaur technology anyway. Good memories though! Time to swab them decks!Looks as if there's a fine dark powder all over the floor, with the inevitable scuff marks of hundreds of footsteps. Except in places where no one walks, like under that desk on the left and around the baseboards out of the main travel paths. Don't they ever mop these floors? Have a cuppa...Not my favorite SECNAV, for sure. Daniels, SECNAV #41, was responsible for the prohibition of the daily rum ration for enlisted personnel, and of wine in the officers' mess in the US Navy. The stongest replacement aboard ship was coffee, and having a "Cup of Joe" remains in our language. Josephus DanielsHis Assistant Secretary of the Navy was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. What about the tarp covering the top?The tarp covering the top has weighted straps to keep it in place. I wonder what this covering is for. The pipes above look like a sprinkler system, but I can't find any sprinkler heads. Interesting. Jeff Number playzMy first job in Verizon/Bell Atlantic/NYNEX was a Directory Assistance Operator. Before I transferred to the technical side of the house I was handling over 1,300 calls for directory information. This was in the late eighties after DA went from microfilm to mainframe based technology. There were still customers who thought we were in a big room with phone books!!! Might want to Snopes thatThe Mikkelsons have thrown cold water on the "cuppa Joe" etymology. In any case, the Greek-writing first century Jewish historian must have been a semi-popular namesake in the late nineteenth century, at least in the American South. My great-grandfather was named Josephus, a name his baby sister couldn't pronounce, so she called him C.B. He decided he liked that name better, starting a family tradition of naming boys with those initials. He died in the 1918 flu epidemic, and I don't know much more about him than that. Skates rockNot sure when the concept of roller sakes for the supervisors came into play, but so much better than those tight shoes! The tarpLooks like a folded cover. The 'weights' look like handles which could be used to pull the cover down over the switchboard. No idea how they'd get it back up again, short of climbing up on the desk. Where?I wonder if this was in the State, War, and Navy Building (now the Eisenhower (or Old)) EOB west of the White House. Or, being after WWI, was it in those Navy tempos that blighted the Mall until Nixon got rid of them? Name and number, please?I started work with C&P Telephone in Silver Spring, MD, in 1972. We were in what was a modern office for its time, but just down Georgia Avenue was the Bethesda office which had a switchboard that looked very much like this one. I transferred in 1973 to Southern Bell Telephone in Wilmington, NC, and (lo and behold!) had to man a similar switchboard that had been acquired after the 1939 World's Fair closed. The switchboard from the fair was shipped to Wilmington and remained in use until the late 1970's. (Technology, The Gallery, D.C., Natl Photo)
World Cruise: 1943
... were the track bed and ROW. For example, Brookmont near Bethesda, MD: https://goo.gl/maps/ogLQgE31wio Conduit Road became ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/25/2016 - 4:55pm -

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