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Pedal-Pushers: 1942
... everything is bigger in Texas. At our peak we had 18,000 bicycles scattered all over our fair city. And I do mean scattered. By comparison, New York City had only 12,000 bicycles and weak sister Seattle only 10,000. D(allas) Magazine warned ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/22/2022 - 2:41pm -

June 1942. Washington, D.C. "A bicycle rental shop on 22nd Street, near Virginia Avenue N.W., on Sunday." Acetate negative by Marjory Collins, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Been there, done thatIn August 2017, Dallas joined the inspired world of dockless bike-sharing. Sponsoring companies promised it would come at no cost to taxpayers. The app-controlled feature allowed bike-share companies to distribute their dockless fleets wherever they wanted. By February 2018, five bike share companies transformed Dallas from the largest American city without a bike-share system to the city with the largest fleet in North America. That's right, everything is bigger in Texas. At our peak we had 18,000 bicycles scattered all over our fair city. And I do mean scattered. By comparison, New York City had only 12,000 bicycles and weak sister Seattle only 10,000. D(allas) Magazine warned “Let’s not screw this up.” But, we did screw it up. By August 2018, it was all over. And guess who had to pay to clean up the mess. The more things changeCapital Bikeshare 2022. One hour for $4 (more than 26 times the 1942 rate), though you can get membership rates and passes. PricingSo it’s 15 cents an hour during the day, Monday to Friday, but 25 cents for the whole evening or, even better, the whole weekend? I’ll take the weekend, please. The girls are wearing the same shoes, as girls are wont to do. They both look great, really strong, especially the one on the right. I’d vote for her for President. Wonderful title, Dave! Price Is About the SameThe Bureau of Labor Statistics online inflation calculator says 15 cents in June 1942 is equivalent to $2.74 today and 25 cents is equivalent to $4.57. Capital Bikeshare's 2022 rates are more or less the same as the 1942 rental rates in real terms. Hey, that's my bike!That dude in the doorway is more concerned about his bike being stolen than he is with the fine pairs of departing legs. Prime Time25 cents an hour, evenings and weekends seems logical to me. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Marjory Collins)
Junior League: 1914
... about this photo looks like 100+ years ago except for the bicycles. They just don't look that much different from what you see today. ... to add a different perspective on the observation of the bicycles. Although I can completely understand how a non-enthusiast would say ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2022 - 10:52am -

Washington, D.C. "Playground, Madison School baseball, May 20, 1914." 5x7 inch glass negative, National Photo Company Collection. View full size. This picture makes me cringe. I hope he doesn't get "ding-donged" -- only catchers will get this saying. Oh the agony. Must be a New CatcherThat nose shows no sign of having been broken. Catching with no protective gear can fix that in a hurry. Casey at the batWhat a neat photo! And I bet there were some good players too. When I was a kid, I had a catcher's mitt like that -- my folks bought it at an auction. Tie goes to the batterDid kids ever really dress like this?? Oh sure, we have the photos -- and the "Boy Mechanic" line drawings -- but still it seems like the world's biggest and most successful prank; a century-plus now and nobody ever spilled the beans. A scout?I wonder if the man in the straw boater is looking for future major league prospects. He looks like he's sizing up someone. I Want To Ride My BicycleEverything about this photo looks like 100+ years ago except for the bicycles. They just don't look that much different from what you see today. Anytime, anywhereWhat a wonderful image. The clothes stand out a bit, but otherwise this could be kids of almost any era doing what kids do, having fun. Suddenly I am feeling deeply nostalgic. Tour de FenceAs an avid competitive cyclist (admittedly less so as I age), I'd like to add a different perspective on the observation of the bicycles. Although I can completely understand how a non-enthusiast would say that bikes across the 100+ years have changed very little, from my perspective it is no different than saying cars haven't changed much either. They still have four wheels, and engine in the front (usually), and a place you sit behind a steering wheel, with a gas pedal and a brake pedal, just like they did 100+ years ago. Yes, cars have arguably changed more so, but please believe me that bicycles have come a LONG way from what these kids were riding. This is especially true of bikes made to leave the pavement, which have evolved immensely just over the past three decades. Now having said all that, I will admit that it is interesting to note that in spite of many efforts over the decades to create different designs, the "double triangle" frame, and the chain-based drivetrain still dominate. Thanks, Mom -- I'll bring it right back!"Base" ball? Looks more like sofa cushion ball! I sense Trouble with a Capital "T"I wonder if there is a pool hall in the vicinity? Several of the lads have buckled their knickerbockers below the knee. I wonder if these same lads have nicotine stains on their fingers? And perhaps they've got dime novels hidden in the corn crib. I sense trouble, with capital "T", and that rhymes with "P" and that stands for "Pool"! The wall's still standingMadison School was constructed in 1889 at the corner of G Street and 10th NE. That building (651 10th St NE) is still in place, following a historically-sensitive renovation around 2016. Variously known as the the John Young Center, Madison Shelter, and now one of the Houses of Ruth, it provides transitional housing for women in the District. Tied-UpIn this case, the tie goes to the batter. BookwormThe boy in the back with his nose in a book paying no attention to the game is my favorite. That's my kind of kid. Time TravelerAs Frank Zappa quietly observes in the background ... (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo, Sports)
Berkshire Bank: 1906
... carpets, must one go to their top floor? (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/19/2023 - 1:52pm -

Pittsfield, Massachusetts, circa 1906. "Berkshire County Savings Bank." Last glimpsed here. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Nicely intactThe Berkshire County Savings Bank is nicely intact. The cornice is still there and main entrance, flanked by 1846 and 1894 cut in stone in the upper corners, was not stripped away in some effort to make the building look more modern. No surprise the windows have been replaced. A ledge has been added at the top of the second floor so uplights could be installed. Must look nice at night. Still thereBanks last a long time! Lighter Than AirSomething seems to be pulling on the building from above. Look at that wire, making a direct vertical to out of the image, while two lazy wires hang from it. [Um, that "wire" is a flagpole. - Dave] Expansion?Seems they expanded out further on North Street. There are now 4 sets of windows rather than 3. Pretty seamless expansion at that. The overhead view is a little more revealing. Prince and WalkerIn order to buy carpets, must one go to their top floor? (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC)
Water Sports: 1904
... Company. View full size. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boats & Bridges, E.H. Hart, Swimming) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/11/2023 - 11:17am -

1904. "Water sports at Annisquam, Gloucester, Massachusetts." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Boats & Bridges, E.H. Hart, Swimming)
Low Roller: 1970
... same dented tail end of the car is in both. (Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Found Photos, Kids, Stephen Kodachromes) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/29/2022 - 4:27pm -

Here we are back on Schwinn Street, which turns out to be in ... New York. With a teensy tyke on yet another tiny trike. 35mm Kodachrome slide found on eBay. View full size. She's got styleHer white sailor outfit for Easter is perfect as it is; but this fashionista has gone the extra mile of matching her socks to the pedals and handlebar grips (just one, actually) of her not left-in-the street tricycle. Since I guessed wrong about these Kodachromes being in Pennsylvania, I'll make another guess that this little darlin' is a younger sister of the lovely lass in yellow. Low riderI hope she does a better job of parking her trike. Three photos back, it was begging to be run over. [As noted in the caption, this isn't the same trike. Different colors. - Dave] See it now ... thanks. Not long for this world? Looks like the tricycle was only temporarily abandoned. [As noted in the caption, this isn't the same trike. Different colors. - Dave] The IBEWThe car boasts a supporter plate for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The oil leaks on the streetDefinitely FORDS in the area. Fix Or Repair Daily as they were fondly called. Getting warmerThe last two letters on the license plate are RL. That plate was issued in Rockland County (New York, 1966-73 series). The distant hills are also consistent with that area. Same drivewayThe camera position changed too much to do a good job of this, but I've merged the two images to show that this trike is in the same driveway as shown in the earlier pic of two girls. The same dented tail end of the car is in both. (Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Found Photos, Kids, Stephen Kodachromes)
Incognito: 1890
... other reason? I have a friend who has one of those bicycles tattooed on her ankle. They look awfully complicated to mount, let ... Years ago I had a co-worker whose hobby was penny-farthing bicycles. Infamous for their propensity to propel hapless riders into a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:26pm -

Circa 1890. "Frances Benjamin Johnston, self-portrait, dressed as a man with false mustache." The Washington, D.C., photographer was one of the first women to rise to prominence in the profession. Albumen print. View full size. Awesome (and imposing) bike!How on Earth did you get on top of that? And how did you keep your balance? I've heard velocipedes (that´s their name, right?) were really fast, but also very unstable. And when it came to stopping, how did you keep from falling? This photo ranks high in my favorite list, definitely! Never assume...I will assume that profession is photography, not cross-dressing. I have so many questions!Starting with how tall is that door? Or was she just a tiny woman who made the door seem giant in comparison? Also, what about the draped painting or mirror on the wall? Was it simply draped so as not to distract from the photo's subject, or for some other reason? I have a friend who has one of those bicycles tattooed on her ankle. They look awfully complicated to mount, let alone ride. CognitoI don't know how well her disguise concealed her identity but it certainly failed to conceal her gender in those bike pants. Horsing around with a bicycleI'm pretty sure one mounts them the same way one mounted a horse. In the pre-automobile era people put mounting blocks outside buildings. These were basically stone (sometimes wood) platforms with two or three steps leading up to the platform area. The mounting area was typically 3 feet by four feet or so. When you mounted the bicycle you were standing tall enough, thanks to the block, that the bicycle seat was below your own seat. As for how you stopped them -- uhm, with great difficulty? I do not know if they have some kind of braking mechanism at the top of that wheel or not. I see something there. But since it is direct drive on the hub of that front wheel, you can stop it by no longer pedaling forward. How you keep it from tipping over after you stop it--I haven't a clue. How to handle itI found a couple of videos demonstrating mounting technique, and it appears to require some agility. A summary: 1. There is a small step on the left side of the rail, down toward the smaller wheel. Put the left foot on the step and both hands on the handlebars. 2. Kick with the right leg to start rolling, then use the step and handlebars to lever the body up toward the seat. 3. Throw the right leg over the seat and onto the right-side pedal as it comes up. 4. Straighten out and get the left foot onto the left-side pedal, and ride away. The Dreaded HeaderYears ago I had a co-worker whose hobby was penny-farthing bicycles. Infamous for their propensity to propel hapless riders into a "header" -- when they were pitched over the driving wheel upon encountering an obstruction. Which explains why the more conventional design that came along later was known for a time as the "safety bicycle." High-wheel FaceplantSomething rarely if ever mentioned about the penny farthing and other high-wheelers is the problem with braking. You can see the brake just above the top of the wheel. If this was applied hard enough, the seat (and rear wheel) would rotate with the main wheel, slamming the rider into the ground. One solution was to put the little wheel at the front, but by then the symmetrical two-wheeler was taking over. Pounds, shillings and....This type of bicycle was termed the "penny-farthing" in Britain (and throughout the Commonwealth) due to the sizes of the big wheel (the penny) and the little wheel (the farthing). The bikes were mounted via a little step just above the small wheel -- partially hidden here by the lady's legs. Step 1A.K.A.A "Boneshaker" for obvious reasons. Self-Portraits in the 1890sI can't see a cable in this image, but self-portraits were doable in the 1890s. Photographer Alice Austen shot many self-portraits, using a pneumatic cable to release the shutter, as early as 1884. Whoa!Simply stopping pedaling does not stop the bike - the pedals ratchet while coasting, just as most modern bikes do. The small "finger" looking device at the top of the wheel is the brake, activated by the levers on the right handle bar. It is not very effective, but its better than nothing. Riding one of these is more like riding a unicycle with a training wheel! They can be very fast, and if you fall, you REALLY fall, usually on your face. The gyroscopic precession with that tall wheel makes turning at slow speeds interesting, but once up and rolling, the bike is amazingly stable. Mounting blocks? Neigh.Mounting a velocipede or high wheeled bicycle is an art. Using a mounting block wouldn't work -- the bike has to be moving or else you fall over. You have to get a running start, pushing the bike, then put a foot on the frame step, somewhat like a stirrup, and in a single fluid motion you throw yourself up and over the frame, landing in the seat. Taming the BicycleMark Twain on "Taming the Bicycle." Self-PortraitPardon my ignorance about photography but how did someone take a self portrait back in 1890. They couldn't have had timers on the cameras back then so how was it done? There does look like there is some sort of cable running down from the wall hanging but I can't quite make out where it ends up. Is there some sort of apparatus where she would squeeze a bulb that would trip the lens and take the picture? [Probably the apparatus known as "assistant who squeezes the bulb." - Dave] Extreme penny farthing-ingAt least two people have ridden around the world on penny farthings. Around the World on a Bicycle by Thomas Stevens, first published in 1887 is available in hardback, and as a free e-book at The Gutenberg Project. Joff Summerfield did it between May 2006 and November 2008. EpiphanyI always wondered why the first bicycles were shaped so funny, why the seats were so high. My theory is that the height of the seat was the same as the average height of a horse's withers, so coming from a culture built entirely around horses as transportation, it makes sense that the first bicycle would have been designed to mimic the height and foot placement of a saddled horse. [The reason is more mechanical than cultural. The only way to build a reasonably speedy direct-drive cycle is with a big wheel, with the diameter determined by the length of the average person's legs. Bicycles with smaller wheels and comparable speeds weren't possible until the introduction of the sprocket-and-chain gearset. - Dave] Her Left FootPerhaps her extended left foot, with toes suspiciously out of the frame, is squeezing the bulb. Extraordinary Lady!I'm beginning to develop a great fondness for Ms. Johnston and her work! Remarkable woman. *swoon* (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., F.B. Johnston)
Shop Early for Xmas: 1922
... better. A Visit from the Innuendo Fairy Don't all "bicycles" have "reputations?" Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more! ... 1910 (25ACP) or the 1914 (32 ACP). (The Gallery, Bicycles, Christmas, D.C., Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/06/2015 - 12:35am -

Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Sport Mart, 1303 F Street N.W." Shorpy would like one of each, please. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. Update: For the window-shoppers among us, I've posted a bigger closeup here. Lionel Train SetThat Lionel Electric Train Set is to die for!! I know fellow collectors who, if they had only the original box displayed in this picture, would be in fandom heaven. Joshua Lionel Owen invented the first toy trains in 1901 so New York City Department Stores could use them for window displays during Christmas. The rest as they say is history. Great picture. Also, just can't imagine any store having all those guns in a front window anymore, with just plate glass in front of them as protection from theft. Were people really that honest back then? Don't bother with the girlsLove all the signs. Also interesting to see another pre-WWII swastika, and this one is even turned 45 degrees onto a point, the same as the Nazis did. [That's two interlocking S's, for Stetson Shoes. Ten lines. A swastika has six. - Dave] Airguns $1I'm sorry, Shorpy, you don't want that. You'll put your eye out. Western Auto, Carroll Cut Rite....In the small mill town where I grew up, we had the two stores mentioned as well as United Cigar and Hart's 5 & 10. Their windows examples of just about every single item in inventory. The multitude of tiered shelves allowed one to see what was inside without actually going in. For the kids (like me) that had a total of $10 to buy six gifts, it was great to stand in front of the window and budget out the allotment, figuring out who would get what before actually buying. Mom always got the blue bomb bottle of Evening in Paris or dusting powder, Dad got something in Old Spice, an inflatable toy for my baby brother, handkerchiefs or an autograph book for Sis, etc. Christmas will never be as meaningful as when we had to budget every cent because it really meant something more than just purchasing merchandise. I'll take the...Kodak Autographics, bike and Lionel train sets, please! Santa Please......bring me the sled that looks just like Rosebud, and the Lionel trains, and the golf set with those fabulous hickory shafts. I need a new niblick. Alice MaynardOne wonders what Alice Maynard is selling "upstairs." Probably entirely innocent - probably ladies clothing based on what we can see in the second floor windows - but the filthy mind gets all sorts of ideas. Can I have the .22 please?That Winchester pump .22 would be worth big bucks if it were in good condition today. Re: Santa Please...I couldn't help but notice the fatness of the "pre-pass" era type of footballs. More like a rugby or Aussie rules football. Toy StoryGreat photo, Dave. I can't tell how much the chess set is, but it looks like a nice one. Cowboy suede holsters and Indian feathered headbands would be frowned upon today. I am puzzled why a thermos is more expensive than a golf set. There's so much to look at. By the way, are those irons (the kind for pressing clothes?) What's with that? [The sign under the vacuum bottles is for a $15 "tackle outfit." - Dave] I have a pump .22 a lot like the one in the window......but its a "Savage" vs. a "Winchester", octagonal barrel, you can take it apart with one screw. Last fired about 25 years ago! Not to Nitpickbut it's Joshua Lionel Cowen, ne Cohen. He was the great-uncle of the infamous Roy Cohn, who later was board chairman of the train company. Fix bayonets!That Daisy BB gun has a bayonet on it -- more fun than lawn darts! SavageI believe Savage was taken over by Winchester way back when. I had a 1918 Winchester pump as a kid. I really loved it and used it in the late 40's and 50's. Wish I could find another under $1k. Aw, Why do I have to be a girl?I'm looking at all the really neat stuff in the window. All my friends were boys when I was growing up and their toys were the best. If I lived back then, my mother would have shopped for me one door over to the right, where they have a selection of ugly, boring dolls. Dreaming of the train set... .38How long would those pistols last in a glass storefront in 2008? Not long. Pistols..The pistol on the right is most likely a Colt Model 1903 .32 ACP or perhaps a Model 1908 .380. The Revolver is a Smith and Wesson. I can't identify caliber size or frame type. As to the pistol on the left, your guess is as good as mine. It's interesting that Washington D.C. in the 1920's where you could buy guns no questions asked at a department store with glass windows was much safer than 21st century D.C. where possession of any one of the firearms in that window was a felony until recently. What every boys wants...but should he get a revolver? Oooooh! Oooooh!I was born 25 years later, but in spirit my nose- and handprints are all over that Sport Mart window. I have hundreds of engines and cars in my collection but no Lionel that goes back to the 1920s, much to my sorrow. Dad couldn't wait to put one under the tree, so I had my first one at age 4; at 62 I still play with trains! (Sadly, electric train sales have fallen on hard times and only the old boys are interested.) I do have most of the cameras in that window but they aren't quite so shiny -- but they do work, even the ones going back to the 1870s. Air rifles weren't allowed in my family (had to play with my friend's guns on the sly) and they sure couldn't be had for a dollar then! Even the boys in my family spent a lot of quality time using an iron (the ones that put a crease in your britches and made your starched shirts crisp -- not the ones you hit little white balls with) but I don't remember thinking it was much of a sport! Note that the golf balls there are individually wrapped. I don't recognize the bike in the window, but it looks big; in the early 1950s we had a hand-me-down of indeterminate origin, the only 38-incher in the neighborhood. Not much in the window for the little girls in 1921. The signs seem to indicate they may not have gotten them personally as gifts, but in some families the "tomboys" had their ways! Some things have changed for the better. A Visit from the Innuendo FairyDon't all "bicycles" have "reputations?" Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more! ShockingBesides the toys there are bunches of household items on display (but don't get me wrong, I want the train set and a basement to put it in). I'm suddenly interested in the parallel history of the battery and portable electrical devices. Things like flashlights had to have been introduced for the consumer with a battery in mind. Of course after a few years batteries became ubiquitous, but imagine going to a store and picking up a battery and not already owning anything to put it in. Lionel for ChristmasI had a circa 1941 Lionel freight train complete with all the cars and a headlight. I got it for Christmas. It also had little tablets that you could drop down the stack so that the engine puffed smoke as it tore around the three-rail track. Alas, my dear mom gave it away to Goodwill one day when I was in high school. Sigh! Indoor SportsSome of the Christmas Specials in this display window bring new meaning to the term Sporting Goods. The lower left section is filled with electric-powered household appliances: Irons, a toaster, a coffee percolator ("perculator" in the sign) and a set of antler-handled carving knives for that Christmas turkey. When I was a kid in the 1950s there were a few moms in our neighborhood who seemed to think that Extreme Ironing was a competition sport, but they usually got their gear at Sears. And what about that accordion in the back row next to the electric space heater? $16There's a sign just below the sled for $16 but I can't make it out. Can you blow it up? [Kaboom. - Dave] Electric TorchJust to feed everyone's new interest in the subject, here's a post from the inimitable Daniel Rutter that includes some early flashlight background. $5.50 for a dozen golf balls.A lost ball in a water hazard or the rough had to have hurt! Made In U. S. A.For an advocate of American-made goods which are currently difficult (to impossible) to find for gift-giving, I assume that almost everything in this window was made right here in the USA. A twinge of sorrow takes over as I wonder if Lionel is still made here, or Daisy Air guns or Flexible Flyers. Christmas lights shown here for $8.50 (a huge amount of money in 1921) can be bought today for a couple of dollars. Yes, imports are cheap, cheap, cheap, but also disposable and short-lived. Time marches on and even Levis are made in Mexico, Converse in China. I did find nail clippers made in the USA last week for $1. Maybe I'll be like Jack Benny and give gifts of just shoelaces and nail clippers this year. Don't know of ANY toys or electronics made here. One other non-imported gift suggestion is to give the gift recipient a hand-made gift card for FOUR HOURS of personal advice. (few people will cash it in) Merry Christmas fellow Shorpy addicts. Get the boy something he wants...All he wants now is a Wii, a Playsatation, a Game Cube, an iPod... How unfortunate. I want a time machine. How dare they...Look at them! Creating these restrictive gender roles and explicitly marketing them to impressionable children? The audacity! The horror! Someone call the NOW and shut these advocates of boyhood down! Rampant (and refreshing) political correctness aside, this is a fabulous picture. I love these, where you can just drink in wonderful little details. You can even read the sign company name on the SportMart sign. You really do a great job sharpening these up, Dave. What's the white squiggly line in the upper left corner? Looks like the border of a postcard or something, but how did it get in that rather strange location on this picture? Either that, or I'm missing something very obvious and it's a water pipe or something. [It's the decoration (or alarm tape, which did indeed exist in 1921) on a windowpane. - Dave] Made in USA.Yoda, I know what you mean, but on the other hand, today when we sub out low end manufacturing, the material wealth is so much higher. Most kids today would already own some or most of the goods in the window display, whereas I bet that the overall market penetration of electric trains, etc. was much more limited in the 1920s. Is that a Red Ryder BB Gun?Santa sez "You'll shoot your eye out, kid. Merry Christmas! Ho, ho, ho!" Jean Shepherd must be chortling (yes, chortling, that's what he said) and smiling down on this scene. Nice gunsGrew up in Rogers, Arkansas where the Daisy plant was located. I had a lever-action '.30-.30' style bb rifle that you loaded from the side - it lasted for years and received all kinds of mistreatment. Also, learned to shoot with my grandfather's .22 that looked quite similar to the one pictured, but I cannot remember what make it was. Smith & WessonThe 3 pistols in the front center appear to be Smith & Wesson. Their boxes sport the distinctive (intricate) S&W Logo, or an earlier version of it. Small Pistol on the LeftI realize this is 6 years later, but what the heck. The small pistol on the left in the group of three pistols appears to be either a Mauser 1910 (25ACP) or the 1914 (32 ACP). (The Gallery, Bicycles, Christmas, D.C., Stores & Markets)
Schwinners: 1970
... the storm drain is still there. - Dave] (Bicycles, Easter, Found Photos, Kids, Stephen Kodachromes) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/29/2022 - 4:27pm -

From around 1970, somewhere in Suburbia, comes this Kodachrome of two lovely lasses attired in Easter egg pastels, and a tricycle not long for this world. View full size. Pretty in Pink, Striking in YellowAnd Fast on Old Blue ... nice shiny chrome fenders. Winnie Cooper'slil' sis? There's more than a little resemblance. But ultimately of more importance: in the distance not one but two VW's ; Detroit's - and by implication America's - decline from industrial supremacy to (simply) "leadership" is well underway Missing WheelThe tricycle may get hit by the car in the driveway, but the dented car on the left won't be backing into it. A rear wheel seems to be missing. [Not to worry. It's there. - Dave] Look before backing!Maybe that was a new bicycle - but hope they aren't cycling in those clothes and shoes! Sad thing, but I'm reminded of the time my aunt Shirley backed up without looking and killed Grandma's dog Trixie. I was about 10, and it was a sad day ... though I didn't witness it, I heard her last yelp from across the field. Still want to cry, and always look before backing up! Trike, Trixie, backing up -- They are lovely lassesVery likely best friends. No way to tell if this friendship lasted years or somewhere along the way they lost touch. Most of us have experienced both. The two license plates I can see are dark blue with yellow letters/numbers. That makes one possible state Pennsylvania, which I'm going to run with based on the neighborhood, distant terrain, and everything else. I can't read that street sign. Dave, can you? [The street name is four letters; the second letter looks like an i. Something like BIRD, RICE, BIBB, along with CR or CT. I also note a preponderance of evergreens. - Dave] The CarsOn the left, a dented 1960 Ford Fairlane; on the right, a (now mid-size) 1968 Fairlane 500 with the side marker light that became mandatory that year. In the driveway behind it, a Chevy Corvair convertible with the top up. Blue sedan on the left is a 1964 Chevrolet. There was a classmatein my junior college days who drove a brand new, black 1960 Ford convertible with black and white interior. We had first period class together so I would most often see him in the parking lot when he drove in with the top down. I lusted after that car but couldn't afford anything even close to his ride. Man that was beautiful vehicle and I would still like to own one but they are very hard to find. It's odd that 1950's Chevys are plentiful but Fords not so much. Sympathy for the PedalAll the Schwinners are Saints. Upstate NYThe license plates are New York, 1966 to 1973 series. Pennsylvania was a good guess, but they did not use front plates. Given the view, we can rule out Long Island, but this scene would fit almost anywhere else in the state. Those smiles thoughThat's just about the cutest thing I've seen all day. The sweet girl on the right is almost certainly my age. I had a dress very like hers except mine had sleeves and it was made of ice blue dotted swiss. My sister's outfit had a few style differences from mine, and was green. Our mother sewed the frocks for us to wear on Easter in 1970 and we broke the mold by going to church that year. Oh those lovely stockings!I remember how sophisticated we felt in those textured stockings. And believe me, those weren't no pantyhose, no sirree. Those were two individual stockings held up by awful, uncomfortable garter belts that would unsnap and let you down from time to time. But paired with these simple, A-line shift dresses, those stockings made us feel like we just stepped off the page of a fashion magazine. No curbs, sidewalks or even drainage?I drive through neighborhoods delivering packages, and this time of year is especially dangerous as the large ditches in neighborhoods like these are often filled with recently fallen leaves. I see no sign of drainage measures taken in this shot, am I missing something? [There's a big drain next to the street sign. - Dave] HURD CTI believe this photo was taken looking east from the corner of Hurd Court and Bontecou Road in the Town of Stony Point, New York. I base this in on the following: The houses match what is shown on google street view, but the perspective is so different it's difficult to tell. The utility tower in the distance is still there but you have to move up quite a long way to see on street view. The contour of the mountains match what you would see if you had a clear view today, they are on the opposite side of the Hudson River from Stony Point. The biggest hint was that YEARS ago a photo identified as being in this neighborhood was posted on Shorpy, possibly even the same street, but facing west as I remember. [That's it! Even the storm drain is still there. - Dave] (Bicycles, Easter, Found Photos, Kids, Stephen Kodachromes)
Provincetown Summer: 1937
... ever wanted to receive a telegram again. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Edwin Rosskam) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:35pm -

Summer 1937. "Street scene -- Provincetown, Massachusetts." And a reminder to "Don't write -- Telegraph!" 35mm negative by Edwin Rosskam. View full size. Quite stylishnothing like pedaling a bicycle while wearing two inch heels. Itchy nippleMy guess. [If you look closely, you'll see that both hands are at her sides. And if you don't look closely, this is what you come up with.] - Dave] Old Cape CodTwenty one years after this picture was snapped, I made my first of many road trips to Provincetown. 1958 was the year Patti Page recorded the title song and it was played constantly everywhere in Provincetown to add musical atmosphere for the tourists. Nothing stays the same and neither did Provincetown, but the fresh lobsters, crusty Portugese breads, artists and artisans of all kinds, lively ambient bars, balmy beaches and friendly people got me hooked on this beautiful town. My last trip there was in 1970 so maybe somebody can locate an updated picture of the current Main St. and post it. P.S. to Kilroy - Thanks for refreshing my memory. I do remember that their main street was called Commercial St. We used to stay at a B & B type lodging called the Gray Inn that most likely no longer exists, a family-run rooming house sort of arrangement, casual and inexpensive. Wonderful memories. P.P.S. to JesryPo - I appreciate the photo (the architecture does look original) and its nice to know it is still a quaint and charming town. Many thanks. StyleFrom her head to toe, the bicycle chick evokes style...boasting the latest in eye wear, jewelry, socks, heels. She may have been heading home from work. And, remember the rear wheel push-down stands? I love this image. Wish I knew what the attention grabber was. Judging by those socksTwo years later a house from Kansas will fall on her! At first glanceI thought she had her hand under her shirt, adjusting her bra. Burchis the maker of that beautiful Art Deco popcorn machine. In 1940 it became Manley Inc. to reflect the new owners name. More here. Bicycling experienceI remember as a boy, having to tie my pants leg tight so the material wouldn't get tangled in the chain mechanism. I never saw the need to tie BOTH legs, since there is nothing on the other side to get tangled up. And those heels must have made the pedaling difficult. I'd have put those shoes in the bag, and worn appropriate shoes for the trip, then switched to my heels once I reached my destination. What's this world coming to?A man outside and not wearing a hat!! There he is againIt seems like the older fellow on the right by the curb (hat, tie blown back) is omnipresent in photos from this era. He certainly did get around! The Start of the End of the USPSIn the window it says "Don't write, Telegraph." The sign of things to come. Armchair quarterbacking the photoI too thought her hand was in the shirt adjusting things...She seems very flexible too. Can someone describe the pants? They look like a pants-skirt??? [Culottes? - tterrace] Re: OTY - No Main St.There isn't any Main Street in Provincetown if you can believe it. The main thoroughfares through P-Town are Bradford St. (Rte 6A) and Commercial St. I'm guessing this photo was taken on Commercial, but not sure. Stylin'That girl is years ahead of her time style wise. I love it! That took guts back then. Free thinkerI'm guessing this woman was what was referred to at that time as a "free thinker." She's very stylish and uninhibited looking. 304 Commercial StreetI can assure you, OTY, much of Provincetown is as it was, at least architecturally. There is no Google Street View for Commercial Street, but I found this picture of 304 Commercial - now a jeweler. Girl on BicycleHer hand is going straight down her right side, not in her blouse. Love how she looks. Too bad there isn't even a reflection to help us know what the people are looking at. I keep coming backIve looked at this photo alot, and I keep thinking how the girl on the bike would fit right in with the students at Appalachian university here in Boone NC. hip, but with a agenda. Modern girlExcept for the passerbys she looks like she would fit right in, in downtown Monterey in the artsy section or underground Atlanta back in the late sixties. Especially with the glasses. The pic took me right back there. AkimboThe young lady's pose is a variant of "hands on hips" or "akimbo". The hands are placed so that the fingers are vertical and end up approximately at the waist, instead of on the hips. Thanks to various life experiences I associate it with the Northeastern U.S., with impatience or irritation, and with the sort of woman we describe today as "high maintenance". I Always telegraphThat's why I'm such a lousy poker player. "Don't write" would last about five more yearsNo one who lived on the home front during World War II ever wanted to receive a telegram again. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Edwin Rosskam)
Eggs Kerosene: 1939
... also came from faraway lands. - Dave] (The Gallery, Bicycles, Gas Stations, M.P. Wolcott, Savannah, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/15/2022 - 11:16am -

June 1939. Savannah, Georgia. "Negro grocery store." Last seen here. Medium format acetate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Savannah ConfirmedSee the sign for the circus in the upper right hand corner. The Magnolia sideThis pic further supports the Savannah (vs. Sylvania) premise, since the distant undercrossing (to the Savannah Union station) matches the Sanborn map. Will we move down the street to 737 and 735 Magnolia and find out what they were ??? What's in a title?This one could have easily been called Fish Lard. Amazing PricesPoor people stuck to the basics in those days. Today that location is underneath a freeway. Turn the cornerThank you, Marion Post Wolcott, for showing us the other side. I’ll have a pound of fish for a nickel and a pound of short ribs for a dime, please, Oh, and what’s white meat? (I know, I can look it up, and I did, but it’s so vague.) The BikeThe most amazing thing is that it appears the bike is not chained to the pole. Nowadays, an unchained bike would have been stolen before the owner even made it to the front door. Not For SaleOf all the items in that store, I would love to have the bike! A nice cuppaTetley Tea is a very English product so a bit surprised to see it advertised so far from home so long ago. [The coffee they sold also came from faraway lands. - Dave] (The Gallery, Bicycles, Gas Stations, M.P. Wolcott, Savannah, Stores & Markets)
Stoplight in Vermont: 1941
... but small enough to feel safe. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Jack Delano, Small Towns, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/09/2019 - 10:24am -

August 1941. "A street corner in Burlington, Vermont." Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Is that Grandpa Hall?The man on the corner could be my grandfather Peter Hall. It looks just like him, and he always wore that kind of hat. He also smoked a pipe or a cigar. However, by 1941, I believe he had pulled up stakes and moved to Maine, unless he just happened to be back in Vermont for a visit or for business. Most interesting ghost in the underworldI don't always haunt greasy spoons, but when I do, I haunt Limoge's Grill. It's a long way to LimogesAnother classic title by Dave. Have to wonderAre those singing telegraph cables overhead? Please step downWow, what an interesting building on the corner. It looks like in the old picture, from the step-down entrance on the "ground floor" that someone actually started a restaurant in the basement of what looks like an pre-existing house. Normally you'd expect some kind of hill or slope to necessitate a raised first and second floor in a home, but none exists here. Neat to see that the house still remains, that the paint has been stripped off the brick which suggests a major renovation, and the "basement" appears to have continued service as maybe a rental unit. Looks like the neighborhood has been gentrified. Excellent picture, Dave. A couple of survivorsMostly the same with a lot less character. Ready, Set, GO!Is WALK written on the middle lens of the traffic light? Probably a reasonable explanation and I'm sure it made sense then, but I'd probably have looked both ways and run. Stop-Walk-GoI notice this old Crouse-Hinds traffic signal has Stop-Walk-Go lenses rather than the more typical Stop-Caution-Go. It was an early attempt to provide some pedestrian indications without additional signals and cost. There's a little info here http://www.kbrhorse.net/signals/ch_dt_4-way01.html though the arrangement is different. Wow!This photo has everything! KidsI'll bet there's a baby carriage without wheels somewhere. The daily breezeThe coolest thing about this picture is the lady sitting in the sun on the side porch, with her planter box of flowers, enjoying her newspaper. Stayed close by --We were in Burlington two weeks ago. We stayed at an Airbnb that was just five houses down North Street (toward the lake) from this house. This area is the south part of the Old North End. It used to be a lot rougher than it is now. I was a prison guard in the late 1980s in nearby St. Albans, and half the inmates at that time were from the North End of Burlington. No longer. Burlington is a great town; big enough to be interesting but small enough to feel safe. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Jack Delano, Small Towns, Stores & Markets)
Childs Restaurant: 1918
... this as a favorite transportation photo. Horses, bicycles, automobiles and train tracks. It's interesting to see Gray Line using ... Trustworthy Eggs I love the two policemen riding bicycles: police on bikes vanished for many decades only to be recently ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2014 - 9:09pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1918. "Childs Restaurant, 1423 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W." Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. The LocomotionNow I'm never going to get that song out of my head: "Do the Locomotion with me." I love a paradeA parade or possibly a motorcade. I wonder if motorcades were as common back then as they are now in D.C. Great picture!It covers just about all possible ways of conveying oneself along the pavement. All we need is a jogger and someone riding a scooter, and we've got everything. Great transportation photoI'm bookmarking this as a favorite transportation photo. Horses, bicycles, automobiles and train tracks. It's interesting to see Gray Line using the same logo after all of these years, too. I get the sense that this picture could be titled "rush hour, 1917". Childs RestaurantThe Childs building shown here opened in 1913, one of two locations in the District. It was torn down and replaced by a parking garage in the early 1950s. The newspaper archives show that there was some sort of controversy over its prices during the WWI years. Which may be the reason for the photo. 1916-7 WhiteThe car on the right is a 1916-1917 White - these were the last years of passenger car production by White company. On the left is a Packard Limousine. More HereThan meets the eye. The motorcade was the reason for the photograph. Military men with drawn sabers? Who is in the first car? [The H&E caption lists the restaurant as the subject. - Dave] Trustworthy EggsI love the two policemen riding bicycles: police on bikes vanished for many decades only to be recently revived as an effective and economical mode of transport. Fortunately, the uniform of the bicycle-cop has evolved in the interim. Child's lunch rooms originated in New York City. A copy of their 1900 menu can be found here (NY Food Museum). Restaurant to Seat 200 New Building for "Childs" on the Avenue is Practically Complete. The new building which has been in the course of construction for some weeks on Pennsylvania avenue, near Fifteenth street, for the occupancy of "Childs" restaurant, is now practically completed. The exterior is completed and the interior has been furnished with tables, chairs, and the usual equipment to be found in a restaurant of this type. The new structure has a frontage of 54 feet and a depth of 93 feet, and is one story in height. It has been leased to the restaurant for a long term of years. The property on which the building has been erected is a part of the Willard estate. Seating space has been provided for about 200 persons. The value of the property, exclusive of the ground, is about $75,000. The plans were drawn by J.C. Westervelt, and the construction work has been done by the W.D. Lewis Company. Washington Post, Aug 24, 1913 The Childless Childs Restaurant The Childs family has been ousted from participation in the operation of Child's restaurants. William L. Childs, the man who, with his brother, founded the open-faced type of lunch room and glorified the American egg, has been dropped like a tray of hot dishes. Bigger and better restaurants will result, it is predicted, but the Childs boys have earned a bright place in knife-fork-and-spoon history as the lads who revolutionized the lunchroom business, made egg-boiling a national industry and developed flapjack turning as a theatrical performance. Before the Childs brothers came along a lunch room was usually a dreary hole-in-the-wall presided over by a few unkempt waiters who thought a front window was serving its full purpose when it housed a mince pie, a sleeping kitten, and old hat and a pair of galoshes. The Childs brothers took colored wall paper, stained tablecloths, dirty sugar bowls, wall calendars, paper flowers, rubber plants, cobwebs, lace curtains, oilcloth, insect life and the air of mystery out of the American lunch room life. They got the American public to trust lunch-room eggs. The early Childs restaurants were so glaringly white it didn't seem right to enter them without a bath, shave, and haircut. They were architecturally part laboratory, part squash court, part Roman pool, and part goldfish bowl. Then the owners dressed their managers like hospital internes, put their waitresses into attire partly suggestive of child brides and partly suggestive of dentists assistants, developed tray-dropping to a high art and prospered. Speed was a keynote. Buttered toast set new heights in rapid transit, and all previous records held by eggs in flight between kettle and customer were broken. It just went to show what a couple of alert boys could do with a dozen eggs, a gas-burner, some plate glass and an idea. And now there is no Mr. Childs in Childs restaurant. Well, it just doesn't seem possible. H.I. Phillips, Associated Newspapers Washington Post, March 13, 1929 "Taking advantage of war conditions"Oct. 2, 1918 CheersThis makes me think of the opening credits for "Cheers." "Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot ... " EntourageThe trailing car is sporting an American flag and another country's tricolor that I can't make out. My guess would be an ambassador or high-level diplomat worthy of a police escort. Great picture! [In 1917 there were a number of diplomatic visits to Washington from representatives of the allied nations -- the French mission, Belgian mission, British mission, etc. They all had motorcades like this. - Dave] The Childses and DadMy father's half-uncle, Clayton Cameron McNeal, had some kind of close connection to the Childs family. The two of them would visit Childs estate in Northern New Jersey back in the 1910s and ride on the family's collection of motorcycles. My main memory of the Childs restaurants focuses on the one on the north side of 42nd Street just west of Grand Central Terminal. It featured a family-friendly environment and good food for a reasonable price. Of course it is long gone. DeutschlandI'm guessing it's the German flag, since it's the only European one that matches this pattern. GermanThe date of the photo [circa 1917] and the possibility that it is a German flag makes the photo even more intriguing. [Early in 1917 the United States ended diplomatic relations with Germany. The German embassy closed and the ambassador returned to Europe. Maybe this had something to do wit that. - Dave] The FlagI checked out flags on Wikipedia and because the white is on the bottom of the flag, I'm guessing that it might be the flag of the Kingdom of Serbia, either without the royal coat of arms or with the coat of arms obscured by the American flag. Serbia was one of the Allies, although the country had been overrun and most of what was left of their army was waiting in Salonika. [I think you're right. Brent wins the lollipop! - Dave] Caption for the photo below, which shows the same flag: "1918. Lt. Col. Michailo Menadovitch, Serbian Army. Serbian mission to U.S." Which visited Washington from December 1917 to January 1918. In the Washington Post, the colonel's name was rendered as Hendovitch, Nenadovitch and Menadovitch. Tram SystemWhat's about the third track in the middle of the tracks, or was it a cable based tram system? [Washington's streetcars were mostly electric. The middle "track" is a slot giving access to the power supply under the street. - Dave] (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Eateries & Bars, Harris + Ewing, Horses)
Bike to the Future: 1910
... Publishing Co. View full size. Revolutionary Bicycles were revolutionary when first presented as the Safety Bicycle in the ... an entire civilization now gone forever. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Florida, Jacksonville) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/12/2022 - 1:50pm -

Bustling Jacksonville, Florida, circa 1910. "Forsyth Street looking east from Hogan." As in the previous view, the Post Office is at left, Hotel Seminole on the right. Note the city-issued JACKSONVILLE license plates. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. RevolutionaryBicycles were revolutionary when first presented as the Safety Bicycle in the late 1880s. Imagine quadrupling your daily travel distance! Plus many of the earliest automobiles mimicked bicycle technology with chain drive, spoked wheels, pneumatic tires, etc. Oh, we were just admiring your automobileI couldn't find a floorplan for the Hotel Seminole. But I did learn it and the Bisbee Building were designed by Henry John Klutho, following Jacksonville's great fire of 1901. Klutho was in New York City in 1901, but realized an architect was about to be in considerable demand in Jacksonville, so he moved there. He adopted a new "Prairie-School" style of design. This style would later fall out of favor and much of his work was destroyed. Even later, what remained was appreciated all over again. The occupants of both of these automobiles caught my attention. Somehow, I sense none of the men in contact with either car is the owner or rightful occupant. As far as 'bike to the future', whoever laid their bike down on the curb may soon be reminded automobiles have a reverse gear. Not like todayWhere are all the overweight people? Photos Taken Some Time ApartI think the roof-level photo was taken as much as an hour or so after the ground-level one was. In the ground-level photo, the shadow from the pole on stage right aims almost exactly at the light post, but by the second one it points several degrees toward the east, meaning the sun has moved to the west. Fifteen degrees worth of movement would (if I remember my astronomy class correctly) mean about an hour has passed. There are also more people on the street in the ground-level photo, but by the time of the roof-level one, at least two diners and a waiter have arrived in the balcony restaurant of the Seminole on the right. Dinnertime, perhaps? I also think that this was taken in the cooler half of the year, because if it was summer in Jacksonville, those people would be sweltering. The only vehicle that still remains appears to be the one in the foreground, which has, interestingly, backed up by half a car length or so. Similarly, the two men at it may be (if they are the same two people) be the only ones to appear in both photos. I definitely get "showing it off to his friend" vibes! Facing factsJamesWH's chronology seems thoroughly consistent with what must be the best evidence available ... the P.O. clock: in the earlier (presented on Shorpy) picture of Forsyth the clock shows 1:08; the aerial shot shows 2:31. If we're to assume the shots were all made on the same day, a logical progression is: the photographer took the westernmost shot first, then this shot, crossed the street, ascended the Buckman Building and took the third. Admittedly an hour is a long time to rise a few floors -- and the building had an elevator -- but perhaps some time was spent in setting up the camera. (Or maybe a stop was made at the Seminole's bar). [Perhaps he was busy taking more photos. - Dave] Easy CommuteMr. Joseph Fried (1861-1930), proprietor of the Rathskeller (117 West Forsyth), resided at 221 East Adams, a mere four blocks away. The 1910 city directory lists two phone numbers for the Rathskeller, 196 and 2637. In reply to HaroldOThe Wright Flyer (which made the first powered, manned and sustained flight in 1903) also used bicycle technology, as in sprocket and chain drive to the propellers. The Wright Brothers had been involved in bicycle, motors and machinery manufacture. Hats OffAnother wonderful scene full of hats. Hats served many practical and useful purposes. Tipping your hat slightly to signal a greeting. Holding your hat to your chest to signal respect or mourning; during national anthem or funeral for example. Waving your hat above your head to signal farewell or joy; at a parade or ship departure for example. Holding your hat in one hand in front of you while bowing; an extended and respectful greeting with maximum effect. Removing your hat while sitting in a movie theatre or church; another signal that you respect the environment and other participants. Society lost some useful social skills when hats stopped being worn by everyone. Lost WorldAll the men appear well-dressed and the few women rather elegant, even seen at a distance. To state the obvious, it's an entire civilization now gone forever. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, DPC, Florida, Jacksonville)
Bike Shop: 1919
... Most of the stuff got the heave-ho. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Motorcycles, Natl Photo, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:13pm -

December 1919. Washington, D.C. "Haverford Cycle, interior, 10th Street N.W. Agents for Smith Motor Wheel." National Photo glass negative. View full size. Black Beauties Buy a Black Beauty Bicycle and get out in the open air and improve your health. We are manufacturers of this bicycle and can save you the middleman's profit. Retrospective prognosticationSomething tells me they went broke. Ceiling spokesThe bike wheel light fixture -- cute. Bike shop clerks these daysCan you imagine walking into your local bicycle shop today and being greeted by someone dressed in a suit and tie? Three rings in the ear, one nose "device" and spiked hair, yes; watch fob across the vest? Uh, not so much. Thanks for the reminder.I need new brakes. Strictly CashFrom the looks of that jolly crew, paying cash goes without saying ... and quickly. 522 10th StreetInteresting that this is the same address as the Waffle Shop. PromotedGuy on the left is a mechanic recently promoted to salesman. He doesn't know what to do with his hands when they aren't holding a wrench. SidehackAs the owner of a motorcycle equipped with a sidecar, I love seeing this one. I'm not enough of an expert on old motorcycles to identify either one. Maybe someone else can. Holiday shoppingLove the effort they put into their Christmas decorations. re: ApparatusIt's a conveyor up to the cashier. Your money and invoice go up, a receipt and change come down. ApparatusWhat's that rig hanging from the ceiling with the tension rod -- some sort of overhead bike rack? Dunno 'bout you,but I'm highly offended by that girly calendar on the pillar there. So sexist. Probably sent from France or somewhere. Does anyone know where I can get one? Woo-hoo! DourThey all look so happy to be there, eh? The Corbin lock display is charming. Those skinny little chains wouldn't even hold up to my Leatherman pocket cutters! Same as it ever wasWhere is the beer cooler? Clock not workingI think the clock is not working. This was probably a fairly long exposure. That is why the people look so stiff. They are trying to hold still for a long time. In that case the pendulum should be a blur. [Quite the opposite. This is a flash exposure taken in a fraction of a second. - Dave] Old when it was newDo you notice that the interiors of these shops looked old even when they were new? I remember seeing stores like this as late as the early 1970's before malls ate up downtowns. They looked nearly the same as this except that some of the products were changed. You could actually find new "old stock" inventory on shelves from around the time period of this photo, but nobody every thought to save them as antiques. Most of the stuff got the heave-ho. (The Gallery, Bicycles, D.C., Motorcycles, Natl Photo, Stores & Markets)
Regular Dinner: 1936
... my comment if I come up with anything. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Eateries & Bars, Small Towns, Walker Evans) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/27/2022 - 10:31am -

1936. "Cafe -- Alabama" is all it says here. 8x10 inch nitrate negative by Walker Evans for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. More random observationsNo date is given but this is summer. Having spent most of my life in the south, I recognize those clouds, and can practically feel the heat and humidity sitting here at my desk in winter. At first glance this is a lonely-appearing photo, but then closer observation reveals a worker at the counter, diners at the window table, and even the photographer (or assistant) in a selfie. The spiderweb motif is an odd choice. Not sure how that would attract diners. Probably has some specific meaning to the owners. The front door will not open all the way due to the slope of the sidewalk. Maybe 90 degrees max. Probably reduced the lifespan of the door with customers trying to shove it past its limit. Nice shiny new bicycle! OK I'm done. D-time in T-town ?? This is what, our third offering of no-nonsense dining? The '30s must have been tough on people seeking mealtime excitement. The cafe was located at the top of the Hill on the corner of 4th Street - that's the L&N station glimpsed off to the side (see below) - being replaced by the Temerson Building a few years after this picture. The latter currently houses a restaurant: the cycle is complete ! BBT/CPBefore Bucket Trucks/Cherry Pickers The condition of the surface of the utility pole indicates many scalings with traditional lineman's climbing spikes/spurs. I can remember when a lot of poles looked like this, not any more. Among the last people using them these days are big tree loggers in remote locations. Most of our local arborists seem to have switched to using aerial platform lifts (and more than doubled their prices to pay for the things). River Hill, TuscaloosaRiver Hill is an area of downtown Tuscaloosa. In a 1945 photo caption from the Tuscaloosa Area Virtual Museum, it is described as the north end of Greensboro Avenue, south of the Black Warrior River and north of Broad Street (now University Boulevard). US 43 and Alabama state road 13, identified in Evans's photo, carried traffic north over the river. (That stretch is now named Lurleen Wallace Blvd.) The area is now the center of Tuscaloosa's Civil Rights History Trail. Knob and TubeStill have that kind of wiring inside a few of my outbuildings (considered okay by my insurance broker). Exteriorly I've removed all of it because of degraded insulation as a result of decades of exposure to the elements. Pre GPSPeople's eyesight must've been a lot better back then or they went a lot slower to see and read those signs. Buffalo Rock, my favorite!Buffalo Rock was a brand of ginger ale that was popular in the northern part of Alabama in the 1940s. We lived in LA (lower Alabama) so when we were in Birmingham, we would swap a case of empties and bring a case home. Those didn't last long! There was so much ginger in it that it burned your nose! Tuscaloosa: 1936's US 43 and Today's US 43Thank you, GlenJay for the helpful information about River Hill, which is about one mile from my home in Northport, Alabama--across the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa! It's led me on a search to pin down the location of this great Walker Evans photo, which heretofore I did not realize was shot in Tuscaloosa. Incidentally, this spot is not far from where yesterday's Shorpy pic ("Tuscaloosa Wrecking: 1936") was located. One small correction to GlenJay's useful comments: In 1936, the road that is now Greensboro Ave (formerly 24th Avenue) led down River Hill to a lift bridge across the River. Thus, US 43 followed that route at the time of the photo. When the Hugh Thomas Bridge replaced the lift bridge in 1974, however, US 43 was shifted a few blocks to the west and became Lurleen Wallace Blvd (formerly 25th and 26th Avenues) in order to feed into the new bridge more efficiently. I've got some pals working on identifying the photo location and will update my comment if I come up with anything. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Eateries & Bars, Small Towns, Walker Evans)
Birmingham Messenger: 1914
... no ability to coast. Some people still ride these type of bicycles today! Lee birmingham messenger interestingly, fixed gear ... bike doesn't like strangers riding it." (The Gallery, Bicycles, Birmingham, Lewis Hine) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:39pm -

October 1914. Birmingham, Alabama. "A typical Birmingham messenger." Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine. View full size. Birmingham MessengerJust curious how he stopped the bike since there appears to be neither a "coaster" brake nor hand brakes? birmingham messengerThis would most likely be a fixed gear bike, which is stopped by applying stopping force to the pedals while moving. There is no ability to coast. Some people still ride these type of bicycles today! Lee birmingham messengerinterestingly, fixed gear bikes are especially popular among urban bike messengers. fixed gear baby!fixed gear baby! [Recent NYT article on fixies here. - Dave] Track BikeThis type of bike is also favored by extremely serious bike riders/racers. I've been on touring rides where a few of riders had track bikes: they are tough going up hill and scary downhill. A number of years ago I knew a woman who lived in Washington and commuted to work at the Library of Congress on one. One day a local punk tried to ride off on it and went down almost immediately when he tried to freewheel. She walked over, picked up here bike and to the jerk, "My bike doesn't like strangers riding it." (The Gallery, Bicycles, Birmingham, Lewis Hine)
Sailing Along: 1903
Volusia County, Florida, circa 1903. "Sailing bicycles on the beach at Ormond." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit ... up' sails by attaching masts to the front framework of the bicycles. Hoisting the sails they jumped on and let the wind carry them. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:55pm -

Volusia County, Florida, circa 1903. "Sailing bicycles on the beach at Ormond." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. A spot of botherI see the man on the right had a serious control malfunction about 30 feet back. Now that would have been a picture! Uh oh, watch out!You couldn't see where you were heading, but it got you there! Sail-Bike v. Motor The Strand, Vol 21, 1901 Sail-Bike v. Motor "This is what might be called a twentieth century race, and it is undoubtedly the first photograph ever published of a contest between an automobile and a bicycle 'under sail.' The affair came off recently at Ormond, Fla. Here the beach along the coast is so smooth and hard that it has long been a favourite place for trotting horses and for taking bicycle trips. This winter several 'mobile' owners brought their machines with them. Taking advantage of a favourable wind, two of the wheelmen 'rigged up' sails by attaching masts to the front framework of the bicycles. Hoisting the sails they jumped on and let the wind carry them. Frequently the wheelmen can coast at a speed from twenty to twenty-five miles an hour. In the contest illustrated the automobile won by only a few lengths." So writes Mr. D.A. Willey, of Baltimore. Great work!Well done stanton_square, good work! Is this how James Finlayson made ends meet before his supporting role in Laurel and Hardy films? Still a vacation spotVery cool! I spent my winter vacations on Ormond Beach for the last 2 years! The beach and dune on the left hasn't changed a bit. The beautiful old houses and hotels on the other hand are gone. It's now "Florida A1A" on top of the dune and across from the road: condos condos and more condos as far as the eye can see. A bit of history for the Hotel Ormond here. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Florida)
Tyres & Fittings: 1910
... View full size. BSW Agree with Papa Bear, Brit bicycles, motorcycles and cars used a bolting system called "British Standard ... bicycle myself. The shop is also advertising Eadie brand bicycles, taken over by B.S.A. in 1907. These had originally been made by Royal ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:30pm -

1910. "Cycle shop interior. Christchurch, New Zealand." B.S.A. stood for Birmingham Small Arms. Photo by Steffano Francis Webb. View full size. BSWAgree with Papa Bear, Brit bicycles, motorcycles and cars used a bolting system called "British Standard Whitworth". It differs from the US system in several ways, BSW wrenches are labeled for the size of the bolt instead of the US system of labeling the size of the the nut hex. And common bolt sizes 1/4" to 1/2" used the same 26 threads per inch, instead of the US system of varying the TPI with bolt size. The angle of the threads was unique as well, 55 deg. instead of 60 deg. (from memory). In other words, almost nothing standard in the US fit Limey bikes! The Brits eventually sold out to a metric way of life, thankfully! EverywhereA National Cash Register from here in Ohio, even in New Zealand. EquipmentI had no idea frame pumps were around so early. I like the two bikes in the foreground that have the skirt nets. I'm happy that in the Twin Cities of MN area these are once again on bikes because more people are riding non-athletically, dressed to go out. No chain guardsWhich makes it very hazardous to ride if wearing long pants since they often got caught between the chain and sprocket and when this happened your leg was pulled down as the sprocket turned. The usual result was falling off the bike. I hope they were sold separately. Other BSA productsBSA also made motorcycles, and as the name implies, was a major producer of the No.1 Mk III Enfield rifle, standard British Army rifle of World War 1. Wheels of EmpireThank you for publishing these New Zealand images. This one is particularly fascinating. As a boy in 1970s Britain I rode a B.S.A. bicycle myself. The shop is also advertising Eadie brand bicycles, taken over by B.S.A. in 1907. These had originally been made by Royal Enfield: 'built like a gun, goes like a bullet'. The brand names are wonderful: Britannia Tyres, Dreadnought Tyres ... tyres were clearly a seriously patriotic business in the British Empire c.1910. Clip your pants legPants leg clips were used to keep the pants leg out of the chain. These are still available, and cheap; Google "bicycle pants leg clips". BSA Lightning RocketI rode a 1965 BSA Lightning Rocket and BSA meant BSW wrenches for their fittings Interesting brake system.It appears the brake pads pull upward against the inside of the rim, somewhat like a drum brake, rather than squeezing it disc brake style like modern bikes do. Bluemel partsI took notice of the little card hanging on the wall just above and left of the cash register, holding what looks to be several horizontal pencils. The top says BLUEMEL with the "E" appearing to be a different color. Vintage bicycle experts are probably familiar with the brand name Bluemel Bros. Did a little searching and found it was a company in England that made bicycle and motorcycle accessories. One of the Bluemels came to the USA in 1906 and became a founding father of speech pathology on stuttering and stammering. Found this website on the bicycle part of the family, started in 1860. WhyWould they offer to 'buy back your National Cash Register checks'? For money or merchandise? Brakes were a rarityA few of these bikes have front caliper brakes; none of them have coaster brakes. They all appear to be fixed gear bikes. Curiously, this 100-year-old-style is all the rage these days. Cars too!BSA also made cars. I WishI could get "DREADNOUGHT TYRES" for my 4WD truck. With big white letters on the side. Carbide LampsThere is a nice selection of carbide lamps (and bicycle bells) on the stand on top of the right side of the counter, and kerosene lamps on the floor stand to the left. Calcium carbide was placed in a lower chamber of the lamp, and above it was a reservoir of water. When a valve was opened it dripped water on the carbide, which produced acetylene gas. Some of these lights may also have operated on kerosene or gas. You can see other examples here. Rod brakesVintagetvs is correct that all of the bikes here with front brakes use "rod brakes". When the brake lever is squeezed a rod and pivot system, instead of a Bowden cable, lifts the brake pads upward against the inside of the rim. These were once very common and are still widely used in various (mostly less developed) parts of the world. They are relatively rugged, and easy to maintain and repair with simple tools. The coaster brake was only about 10 years old at the time of this picture. I don't know how long it took for the coaster brake to become commonly used, but since it would be very much more expensive to produce I suspect it remained an expensive option for quite a while. Epicyclic hub gear systems are a little older than coaster brakes, and truly functional derailleur systems are about 25 years later than this photo. BrooksLooks like lots of Brooks leather saddles on the bikes. Still available. I have one on my road bike. Kinda hard on the tush until they get a little broken in, but then they are the best! Bike tubeThe bike on the left, and a few others have a tube sticking out from under the seat, facing forward. There is another tube facing back from the handlebars. Anyone know what they were for? Seat and handlebar tubesmailman7etc. It would appear that the forward-facing tube under the seat is the mount for the saddle. The rear-facing tube under the handlebar allowed the handlebar to be slid closer or further away, held in place by a clamp. British Standard WhitworthPapa Bear's mention of BSW wrenches reminded me of this piece on Joseph Whitworth. (The Gallery, Bicycles, New Zealand, S.F. Webb, Stores & Markets)
Alpha Females: 1942
... Eat Your Heart Out Pee Wee Herman The fancy Elgin bicycles the sisters have can be found in a 1938 Sears catalog for $30.95. ... I like how many of the design elements on the girls bicycles echo those of the car in the background. Also, saddle shoes in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/24/2015 - 12:19pm -

May 1942. "Southington, Connecticut. Schoolchildren staging a patriotic demonstration." Which includes Synchronized Stationary Bikes. Photo by Fenno Jacobs for the Office of War Information. View full size. Minus bobbysoxToday: Déjà ViewI thought this scene looked vaguely familiar. From a different angle. And in color (even the car with the distinctive chrome on its fenders (a 1942 Buick as identified by Zcarstvnz) can be seen in both shots) - https://www.shorpy.com/node/3473 Now that's a chainguardOne like that would have kept me from going over the handler bars more then a few times on my old Schwinn in the 50's Skirt guardsI love the skirt guards on those bikes. I know a gal that wears dresses on her bike that has clear skirt guards lashed to her rear fender (mud guard). Biking is not just a sporting event in Minneapolis. I want a bike like that... thought the little girl to herself with the patriotic flag blowing in the soft Summer breeze. SibsThe two girls have very similar facial features. I think they may be sisters. I would love to have those bikes! Eat Your Heart Out Pee Wee HermanThe fancy Elgin bicycles the sisters have can be found in a 1938 Sears catalog for $30.95. Nice PairOf fully loaded "pre-war" Elgin bikes. Skip tooth chain and rear mount dropouts. Racks, lights, skirt guards, rear drop stands & tanks. Gearhead in trainingThat boy in the striped shirt is the only person looking directly at the three riding beaus, but is he looking at the riders or their machines? Love that Style I like how many of the design elements on the girls bicycles echo those of the car in the background. Also, saddle shoes in '42? I thought that was a '50s thing. I guess they had a good long run. [Saddle shoes (and bobby-soxers) were a Forties phenomenon that had its genesis in the Thirties. - Dave] ElginsThose nifty bikes were probably purchased just one block down the road at the Western Auto store, right across the street from the movie theatre where I worked as a projectionist. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Fenno Jacobs, Patriotic)
ER: 1900
... up apparently they've been around almost since the first bicycles. Confidentiality out the window Apparently, they didn't need ... in all my searches of pics of the past. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Dogs, DPC, Medicine, NYC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:44pm -

New York circa 1900. "Stewards and nurses, Brooklyn Navy Yard hospital." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. TherapistsI'd be afraid not to get well. In the cusp of changeThis motley crew shows the rapidly changing looks and appearance of urban men during this period. Caps, hats, and bare-headed; turned-up collars, turned-down collars, no collars; vests with lapels, vests with no lapels, no vests; cravats, neckties, bow-ties, no ties; pant cuffs, no cuffs; mustaches & clean-shaven. Might even be a belt or two underneath those vests and suspenders. MissingWhere are the women nurses? MedicineIt was not then (nor is it now) for the squeamish or the weak of heart. Happy to seethose two doggies, especially the one on the right. The pups likely did more to comfort the sick than some of those grim customers around them - except for the kid holding the curly dog. TriageIf you can get past this crowd, the rest of your stay should be smooth sailing. SawbonesThat'll be the surgeon then, on the right in the overalls. What does the different headgear denote?I'm guessing the guys in the derby hats were the ones you didn't want attending to you. Be Afraid"I'm here for your sponge bath ... " Cool DogsI think the one on the right is a Portuguese Water dog. The dog on the leftIs pit, one of the most kid-loving dogs around. When this picture was taken, they were one of the most popular dogs in America. Fat guys! A Shorpy rarity. ClippedThe toe clip on the bike caught me by surprise as I thought it was a more recent invention, but after looking it up apparently they've been around almost since the first bicycles. Confidentiality out the windowApparently, they didn't need HIPAA to keep those medical records from falling out of the window. PugnacityThere sure is a lot of it on display here. Sheesh! Apparently, the photographer shouted "Scowl!" rather than the (now) customary "Smile!". But, then again, it is Brooklyn and it is (circa) 1900. A Steady HandGiven the amputation we recently viewed, and the nature of the instruments used in that procedure, it's clear that physical strength and skill with hand tools was of probably greater importance in surgery 110 years ago than it is now. The invention and implementation of power tools, both in surgery and in carpentry, has dramatically diminished the need for physical strength to succeed in both arenas. Therefore, if I needed an amputation 110 years ago, I'd appreciate seeing that my surgeon was a big, burly guy. Brute strength still neededJust a few weeks ago my grown son had to have a big, deeply-rooted back tooth extracted and he was surprised to see that the dentist STILL had to brace himself for leverage and use his own muscle power (with no easy way) to yank that tooth. As for this fascinating photo, the two men with dogs in the front row, center, have GOT to be related, just look at those faces. Old-school scowlsI love the confident body language, posture and facial expressions in old photos. People just don't stand around and scowl like this anymore. Dogs of yesteryearThe two dogs in this pic -- a pit/Staffie and Newfoundland or Newfie cross - were apparently the most popular dogs around back then, along with certain terriers. I come across dogs that look like these over and over again in all my searches of pics of the past. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Dogs, DPC, Medicine, NYC)
The Simple Life: 1939
... Bike guards? [Puttees. - Dave] (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cats, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:31pm -

August 1939. Three of the four Arnold children outside their farmhouse at Michigan Hill. The oldest boy earned the money to buy his bicycle. Thurston County, western Washington. View full size. Photograph by Dorothea Lange. Fourth kidLooks like the 4th kid is looking out the window! Thanks for all the hard work. I love this blog This is us!From the bike, cat, kids, bare feet on dirt and rustic looks - this could be my kids on our farm now, and since an even greater depression is looking likely . . . guess we'll already be ready! :-) No match!!during the great depression in my country 10 years ago, we sold our bike and ate the cat for dinner........am serious Save UpFor just a few dollars more, he coulda got the model with brakes. Spats?What are those chaps ( or spats) the big boy has on his shins? Bike guards? [Puttees. - Dave] (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cats, Dorothea Lange, Great Depression, Kids)
Daytona Beach: 1904
... but alas, a little more lonely! (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Florida, Horses, Swimming) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:27pm -

Florida circa 1904. "Daytona Beach at Seabreeze." A setting conducive to various forms of sedate locomotion. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Fenderless bikesI notice that the lady with the stylish sunglasses appears to have the only bicycle with a fender - and only on the rear at that. Well, MarionDo you think this suit is too thick to wear to the beach? Who's behind those Foster Grants?Very stylish sunglasses on the woman at lower left. What a great scene! I see fast peopleThat little girl running full tilt at the far left might have known what others were starting to discover: how good this hard sand beach would be for speed. YikesWhat is that 2 foot tall headless creature in the very center of the photo? [A tot in a bonnet. - Dave] Scandalous! Must be spring break, when all the riffraff shows up. There's a woman out there with no hat on. Disgraceful public display. Troublous TableauMaybe it's my emergency responder training, but I don't like the looks of the scene in that carriage at left. Everyone is focusing their attention on the slumped over woman at the end of the bench, while the man across from her appears to be holding her hand. A case of the vapors? Or the combined effects of a warm day and a too-tight corset? Or maybe she's merely holding a fascinating seashell in her lap and everyone else is looking on in awe? If I were a lifeguard I'd be grabbing my First Aid kit and heading for the coach to check it out. [I think they're reading. - Dave] Not even one fat guy in a speedoI don't get it. Sedate?Those are two-horsepower wheels, bud. You can see for milesYou can understand why this beach, until the late 1950s, was used for many automotive racing events! The first NASCAR events, when it was still real, used the beach for part of the track. Neat stuff. 72 years laterI was engaging in Spring Break debauchery right there! Still there... sort of. Points of InterestThere are all kinds of things going on in this photo. - A little boy on the far right appears to be wearing long-johns. - The woman on the far right of the full carriage from the Clarendon Inn has some sort of problem (possible fainting?) and everyone else in the carriage seems concerned about her. - I was astonished to see a practical woman actually carrying what appears to be a rolled up spread of some kind. - As previously mentioned, a woman is wearing sunglasses; it hadn't occurred to me until now that I don't recall ever seeing a woman (or a man, for that matter) on the beach in these vintage photos who was wearing sunglasses. - There's a man who looks like he's walking a dog that has apparently been completely buried in the sand, because there's no dog attached. Is the woman somewhat past the Clarendon carriage taking a photo? There's what appears to be a boy at the waterline being helped up who might have fallen into the water. A lot of people are watching whatever is happening there. A woman with a white hat, white blouse, dark skirt and an hourglass figure looks (from the back) like she could be Mae West. There are a couple of horses hooked up to a small carriage near the right. One of them appears to be talking to the other one. I'm thinking it's saying something like: "So I sez to her, I sez 'You're a real NAG, ya know that?'" Oil and waterWhere beach driving began and still (sadly) continues. Cool ShadesI didn't know sunglasses existed then but the lady in the foreground with the bicycle certainly proves they did. Vroooooom!Imagine how they would've reacted to a Land Speed Record machine hurtling towards them! SeabreezeI cannot get enough of these seaside photos. More please! Surf, sand and ...I can see several "byproducts" of animal traction carriages there. No wonder most people there are wearing shoes on the beach! There could have been tracks!Alexander Winton sped down Ormond Beach in the "Bullet No 2" at more than 68 miles per hour in 1903. Today this car is in the Smithsonian Institution. Sunglass BrandFoster Grant was founded in 1919 thereabouts, what Sunglass companies are older that that? [The brand would be no brand. You could have gotten tinted lenses from just about any optician. - Dave] Boogety .. boogety .. boogetyLet's go racing, boys! Overdressed for the beach??A century later, the beach scene above seems very strange and odd. The majority of the people appear to be dressed up for the opera, rather than the beach. The influence of the puritanical Victorian Age is still apparent. it seems. From the 1920's on, formality on the whole, including on the beach, would start to wane. To the point where today, it seems everyone is an exhibitionist and or/ a slob. Sunglassesgo way back before the turn of the century. George Washington had a tortoiseshell pair with green lenses that are on display (and for sale) at Mount Vernon. [A distinction can probably be drawn between tinted lenses, which have been around as long as eyeglasses have, and "sunglasses," which are more of a mass-market retail phenomenon. - Dave] Hats, haze, horizonThose umbrellas and hats make striking silhouettes. Reminds me of this beach scene by Degas. Daytona HeatActually I find it interesting that there aren't more women and men passed out with what they are wearing. This looks to be summer in Daytona in bright sun on the beach so even on a cooler fall or spring day the temp would be around high 80s to low 90s? Combine that with a tight corset and a long heavy dress, and ... [This wasn't summer. Florida was a winter resort. - Dave] The clothingThe comment about being dressed for the opera is on the right track, maybe by today's standards, but in 1904, no self-respecting woman would wear a skirt and frilly white blouse to the opera; that was considered casual wear. She would have worn an evening gown. The men would not wear a business suit, they would have worn a Tux, tails, or, at least, a frock coat, not a suit coat like we see in the photo. Smart MoveMost of my Spring Break in Daytona Beach - back in 1978 - was spent recovering from the severe sunburn I received while biking on a borrowed bicycle all day. If I had been dressed as these beautiful riders are - the trip would have been much more enjoyable but alas, a little more lonely! (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Florida, Horses, Swimming)
Desert Guns: 1937
... Anti-theft This is the first time I recall seeing bicycles locked up while parked curbside. It breaks my heart When I go ... It don't get any better than this. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Dorothea Lange, Movies, OKC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/04/2018 - 11:30am -

June 1937. "Oklahoma City. Idle men attend the morning movies. There are three such movies in one block." Now playing: Desert Guns and The Singing Vagabond. Photo by Dorothea Lange, Farm Security Administration. View full size. Decisions, decisionsShall we see the Singing Vagabond today, or wait until Wednesday for Desert Guns? Aw heck, let's spend that dime right now on a cold beer! Rooms for RentMan in window reminiscent of a Hopper painting. Idle?No idle women seeing the morning movie! Their work was never done. ChillyAir cooled with "washed air"... NICE! Anti-theftThis is the first time I recall seeing bicycles locked up while parked curbside. It breaks my heartWhen I go to the IMDb, and I read the words, "This film is presumed lost. Please check your attic." Darn those idle men!Why aren't they standing in a bread line like everybody else? (I realize that "idle" was an economist's term of art for describing the unemployed, but it sounds pejorative to our more sensitive ears). And I'll wager a theater was the coolest place to be on an Oklahoma June day. Not lost anymoreThe IMDB must be out of date because you can buy the DVD for $3 on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Desert-Guns-DVD-/400504220688?pt=US_DVD_HD_DVD_B... Isis TheatreThis was the Isis Theatre at 124 W. Reno Avenue in OKC. It was demolished in the late 40's/early 50's. It's now the Chesapeake Energy Arena. See this page. Get back to workThe idle men are one thing, but shouldn't the Western Union boy be off delivering telegrams instead of bathing in the washed air of the theater? Pay no attention to the man in the window.He's likely just an idle roomer. Billiards, Beerlunch and a movie. It don't get any better than this. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Dorothea Lange, Movies, OKC)
Munger Motor: 1920
... over signs, advertising and posters on every window, and bicycles blocking the sidewalk and the diner's door would all be gone. Even the ... with repairs on the pavement, signage, posters, trucks and bicycles everywhere is a treat. So, it does beg the question, what do you ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:38pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "Munger Motor & Mfg. Co., front." On the minus side of the ledger, this glass negative has light leaks, dirt, mold and probably halitosis. On the plus side we have beer, motorbikes, circus posters and Freedom Lunch. This circa 1890s Pabst brewery on North Capitol Street would be returning to its beverage roots (minus the alcohol) in just a few years as the Whistle Bottling Works. National Photo Company Collection. View full size. An old phrase and a new phaseIn just five years this chaotic advertising mess would all be removed. Signs over signs, advertising and posters on every window, and bicycles blocking the sidewalk and the diner's door would all be gone. Even the diner next door would vastly improve in appearance. The cola company conversion certainly left this building clean as a Whistle. Bicycle built for ThreeThe overly long tandem bicycle the two men are looking at has three seats. The rear-most riders seems to supply most of the pedal power (from the look of that large sprocket) whilst the front passenger does the steering. Horse shoe hung by door.I always heard that a horse shoes should be hung above the door and open side up, so your luck does not run out. Freedom LunchI love the following for the seldom seen phrase, "As punishment for serving macaroni…" Washington Post, Aug 2, 1918 Lunchroom Man Held William Caros Charged with Violating Food Regulations William Caros, proprietor of the Freedom Lunch, North Capitol and G streets, appeared before food administration officials yesterday to answer charges of violating food regulations. When he failed to show his registration card the police were called in. Caros was arrested and last night was being held for investigations. As punishment for serving macaroni on wheatless day and beef before the evening meal, the food administration has ordered his place of business closed next Tuesday and Wednesday. W.N. Belfield, proprietor of the People's Lunch, 636 North Capitol street, charged with the same violation, has been ordered to do no business next Tuesday and Wednesday. Washington Post, Jul 2, 1922 Freedom Lunch Perhaps is well to make mention of Earnest Carapanos and D. Paidas, each of whom are deserving much praise for their patriotism to this country. Messrs. Carapanos and Paidas each enlisted and served two years in the rank and file for Uncle Sam during the recent world war in France. They are the owners of the Freedom Lunch, opposite the government printing office. Motorcyle heavenI'm a great Excelsior, fan so to see a slice of a 1920s workplace with repairs on the pavement, signage, posters, trucks and bicycles everywhere is a treat. So, it does beg the question, what do you call a bicycle built for three? Same gear ratioThe rear rider does not necessarily supply most of the power. The chainwheels or sprockets connecting the three cranksets are the same size, so all three riders pedal at the same rate. The large chainwheel multiplies the rotational speed of all of them. I would think that with two stokers, the one in the rear would stand the best chance to slack off without discovery. Tandem Terminology A tandem bicycle built for three is called a "triple" or "triplet"; for four, it's a "quad" or "quadruplet." The term "tandem" refers to the fore-aft seating, not the number of riders. If the riders are seated side by side, it's a "sociable." The front rider is called the "pilot" or "captain"; the one in the back is the "stoker" or "rear admiral." The fellow in the middle of a triplet is the "midshipman." Built for ThreeOK, I'll bite on this one. Call it "Tributtem." The TrandemAs any viewer of 1970s British TV comedy show The Goodies will tell you, a three-seater bicycle is known as a Trandem. "Birdie"Could this be a shop owned by Louis "Birdie" Munger, the famous Ordinary racer from the 1890s who later mentored Major Taylor? The bicycles he built were the finest of their time. I would love to be able to see one; even just an image would suffice! (The Gallery, Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Natl Photo)
I'm De Whole Show: 1913
... bad for a 12-year-old. Bike Light Probably not many bicycles today have kerosene lanterns on the handlebars. Fascinating. Re: ... (The Gallery, Bicycles, Kids, Lewis Hine) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:26pm -

Waco, Texas. November 1913. Isaac Boyett: "I'm de whole show." The twelve-year-old proprietor, manager and messenger of the Club Messenger Service, 402 Austin Street. The photo shows him in the heart of the Red Light district where he was delivering messages as he does several times a day. Said he knows the houses and some of the inmates. Has been doing this for one year, working until 9:30 P.M. Saturdays. Not so late on other nights. Makes from six to ten dollars a week. View full size. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine. (Shorpynote: Isaac was born March 20, 1901, and died in May 1966 in Waco.) IsaacGood to know that lamp was non-explosive ... I love the look on this boy's face, and his world-weary eyes. Not too bad - butI would bet that this kid gave the money to his mom, who probably had 6 or 7 kids to feed. Not too badEight dollars per week in 1913 is the equivalent of about $160 today. About $8500 per year. Not bad for a 12-year-old. Bike LightProbably not many bicycles today have kerosene lanterns on the handlebars. Fascinating. Re: Bike LightAre you sure of it being a kerosene lamp? Looks like a carbide light like miners used to me. Re: Re: Bike LightIt looks like one of the kerosene lamps below. Esp. the "Jim Dandy." Bicycle LampsPeter Card has a richly detailed web site on early bicycle lamps. See the page, especially, on oil (kerosene) lamps, which I think is the type Master Boyett is sporting on his handlebars in this Hines photo. Agree: this young lad does have world-weary, seen-it-all eyes. Denny Gill Chugiak, Alaska [That really is a great Web site. Thanks for the link! - Dave] 1913 = today?Ok, how does a 1913 photo demonstrate child abuse "today"? As far as child labor goes, I'd say riding a bicycle around and delivering six messages a day is WAY better than some of the coal mining and factory situations we've seen here. And I bet half the reason he's grimacing is that he's facing into the sun. TragicThis photo illustrates the failure of capitailism and the abuse of children that continues today in the USA. This child should be at home, playing and enjoying childhood while he can. [Dumb comment of the day (so far). - Dave] Ah, yes...The "good" old days. As bad as some things are now, at least we have very few 12 year olds spending all their time running messages for ladies of loose morals to their johns. Reply to LC2You're right...now 12 year olds deliver crack cocaine instead of messages. I'm going to start playing aI'm going to start playing a Shorpy drinking game and down a shot any time somebody grumbles about "kids today." Assuming my liver is up to it. Messenger Boy in Waco, TexasThis is Joe Manning, of the Lewis Hine Project. I interviewed one of Isaac's daughters. I now have his interesting, but brief story on my website. http://morningsonmaplestreet.com/2015/01/01/isaac-boyett/ (The Gallery, Bicycles, Kids, Lewis Hine)
Pensacola: 1904
... Did you ever notice that in these old photos none of the bicycles are locked ? At what point did bicycle theft make its appearance, I ... is my hometown and I find it beautiful! (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Florida, Pensacola) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:51pm -

Pensacola, Florida, circa 1904. "Opera House and American National Bank." An interesting assortment of street furniture and electrical gear. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Recycled CannonLooks like an old cannon stuck business-end down in the street corner. Did you ever notice that in these old photos none of the bicycles are locked ? At what point did bicycle theft make its appearance, I wonder ? "Foxy Quiller"A review (NYT). Like peanut butter and jamHigh class and high finance together at last! Perchance ...The Addams Family Bank? RepurposedI've heard of beating swords into plowshares, but I've never seen howitzers turned into bollards. Perhaps we could revive this concept. Installing artillery at intersections might remind people to be civil. Old GloryInteresting use for an old cannon, keeping wagons and carriages out of the gutter. I guess it's keeping the equally disgraced gas lamp company, now that the new arc lamp has risen to notoriety. The final curtainPensacola is one of my favorite beach towns, because it is quite old and has a lot of great surviving structures. Sadly, this isn't one of them: http://www.pensapedia.com/wiki/Pensacola_Opera_House I haven't been since the last big hurricane moved its way through the Panhandle. I know that a few places I loved dearly took heavy damage, and I just haven't been able to stand to look. Going UpI love that there are footholds on the telephone pole that start at the ground and go all the way up to the business end. I'm sure these weren't a temptation for any of the kids in the neighborhood. Dating by posterThere was a Monday, March 16 in 1903. Something OldThis is my hometown and I find it beautiful! (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Florida, Pensacola)
Candy Kitchen: 1908
... meters or lampposts to properly lock those newfangled bicycles against. So many people By my count there are over 40 people ... some of the store front windows? (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Streetcars) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:09pm -

Grand Rapids, Michigan, circa 1908. "View of Monroe Street showing Hotel Pantlind." Not to mention the Candy Kitchen and Ice Cream Parlor. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Handlesbar NetI like the net on the bike, and note correct usage: two handles, one bar. [Kind of like teethbrush, or eyesglasses. - Dave] Don't use the tower clock to sync your pocket watchThe clock on the tower says that it is 9:34, but the shadows, especially the awnings on the hotel, appear to be more middle of the day, noontime, shadows to me. Amway Grand PlazaThe old Pantlind Hotel is now the east portion of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. NowadaysIt would be called Kandy Kitchen. Spacious Streetscape It's positively capacious! No bus shelters, benches, trees or overflowing litter receptacles. There aren't even any parking meters or lampposts to properly lock those newfangled bicycles against. So many peopleBy my count there are over 40 people (and one dog) visible in the picture. That's more than in most cityscape pictures, even ones in much larger cities than Grand Rapids. Cover StoryWhat's the story behind the tarps that are covering some of the store front windows? (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Streetcars)
Atlantic City: 1900
... City (late 1960's) there were no wicker pedicabs with bicycles left. They were all motorized, made of steel, but still of the ... as it remains today. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, Bicycles, DPC, Easter) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 3:46pm -

Atlantic City, New Jersey, circa 1900. "Boardwalk, Easter morning." 8x10 dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The Common PeopleI realize it is Easter, but everyone is dressed so well that they all look like someone important. I wonder how different their attire would be on a regular day. WirelessAmazing how many more power lines there are in 6 years. Check out "Under the Boardwalk: 1906". Makes me sweatIt's lovely to look at the wonderful dresses and hats of old, but it makes me sweat! I know they look beautiful and I love looking at them but not so practical!!! One legged man?The man walking toward us on the lower far left, close-by the boardwalk fence, and just past the streetlight -- is the fact that he appears to have only one leg some kind an illusion? He doesn't have a cane, nor any help from the people he is with. How deyupd he otherwise move along? [I think he probably has the usual number of legs. ("Deyupd"?) - Dave] Upper Class ConveyanceI am curious about the adult baby buggies. Does anyone know who used these? Some of the passengers look like they could be dowagers, but it's hard to tell. Maybe it was just lazy people. Clackety clackI guess it was fashionable in this era to take the wife out for a push. ChildlessWhere are the kids? I can only see one. A scene like this today would be dominated by families with children. Put on your Easter bonnetThe importance of hatboxes, hairpins, hat racks and so on now helps me understand. There isn't one hatless person around that boardwalk. Re: ChildlessWell, I see at least 8 kids on the foreground, before the masses in the back make it too difficult to count... Rolling chairsRolling chairs have been an Atlantic City boardwalk tradition for many decades. They're still popular today. Look at the Slim WaistlinesThe ladies cut some beautiful silhouettes. Must be too coldI don't see any guys in speedos on the beach. There appears to bea lot of bustle-tugging by the ladies. The real skinnyCorsets, darling Anonymous Tipster. Corsets which bind, restrict and generally squeeze everything in a manner in which they were not meant to be squeezed are the cause of the "slim" waistlines. Who needs to take a full breath if their waist looks slim? On the Boardwalk, out by the seaWhen I was a very little girl (I am guessing spring of 1960) they still had the wicker rolling chairs on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City. By that time they were not pushed, but pedaled by a driver. In some cases the driver was at the front of the chair, on others at the rear behind the passengers. Very few were motorized back then. Some were no longer wicker. The second time I was in Atlantic City (late 1960's) there were no wicker pedicabs with bicycles left. They were all motorized, made of steel, but still of the rickshaw concept. They were part taxi (since you pay to ride them and they have a driver) and part amusement ride. At the time this photo was taken (until a 1944 hurricane destroyed it) the Boardwalk was seven miles long. That is why they had cabs. By the time I was there it was still over four miles long, as it remains today. (The Gallery, Atlantic City, Bicycles, DPC, Easter)
Our Gang: 1936
... sold under the "Steelcraft" brand name. Murray also made bicycles and tricycles. Here is a restored car, missing its fire bell and "City Fire Dept" hood decals. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Carl Mydans, Dogs, Kids) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:04pm -

May 1936. "Boys playing. Decatur Homesteads, Indiana." 35mm nitrate negative by Carl Mydans for the Resettlement Administration. View full size. Don't Toss Away Antiques!Wow, That Antique Pedal-Car on the right...would easily fetch Thousands now on Ebay! Any old 'Pedal-Car' is valuable and this was an especially nice one. Don't toss old things away...they only gain in value! Petey, you've changedYou have turned into a Pomeranian mix! That's a far cry forma Pit Bull, Americas favorite family dog at the time. These kids are too cute! They are pushing eighty now. Those two on trikeswould turn out green if this was a colour photo. InspirationThis scene is exactly what inspired Hal Roach to create his famous "Our Gang" series - an unscripted and largely ad hoc collection of kids just being kids. Is nothing sacred?A Plymouth nameplate on a classic, ox-yoke Packard grill? Love these guysThe dog is thinking, "I.Hate.This". City Fire Dept.The pedal car appears to be a 1933 Steelcraft "Plymouth City Fire Dept" model. It was built by the Murray Ohio Manufacturing Company and sold under the "Steelcraft" brand name. Murray also made bicycles and tricycles. Here is a restored car, missing its fire bell and "City Fire Dept" hood decals. (The Gallery, Bicycles, Carl Mydans, Dogs, Kids)
City Hall: 1907
... (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/02/2022 - 12:45pm -

Lansing, Michigan, circa 1907. "City Hall." Where the time is I:XLIII, or XVII minutes to II. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. MCMLVIII: requiescat in paceSpent its life - most of it anyway - in the shadow of the Michigan State Capitol (certainly figuratively and in the evening pehaps literally). Silver Medalist in the Most Impressive Building in Town contest is apparently no guarantee of survival. Unknown growthThe clock is interesting but what is that growth on the building to the left? Intentional? Accidental? [That's ivy, and it's horticultural. - Dave] Distracted informationI went to get a Google Earth view of the Lansing City Hall today and am including additional information that distracted me. The city hall is labeled in the upper right. It's much larger than was needed in 1907, plus it's all new and shiny. Then I got distracted by the construction on the capitol grounds. Looks like something is being built underground. But the front lawn is pristine green. Then I noticed there are five churches on the block just north of the capitol. The four labeled are Methodist, Christ Community, Catholic, and MICHOP. The one not labeled is Episcopal. Where I grew up a big Baptist church would occupy the MICHOP corner. Click to embiggen. Michigan Capitol constructionThey are currently installing geothermal heat to the Capitol, and building a museum/visitor center. The construction has been ongoing for a couple years, slowed by Covid, but fingers crossed it will be complete in about a year. https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/2021/04/12/update-geother... (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC)
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